DOUBLE the stages, double the staff and double the tickets.
As promoter Dylan Oakes points out, Sunday's second West Best Bloc Fest live music showcase is a "much bigger operation".
But with the support of his passionate team, which includes Band Aid Bookings co-directors Chris Barnett and Wanagi Zable-Andrews, the one-day multi-venue event has come together without incident.
"Last weekend we were tracking 700 per cent better than where we were a week out from the fest last year," Oakes says.
Perfect weather saw last year's event sell out on the day.
And, with tomorrow tipped to reach 36 degrees, all signs point towards another big day out on the Newcastle West block bordered by Hunter, King, Steel and Union streets.
Special business rate funding from the City of Newcastle in November last year was recognition of, not just the cultural impact of the festival, but also the foot traffic it brings to local businesses.
"Not only do businesses get to showcase their venue on the day, but there was a flow-on effect after the festival," Oakes says.
"We've seen that happening with the Jam's Karaoke backyard, Rogue Scholar and the Family Hotel.
"King Street came to me after last year's event, with their new-look venue, and wanted to be a part of it, which is obviously a great thing for us."
Last year's inaugural Bloc Fest featured eight stages within six venues.
But the inclusion of three stages across the new-look King Street sees this year's timetable swell to 12 stages across seven venues.
The 100 Hunter Valley acts - which includes Bloody Hell, Rum Jungle, Butterknife and Fungas - will span many genres, from alt-country and folk to heavy metal, hardcore, punk, electronica and hip-hop.
"We had double the applicants of last year," Oakes says.
"We had over 140 [local] acts get in contact with us, and there was probably another 30 from outside Newcastle wanting to get on the bill."
While it will be a busy day behind-the-scenes, Oakes wants to see Bum Bag, Denni, Catpiss, Cormac Grant Band, Sitting Down and Where's Jimmy.
"And then finish the night with Fungas," he adds.
West Best Bloc Fest has already motivated some of the city's songwriters.
For indie-pop artist Patrick Truscott - who this year released his self-titled debut EP under the moniker ChaiChester - securing a spot on the line-up was an immediate goal.
"Due to the sheer size and variety of the music on offer, the event will inspire and encourage many new and emerging artists in the following years," Truscott, who will perform tomorrow at The Happy Wombat, says.
"I remember missing out on the previous year's event due to not having released much music or played any shows.
"It definitely motivated me to want to have these things sorted by the time it came around again. I'm stoked to be a part of it."
And the bill will not just feature the Newcastle music scene's brightest new recruits.
There'll be stalwarts among the ranks of The Pitts, Drugs in Sport, The Grounds and The Howlin' Rats.
Even enduring creative force Amy Vee will deliver her first full band performance since recording a live album earlier this year at Lizotte's.
"I'm really excited to be playing the revamped King Street," Vee says.
"I'm old enough to have memories of that room back when they used to do live music regularly and there's a lot of nostalgia about the space as a breeding ground for Newcastle bands.
"I love that it has been reinvented and I think it's a testament to the ongoing hunger for live music in this city."
Vee has seen support for live music "wax and wane" in Newcastle over the past few decades, but this current boom feels different.
"I feel like we're on the verge of a live music renaissance here, championed by a very self-sustained community of young and emerging artists," the songwriter says.
"It only means great things for us all - the newcomers, the established artists, the venues.
"The rising tide that lifts all ships. I'm genuinely grateful to get to experience it."
For soulful pop weaver Maicey, the festival is an opportunity to perform her new EP, Where I Lay, with a full band.
"Last year I was playing unreleased demo versions of those songs and they have grown so much since, so it will be exciting to play them and some really interesting covers and originals that we have been working on," the 19-year-old says.
"This festival is a great step forward for Newcastle's music scene, showcasing and bringing to the forefront some of Newcastle and the surrounding area's finest artists."
For sensuous RnB and pop songwriter Elijah Amoss the festival is a chance to connect with other artists.
"What I'm most looking forward to at West Best this year is seeing the diversity of creativity in the Newcastle scene and being able to network with such a large amount of bands and artists at once," Amoss says.
"I also think this is a great opportunity for songwriters like myself to explore and experiment with new songs and sounds we've been working on and see how the wider audience interacts."
For emerging 18-year-old singer-songwriter Piper Butcher, who this year came to national attention with a strong tilt on Australian Idol, tomorrow's performance will be a chance to find new fans.
"An event like West Best is integral to songwriters and music composers alike," Butcher says. "It gives us a chance for our art to be truly heard."
