New Zealand music festivals
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Music Festivals have a long and chequered history in New Zealand.
The first large outdoor rock music festival was at Ngaruawahia, 1973, in the central North Island, New Zealand. The largest ever was in Golden Valley, 1979, just north of Waihi. "There are regular jazz, folk, ethnic and country music awards and festivals, some of which have been in existence for decades. Large music festivals, for example Sweetwaters Music Festivals, Nambassa and The Big Day Out, have been staged periodically since the 1970s." Nancy Swarbrick. 'Creative life', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 18-Nov-2005 [1]
Contents |
[edit] New Zealand Record
- Nambassa for being the largest music event in New Zealand. "nearly 60,000 came, making it, per capita, the world’s largest festival of its type. " "Nambassa will be remembered for many things. It was the largest campsite, the biggest and brightest party, and the best attended and most successful musical and cultural event ever in New Zealand." Te Ara
- The Great Ngaruawahia Music Festival for first of its kind in New Zealand.
[edit] Major Events and Locations
- Parihaka International Peace Festival.
The farmland close to the Parihaka Marae is turned into an international festival each year with music and markets. January 2007 saw 7000 visitors with Dave Dobbyn headlining the main stage. There were two smaller stages and a speakers forum that were all well attended. Wood and Rock carvers worked on their pieces throughout the 3 day festival. A gallery of photographs by Paul Moss are available here.
- 1973, 3 days, 6,7,8th January,The Great Ngaruawahia Music Festival - Farm at Ngaruawahia, 19 kilometres north-west of Hamilton, on the Waikato River.
- Redwood music festivals - Farm / Orchard at Redwood Park, West Auckland.
- Waikino music festival 1976- Farm at Waitawheta near Waikino, between Waihi and Karangahake Gorge.(pre-event run by Nambassa)
- Hinuera Music Festival - Farm at Hinuera, near Matamata.
- Concert for the Deaf - Sports (rugby) stadium in Hamilton.
- Nambassa Music and alternatives Festivals 1978 1979 1981- Farm in Golden Valley, north of Waihi and Waitawheta valley near Waikino.
- Sweetwaters Music Festivals - Farm near Ngaruawahia, Farm near Pukekawa,
- Mountain Rock Music Festivals - Farm near Pahiatua
- Strawberry Fields Music Festivals - Farm near Queenstown, Farm at Te Uku near Raglan.
- The Gatherings - Maitai Valley, near Nelson
- The Moos - Check-Point Charlie 2001. Farm (Sheep Station) near Rimutaka Forest park.
- The Phat Festivals - Maitai Valley, near Nelson, and Inangahua. The 2007 event was called 'Phat07 Bass Camp' see Gallery by photographer Paul Moss.
- Big Day Out's - Auckland Mt Smart Stadium
- Parihaka - Taranaki
- Rhythm & Vines - vineyard near Gisborne
- Parachute music festival - A contemporary Christian music held since 1995 and attracting up to 25,000 people each year to a Waikato venue.
[edit] Memorable Events
- The Great Ngaruawahia Music Festival - Corben Simpson removed all his clothes on stage and was reported nation-wide in the media, Black Sabbath burned a cross on the hill while getting the entire audience to light a match or lighter. "Todd (Hunter) ... gathered some friends and fellow performers for an appearance at the Great Ngaruawahia Music Festival. They wrote original songs for their set list, and someone pulled the name "Dragon" out of an I Ching book. Their performance at the Ngaruawahia Music Festival led to a better gig, a few weeks performing at the Occidental Hotel in Auckland."
- Sweetwaters Music Festival - On closing night with jam packed traffic, A man had a serious seizure, a doctor was called via helicopter, the police boat transferred the man across the Waipa river to a waiting ambulance, bound for Waikato hospital. On opening night a girl broke both ankles while riding the bonnet of a car into the farm.
- Hinuera - Mother Goose.
- Hinuera - Ragnarok The main stage stopped due to rain, a rapid system was put together in the Barn for Ragnarok, using Greg Peacocks Cerwin Vega composite bins, previously used as cross stage side fill monitors, on the main stage.
- Checkpoint Charlie - K90 DJ set ( http://www.k90.co.uk ) "Mark Doggett, one of two original founder members of the then little known KA90, began making noise and upsetting the neighbours from a makeshift studio in his kitchen back in the summer of 1991! Fast forward over a decade and K90 is now a highly respected producer, performer and DJ with a fan base touching many countries around the world. Famed for his enthusiastic DJ and more notably 'live' shows K90 has performed at many of the worlds premier dance events including 'Godskitchen - Global Gathering', 'Creamfields', 'SW4' and 'Tidy Weekender' series (UK), 'Dance Valley' and 'Q-Base International Dance Festival' (The Netherlands), the long running 'Advent*jah' Festival (Australia), The Gallery (South Africa) and 'Checkpoint Charlie' (New Zealand) to name but a few." [2]
[edit] Musicians
- The Great Ngaruawahia Music Festival.
- Corben Simpson (NZ) - opening act, Black Sabbath (UK), Fairport Convention (UK), Blerta (NZ), Dragon (NZ), La De Das, : Mammal (NZ), Max Merritt & The Meteors, Split Ends (NZ), Bulldogs Allstar Goodtime Band (NZ), Powerhouse (NZ), Orb, Butler (NZ), Ticket (NZ)
- Redwood Music Festival
- Dragon, Hello Sailor, ..
- Th'Dudes, Living Force, Hello Sailor, Dallas Four, Moomba, Norma Leaf, Steve Tulloch. a one-day festival at Waikino. Headlining acts included the Country Flyers, Rockinghorse, and Ragnarok. Also present were the up-and-coming Hello Sailor. Th' Dudes were so impressed with them that they became fanatical fans and even started modelling themselves on them. What they liked was the way Hello Sailor came across as being cocky, self-assured, dripping with talent, and with just a touch of decadence." [3]
- Hinuera Music Festival
- Mother Goose (band), Andy Anderson, Living Force
- Concert for the Deaf
- Hello Sailor, Rick Steele (with Dave Maybee on guitar and Neil Reynolds on Drums, see pic), Midge Marsden, Living Force
- Elvis Costello, Misex, Cold Chisel, Jo Jo Zep, Bryan Ferry, a who's who of nz and world artistes.
- Nambassa Music Festival
- Split Enz, Little River Band, Skyhooks, John Mayall, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Daniels Band, Topp Twins Flight X-7 (aka Flight 77)
- Dragon, Hello Sailor, Shona Laing,Dave Dobbyn, StraitJacket Fits, Exponents, Kevin Borich Express, Shihad, The Muttonbirds, : Jan Hellriegel, Greg Johnson Set, Desert Road, Rick Bryant, Wildfire, Head Like a Hole, Idol Fret.
[edit] Sound Engineers
- Waikino Music Festival
- House: Dave Omerod, Barton Sound
- Team:
- Artist:
- Hinuera Music Festival
- House: Neil Reynolds, Musicare
- Team: Murray Hunt, Paul Moss (incl recording in the bus, FOH in the barn for Ragnarock)
- Artist: Bruce Godfrey (Mother Goose),
- Concert for the Deaf
- Neil Reynolds (FOH Hello Sailor), Murray Hunt (Foldback for Rick Steele), Paul Moss (FOH for Rick Steele, see pic)
- Nambassa Music Festival
- House: Dave Omerod, Barton Sound
- Team: Paul Streekstra, Doug Rogers, 1982 in New Zealand, Neil Reynolds, Murray Hunt, : Paul Moss (FOH for Flight X-7)Dave Omerod, many more rostered on stage for foldback and recording 8 track.
- Artist:
- Sweetwaters Music Festival
- Paul Moss (FOH for The Tigers, later The Warratahs)
- Mountain Rock Music Festival
- Paul Moss (FOH both stages for Idol Fret)
- Strawberry Fields Music Festival
- Morrisound, Mark Judd, Paul Moss (Hipshooters, John Michaelz [4], Kokomo Blues)
- The Gathering
- The Moo
- The Phat Festival
[edit] Lighting Engineers
- Hinuera Music Festival - Bruce Causton Mother Goose
- Nambassa Music Festival - Jay McCoy [5] (Red Mole [6])
[edit] Rigs
- The Great Ngaruawahia Music Festival
- Redwood Music Festival
- Barton Sound
- Waikino Music Festival
- Barton Sound
- Big Day Out
- Oceania Audio
- Hinuera Music Festival
- Musicare
- Concert for the Deaf
- Musicare
- Nambassa Music Festival
- Barton Sound, ACT, Aerial Railway,
- Musicare, Greg Peacock & Oceania Sound.
- Sweetwaters Music Festival
- ACT, Oceania Audio,
- Mountain Rock Music Festival
- Oceania Audio 135 kilowatt A rig for main stage.
- Strawberry Fields Music Festival
- Morrisound A and B rigs
- The Gathering
- The Moos
- The Phat Festival
[edit] Administration / Management
- The Great Ngaruawahia Music Festival. Robert Raymond, Barry Coburn
- Redwood Music Festival
- Waikino Music Festival. Peter Terry
- Hinuera Music Festival. Peter Nyugen
- Concert for the Deaf. Musicare
- Nambassa Music Festival. Principal Cordinators (1976-2001) Peter Terry and Lorraine Ward.
- Sweetwaters Music Festival. Paul McLuckie, Helen McConachie, Daniel Keighley
- Mountain Rock Music Festival. Paul
- Strawberry Fields Music Festival. Jim Rowe and Brenda, Gos, Jonesy, Alan Judd, Paul Moss
- The Gathering
- The Moos
- The Phat Festival. Dave and Selena
[edit] Communications
- Nambassa Music Festival
- Mike, CB
- Sweetwaters Music Festival
- Alan Judd, Paul Moss, VHF
- Strawberry Fields Music Festival
- Alan Judd, Paul Moss, VHF
[edit] Emergency Management
- Sweetwaters Music Festival
- 1980 - Paul Moss, 35 injuries and sickness victims collected and delivered to the site hospital, misc radio repairs (incl head of security at gate on opening night)
- Sweetwaters Music Festival - Medical Medical study
- Strawberry Fields Music Festival
- Karl - Machinery and Marine, 4WD's, Bulldozer, Fire Extenguishers. [7]
- Paul Moss, providing many repairs, towing, battery jump starts, fire fighting, crowd control, electricity issues.
[edit] Television
Radio With Pictures: Sweetwaters Festival, Television New Zealand, 1980 Reporter: Dylan Taite
[edit] Film
Nambassa Festival, New Zealand, 1980. Director/editor: Philip Howe. Production: Nambassa Festival Trust, Peter Terry and Dale Farnsworth.
Radio With Pictures: Sweetwaters Festival, Television New Zealand, 1980. Reporter: Dylan Taite.
The Gathering, New Zealand, 1998 Director: Kylie Plunkett. Production co: Kawz Productions.
[edit] Recordings
Sound was recorded by different people using various formats according to the purpose intended. Nambassa Alternative workshops recorded on 1/4 in tape. Nambassa Stage recorded on 1 in tape 8 tracks for release as an album. Hinuera FOH recorded on 1/4 tape for promoter.
[edit] Discography
A double album, book and feature film were released after the event:-
- LP Stetson 2SLRP12, "Festival Music", 1979 (NZ)
[edit] Books
'Sweetwaters - The Untold Story' by Daniel Keighley Reviewed by Simon Sweetman "Daniel Keighley was the man behind the financial disaster that was Sweetwaters ’99. He was charged with fraud and jailed and Sweetwaters - The Untold Story is his account of what went wrong. Billed as an autobiography,.."[8]
- Sweetwaters - The Untold Story - by Daniel Keighley
- Nambassa: A New Direction, edited by Colin Broadley and Judith Jones, A. H. & A. W. Reed, 1979.
- Stranded In Paradise, John Dix, (Paradise Publications 1988 )
