The City of Adelaide Music Laneways

In 2024, my team and I were commissioned to create a series of videos capturing the process behind a range of murals that have been installed around Adelaide CBD.

Several streets have had their names changed. These laneways now commemorate the contributions of South Australian musicians to our cultural fabric. Each artist presented their own interpretation through an artwork symbolizing the music and personalities of the celebrated musicians.

I eagerly looked forward to working on this project, primarily due to my appreciation for art and the significant influence of the Adelaide music scene on my life, especially the time I've spent around Adelaide CBD. Coming from a fairly musical family, I have always seen the link between visual and aural art forms.

I structured the shooting format into three sections:

Interviews shot in music-relevant locations.

Journey sequences of people enjoying Adelaide CBD. I wanted to show the experience of others enjoying the art and the vibrancy of Adelaide, not just the artists themselves exploring.

Relevant insert footage that contributed to the narrative of the concept, highlighting how Adelaide’s cultural makeup is built on creative life.

Featured Laneways and Murals

Sia Furler Lane: Nine-time Grammy nominee Sia is honored through She Imagined Buttons by Jasmine Crisp.

Cold Chisel Lane: Explore the legacy of Cold Chisel, formed in Adelaide in 1973, through a mural by James Dodd featuring the handwriting of fans.

Paul Kelly Lane: Born and raised in Adelaide, Paul Kelly is celebrated through Street of Love by Heidi Kenyon, a light-based artwork.

No Fixed Address Lane: This lane recognizes No Fixed Address’s incredible contributions to music, politics, and culture in a collaborative piece by Elizabeth Yanyi Close, Shane Mankitya Cook, and Thomas Readett.

Paxton Walk: Fear by Gregg Mitchell, located in the city’s East End, reflects the energy of the Adelaide-based 80’s punk band Exploding White Mice.

I reflect on this project as a great experience. I got to work commercially in an area I frequent daily and discuss artworks I regularly walk past and admire. This process was particularly special to me, and the Arts and Culture team at COA made it even more rewarding throughout the entire process.

Port Adelaide - Things Unseen

Over the past few years, I’ve been keeping my creative experiences private a bit. But, after developing my skill set, I think it’s probably time to share my recent works with video as a medium.

In 2023, I worked on a short series of interview stories based in Port Adelaide. Things Unseen is about the characters that make a neighborhood great, the personalities that come to define how an area is received and what they bring to their communities.

Overarching campaign piece.

Sometimes they are obvious, running a public class or showing you around the exhibit of a museum. Sometimes it’s behind closed doors, in the back of a kitchen, or sitting in a dimly lit gallery space working away at the latest piece.

Like all port towns, there’s a bit of nostalgia floating around, building a natural sense of charm. What I love about Port Adelaide is that there’s just enough going on to make it feel productive, but not too much that it’s hard to see what’s important.

I’d like to introduce some characters that felt important to me. Very different people, all bringing life to a sometimes understated community.

Phil Donnelly - The Baker - Pastry master, former rockabilly and self accredited inventor of the cheeseburger pie. Having a yarn at the Mayfair Bakery.

Thomas Readett - The Muralist fierce First Nations artist with incredible can control. Works can be found in gallery spaces and on city streets around South Australia.

Kylie Macey - The Historian with a full sleeve of tattoos and a penchant for South Australia’s past. Guiding you at the South Australian Maritime Museum.

Eleanor Scicchitano - The Curator brining the arts community together and cracking a smile the entire time. Residing at the Post Office Projects.

Dr. Allison French - The Instructor - Here to fix your back and your mind at Dock Studios.

The crew I worked with was lean but mighty. Timothea Moylan helped me produce the series, Josh Trezise acted as our key videographer and DOP, and the City of Port Adelaide Enfield funded the series. Insider Studios, the creative team I direct, was the central production house for the piece.

Concrete Playground

I’ve always used Concrete Playground when traveling interstate. They’re an excellent resource for discovering things to do in cities on the East Coast. By reviewing points of interest in a really succinct way, they provide a quick and simple insight when you're looking to get a general overview of what’s on offer.

I think that we share similar visions of what makes a good city guide. So we came up with some ideas we can work on together. 

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What we’ve created is a summer hit list - the must-sees and dos around Sydney. My main focus was the cartography, layout and illustrations of the guide.

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What makes this guide awesome is that it breaks things down clearly into the classic and up and coming locations. I think as a traveler it’s important to know and experience the local favourites whilst feeling hip at a brand spanking new hangout. So this guide is definitely for travelers and locals alike.

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During my trip to the east coast with Fuko, we even got a chance to sample some of the locations listed. Some of our favourites included Bulletin Place, which had an evergreen cocktail menu (which changes daily) and their sister bar, Dead Ringer.

"Southside cocktail @ Bulletin Place"

"Southside cocktail @ Bulletin Place"

Shady Pines Saloon was also a highlight, it’s basically a classic western themed bar. I remember this place from a couple years ago - they were really laid back. Back then they would serve free peanuts for every drink just so people can be slack and cover the entire floor with peanut shells. It wasn't a surprise to see that this wasn't a custom anymore, it must've taken hours to clean up. 

"Tinnies and Peanuts @ Shady Pines Saloon"

"Tinnies and Peanuts @ Shady Pines Saloon"

We even stumbled upon their HQ on our walk.

"Hey CP"

"Hey CP"

The guide and associated map were really-useful. I could see one being handy in every season.

"Chinese Garden of Friendship" 

"Chinese Garden of Friendship" 

"Road to Sydney - Summer 2018"

"Road to Sydney - Summer 2018"

"Back to Adelaide"

"Back to Adelaide"

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