Skeleten’s Russell Fitzgibbon on Curating His Dream Lineup for the ‘Under Utopia’ Launch Show

September 30, 2023

Skeleten released his debut album, Under Utopia, at the end of July. “This [album] is nothing but my best-guess translation of the beauty I see in the life we find ourselves in, and the people we find ourselves with,” said Russell Fitzgibbon, the brains behind the outsider pop and dance project.

Skeleten – ‘Under Utopia’

Fitzgibbon will assemble his live band for a hometown launch show at Gadigal land’s Liberty Hall on Saturday, 7th October. Fitzgibbon and event producers Velodrome have put together a bumper lineup of support acts with the idea of blurring the line between a conventional concert and a dance party.

Dream pop outfit Acopia will get the room warmed up before a variety of Fitzgibbon’s favourite DJs take over. There’ll be back-to-back sets from Bria and Evie and local legends Ben Fester and Ayebatonye. Naarm-based DJ Moopie will make the trip up to Gadigal land for the event.

Ahead of the Under Utopia launch, Fitzgibbon tells us what’s great about all of the acts on the lineup.

Skeleten: I never really want Skeleten to be too much the focus. I always enjoy playing most in a free-flowing, dance floor context. So we put this idea together with Velodrome to have live acts that compliment DJs and vice versa, and just make it a beautiful, unique party. Like, I want to dance and also want to listen and overall I want to be in a cool world for a night. It’s a dream lineup for me.

Acopia are one of my favourite bands in the country at the moment. As soon as I heard them for the first time, I felt like they shared an atmosphere with me. I think their music holds space, it’s slightly dark but it’s uplifting. It doesn’t demand and it’s all I would want to walk in to.

Bria and Evie both just have this great sense of the feeling of the song that makes me very excited to see them together. Both rare DJs that can slow the pace while increase the space.

Whenever I see Moopie play, I‘m just straight up excited by what I might hear. Obviously an expert of the stomp with the most musical style and also seems like a deep lover of weird, beautiful, old things. I wonder what he will play?

Ben Fester and Ayebatonye hardly need any introduction. I really wanted to finish the night with some community spirit and these two are so deservedly loved, it felt like a really special opportunity for them to play together – for, I think, the first time?

Strawberry Fields 2022 by ayebatonye