Gareth Liddiard, frontman and lyricist from the Drones, headlined Ballarat Local and Live Laneways, which was held over the weekend in three separate events.

Hundreds of residents and visitors packed into the Alfred Deakin Place on both Friday and Saturday nights for the free events, warming up to rock music from the likes of Liddiard along with fellow musicians Gold Class, The Dead Salesmen Duo, Gabriella Cohen, Freya Josephine Hollick and Rhiannon Simpson and The Triple Delta.

City of Ballarat arts and culture coordinator Deborah Klein said the event was held in the McCain Annexe to ensure people were able to enjoy warmth away from the cold outdoors.

“For the winter programming, we promise people some place warm and wonderful,” she said.

Councillor Amy Johnson, who opened one of the shows, said the festival helped engage young people in Ballarat’s community, as well as celebrate the strength and diversity of the city’s live music scene.

However, in something of a humorous mishap, the all-ages gig on Saturday afternoon got off to a smokey, billowy start, raising the concern of local emergency services.

The smoke machine of up-and-coming psy-rock Ballarat group Trillionayers accidentally set off alarms.

“We had a little mishap before we played but it all went pretty well,”  drummer Sam Cunnington said.

“When we play we bring in our smoke machine and let it off a minute ago before we play and it set off all the fire alarms at the back of the building. The fire brigade came to scout out if anyone was in danger.

“We didn’t think we were going to play but it all worked out in the end.”

Cunnington said the turn-out was “solid” and was impressed to see such strong support for local, live music.

“We were pretty happy with the turnout, it was a pretty packed room.”

Trillionayers was joined by a number of other local acts for Saturday afternoon’s all-ages event including Dewey and The Panel Beaters and Trucks.

The laneways event, set against the backdrop of the artistic Laneways Lumieres light and sound installations, is in its second year.

It is the live music aspect of Balllarat’s Winterlude festival, which continues for another week until Sunday, July 24.

For more information on this week’s events including the Pie and Pale Competition, the Hog’s Breath Christmas in July event and Stunning Starry Winter Nights at the Observatory, visit www.winterlude.com.au