Leaps and Bounds Music Festival wrapped up on 20 June after a 10-day event jam-packed with music performances, special events and album launches.

Yarra City Council decided to proceed with the festival as a series of online gigs as a way to continue to offer support to our live music community who have been heavily impacted by COVID19.

The festival included 52 online events with performances by over 250 artists. The online streams collectively received over 100,000 views and countless comments, and likes.

From performances and live album recordings, to cooking classes and tarot readings, this 10-day festival brought some much-needed light to winter during this strange year.

The winter music festival has always been about celebrating and promoting Australian music through this online iteration Leaps and Bounds continued to encourage music lovers to appreciate Yarra’s live music scene during Melbourne’s coldest months and to bring together the music community.

The majority of events have been recorded and are still available to view online via Facebook and YouTube. For all the links head to www.leapsandboundsmusicfestival.com

Some highlights include:

• History of Music in Yarra: An intimate journey from Au Go Go records founder, former owner of The Tote, and RRR broadcaster Bruce Milne.
• Participants of Yowo Music performing in an online choir with special guest artist Francesca Gonzales, Folk Bitch Trio and Hot Glue.
• Cable Ties, RVG and Chitra amongst others presented new releases as part of the ‘Albums in Quarantine’ series.
• Godfather of grunge, Kim Salmon and The Surrealists recording their new album live and fully improvised at Rolling Stock Recording Rooms.
• Tramway Hotel presenting Feminist Punk Guitar Orchestra Yak featuring a round table conversation with Tropical F#ckstorm guitar shredder Erica Dunn, and queens of punk Janelle Johnstone, Sarah Hardiman and Lisa MacKinney.
• Yawulyu, featuring Alice Skye, Allara and Rachel Lia performing from the Barpirdhila’s new home at the Collingwood Yards.

Leaps and Bounds Music Festival is commissioned by the City of Yarra, programmed by Yarra venues and co-presented by Yarra community radio station PBS 106.7FM.