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Sofar Australia director Matt Walters has been there. He was signed as an artist to Universal Music 15 years ago‚ but soon discovered the major label hype-and-grind model was no road to happiness. “It’s not about chasing some ridiculous dream,” he told me a few years later, as he pivoted to an indie career. “It’s about being a part of a community I connect with and feeling grateful for every moment.”
Stephanie McMillan, from duo Laughing Waters, says, “The intimacy is the best part” of the secret Sofar gigs.Credit: Luis Ascui
Walters was the brains behind Parlour Gigs, the app-based home concert phenomenon that started in Melbourne in 2015 and grew across Australia. Parlour caught terminal COVID in the midst of global expansion, but not before Walters connected with Sofar. Based in London, the platform is now active in 400 cities. “The essence of Sofar hasn’t changed — intimate performances in unique locations — but the community has scaled significantly,” he says. “Since I joined in 2022 we’ve hosted over 350 shows in the region and sold over 15,000 tickets. That’s 1050 performances from emerging Australian artists.”
The goal is “authentic moments of discovery and connection,” he says. “Fans walk away having discovered not just new artists but a real emotional bond with the music. The vibe is always open and friendly. You can easily strike up conversations with strangers.”
Of the half dozen I talk to, only one punter has been to Sofar gigs before — most of them in the US and Europe. The website boasts video evidence of big-league artists like Billie Eilish, Leon Bridges, Hozier and Khruangbin. In Australia, Courtney Barnett, Julia Jacklin, Matt Corby, Budjerah and Stella Donnelly have all played Sofar shows.
Some of the bigger names are announced and scaled more like regular gigs: “Headliner shows, we call them,” Walters says. Subscribers know, for example, that cult British folkie Fink is playing his first six-city tour of Australia in November — although each “unique” venue will remain secret until the last minute.
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Meanwhile, the night’s final act is “a bit of a legend,” our MC teases as Seb Szabo leads his Springsteen-inspired rock quartet into a space that barely contains them. The tousled frontman begins by introducing a “new song”, then stops himself. “They’re all new to you ’cause you don’t know who the f–k I am,” he jokes. As per the booker’s criteria, he knows how to work an audience.
He knows how to find one, too. “My whole goal with music has always been to go to new places and play to audiences in different cities,” he tells me later. “I’ve played a few of these in the States and a few in the UK … You don’t have to worry about hustling to sell tickets because there’s a dedicated audience of people who know about Sofar.”
Ah, the dedicated audience. They’re in decline too, we’re told, as allegiances fade and get forgotten as fast as your last TikTok. What’s maybe most remarkable about the night is how few of the cross-legged music lovers have their phones in the air, making content for later. The weight of the moment seems much greater than that.
In that regard, 18-year-old Lara Buchanan’s first Sofar gig has been a revelation. “It was so different to what I expected,” she says. “Usually when I do performances I’m either opening for someone or I’m at some really loud bar, and … it’s almost as if the music is just background. Everybody was really, really watching and listening. That was something I’d never really experienced before.”
Artists, hosts and punters can connect at sofarsounds.com.
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