Matt and Alex’s latest edition of 5 Raves in 5 Days officially kicked off in Brisbane on Thursday night and will move on through Sydney, Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne over the coming days.
Ball Park Music and The Kite String Tangle got in on the festivities at Crowbar last night, while names like Ladyhawke, Vera Blue, Art Vs Science, Illy and Baker Boy will all perform this weekend.
As the former triple j Breakfast hosts and podcast duo gear up for the mammoth trek around the country, we asked Matt and Alex and some of the acts on the lineup about their favourite 5 Raves in 5 Days memories over the years… or what new recruits are expecting at their debut visits.
Matt Okine
5 Raves In 5 Days is all about once-in-a-lifetime musical moments. It’s a Ball Park Music rendition of “My Happiness.” It’s a gold medal swimmer and an ARIA winner leading the crowd for a “Macarena” dance-off. It’s witnessing a triple-stacker in the wild – that’s someone sitting on top of someone else’s shoulders, with another person on top of them (a three-person stack!!!). These were all my favourite memories from our first rave tour. Who knows what will happen this time around!
Alex Dyson
Australians thrusting pelv to turn-of-the-millennium rave hits is a rite of passage that all generations should enjoy. The least Matt and I can do is shake off our ageing bones and bring the country together via the language we know best – bangers.
Alex Lahey & Kate McCarthey
We’re so excited to not just make our rave debut, but also to make our DJ debut! After years of bonding over our mutual passion for ~pop bangers~ it’s about damn time we get to load up the USBs and let ’em rip. Matt and Alex paved the way for AL and Kate to RAVE.
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The Tullamarines
We grew up listening to Matt and Alex, so we’re so keen to be invited up to DJ! We’re just stoked to be able to meet the legends themselves. We’re going to dig out some nostalgia 2016 era songs for sure, might chuck in a couple of our go-to tour pump-up songs and just keen for a bit of a boog. We might even have something special planned with our mates TOWNS.
Birdland
This is our first time ever DJing, and we couldn’t be more excited! We were only ten when the first one happened in 2016, so it’s so cool to be part of such an insane lineup. We’ve had so much fun putting the playlist together, adding transitions and sneaking a few surprises into the set, and putting a Gen Z edge on some millennial-coded classics! We’ve played so many gigs as a band, but we never expected to be behind a DJ deck, so that’s exciting! We’re also putting our own twist on it by bringing a bass guitar along to make things extra bassy!
Vera Blue
5 Raves in 5 Days was such a wild and wonderful experience to be part of! I remember jumping up to perform “Papercuts” with Illy, attempting to DJ with Peking Duk and doing the Macarena on stage with Alex. It was all so spontaneous and unpredictable, which is what made it so special. There was such a beautiful sense of community, and everyone was just there for the love of music and a good time. Matt and Alex have always had this incredible ability to bring people together through music. I can’t believe it’s been ten years, and I love that we get to come together and relive a little bit of that magic all over again!
lly
The OG 5 Raves in 5 Days was a special show for me, and I’m sure every other artist on those lineups. With me going into the station for the first time the exact same week Alex filled in for the first time on mornings, it was always like Alex, and then Matt, were just my mates who happened to be in radio. So going from that to seeing them off years later on their victory lap as beloved national treasures (no exaggeration) was fitting. I remember attempting to DJ (badly), performing “Papercuts” with Vera Blue (much better), and mainly celebrating two of the best to ever do it. I’m psyched to dust off the tune rags with the lads in Melbourne again. Long overdue!
Baker Boy
I don’t think you mob are ready for what the yidaki is gonna bring to the rave! I’ve been working on a yidaki cover for one of maybe the most iconic dance tracks ever, gonna be huge.
Luke Million
The 2016 rave at Fat Controller was one of my favourite sets of all time. The vibe was pure energy, fuelled by what I can only describe as an orgy of colour and glow sticks . The punters certainly put the effort in and made it next level. It was kinda an ‘Anything Goes’ situation, and I happily indulged dropping some cheeky numbers like “Funky Town.” I can’t wait to do it all again this Sunday, and this time I’m bringing along my keytar!
Click here for more details about the events.
