Rippon Festival director Lynne Christie with a sea of music
demos and press kits sent in from bands wanting to play at
next year’s February festival. After a lengthy selection
process, the final line-up was announced last week.
From about 15 cassette tapes in 1997, to more than 170
DVDs, memory sticks, YouTube clips, podcasts, emailed MP3s and
myspace website links in 2009 - the application process for
bands vying for a chance to play at Wanaka's Rippon Festival
has evolved significantly.
As the reputation of the twoyearly festival has grown, so too
has the number of bands aware of the type of exposure a stint
on the Rippon stage can give.
Consequently, organisers are flooded with an increasing
number of music demos each year.
Last week, Lake Wanaka SouNZ Incorporated organisers
announced the line-up for next year's festival but it was no
easy task getting there.
Festival director Lynne Christie said the lengthy selection
process had started ‘‘pretty much as soon as we finalised the
line-up for the last one''.
She has already started taking notes on potential acts for
the 2012 festival.
‘‘You're thinking about it all the time. Reading reviews,
going to gigs. It's exciting, especially the way New Zealand
music is evolving, it's quite a dynamic selection of
musicians,'' Ms Christie said.
The festival is exclusively for New Zealand artists but that
prerequisite failed to deter some international Rippon
hopefuls, with inquiries fielded from throughout the world
and demos sent from as far away as Canada and Austria.
Once those bands were weeded out, the selectors looked for
‘‘bravery and sincerity and maybe something a bit
different''.
Quality sound which would measure up in a ‘‘live''
performance was also key.
Ms Christie said it had been ‘‘quite a privilege'' listening
to the diverse musical talent New Zealand had to offer.
The final line-up for next year's festival, scheduled for
Waitangi Day, Saturday February 6, at Rippon Vineyard
comprises Fat Freddy's Drop, The Black Seeds, Little Bushman,
Iva Lamkum, Pacific Heights, Minuit, Eru Dangerspiel,
Electric Wire Hustle, The Mint Chicks, Opensouls and former
Mount Aspiring College pupils The Slur-Tones.
Lake Wanaka SouNZ Incorporated has donated more than $31,000
in proceeds from the six previous festivals to local
environmental, musical and educational groups.
• Tickets for the Rippon Festival go on sale on October 12
through Ticketek and Play It Again. Rippon '08 sold out three
months in advance.
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