The Crawl was concocted by Matt Rule and The Music and Booze Co (MBC) Team back in 2014, inspired by festivals like SXSW and the music-rich streets of Nashville, as a tribute to Sydney's battered and bruised music scene at the time.

Newtown and Sydney's Inner West have always been Sydney's cultural heart, making King Street the perfect vessel for the Crawl. Having spent over 15 years in the area, running the beloved Annandale Hotel until 2013 and later founding Music and Booze Co, Matt knew this community intimately. He had become part of a place where different viewpoints were welcomed, creating a space of creative freedom that encourages artists from all walks of life to explore and grow. This made something like KSC the perfect showcase for the area's vibrant spirit.

The first King Street Crawl hit the streets in 2015 with a simple ambition: to work with the businesses of Newtown to put on a free day of live music, with the intent to create opportunities for musicians to perform and promote their music to new audiences and local businesses to benefit from increased foot traffic.

By using live music as the common thread, ‘The Crawl’ was an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the incredibly diverse, accepting and creative community that has made this corner of Sydney renowned (both nationally and internationally) as a ‘must experience’ destination when visiting Sydney, and the most fertile breeding ground for artistic talent in the country.