Click photo to enlarge
New Zealand artist Warren Maxwell is back for the 2010
Rippon Festival in two different bands - Little Bushman and
Fat Freddys Drop. Photo by Matthew Haggart.
Rippon Festival directors are prepared to give a slice of
their ticket sales proceeds to aid relief efforts in the
tsunami-stricken islands of Samoa.
The popular biennial Wanaka music festival has become a
highlight for New Zealand musicians and bands since its
inception in 1997.
Rippon Festival director Lynne Christie announced yesterday
that proceeds of up to $4500 would go to towards aid relief
efforts in Samoa.
Rippon Festival has a history of donating its profits to
community-minded ventures and groups, predominantly within
the Wanaka area.
Ms Christie said one dollar from each ticket sold would be
used to help assist affected families and fund rebuilding
programmes in Samoa, after the islands were devastated by a
tsunami after a big earthquake last week.
Mrs Christie was confident all of the 4500 tickets would
sell, based on the open-air event's reputation of selling out
well in advance of the festival date.
"It's an absolute quality line-up, with many of the bands
planning on adding something quite unexpected for the
audience.
"They love coming to Wanaka because of the fantastic vibe the
concert-goers bring to the day," she said.
Regular Rippon act Warren Maxwell said he could not wait to
be back at Rippon for "one of our all-time favourite
festivals".
Maxwell will take to the main stage at Rippon in two
different guises - fronting his psychedelic rock outfit
Little Bushman and as one of the members of popular
Wellington funk group Fat Freddy's Drop.
Other New Zealand bands in the festival line-up include
Opensouls, the Black Seeds, Eru Dangerspiel, Minuit, the Mint
Chicks, and former Wanaka band the Slur-Tones.
Tickets for Rippon 2010 cost $118.50 and go on sale through
Ticketek and Play It Again stores from October 12.
