This Saturday, December 9, a North Adelaide hall will host an experimental music showcase from one of Adelaide's underground festival organisers.

Brad Cameron wanted to bring Melbourne-based pianist and sound designer Grace Ferguson to Adelaide for a gig.

Grace was in, and not long after, so was a line-up of Adelaide musicians that put a contemporary twist on classical techniques, as Brad admits he got carried away with the project.

Brad loved Grace’s 2020 album Voler, which he has on vinyl, and wanted to do a show with her.

“Although she’s classically trained, she plays really contemporary shows, not just for a classical audience,” he says.

Knowing Grace performs in diverse lineups that include a lot of electronic music, Brad was inspired to recruit other talent he hadn’t worked with before to showcase classical done differently.

“Like David Moran, who is also a classically trained cellist but kind of takes the cello outside of its normal ways of being played into interesting experimental realms,” he says.

“It kind of starts with people playing more stereotypically classical instruments but not in stereotypical or traditional ways.”

Also on the lineup is a duo subverting classical expectations: pianist Gabriella Smart and electronic music artist Georgia Oatley, a collaboration born out of the Carclew program.

Adelaide-based Iranian musician Maryam Rahmani, who joined Flood on stage at WOMAD earlier this year, will perform with traditional Persian instruments including the santoor, a 118-stringed instrument that produces a twangy, harp-like sound.

Presenting Adelaide with alternative music experiences is something Brad has become known for, being one of the founders of music venue Ancient World in the West End.

Brad organised underground festivals between 2012 and 2016 under the name Lost City, with this being the first event he’s put on since then, dipping back into events.

Although it’s not a festival, it’s in line with the ethos expected from Brad as this Lost City show will challenge Adelaide audiences to reimagine music with alternative acts and intimate viewing experiences.

“For me, it’s about presenting a musical journey that’s going to surprise people,” he says.

“Then I thought, it needs to go into other realms that people aren’t expecting… basically the evening will get weirder the longer it goes on and it turns into a fun party.”

Hairy and Friends will shift the tone of the evening with drone, percussion and effects, followed by The Art of Flying Kites using samplers, drum machines and synths.

Once the live sets are complete, it’s a DJ takeover with Hans of Transition Records spinning, what else, but vinyl.

DJ Late Nite Lenny, co-owner of Longplay Bistro, will also be spinning late into the night, providing Funktion One audio from Inside Out – Dance Club.

The event will take place at the Estonian Hall in North Adelaide, a place Brad is fond of because he lives nearby and therefore has gotten to know the venue and its community.

Brad says they’ll take in the retro charm of the hall’s bar, and its classic beauty as the hall celebrates 100 years since it was constructed.

And what better way to celebrate its birthday than with a big party filled with music, wine tastings from Bink Wine, and traditional Eastern European food?

Oksana, a club-hopping caterer who can be found at the Ukrainian Club, Polish Club, Latvian Club and Estonian Club, will serve up pierogi and other Eastern European bites.

Tickets can be purchased via Eventbrite for $35 plus booking fee, or are $40 at the door.