FREMANTLE literally left its mark on Dulcie bassist Timieka “Meeks” Denton when she was partying in the port city.
The Perth indie/pop band are getting ready to play the Out of the Woods festival at Esplanade Park, but Meeks is still getting flashbacks to the time she “spear tackled” her bandmate in Fremantle and came off second best.
• Chet Faker
“A couple of years ago I had a night out with all of my work crew to go watch Great Gable at Freo Social, which was a lot of fun,” Meeks recalls.
“After they finished I crossed the road to go get something from my car and I looked back and saw Ashleigh there, who I hadn’t seen all night, so I ran up to her and you could almost say ‘spear tackled’ her and fell to the ground.
“Not only did I realise till the morning that I had a massive parkour wound on my hand which has now turned into scar.”
As war wound stories go, the Chook has heard better, but this is the indie-pop scene, where too much chai powder in your latte can trigger months of introspection.
• Chela
Since forming in 2018, Dulcie have built up a solid fanbase with their breezy brand of indie pop, touring extensively in Australia and sharing the stage with the likes of San Cisco, Spacey Jane and the Psychedelic Porn Crumpets.
The core of the band – Meeks and guitarist/vocalist Saskia Brittain – are childhood friends from Denmark.
They both moved to Perth to do a music artist course at WAAPA and decided to form a band, enlisting Ashleigh Carr-White (piano/vocals) and drummer Madison Hanley.
• Smoked Trout
Meeks says she is looking forward to playing Fremantle as it reminds her a bit of Denmark: “What I love most about Fremantle is that it feels like its own community and town. I grew up in a small country town so it feels nostalgic in that way for me creating a homely environment.”
And what can we expect from their set?
“I guess if I tell you it’s not a surprise, but expect a lot of dancing!” Meeks says.
• Dulcie
Dulcie are just one of the many bands playing Out of the Woods, which made its debut last year at the Busselton Foreshore, attracting more than 7000 people and being the first major music event to be held in WA after covid.
But festival organiser Ross Macpherson said it was too expensive to hold it again in the regional town as lots of equipment had to be trucked down from Perth and there wasn’t enough local accomodation and transport.
So he’s moved it to the beautiful Freo Esplanade Park, where bands will play amongst the majestic Norfolk Pines, overlooking the Indian Ocean.
The two-day festival has something for everyone with a diverse mix of international and local acts including Boy & Bear, Temper Trap, Chet Faker, Django Django, Ra Ra Viper, Project Bexx and Grunge Barbie.
• Winston from Winston Surfshirt
There will be also art installations, “hidden treasures” like secret bars and elusive dance floors, and food and drink stalls, with the promoters describing it as “two days of incredible music, art and adventure.”
The WA-owned and operated festival is all about “community, collaboration and diversity – it’s a vibrant celebration where you can freely express and immerse yourself in new adventures.”
Out of the Woods is on Saturday October 7 and Sunday October 8 at Fremantle’s Esplanade Park. For more info see ootwfest.com.
by STEPHEN POLLOCK