WARRNAMBOOL’S biggest music festival returns on the Queen’s Birthday weekend, but this year’s event will be bigger than ever before.
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Arockalypse 6 will again take place at The Loft, but this time over four days from June 9 to June 12, with more than 30 acts appearing across two stages.
The festival has expanded to incorporate music on the public holiday Monday, with a line-up of acts for the final day yet to be announced.
But the bill for the first three days is filling fast with a mix of top local talent and much-loved out-of-town bands who have regularly rocked The Loft stage.
The event kicks off on June 7 with Geelong hard-rockers The Dukes Of Deliciousness and Warrnambool alt-country group Doctor & The Apologies.
They will be joined on the main stage by local Rage Against The Machine tribute group Rage Against The Sewing Machine, who were a surprise hit at last year’s Arockalypse where they played a short set on stage two.
On Saturday night, south-west-connected bands Indigo Children and Lemonbait will support Melbourne prog-metal act Acolyte, who last played The Loft back in March as part of the Vic-SA tour promoting their new single Everything You Break.
Then comes the big day, which will get underway after doors open at noon.
Headlining are a quartet of hard rocking Melbourne acts who have regularly rocked The Loft in recent years – hard-hitting duo King Of The North, party favourites The Stiffys, prog-metallers Orsome Welles, and heavy blues enthusiasts Child.
They will be joined by Melbourne groovers DuneSeven, Geelong all-girl soul band The Sweethearts, Apollo Bay youngsters The Refuge, south-west cowboys The Alamo, Warrnambool doom duo Saol, and up-and-coming locals The Lucky Household.
Then over on stage two there will be comedian Ben Gaylard, as well as short musical sets by Sarah Matthews, Nick Feehan, Nick Lyons, Mick Ferguson, Voodoo Krautz, Samuel S Edward, Molly & Taz, Andre Pangrazio, and Jorge Gardner.
The line-up and details for Monday’s “recovery day” session is yet to be revealed.
Former owner and current Loft band booker Jarrod Hawker said he was glad new owner Jed Mast was keeping the Arockalypse tradition alive.
“It’s become one of the big events on the local music calendar,” Hawker said.
“We’ve been getting great crowds for it every year, which shows there’s still a real appetite for live original music. What I really love about Arockalypse is putting so many of the best bands we’ve had over the past year together for one big weekend, which is always a mix of great bands from our own backyard and further afield.”