9th annual Waitati Music Festival rocks the coast

The colour, the sights and — above all else — the sounds made Bland Park anything but, during the Waitati Music Festival on Saturday.

More than 1000 people made the most of 12 hours of non-stop music across three stages in a genre-bending line-up that included everything from poetry and folk to dance music, punk rock and reggae.

Festival organiser Katie Peppercorn called this year's event a success."The music's still of amazing quality this year, as every year, the crowd's  always great - we just attract the friendliest Dunediners".

One of the early acts on the poet pallet was Dunedin neuroscience student Timmy Kahwemy (22).

Mr Kahwemy said he and his DJ/producer Andre Theis were out to please the crowd.

"My biggest goal is to make music someone can listen to and go "Oh yeah, I can relate to that", he said.

Other artists included New Zealand poet laureate David Eggleton as well as Queenstown musician Erin Crowley, performing under the name ErinSphere.

Her performance on the main stage saw her process of creating songs live using looping pedals, and half a dozen instruments.

"Basically I record one loop and start playing over it, so I might start with guitar and then put a bass track down and then put some keys in a drums on another channel," she said.

Former Dunedin post-punk band Die Die Die were the headline act on the event's main stage. The band's front-man Andrew Wilson said it was Die Die Die's first time playing at the Waitati Music Festival, and the band was road testing new songs ahead of recording in America later this year.

"We are doing a new album in July, back in Chicago with Steve Albini," Wilson said.

Festival organisers say they are already planning to return again for the tenth time next year.
 

 

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