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It鈥檚 a brash, new, one-day queer music festival for people who paddle their own canoe. Summer Camp has hired the very best talent from the 17c起草社区I community to be your counsellors: they promise not to supervise you or teach you any useful skills; they will, however, encourage loud music, outrageous behaviour, non-conformity, and unbridled joy.

To paraphrase co-founder, Kat Dopper: come and explore; leave in awe.

鈥淸Summer Camp is] for queers and allies. It鈥檚 about creating inclusion, and visibility, and acceptance and love, and it鈥檚 not about labels. Love is love at the end of the day,鈥� she says.

Dopper might know a thing or two about running big events. She has been at the helm of Heaps Gay for ten years, has worked with Splendour In The Grass, Laneway, and Mardi Gras, just to name drop a few.

Filling the Void聽

What she noticed missing in the landscape of large music festivals was an inclusive, safe, queer-focused event. So, she and some friends got together, organised funding and created Summer Camp: four one-day festivals that take place in Darwin, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth respectively.

鈥淲e wanted to be able to book and pay as many queer artists as we could across all four cities,鈥� says Dopper.

鈥淥ne of the things that is really important is that we鈥檙e showcasing diverse artists, and when I say diverse, I mean multidisciplinary. So, on the line-up we have live acts that are world famous and then they鈥檙e partnered with emerging acts that are awesome in their own right. And then I鈥檓 trying to create collaborations and mentorships and networking between each of the different cities.鈥�

The diversity in the program includes different music styles, dancers, performance artists, drag queens, comics. Each city鈥檚 show will be a little bit different but all will have the cheeky, ramped-up summer camp theme.

‘It鈥檚 Gonna Be Very OTT and Crazy’

鈥淐olour, movement, performance, depending on where you are [鈥�] you might end up frolicking in a secret forest or you might come across a giant mess hall. We鈥檙e really gonna play up that theme of summer camp so you can imagine it鈥檚 gonna be very OTT and crazy.鈥�

Among the many, many highlights, Dopper picks out a few.

鈥淚f you haven鈥檛 seen an artist called Big Freedia, get ready! Big Freedia is the CEO of Bounce Music [New Orleans twerk]鈥� It鈥檚 a true moment on stage. We鈥檙e creating something really special where we鈥檙e going to have lots of local acts coming on for her set and it鈥檚 going to be a big powerful experience.

鈥淭here鈥檚 an incredible performance artist duo called, The Huxleys. We鈥檙e working to create this really immersive secret experience in the middle of the forest.鈥�

Confidence Man has become a huge favourite at festivals around the world, and Dopper says they are devising something 鈥渦nique and interesting鈥� for their set.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 one of the things that I鈥檓 really trying to focus on [in this festival]. If you鈥檝e seen the artist before, don鈥檛 skip out on their set at Summer Camp because it鈥檚 all gonna be about 鈥榮urprise and delight鈥� moments.鈥�

One of the most exciting names on the bill is Years & Years, otherwise known as Olly Alexander. The British actor, musician, and advocate for 17c起草社区I causes and mental health, has an avid fan base in Australia.

Alexander鈥檚 resume is an impressive list of acting and music credits, including his recent role in the popular Stan series, It鈥檚 A Sin, and singing performances with Kylie Minogue and Elton John.

鈥淗e鈥檚 just a beautiful, beautiful performer and obviously going to be a highlight,鈥� says Dopper.

Sugar Bones is one quarter of the band, Confidence Man. He performs out front alongside his 鈥榮ister鈥� (DNA test result is pending), Janet Planet and they are backed up by two incognito members, Clarence and Reggie who always wear black lace lampshade-style headgear.

What is not hidden about this band is their immense talent for writing incredibly likeable tunes. Since 2016, Confidence Man鈥檚 fame has grown exponentially, and they have become festival favourites around the world.

鈥淚t all sort of happened so fast, like five years ago,鈥� says Sugar Bones, trying to explain their rapid success. 鈥淚t was all so natural鈥� Basically it鈥檚 just the four of us sitting in a room and making music that has no rules, just rolling with whatever comes out. That freedom, I think, is definitely a big part of it.鈥�

He describes their music as 鈥榝eel good鈥�, and that claim is backed up by the band鈥檚 new single, Holiday, which has an exuberant energy.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the first time we鈥檝e put out a new song for a while, and it鈥檒l be the first time we actually get to play live for quite a while, so really excited we get to do it again,鈥� says Sugar Bones. He鈥檚 also really thrilled about Summer Camp.

An Open and Safe Space

鈥淚t sounds like something Australia鈥檚 long overdue to have, and we鈥檙e super pumped.鈥� He believes there鈥檚 something special about having a queer music festival.

鈥淚t鈥檚 more of an open space and safe space鈥�it鈥檚 nice to have somewhere that establishes that from the get-go so everyone can go in that mindset. I think it鈥檚 just a really nice option for festival goers to have.鈥�

And what has Confidence Man planned for their set?

鈥淲e鈥檝e got a few new dances. A couple of new tricks, a couple of new gags up our sleeve鈥� a bit of movie magic.鈥�

What does that mean?

鈥淥h, you just have to wait and see.鈥�

‘Create Some Memories. Be with Your Own People. Have an Awesome Time’

Ladyhawke has been a staple on the world festival circuit for a long time, but Summer Camp feels like a ray of sunshine.

鈥淚鈥檝e been on these bills for years with predominantly males – and not just male but straight,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 just think it鈥檚 quite special to have something like Summer Camp, and I just feel really, really stoked to be part of it. I鈥檓 really looking forward to it, it鈥檚 gonna be a blast!鈥�

One of the key positives is having people on stage that queer people in the audience can identify with.

鈥淎s a teenager I didn鈥檛 know of any out queer women or any artists. I went to Catholic school and stuff, and it was not spoken of, or if it was, it was used as an insult or like a threat,鈥� says Ladyhawke. 鈥淚t would have meant a great deal to me as a young person, as a teenager looking up to people in the music industry, if it was like it is now.鈥�

Though she has always been drawn to glam and wild flair in her idols, Ladyhawke鈥檚 own aesthetic has tended towards grunge, or at least, not classically 鈥済irly.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檝e always unapologetically just been myself and dressed like myself,鈥� she says. That was not always easy in the prefabricated, highly typecast world of mainstream pop. 鈥淣obody really knew what to do with me.鈥�

The pop industry has not changed very much but Ladyhawke has. She feels more confident about standing her ground and speaking her mind. If her success is anything to go by, then being wholly herself has not hurt her career.

She still has not finalised her set list for Summer Camp, but her band has been rehearsing songs from all four Ladyhawke albums, so she鈥檒l be able to choose from her entire catalogue.

鈥淚 love the crowd getting hyped and excited, so I wanna play some fun festival tunes.鈥�

And if the crowd wants My Delirium she will play it. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 just play music for myself; I enjoy playing it for people that pay good money to come and see a show. I am happy to play My Delirium聽ten thousand times. I鈥檒l always play it at every single set for the rest of my life, I promise.鈥�

Summer Camp is going to be a special and unique event for the queer community, so, as Ladyhawke says, 鈥淐reate some memories. Be with your own people. Have an awesome time, that鈥檚 the most important thing.鈥�