The 'Book a Week' challenge

When I was 16 my parents moved to Thailand for my fathers job. Rather than joining them in the Land of Smiles or being shipped off to boarding school, I stayed in Napier and boarded with family friends. The Duckworth's lived nearby and their daughter Alice was my age. Give I had 18 months left of school it was an easy transition for me to finish my schooling locally before heading off to university, in Otago of course.

When I moved in my surrogate mother Jill Duckworth said she wanted to teach me three things when I lived with her family. The first was to to learn how to cook. Well I already knew how to cook. Every Thursday my Dad would attend Rotary, so my sisters and I would take turns cooking dinner for Mum. We would whip up roast chicken, with homemade french fries and peas, or Mexican nights featuring tacos or nachos. My parents had stacks of cook books so I was also a a competent baker, whipping up cakes and muffins on rainy days. Either way Jill continued the Thursday night tradition and I was able to learn more about cooking, especially with her passion for Italian eating.

Jill would also teach me how to drink tea. She would drink 5 to six cups a day and would often be found pacing around the house with a fresh cup of piping hot tea, her arm outstretched so not so spill anything on the floor. 'Cup of tea Hamish?' would often come floating down the hall way towards my room, morning and night.  I soon mastered the art of Taradale Tea - a local brew which was a strong Earl Grey brew with a dash of milk. No sugar for me, something I keep to this day.

And finally she wanted to teach me how to read.  Again I was all ready a reasonably established reader.  My parents were great readers and encouraged us kids too. I grew up reading Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl. I could read the Enchanted Wood over and over again, along with Matilda and Danny the Champion on the World. Roald Dahl was an absolute favourite, we even share the same birthday! His book of short stories was another favourite about Henry Sugar the english playboy who learnt to see without his eyes.  But I would read anything, from my sister's Babysitters Club books to real life crime magazines.

Jill however was ferocious reader, devouring books like no ones business.  She had a stack of novels either side of her bed and would often juggle a number of books at once. Every day I would come out of my room to a towering book shelf full of classics - from David Baldacci, Thomas Ludlum and Jeffrey Archer. So it was fair to say I smashed out a fair few books during the time at the Duckworths. The Beach was big hit especially since I was spending time in Thailand visiting my family.  I would try to learn more about Thailand or Asia too. I also enjoyed some Jeffery Archer short stories and continuing on the real life crime books. Plus my school curriculum The Handmaids Tale and Lord of the Flies. But either way I was soon getting through a number of books from Lord of the Rings to Memoirs of a Geisha - many of which stick with me today.

Coming into a wet NZ winter not only has my tea habit picked back up but I have suddenly felt the urge to read again.

The first book one I picked up recently was the 'Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe'. I was amazed at how quickly I skipped between the chapters while all the being exported back in time. I was instantly transported to certain places of my life when I read the famous children's book, such as the West Coast of NZ when I was 7 or 8. In the couple of nights it took me to read it really dragged out a world and a story, much like the 4 children in the book and their journey from wardrobe to the thrones of Cair Paravel.  I had seen the film in recent years but prefer my minds eye interpretation, one I was enjoying relieving 20 years after I last read it.

This week I am finally getting around to reading Elon Musk biography written by Ashlee Vance. One of my favourite books is the Steve Jobs autobiography by Walter Issacson and this is in a similar vein. It is about a modern day titan, his beginnings, his dreams and his struggles as he leads the world in rockets, solar power and electric cars. I have just started it and am suitable inspired by the world's most revered entrepreneur. Not only is he the smartest man in the room, he is also the most focused and hard working.

Another book I want to read is 'The E Myth'. It is about the real reason to start a business which the author presents his argument the sole focus is to provide a structure in which to then sell it. My initial thoughts are this is incorrect, my experience on my business is based on a passion and a lifestyle, a purpose. But who knows after reading this it maybe I can be a bit more removed with my goals for my business and where to take it next.

I also have next to my bed The Luminaries which was in recent years named the Booker Prize winner I am not normally a reader of novels, preferring non-fiction autobiographies or self help books but this one comes with a huge reputation. And being a kiwi it needs to be read at some point. I have challenged by friend Sophie to read it too at the same time so we can compare notes.

There are also a number of other classics and autobiographies I intend to read. One that keeps popping up includes Open by Andre Agassi. But a number of current hits I am Pilgrim to The Help. Maybe some older classics I have never read like Catch 22 or Anne Frank Diary. If not these there a plenty of others I will hope to get through if I stick to my goal of one book a week.

I hope this little challenge will kick start my inspiration in a number of ways and broaden my horizons. Maybe also inspire me to continuing my own writing too!  A blog of week would be a good challenge too :)

Reality Music - Trip to Israel, Sep 18-25th.

Last week I received an email from a Jewish friend based in LA. She was putting my name forward for an industry trip to Israel, all expenses paid in September this year. Hell yeah!

Reality Music - Trip to Israel

The trip funded by the Schusterman institute as a way to bring the music industry from across the world together to Israel to learn, network and be inspired by this great nation's history and outlook. Around 70 attendees will be given a week long tour of the country from its clubs, to its temples, famous cities and its war torn villages.

As part of the process to apply I am to send two personal essays, along with a short video. The essays cover my journey in music, along with my thoughts on Israel and what I hope to get out of the trip. 

The video is a short piece to camera about how and why this trip will fuel my current and future work aspirations in the industry. 

 I have written some brief notes below:

Tell us your professional journey, the moments that have defined you, and what you have accomplished along the way (400 words)

My journey in music promotion began on the back blocks of Napier, NZ near the Church Road vineyards. Every summer the Mission Concert would host 25,000 people and feature some golden oldies like the Beach Boys and the Doobie Brothers. I often wondered why we couldn't seen my heroes such as Pearl Jam and Sublime in this unique vineyard setting. It wasn’t long after this I set up my own concert called Rhythm and Vines to do just that , host cutting edge music for young kiwis in a vineyard setting.

Another definitive moment was the end of my rugby career, which lead me to turn to music and events. Like every young kiwi I had ambitions about being an All Black.  I loved the physicality, the comradeship and the social aspect of the sport. I guess throwing events is a bit like playing sport, you need to trust your team, work hard for one another and never give up towards a goal.  After a serious knee injury I turned my focus towards my music, starting a little band with my mates that would play at friends 21^st and balls. It wasn’t long until I was promoting a local club night, which gave way to the first Rhythm and Vines concert in Gisborne.

Moments that have defined my journey are the sacrifices and commitments. Giving up following my friends to London in my mid 20’s to stay and build a world class festival with a couple of loyal staff. Then returning from some time living in LA to help rebuild the festival once more. Borrowing money to ensure creditors get paid and the festival survives. Often I haven't had a choice it is the only decision to keep the festival alive. If had not made these commitments and sacrifices I wouldn’t be here today.

I love the events industry. I love the thrill of live performing. I love the creative spirit and all the characters involved. It is dynamic, and you can’t beat seeing 15,000 smiling faces lit up in unison. Its what gets me out of bed each day. I’m passionate about NZ's role in the industry and creating a leading national brand in the festival space that I am proud of.

I arrived at my current role by creating it! I’ve never had another proper job. I have tried some different parts of the event game from sponsorship to social media, running small shows as well. But I enjoy the creative vision aspect of a festival, the negotiating with agents and picking trends. And the one with balls on the line and ultimately accountable for the results. There are not many who can say they have taken as much risk and accountability as me in their careers.

  

I look back on my 13 years in the role and what I have achieved.  We have hosted an estimated 200,000 people through our gates over our 13 years, many of them foreign visitors. The seasonal aspect has allowed me to travel the world. It has allowed me to attend and be inspired by a number of leading festivals. It was allowed me to follow my own path and leave a last legacy in the NZ event and tourism industries.

What does the trip mean to me? What are your connections and interest for Jewish history and what do you hope to explore on the trip?

My first experience with Israel was learning about the struggles during history lessons at school. Specifically the later half of the 20th Century. Coming from NZ it seems a mile away and different to our way of life, the conflict, the politics, the influence the nation state held on the region and the world. 

My first experience meeting Jewish people was travelling around Thailand as a student. I met many Israelis, along with Swedish and antipodean’s they spent their holidays in the tropical southern islands. I learnt the word 'shalom' and was able to make friends with many I met along the way.

I look forward to getting to know the jewish people further.  Understand and appreciate the attitude and resilience of the people. Learn about their struggles, the history.  Admire the architecture and the granduer of the cities, how they were built and continue to grow.

The food is big passion for me and I want to experience it all. The influence it has had on my current favourites from bagels to falafel to cous cous to hummus. I want to experience the Mediterranean influence from fresh bountiful produce, breads, grains and cured meats. 

Of course the music and related nightlife is another drawcard for me. The clubs and beach bars, rooftops bars, and sunset raves.  I have been to Turkey and if the night life is anything like that I am in for a treat.

And finally I am looking forward to the networking, mixing with industry people from all over the world. Making new friends and business contacts. Being inspired and generally getting out of my comfort zone!

Why do I want to participate in Reality Music? How will this trip fund my current work and future aspirations in the industry? Why am I an outstanding candidate?

This will be a well needed sabbatical for me after a busy period of the year getting our lineup together and launching our tickets.  Having time away in such a setting I will be able to assess my place in my business and the industry. Who knows there may even be some opportunities to explore the festival opportunities in Israel!

The trip will me a chance to network with people from different ways of life be it those on the trip or those I meet.  It will give me respect and reflection for my own up bringing, both my past journey and the one ahead of me. There is nothing more full filling that getting out of your comfort zone and I look forward to developing as a person on this trip, for the better.

Why am I a good candidate? Im a kiwi! We are unique in this world and I will represent our core values of being humble, friendly and adventurous through out the trip. I might just be the furtherest attendee! I'll bring my own unique perspective, attitude and energy to the group, along with a vast knowledge and passion for the music industry, both here and abroad. 

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