Melbourne on the Move is proud to be providing event transportation services for Under The Southern Stars music festival this April 11th at the Hastings Foreshore Reserve in Mornington. The stellar lineup will see three of the 90’s biggest post-grunge bands play on the bill for the first time ever in Australia – Bush, Stone Temple Pilots and Live. For today’s blog, we thought we’d take you back to the 90s and early 2000s to explore the strange genre that is post-grunge.
What defines post-grunge?
Post-grunge is usually defined by a mix of heavy and soft guitar melodies – often going to both ends of the extreme scales. This means that both heavily distorted power-chord anthems and soft acoustic/clean-toned guitar melodies are often combined to bring a song together. The melodies are catchy – often gaining the attention of commercial radio audiences. This makes sense as the entire genre is built upon being a more accessible version of grunge music.
How did post-grunge grow out of grunge?
Grunge started to emerge in the late 80s and lasted till the mid-90s – where post-grunge bands really started to flourish and become commercial successes. Grunge was a hybrid of long guitar solos and punk influence with on-stage jams. Soundgarden and Alice in Chains had heavier metal influences whereas bands like Nirvana and Mudhoney were more influenced by 70s punk bands.
Band’s like Live and Bush were formed much earlier but didn’t see much commercial success until the mid-90s. Grunge bands such as Soundgarden and Pearl Jam had songs with dark lyrics and heavier/unusual riffs that were inaccessible to some. Initially, post-grunge bands were viewed as bandwagon bands that all mimicked the likes of Nirvana and Pearl Jam.
Post-grunge eventually became next evolutionary step, however – lightening up lyrical themes and writing more melodically pleasing guitar riffs whilst maintaining that heavy aesthetic. This opened the genre to a whole new audience. The heavier songs would attract the attention of metalheads whilst the lighter ballads and anthems would appeal to the commercial mainstream. The genre had all bases covered.
The late 90s, early 2000s and the decline
The post-genre phenomenon didn’t last very long and by the mid-2000s had either died down or evolved. Most of the band’s slowed down when it came to reaching new audiences but retained their loyal fanbases. Bands like Nickelback still maintained their commercial success and have grown to be one of the biggest and well-known rock bands in the world whilst others such as Creed fell out of the spotlight.
This was partly due to the rise of alternative metal in the late 90s and the blending of rap and rock music with bands such as Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park bringing a similar intensity and vibe but with a fresh approach. That being said the early 2000s still saw the rise of many post-grunge bands who continued to marry commercial melodies with heavy guitar riffs.
The state of post-genre today
The genre hasn’t seen much popularity since the late 90s and early/mid-2000s – but bands like Bush, Live and Stone Temple Pilots have all been active during certain parts of the last decade. Live was active from 1984 – 2009 before going on a three-year hiatus, whilst Bush and Stone Temple Pilots both disbanded in 2002 only to come back in 2010 and 2008 respectively.
All three bands have released new music in the last decade and have continued to tour – bringing their post-grunge anthems to their dedicated fans who have stuck with them over the years. These three 90s giants will be bringing heavy riffs and catchy melodies down under next month joined by Aussie rock n roll legends Rose Tattoo and Electric Mary.
Looking for transport to Under The Southern Stars?
Melbourne on the Move is proud to be providing the official event transportation services for Under The Southern Stars so you can ensure you catch your favourite post-grunge acts without worrying about how to get home afterwards. With a dozen different pickup points around Victoria, we’ve got you covered.
Our comfortable busses are packed full of modern amenities that will keep you entertained whilst our skilled drivers transport you to and from the event. You can purchase your return trip tickets from our website where you can find further information about the event.
If you’d like to enquiry more about our transportation services to this event, then you can get in touch with us by calling 1300 558 686. You may also contact us via the enquiry form found on our website.