Kalbarri Open Air Music Festival brings 14 heavy metal, punk and rock bands to coastal Mid West town

The small coastal town of Kalbarri will host an inaugural heavy metal festival next weekend, packed with local and travelling WA artists to rock the socks off metal music lovers. The vein-popping Kalbarri Open Air Music Festival will be held on Friday and Saturday, March 15 and 16, at Kalbarri Oval looking out to the ocean. It will feature 14 heavy metal, rock and punk bands from Geraldton, Perth and Bunbury, as well as two Kalbarri solo performers. Organisers Jamart Sound Lounge hope to bring a crowd to enjoy the rock music festival while also enjoying the pristine scenery of the Mid West town. Geraldton’s own Ratsalad, as well as Remnants, Runnin Lo and 8 Cannons Worth, will perform alongside Perth-based bands Bloodhunt, Grimoire, Kimura and more. The band members in Bloodhunt are as young as 15 and consider metal as a life saver through tough times. Solo acts to warm up the crowd include 17-year-old singer-songwriter Jack Lundy, who draws inspiration from the likes of Jack Johnson, John Mayer and Nothing But Thieves. His acoustic guitar textures, rhythms and powerful vocals has created a sound unique to himself. Kalbarri’s own Brenton Meynell from the Brenton Meynell Project (BMP) intertwines the realms of music, art, spirituality and environmental consciousness and is influenced by Elder, Devin Townsend, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Pink Floyd. Grimoire made a lasting impression on the WA metal scene in the early 90s and recently returned to Perth stages in 2022. Grimoire’s fast pace coupled with melodic riffs and deep intestinal fortitude will have the crowd pumping. For tickets, visit Oztix.