The Big Headphones
You’ll find the Big Headphones along 90/96 Darby Street, Cooks Hill, Newcastle. This oversized set of headphones function just like ordinary headphones, except that it does not really restrict music to one listener.
The pair of headphones play music to entertain visitors, as well as music and art lovers. The artistic structure was unveiled in 2015 to “help local musicians be heard” through a music and art project dubbed The Headphones Project.
Locals can submit their music to the project, which will then be played via the gigantic headphones.
Even if you are not an artist, you can still play songs from your device’s playlist by connecting to the Big Headphones via Bluetooth. On the other hand, live music performers must consult the management to book available slots for their performance. In most cases, live music performances are held over the weekends.
Suppose you don’t have any music to play via these iconic headphones. In that case, you can simply walk between them, and the music will be activated automatically.
Amazingly, the huge headphones have motion sensors that respond to movement by activating music. More details on how to plug in to play music and what musicians need during live performances are available on the project’s Facebook Page.
The Headphones Project supports many local artists struggling to promote their music, mostly due to a lack of money. The project, which is purely supported by volunteers, promotes artists’ music for free.
You cannot miss the beautiful art displayed on the Big Headphones; they show prints and face art of the aboriginal people. You’ll find more artwork at the Newcastle Museum of Queens Wharfs, located a few metres near the Big Headphones.
The Big Headphones in Newcastle add to the list of the many artistic Big Things of Australia. Other examples of Big Things inspired by art include:
- Big Golden Guitar in Tamworth
- Big Playable Guitar in Narrandera
- Big Hard Rock Guitar in Surfers Paradise
