VACATIONS frontman Campbell Burns hopes his band's freshly-expanded homecoming can help reinvigorate the Newcastle music scene.
The indie four-piece, who boast a monthly Spotify audience of 5.7 millions listeners, are scheduled to complete their Australian tour at Newcastle's Cambridge Hotel on July 29.
However, it'll be more than a mere Vacations show. The evening will feature a complete takeover of the Cambridge - main and warehouse rooms and the front bar - for the Mates festival.
Sydney's The Buoys and Adelaide's Teenage Joans will perform, along with Newcastle acts Teddie, Underlay and Mango Avenue and Sydney's rising hip-hop artist Mungmung.
Queer and Now DJs and Palace DJs will also spin tracks in the front bar.
"I felt like if we just did a normal show that would have been really boring and I like the idea of trying not to make it a show, but an event, something everyone can look forward to," Burns says.
"Something that has broad appeal and is inclusive and diverse. It's important to me. I like Newcastle and I want to see Newcastle succeed."
In April Vacations completed a 32-date tour of the US, where a large portion of their fan base reside.
In the mid to late-2010s Vacations were at the forefront of Newcastle's No-Fi indie scene, which also featured Raave Tapes and Pals. Triple j's Home & Hosed even presented a special on the "Newy sound" in 2018, showcasing the city's wealth of talent like Grace Turner, Paper Thin and Trophy Eyes.
However, Burns believes the scene has stagnated in recent years, due in part to the pandemic and redevelopment in the CBD. It's an issue which will be exacerbated if the Cambridge closes in June 2023.
"I feel like since the pandemic and coming back from the [United] States and speaking to a lot of people in our community, it seems that things have dried up a bit or everyone is a bit fractured and there's no sense of connectedness with the arts scene," he says.
Mates will be Vacations' first Newcastle gig since 2018 and since then the band have released their second album Forever In Bloom (2020) and seen their popularity expand exponentially.
"We've all done some growing up since then and there's all that new music," Burns says. "It'll be interesting to see what Australian fans we have and what the reception will be like."
Beyond Mates, Burns is also harnessing his growing reputation in the music industry to champion Newcastle and its arts scene.
Burns works as a producer at Tighes Hill's Sawtooth Studios and has recently travelled around Australia for songwriting sessions with indie bands Clews and Stumps and electronic producer Japanese Wallpaper.
Mates featuring Vacations, The Buoys and Teenage Joans comes to the Cambridge Hotel on July 29. Tickets are $25.
