IGNITE! Music Festival: The Student-Run Spectacular Stays Aglow With Online Show

Do the city’s youth love the local music scene? You bet they do (Credit: IGNITE! Music Festival Facebook page)

Start ’em young. That’s how you hone infallible passion, a keystone that solidifies the local music scene for present-day and future generations. Perhaps like many of you, I have many fond memories of my youth chasing gigs, jostling in a mosh pit and busting my vocal cords with abandon. My years as a student were the most formative and educational in carving my musical proclivities, and chances are, it’s the same case with these fire-eyed kids right here.

IGNITE! usually takes place on campus grounds while remaining open to public (Credit: IGNITE! Music Festival Facebook page)

Run by the vehement, go-getting student body of Republic Polytechnic, IGNITE! Music Festival has been running annually since its explosive inception in 2008, putting it on par with other momentous events like Baybeats. On top of juggling their assignments (woes I do not miss), these students have consistently put out one milestone event after another with top-of-the-line production value and gobsmacking lineups featuring the cream of the crop.

The festival showcases all genres, including rock acts… (Credit: IGNITE! Music Festival Facebook page)

… and electronic ones (Credit: IGNITE! Music Festival Facebook page)

Traditionally open to public on their school grounds, the free event has had tremendous pulling power over the years, inviting industry-shaping acts like Electrico, Plainsunset, Giants Must Fall, Caracal, The Great Spy Experiment, The Analog Girl, B-Quartet, Pleasantry, Inch Chua, ShiGGA Shay and dozens of others. This quality curation has rippled on till today, continuously revealing the discerning tastes of its organising student cohort, with a vision to inspire uninitiated peers to use this as their induction into the local music scene. For 12 years and counting, this formula seems to remain intact, even in the midst of a pandemic.

The student-run festival has amassed a strong community eagerly waiting for the next one (Credit: IGNITE! Music Festival Facebook page)

Not letting COVID-19 sink their spirits, these innovative young’uns are keeping the flame of IGNITE! alive with a stay-home edition on 18 July, with bands and solo acts performing live on Facebook and YouTube. From the lush guitar licks of M1LDL1FE to the streetwise rap verses of Axel Brizzy, and even emerging showcases from Republic Polytechnic’s own students and alumni – you might discover a future star in the making – the lineup this year is yet another diverse assortment that resonates with the evolution of the scene.

The full lineup for this year’s edition (Credit: IGNITE! Music Festival Facebook page)

An extra-curricular undertaking that definitely goes the extra mile where the music industry is concerned, IGNITE! Music Festival will continue to make history as it exhibits the unflinching dedication of the youths in the scene. As someone who grew up just like them, I can say that the kids are alright.

IGNITE! Music Festival Stay Home Edition, 18 July 2020, 8pm. Follow the festival’s official website for more information and streaming instructions.