Australian indie music festivals as scenes

The focus of this paper is on the concept of the scene and its connection to Australian indie music festivals. I argue music festivals are special types of scenes as they are simultaneously part of local, translocal and virtual scenes. Firstly, I explore the notion of 'the scene' in the academic discourse. I then relate this to the idea of scenes as intensive experiences in which scene members or potential members can experience the culture and atmosphere of the scene. I argue that it is through the demanding experience of attending an Australian indie music festival that festivalgoers begin to feel a sense of connectedness and belonging to the indie music scene. This connection between ambiance and its role in the creation of scene is a new direction in this research.