REVIEW: LISTEN OUT, CHAOS IN: Mismanagement and mayhem take center stage

For a festival called “Listen Out’ it seems as if management and security aren't actually listening.

What began as an exciting opportunity to celebrate and photograph Australian music, the EDM scene and international rap artists, Listen Out 2024 quickly became an example of how the festival is no longer a celebration of international music and the arts, and more a culture of social media presence, likes, and clout.

As someone who frequents festivals a lot, I was so excited at the opportunity to shoot for such a prominent festival in the Australian Indie music scene. My day started off on a positive note with performances by Sampa the Great offering a unique perspective of heavy feminine energy through contemporary African stomp dance and rap. The Zambian singer accompanied by an all-Australian dance crew kicked off my Listen Out experience with a passionate performance that left myself and the crowd pumped and inspired.

However, as the crowds grew as it got later, I quickly took notice of the type of crowd I was in. A cycle of three different Culture Kings shirts, mullets galore, and a whole lot of arrogance.

Shooting the main stage became increasingly difficult for myself and the only other female photographer. Listen Out didn’t have a separate lane for the pit for access for media, so each time we had to push our way through the crowd, cameras in the air, trying not to be swallowed into the sea of people.

I was met with “Go the other way” “Well I’m not moving” “Get F*#ked” by several men near the pit entrance, some who even attempted to follow us to the front to get to barricade claiming they were with the media team. Once we were in the pit, security seemed as if they hadn’t a clue what they were doing. Pyrotechnics went off without any warning. People were being dragged out from barricade, things were thrown at the stage and at performers, the pit was full of people half collapsed or recovering, all while our group of media attempted to do our jobs. Security would push us aside, bump into us as they helped people, and had no sense of safety for either party. We were ushered out mid song, sometimes not even allowed the three-song minimum for a set. And we were left to make our way back through the tsunami of people standing in the way of the pit entrance, with no escort.

Entrances to areas outside were marked accessible to media passes, and I was let through to visit a friend who was working in the backstage area by multiple security- till I was then told I didn’t have the correct credentials. It seems as if security weren’t briefed on credentials, or perhaps management are contradicting themselves. I considered calling or emailing management to organise a safer route to the pit before the headliner. As a woman in this industry, it’s unfortunate that my safety is always something I consider before going to a shoot. But I knew that nothing would be done in time, and there really wasn’t anything security could do so last minute. So, I made the difficult decision not to shoot the headliner, 21 Savage.

I spoke to two women who were working Listen Out about my experience, as I wrapped shooting and went to leave the festival. The two- who I will leave unnamed- were working the festival for the third year in a row. One was a successful journalist who had recently published a viral piece about women’s safety in the music industry and the sexual discrimination we face. They shared their experience through the years and how Listen Out has quickly become a train wreck of sexism, mismanagement and mayhem. Multiple people that night had come into the concierges having panic attacks, the medical bay was full of people passed out or injured. There was no organisation of the festival as everything had been changed last minute to account for the multiple headliners that had dropped out, and crowds had become aggressive and ignorant of the people around them who needed help.

Hearing from these two women made my experience feel so validated, it wasn’t just me who had been struggling, and hearing about the many medical emergencies that had the medical team working overtime was more than enough evidence that my feelings were valid. If the two are reading this, I am beyond grateful, and you made me feel so validated and safe- thank you angels.

So where does Listen Out go wrong? Is it the music?

Each performer was as passionate as the last, giving it their all and were incredible. I genuinely enjoyed each set, and the crowd did too- not once did the energy die down. LITHE, EARTHGANG, and SKEPTA were amazing showcases of international talent, and it didn’t matter if you weren’t familiar with their songs, you found yourself dancing and raving along regardless.

It is truly a shame that for the first time in my career as a concert photographer and journalist that I write a negative review, I considered lying, pretending I enjoyed my experience so we would be invited back next year- maybe it just wasn’t my type of music, not my crowd.

When I shot at the second 909 stage, a stage showcasing rave and EDM which is very much my vibe, I knew it wasn’t the music that was the issue. The crowd at that stage particularly were so supportive getting the media team through, moving to the side for us and letting people around them know to help us through. They were respectful of each other, caring and mindful of the space they shared and no one at any time was dragged out of barricade

The crowds at raves will always be the most caring and considerate group you will ever be a part of, and I’m grateful that at least ONE aspect of my Listen Out experience was positive. This is what Listen Out should be about, community and passion for a shared love of music. So many festivals of this genre never have issues like what I witnessed that day, so it cannot be the music. Where Listen Out fails- Management, Security, and especially, the crowd.

Listen Out promised an unforgettable experience, and unfortunately, it delivered—for the wrong reasons. Let's hope next year they prioritise safety as much as they did making up for the cancelled headliners and managing disappointment.

Words by Jess Asher, 2024