Johnny Utah

I vividly remember watching Creed on TV close the Winter Olympics in the 2002 from Salt Lake City. I had missed my chance at a ski season while at Uni as was often in Thailand and soon found myself busy working summers on my project Rhythm and Vines, which continues to this day.

Creed closing Salt Lake City Olympics 2002

So when my Otago friend Chris Mahony mentioned he would be having his wedding in the ski fields of Utah in March 2016 I immediately put my hand up to attend.  I had hung out with his wife Alex Chaffin on multiple trips to NZ and also met up with her in Miami when there for WMC in 2013. Chris had been a loyal friend over the years and always in touch when in town for a beer. He had showed me around Oxford when he had studied for his PHD there. I knew a few others going, including Kelsey her friend I had hung out with in LA. Why not!

 As I flew into Salt Lake City from Dallas was immediately blown away by the proximity of the mountains. They almost encircled the city from all angles, bar the murky lake on the urban fringe.  Andrew Witters picked me up and we ubered the 30 mins or so to Park City and checked in to the hotel. It wasn’t long until we were in the saloon bar shooting shit with the Bachelor party crew. Oxford rugby mates conversed with Washingon political comrades alongside Otago and Kings friends.  Sliders and nacho’s rolled in alongside IPA’s in the crisp mountain air. I took the coverted yellow jersey off the groom after 8 or so attempts from the crew. Chris soon disappeeared and we ended up at Downstairs night club before calling it a day.

Next afternoon after checking out the saloon-like town, it was straight to Sundance Resort, a 40 min drive from Park City. The place was created in the late 1960’s by Robert Redford as a tranquil retreat for artist’s and creatives alike. It had become the center piece for the Sundance Film Festival hosting VIP guests and screenings in its boutique and quaint setting. I was shattered from travel and found a spare bed at the Chaffin's house to sweat out my demons and prepare for the festive weekend ahead.

I wasn’t feeling 100% the next morning so parked up at the café and greeted the skiers for lunch. Was able to catch up on work and settle into my cozy room stone’s throw from the reception.  That evening it was down to the cocktail party with Regina and Sam Priest before a unique slide show and speeches from up to 12 people. Quite an American tradition to gather guest the night before the wedding. And then on to Owl Bar but was in bed around midnight still feeling under the weather.

I was up for a ski the next morning and it wasn’t long before I find my ski legs again in the wet spring snow. Enjoyed the stunning vistas from the top of Bear Claw while chowing down a bratwurst and IPA with the other guests. I skied with Chris's French friend Olivier with only one short tumble at the bottom to top off a memorable day. Soon was getting ready for the wedding held which was held in the brisk mountain air. Alex looked a picture along with her 7 bridesmaids.  We enjoyed cocktail drinks before being ushered into the Convention Center for more formal speeches and dinner. The 10 piece band entertained us with Bruno Maars and Michael Jackson covers. On to the Owl bar where I got up and played Free Falling with the Mahoney brothers on support. Then ending up at the Mahony's house drinking PBR, singing Aladdin songs and Guns and Roses until the small hours.

I wasn’t awake til midday and missed most of the crowd at the farewell brunch. The burger at Owl bar was all I could manage before I checked in for another night to enjoy the plush surroundings of Sundace.  Skied the next day at Sundance with Andrew Witters. Was good to shoot the shit between runs about our business and where we would go next. After a spa it was time to get on the road to Deer Valley. Up the prestigious St Regis Resort for a burger and beers as the lights twinkled over the valley in the still air as the snow decended on the charming village.

I awoke to the most amazing sight of crisp snow lined trees and balconies outside my window. I booked in some ski gear down below our accom and we strided across the car park to the bottom of Park City lifts. There was an spooky feeling to the lift up through the fog, the trees white with icing sugar like snow dripping from any available branch. The crunchy powder was something else, like sliding on cocaine down the hill as I carved up the fresh powder. We did a few runs of the crisp untouched Blue Runs before on to the unchartered tree runs. It was an exhilarating feeling as I leaned back and skidded down the slopes taking time to dodge the tall timber while bouncing through the powder. What a feeling!

We had to say good bye to Sam Priest unfortunately but continued with a burning attempt at the black run Thaynes with out him. After lunch we were off on the Quicksilver chairlift to Canyon Mountain a new part of the resort making it the biggest in North America. I lost the boys after a few runs of Tombstone but it was a great challenge to follow Trance back towards the gondola at the end of the day.

After a few beers and whiskeys at the Legends bar we were hitting our straps so back to the house then to supermarket for supplies. I had jumped in with Doug and Will two friends from the UK who had a ski trip planned for the week. Will was visiting from Dallas, while Doug was an Oxford friend rugby friend of Chris who was living in South Africa. Top blokes and we got on famously. We stocked up on Coors light, Pizza, Bagels, Eggs all the basics. We went and met Alex and Chris one last time before a cheeky night cap at the local dive bar for NBA chat and ridiculous pints of beer!

We awoke to the plan of hitting Deer Mountain and was up by 9am to settle in to the more premium facilities for skiers only. We chased Alex and Chris across the mountain and found them by striking Montage hotel. I had some trouble on the first black drop lost my skii’s and spent a good ten minutes breathing the biting air to get them back on. I felt like Hilary on Everest with every burning deep breath to regain my composure and get skiing again. The slow trek through the trees was a highlight though and I found the others back on the next lift down.

This time I took my chances on a double black and the near vertical slope owned me, I came loose again this time with ski's left meters up the bluff. It was too steep to put them on so I traversed over to a tree to put them on. The black run seemed a breeze now but still tested my burning lungs and thighs. After lunch we said good bye to the bride and groom and had a casual run back to base. We sat out in the spring sun and enjoyed beers and plotted our plans for the Lions tour of NZ in 2017.

I decided to have the next day off skiing and was able to catch up on work at the local Starbucks. We caught the new Superman and Robin movie before heading out for sushi and karaoke. It was here we met Howie D from Backstreet Boys, singing his own songs none the less! What a nice guy and was very fond of his trips to NZ.

I had a drink with Shana the concierge at Ciseros where Matt Corry and Hampster had worked for a couple of seasons. We chatted about her life in Utah and Portland before heading back to my house for a drink and meet the boys. Everything seemed booked out for dinner so we went to Chop House for a homely meal. Continued back at mine for some music and religion chat.

The boys had left by the time I stumbled out of room and reluctantly caught an uber to Salt Lake City. I was sad to leave Park City after such a memorable week but given the snow was melting on the hills under the blue sky it was time to quit while I was ahead.  I'll be back! I visited the popular Rubys Café for some chicken steak eggs bennedict and then on to the bus station to store my bags. The crowds had gathered at the local arena for the Bieber concert and I joined them buying a ticket for $100 off the scalper. I was impressed with the scale of production and dancing but disappointed with his general laziness and lack of enthusiasm. Too much snowboarding for the lad! After a night cap at Lucky's I was soon on my 3am departure on the California Zephyr train with some other characters. The next morning I was too awake on the majestical rockies and Utah seemed but a distant memory.

SXSW III

They say that a trip to SXSW can be a success by meeting at least one new contact who could lead you down a new path of inspiration for your business, creative projects or life.

As I reflect in Dallas I think to a number of people I met and how they may influence me down the track.  Was it the local DJ Korupt who snuck me into the Drake gig at Fader Fort? Or the Global brand manager Cesar of mexican soda Jarritos I shared cab with? Or Amanda who hosted me at an after hours speak easy? The girl Kimberly at the W who was friends with organisers of BPM Festival in Mexico? Was it the ride share in Dallas with who gave me a background on H-Town hip hop? it the kiwi crew who are looking to bring a slice of SXSW to NZ? Or Sian from the Kiwi Landing Pad in San Fransisco?

Being my third time at SXSW, just the chance to experience one of my favourites festivals and cities was enough. I didn't have a huge agenda or preparation this year and was keen to just go with the flow without running myself ragged trying to be everywhere. I did have a list of acts I wanted to see as we begin to put our offers in for R&V this year. These included Future, Young Thug and Lukas Graham.  I often find myself losing a bit of ground on the current music scene as new trends and artists emerge almost over night. You can either spend all your time on the blogs and social media or you can get out into the world and observe it all first hand. It can make all the difference when dealing with agents and trying to sell tickets. Its a tough job but someone's gotta do it.

One thing I noticed at this years festival was hip hop was a lot more prevalent than other years. The first time I went to SXSW in 2007 was seemed to be all based around rock and roll. Kings of Leon, Bloc Party, Amy Winehouse.  Kiwi rock bands like Elemeno P and Blindspott all performed. The next time in 2013 was perhaps more EDM focused with big showcases from Richie Hawtin, Skream, Hospital Records, Bauer, along with Major Lazer and Snoop Lion.

Even the big brands were right behind hip hop. Youtube was presenting urban acts Future, Anderson Paak, Santigold and Kehlani.  Pandora was presenting Young Thug and Kevin Gates. Fader Fort had Drake and Tory Lanez. Two Chains, DJ Kahled, Flatbush Zombies, Nas, Travis Scott - all playing at the ACL Music Hall to large crowds gathered outside each night. Whether this was my perception or not I was happy to get balls deep into this new scene to experience learn as much as I could first hand.

It was also clear SXSW had become a more popular place for fans and punters too. The conference at the Austin Convention Center was still buzzing with delegates during the week, but offsite activations and side parties had become the norm. The city was filling to the brim by the weekend as music fans left local cities Houston and Dallas to join the party. Your SXSW badge couldn't guarantee your entry to the venues, you were often in line with other VIP, prizewinners and general punters who had RSVP in advance.

SXSW is a slog. Having a couple of nights settling in prior to wasn't much help as you were soon caught up in the hype. After arriving Sunday as the interactive sessions were in full swing,  I had a look around the city and was impressed with what was set up in East Austin.  I was soon hosting some kiwi drinks on the Tuesday night with fellow attendee Tommy Bates.  We were joined by Zoe Mac from Jucy, Jade Hurst from Raw and other kiwis from New York, Auckland and Wellington. The panels started on Wed about 11am then you are out most of the afternoon either trying to catching up on work, trying to meet people for drinks, or have some time out of the madness. The music venues kick off about 5pm onwards at one of the 50 or so venues around town. Not to mention all the walking, eating, drinking, networking and finally getting to bed after 2am close time.

There was a definate lack of kiwi talent this year. A slower moving chain, decreased creative funding along with increased accomodation costs in Austin meant there was only three acts playing. Marlon Williams was a highlight and played at least 5 times over the week. His crooning, dark, poetic moody country was just the kind of thing that could take off in the US.

Diaz Grimm who had come up the ranks at R&V had self funded his trip and played to around 50 or so people at the Swan Dive. Hard to say how much cut through he had but you can't under estimate the access to inspiration and burst of confidence and vision being at the festival can give young creatives like him. He managed to make an impression and Alan from the NZ Music Commision highlighted the fact that its probably more effective to have artist managers at the festival rather than bringing over a troupe of artists. For year one anyway. It was something up and coming manager Pritesh Panchel was doing with his acts Manuel.

A highlight for me was syncing up with local Austin DJ / musician Thomas Sahs on the final day. He has been coming back and forth to NZ for the past 10 years and played R&V. Seeing him work his local magic connections was impressive as we got VIP passes into Mohawk venue to watch Neon Indian a popular Texan band in the vein of Passion Pit. Probably my favourite venue with a stacked amphitheatre full of music lovers.

He then took me to Fader Fort - an infamous activation on the East side set up on abandon warehouse space, that always had the best special guests performing on the final night - from Jay Z to Kanye to Snoop. There had to be 3000 people lining up outside in a stagnant line the but it wasn't long until Tom had hustled a couple of passes from a local DJ friend Korput and we were in the side door of the dusty, warehouse setting drinking Jack and Cokes. The sun was setting as the crowd was feverish in anticipation of the special guest. We had to sit through about 3 hours of OVO acts but soon Drake came out and did not disappoint!

Drake at Fader Fort OVO

The final thing about this years SXSW was I really got to know Austin better. The area east of the highway had been developed as part of the map and leading brands like Hype Hotel and Spotify House all had activations there. I spent a fair bit of time downtown at the W Hotel too, with mate Will who worked for Pandora. Went to a couple of cool house parties in East and Downtown Austin, including on speak easy. Checked out the free stage down at the Lakeside to watch Deftones. Ate BBQ and Mexican at leading restaurants Lamberts, Blacks and La Conscenda.  Visited Zilfer Park where Austin City Limits is held with family friend Holly. And staying in SoCo meant I was able to catch the SXSW bus through trendy South Lamar each day and see the extent of the organisation. It really takes over the city for the 10 days or so.

As I left this morning the cab took me down an empty 6th Street one last time. The food trucks had gone, sponsor activations removed and a couple of lone street cleaners were water blasting the last of the rubbish away. It made me sad it was all over for another year but also excited for its return. Maybe can get further involved next year with more established kiwi drinks and who knows even performing. You never know where that one connect may lead.

Hamish

Make No Small Plans

Im in SXSW this week in Austin! I was last year three years ago in 2013. In that time we have seen the advent of Snapchat, Periscope, trap music, Under Armour.  What will be the next big trend and brand?

Major Lazer and Kendrick Lemar to break out stars of the festival are now leading festival headliners. Who is the next big thing in music?

Im looking forward to my time here and being inspired by new trends in music and innovation.

Here is an interview I gave Stop Press at the start of the week.

Stay tuned for the update!

• What do you do in the States?

I have spent some time in LA enroute to SXSW. Its great to be able to follow some of the leading trends plus network with my industry contacts in these leading entertainment hubs. Its the down time of the season for our festival Rhythm and Vines so time to get out and about in search of new ideas for our festival business. I am also responsible for booking the bands and artists and getting in a position to make offers on this years touring acts. SXSW is the perfect place to scout and network with agents and other promoters.

• Why did you decide to make the move to the US? Would you recommend it to other Kiwi creative types? 

The access to inspiration is immense.  The market here is diverse and infinite. It is great to flex the creative muscle and see what opportunities could work in either market. Attending SXSW provides access to leading industry executives, movers and shakers. In my field this means artists, agents, and other promoters that are key to the future of building my business.

• What are some of the core differences between American and Kiwi work culture?

Being forward and more direct works well. Being confident. Not being scared to highlight your strengths and be proud of what you do and achieve. 

The competition here in the US is intense. There is always someone nipping at your heels and ready to take your place. At home you can become complacent, although the size of the market encourages you to keep innovating.

• What are some of the trends that will define marketing and advertising in 2016?   

 One for our business is how to share content. We spend majority of the year trying to recreate our event experience to help encourage people to attend. How we can share the experience using technology from snapchat to film to brand look and feel. I learnt this morning Foo Fighters doubled their attendance via a private made film called Sonic Highways. It gave them access to new audiences. Its about trying to find new ways to communicate your product and experience to achieve your goals.

• Do Kiwis have to get better at taking risks and innovating?

Yes of course. And supporting those that do. We need more positivity and effectiveness in our dealings, goals setting - everything we do. Make no small plans is one of my mantras for 2016.

• What are some of the key takeaways from this year's event?

Anything is possible and you are only limited by your imagination. Networks are key and never be scared to put your self out of your comfort zone.

Rhythm and Vines: Our Finest Hour. Part 1.

To say it was a tough year for R&V was an understatement. It was probably the toughest, most challenging year in the history of our business. I remember standing on a Wairoa river bed at Easter last year, enjoying a flakey Oslers Pie, enroute to bury my situation in the hills and mist of Lake Waikaremoana. After a scheduled Directors skype call we collectively decided to end the business. The debts were too great and angry creditors were banging the door down. The reputation of the festival offering was tarnished by riots at the related BW Campgrounds that hosted the majority of our punters. The business model was eroding before our eyes as authorities intended to stamp out the binge drink BYO culture.  In serious debt of over a million dollars - from poor ticket sales coupled with vast overheads and a sister festival struggling to find its feet, our quest for investors over the previous months had proved fruitless. From Perth to Auckland, from industry leaders to wealthy friends even crowdfunding options, they all found the current model to risky with an uncertain path.  It was hard to find anyone who believed in a future, let alone my business partners.

Changes Likely at R&V Going Forward

What happened over the next few months was an experience in overcoming adversity, challenges and managing significant risk.  After what would be a snap decision to throw in the towel, my business partners soon rescinded, with terms for backing a future. They agreed to lend the money to keep creditors at pay and live to have another crack at a new festival roll out, while stepping back from the apparent related risks. Of course significant loans into a seemingly bottom hole is still a huge risk.  But it would clear their liability attached to past debts. They still had a loose belief but a fence sitting mentality where they would / could still recover involvement down the track.  If anything they were tired and burnt out as 10 years plus started to take its toll on everyone involved in a product that had failed to innovate.

Rhythm and Vines Calms Creditors Fears

Was got us through was the resilience and perseverance of the small and loyal team.  Our festival director Kieran Spillane had yet to prove himself on the balance sheet after two years in the job and wanted another shot at the title. Like Graham Henry experiencing a bitter loss on a Cardiff pitch in 2007 there was only one way out from the the taste of defeat. His two years at the helm was to become invaluable in the coming months.  From his relationship with creditors, his steel-nosed approach to deals and understanding of the numbers he was key to the rebuild. This coupled with the experience of my old mate Kyle Bell – the kind of roll your sleeves up, see-ya-at-the-bottom type tenacity that I had come to respect over the 15 years of knowing him.  He had a deep love and understanding of the brand, the journey and the vision.  And the youthful exuberance of a young Josh Smith who was hungry to see R&V return to its former glory, with his influence at the forefront.

Along my own ambition for the festival of course. From humble beginnings 13 years ago I had seen two near collapses during my time. Once in the face of the Witters house of cards crumbling, in which a sold-out 10k festival in year three with Fat Freddys Drop was the straw that broke the camels back of a perceived family empire in serious debt.  And then again in 2008 with the extension to a three day model, in which budgets blew out as we felt in the dark towards the world class festival model we dreamed of. 

But it would never be over until it hit the headlines, and even then a brand can not die over night, while dream is forever.  After all one of my initial mantra's was 'if you can picture it, you can achieve it'.  Yes we were down and out but it gave us a great chance to bounce back. Through chasos comes opportunity right? And what else is worth fighting for?  It was fortuitous in some regard I had come back into the business with nearly two years away from the front line. In that time I had been able to freshen up. I had experienced some of the world's leading festivals from Glastonbury to Exit. I had lived in Los Angeles the entertainment mecca of the world. I had been part of delivering a new festival in Wanaka. I was ready to accept and help lead this new challenge of a new chapter for Rhythm and Vines.

But the main motivator was the sustainability of business.  Here we had a number of large creditors baying for blood. We had obligations as Directors and businessmen to meet obligations and act in the best interests of the shareholders. I had a livelihood and future to protect, let alone reputation in the industry and beyond. But we now had an opportunity to move on without the of BW Campgrounds and the intentions of its owners. It was to be a clean slate, a new team and I was excited about that.

We began to look at the model and what we were selling.  It was clear the current model was redundant. We had become a rave for young people, hosting the evening festivities while much of the festival activity took place in town and at BW Campgrounds. The daily spend was less than $20 a day so we weren’t generating catering revenue. The sizeable production was for what had become a rave was just not sustainable. The acts were expensive and off trend. The VIP area was empty as the premium crowd had turned away. 

It was clear things had to change.

What we didn’t want to do was crack a nut with a sledge hammer. We couldn’t pull the rug out of the way of our core market of 18-20 year old summer holiday makers with our talk of non BYO and cheap drinks.  It was just too far away from our current offering and would be so unfamiliar that it would scare them off in droves. But it was paramount things needed to change while keeping the basics on offer. They wanted camping. They wanted drinking. They wanted music. They wanted the R&V experience they had heard about from their sisters and brothers. They would get it – but it would be different.

Rhythm and Vines gets new booze rules

After finding a loan solution to keep the creditors at bay and by some time to restructure and rebrand, we decided to go to market in May with a limited BYO offering which was under the banner of Premium Camping – Bass and Mid Camps. This would give us a head start and we could then tidy up the offering as we went.  After long winded deliberation we settled on our pricing and offerings for Bass and Mid Camp, with the younger ex-BW crowd relegated to Treble which would be the first of our beer garden offering.

It was decided to tackle the restructure head on and we began in our initial release to talk of new additions like the comedy component, the food trucks, the beer gardens along with what we believed would be a cutting edge program.

To be continued.....