I'd like to see this day become like any other national holiday around the world where you hang out with friends and family and celebrate the fantastic things about the country you live in, without all the history and race relations baggage we debate over every 6th Feb.
The Tri Nations/Rugby Championship runs later into the year so there might be an All Black game on. There will still be snow on the mountains to go for a ski/board. Or might be able to nip to a Pacific Is for some sun after a long winter.
Unfortunately it won't be mid summer but it will be spring and a celebration of and all that comes with this season - clear crisp days, frost, new life - lambs, daffodils, planting your garden, cleaning the house and BBQ in prep for the warm weather ahead.
Most of all it will be a celebration of the simple fact being a New Zealander, embracing our independence and standing on our own two feet.
We should still celebrate Waitangi Day as a day that bought together two peoples in the founding of a country. But we need our own day to celebrate this union, and independence as a nation.
So get involved, and spread the word - if there is enough interest we might even get the day off!
|
Monday, February 6, 2012
NZ's Dominion Day - 26th September
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Get Daft Punk! - Booking a Festival Part 3
It is inevitable we need to build other shows around these bookings. And who better to turn to than our good friends across the Tasman - the Aussies!
There are to main touring partners over this time. We used to work with Falls Festival but the timings are just too tight timeframe wise, as their concert is on the 30th and 31st Dec. It is near impossible to fly from Gisborne to Auckland to Melbourne to Lorne over night (as Franz Ferdinand found out in 2009). So we can't share acts any more.
So we share acts with the likes of Future Entertainment and Fuzzy who run the Summerdayz and Fielddays festival respectively in early Jan. They are predominantly dance based, think Justice, Calvin Harris, Chromeo although there is some cross over with likes of NERD, Tinie Tempah and Grandmaster Flash. And top Australasian acts like Cut Copy, Miami Horror and Architecture in Helsinki.
Even with our timeframe we are also competing with other festival tours down under over the summer period. Big Day Out, the biggest and arguable the most prestigious touring festival in the world. Laneways who like to host the hottest new indie acts around. Ragamuffin the best in reggae. Parklife and Splendor in the Grass who tag onto the end of the European summer. Plus one off stadium tours such as U2, Coldplay, Kings of Leon and Pearl Jam in recent year bought down by the big promoters Michael Chugg and Michael Coppel etc.
And artists are spoilt for choice of where they play. America touring market has taken off particularly for dance music. Deadmau5, David Guetta and Skrillex getting offered HUGE money to play NYE shows stateside. Las Vegas has become a NYE mecca last year hosting Coldplay and Jay-Z. David Guetta on the beach in Rio. The 02 Arena in London. Amsterdam, Berlin, Cape Town, you name it, there are gigs going on with competing offers on the table.
Nothing that competes with a festival in a kiwi vineyard surely!
Get Daft Punk! - Booking a Festival Part 2
There are other aspects we have to take into account when booking acts for R&V. From size of touring parties, to criminal records, as well as extravagant rider requirements. One act we looked at wanted to bring 25 people all requiring everything from separate dressing rooms, big screen TV's, to private 6-star hotel suites, to five star luxury vehicles driving them around. It is just not feasible or affordable sometimes in little 'old Gissy.
Date clashes and family commitments are other challenges we have to deal with. Given we are so close to Xmas many artists would rather take the time off to spend with family to rest after a busy year touring.
Some acts wouldn't be even able to land the production in airport in Gisborne. U2 or Muse for example requires multiple jumbo jets that house their staging, lighting, hundreds of crew etc. It would take around 50 trucks to do the 7 hour drive to Gisborne. This is just not feasible (currently...)
There is the also the issue of establishing a tour to ensure a NZ date.
It is inevitable that we need to work with other touring territories to bring acts down under. As inviting as a on off festival performance in NZ is, artists are probably not going to get in a plane for 12-24 hours to play one show.
When I first started R&V I had this vision that we would bring bands down to Gisborne give them a beach house and they could hang out like everyone else. I had this romantic vision of R&V being a holiday for one and all, bands, friends, locals, all unified by the spirit of celebrating new years. We would party during the night and by day hang at the beach enjoying the of Gisborne.
But R&V is not a holiday for bands. It is like going to work. Just instead of sitting at an office, they hop from airport to hotel, talk to media and get up on stage for an hour playing an instrument. That is what they do for a crust.
And to get paid this crust is also inevitable that bands need as many gigs as they can get their hands on. Although they look like the sit around and drink all day, this is the opposite - they live for playing live. Not only do they love to play, it is their job. They need to play to pay the bills and keep the record label happy. And live is paying the bills these days as record sales go down the gurgler.
This is exemplified by the time when I asked Cold War Kids if they would come to NZ play R&V then have a holiday. ie laze at the beach, drink wine etc?
To my surprise the lead singer answered by asking if I had a spider was on my shoulder. I said no. He said 'good because we are not here to fuck spiders'.
I took that as a no.
What I was meaning is would you come down to R&V if I pulled the holiday card and put on a big vacation for you all?
What he was meaning was no they wouldn't. They want to play as many shows as they can.
It is their job.
Get Daft Punk! - Booking a Festival Part 1
R&V has had some amazing artists over the years. From musical legends like Public Enemy and Moby, urban pop stars like Tinie Tempah and Santogold, DJ superstars like Carl Cox and Justice, through to homegrown favourites Fat Freddys Drop and Shapeshifter.
It is a real honor to be able to host these kinds of acts in our corner of the globe. Especially since R&V has only been at international level for the last three years!
But still the punters want more. So I thought I would tell you a bit more about the challenges we face when piecing our lineup together.
Hey I am as bigger music lover as anyone and would love to see a number of my idols and heroes on stage. And it is not as though we don't try and get a number of acts to perform at R&V, quite the opposite, we spend all year hustling, door knocking, emailing and phoning some of the biggetts agents in the world trying to book these acts.
But there is always a reason such as timeframes, money, booking already we can't always get everyone we want.
for e.g. this year in particular
Get the Foo Fighters! - they are coming in Dec already for their own show
Get Prodigy - they have come twice in the past 18 months, not touring
Get Chemical Brothers - they came earlier this year, not touring
Get Kanye - coming for Big Day Out
Get The Strokes - Im trying! Even slipped a card under the managers door in New York!
Ok what about other kiwi acts?
Get Shapeshifter - they are already booked, playing at their own festival Coromandel Gold.
Get Fat Freddy's then - they are already booked, don't like playing big kiwi festivals anymore
Get Katchafire - playing at BW (same city, same week?)
Get Six60 - we have!
Ok then well why dont you get Daft Punk we get asked. Get the world's most exclusive (/reclusive) live dance act, with the huge light pyramid production on the most expensive night of the year, on the corner of the globe! Ok sure!
Earlier this year I actually sat down with the agent for Daft Punk. Will they be available to offer on for a NZ booking? His answer: Your guess is as good as mine Hamish. He waits for them to contact him with their plans and they haven't been in touch with confirmed touring plans in the last 4 years.
Why? well here are some facts to consider.
a) they have only ever toured twice
b) there was 7 years between those two tours
c) they last time they toured was four years ago
d) they don't do one off DJ sets
e) they are french - so as we know in rugby the only thing you can rely on with them is their unpreticability.
Either way I did hear on the industry grapevine they got offered seven figures to play some big US festival next year. That is more than double our program budget alone! So we may be seeing them out on the road next year.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Audacious Awards
Below is my speech I gave at the Otago University Audacious Awards Dinner in Dunedin, 22 Sep 2011. This was an entrepreneurial innovation competition for students, and my topic was based on encouraging them to carry on their idea on once they completed their study.
I was down in Dunedin when we decided to organise a new year party for friends at my flatmates vineyard in Gisborne. The first year we had 1800 people, many friends from Otago University. Last year, with our 8th event, we entertained 25,000 at our now three-day world class music festival, winning a NZ Tourism Awards in the process. I like you began with an idea formed right here at Otago University.
As I found when you set out building your venture you will come across much adversity. Not just in a business sense, raising capital, dealing with technology issues, staff management, financial challenges - but also personal adversity and challenges. One of these is staying on tracks while others try and tell you otherwise, and that is what I will speak to you about tonight.
Background
I was studying law at the time I came up with the idea for R&V, and had been organising a few events around Campus. Like a lot of you here I just loved action, ideas and getting them off the ground. My parents were living in Thailand at the time and I bought back a stack of Diesel t-shirt and sold them at Uni market day. I formed a covers band because I thought it would be a great way to have fun and make beer money. Back then we didn’t even have grad party. People coming back to town and nothing to do so I put my hand up and put together the ran the first Grad events. If I came up with an idea my theory was someone has to do it and that someone is going to be me.
When I left University I had 2 years of R&V under my belt. I had visions of working as an entertainment lawyer, or for companies like MTV or EMI. I had visions of working in London, New York with famous artists, talent. Still do!
But it was time for a break I completed my 4 month bar exam in Wellington, signed an up-and-coming band called Fat Freddy's Drop for the next instalment of our NYE party and headed out on an OE, first to California, then on to London and Europe.
It was while I was in Europe that I experienced a couple of big music festivals, and was suitably inspired. I also realized this was a huge industry and business. Everyone was hooked on festivals, they were the talk of the town, and a huge past time. Glastonbury, Exit, Sziget – they dominated the press and conversations. Being a musician with my own little event I was suitably impressed and interested.
I thought hang on we don’t have anything like this in NZ yet. What a great chance to build our little party into this realm. We had a world class venue, a great brand, limited competition and more than anything a great hook - a festival in a vineyard held in the first city in the world to celebrate the new year. All the bones are there to build a world class festival. The vision was there I just didn’t have the skills or contacts to realise it.
Returned home to NZ
I returned to NZ and decided to pass up a job as a lawyer like my fellow grads. I didn’t think I would be able fast track my vision fast enough if I was tied down solving other people’s problems. I needed to create my own.
Instead I got an extension on my credit card and went to Sydney to knock on doors and try and work out how I could get into the competitive Australian touring market. As I slept on mates couches cold-called agents and told everyone of my vision - Rhythm and Vines – the first festival in the world to bring in the new year. I found out a second cousin in Montreal runs the prestigious Just for Laughs comedy festival, so I went and learnt the inner workings of an international entertainment brand. And I attended famous festivals like Lollapalooza and V Festival to get ideas about how we could grow R&V to international calibre, opening my eyes to possibilities.
While I was away I remember my parents calling me up and saying they had been to so and so friend’s place. ‘Blair was doing well as an Accountant, Dan doing well as a Dentist. Everyone asking what you are doing? What do we tell them?'
I said 'tell them I am on my way to creating NZ premier music festival, building a business and having fun while doing it'.
I returned to NZ with a signing of our first international act Mylo, some key industry contacts and a truck load of inspiration to pour into our festival, along with a massive debt! This was at the time when we were still only one-day backyard party full of BBQ reggae acts.
Still I would go to parents friends house for dinner ‘When are you going to get a real job?’ they would ask. 'What is a real job?’ I said. Working 9 – 5 for someone you don’t like, doing work you don’t enjoy, on a product that you don’t believe in?’ That wasn’t for me.
‘Hamish you are always on holiday! Travelling the world or down in Gisborne for the summer, surfing and drinking wine'. Holiday? Not yet but maybe in 10 years time when I sell my world reknown festival brand and company, then I’ll be sitting on a beach! My life may have seemed like a holiday but the whole time I was working hard on my vision – meeting contacts, pitching, planning, scheming, hustling, inspiring those around me towards my goal.
Yes you will get questioned
So yes you will get questioned. You will get concerns. It may be people looking out for you. It may be jealousy. But don’t let it sway from your vision. Never have to question or justify your existence for building growing your idea. Always follow that dream.
Just this year Mum was telling me the family is worried about a cousin of mine. He is 25 and quit his job, moved home and is becoming an entrepreneur. All the family are scratching their heads wondering what he is doing. Setting up some website – a job website. Flying up and down the country meeting with some mentors and incubators. Staying up late on his computer. Single minded and obsessed with some wild idea and all the aunties and uncles are worried.
I said 'Mum that is exactly what I was doing three years ago!' She said yes but you have something to show for it. Something tangible. I said yes but those are the steps you have to take to get to something tangible. It takes a while until you have something to be able to sit around the dinner table and say ‘Granny guess what I did today? Ran a party for 25,000 people and won a Tourism Award!'
I bet Bill Gates parents were saying 'what the hell are you doing on those bloody computers all day and night – get a real job'!. Or the Beatles family friends saying 'What the hell are you boys doing over there in Hamburg? Playing all day and night! Where is that going to get you! Get a real job!’
Friends and peers
You will also get pressure and confusion from friends and peers.
I had this from were friends who I graduated with, who took jobs as lawyers in the big firms, accountants. They pulled me aside and said 'Hamish you really need to settle down. You are having far too much fun, and R&V is not going to last forever’. I smiled because in my mind I could see my vision. I could see that if we keep diversifying our product each year, continuing to build on the core idea of a party for NYE, establish key industry relationships and partners, it could be sustainable. ‘Yes but don’t these festivals have a lifespan?’ Heck Glastonbury has been going for 40 years! That festival where they dance around the Stonehenge has been going for 500! Christmas has been going for 2000! It would be hard work and commitment but we could get there. I have an idea, a vision, someone is going to do it and that someone is going to be me!
I ran into one of these friends in London this year. He slapped me on the back and said, mate I am proud of you. And I said why. He said because you stuck with it. Didn’t give in. Didn’t listen to anyone else. Just hung in there. Persevered. It meant a lot as I knew it was true.
It is not always easy. I have had fights with my business partners, bullied by agents, had the IRD on my back. When we expanded to 3 day model we didn’t have a clue what we were doing. We blew our budget on program and security. The sell out crowd we were expecting didn’t arrive. They were still wanting a one day model and stuck on kiwi dub bands. We lost nearly $500k and needed to borrow money on personal loans and high interest rates to keep our dream alive. I decided it was time to take stock and focus on convincing the market what our core product is. We let go a lot of staff and worked hard on our marketing, messaging and PR. Three day world class music festival. Now people understand the product and vision. Our sales are already at the same level as last December and still climbing. Competition are also trying to copy us now, going multi day and international acts.
So there is a bit of feedback about my journey from where I was sitting with you all, to where I am today. Don’t get me wrong, I get huge amount of support from family and friends. I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for them believing me and my vision. But it is a hard road. You will get people questioning you. You will get people undermining you. You will get people jealous of you. You will even start to question yourself.
But as Winston Churchill said – ‘Don’t ever ever EVER give up’.
H
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
M Y L O - back in Enzed!
You know those seminal albums that are engrained in your ipod, reminding you of blissful youth, of warm summer nights smashing the back out of it. Mylo's 'Destroy Rock and Roll' is one of those for me.
Myles MacMannus quit Uni to write his debut over two years in his bedroom on the Isle of White. Taking influences of 1980's Tv show', pop anthems mixed with simple electro beats you could bounce around to.
Rumours has it Myles was staying above Pete Tong in Ibiza when he gave him a copy of 'Drop the Pressure'. Tongy was blown away and played it the next weekend on his Essential Mix.
Since then Mylo lived the dream, travelling the world as hottest producer in the dance genre. He first came to NZ for Deep Hard and Funky at the St James. He got a hard time for not being able to mix by some of the heads, but who cared – the tunes speak for themselves.
He was our first international act at R&V back in 2006. I went all the way to London and knocked on the agents door, made a stupid offer in UK pounds. In the twilight of first album he took it and came to our little party on the East Coast of NZ. I even got up on stage and danced with him!
Myles even came to my NZ showcase gig in London 'Endeavour'. He invited me around for dinner to hear the new album but never got back to my text.
That album has never been dropped since, amongst widespread speculation and anticipation of where he will take his unique disco electro pop next.
Will he ever drop it? Or will it become the Brian Wilson's Smile? Gun's Roses Chinese Democracy? Blackbird's East Coast Toast?
Looking forward to this one in Auckland later in the month!
H
R&V 2011 - First Release!
Concrete Playground asked me the big questions last month about the first installment of R&V2011:
Hamish, you have just released the first installment of the 2011 Rhythm and Vines lineup, with Pendulum Live and Calvin Harris as your two headliners. Talk us through what Festival attendees should expect to see and why you hedged your bets on these two heavy hitters?
Pendulum are the defining act for a popular genre here in New Zealand and an act we have been looking at for a while. After their memorable performance at Big Day Out a few years ago, I think kiwis fell in love with the big riffs and deep bass lines. After seeing their live show at Glastonbury this year (in the comfort of my own home on youtube) I was blown away. Can't wait to see the Wai-O-hika hillside get their stomp on for this hard hitting band. Calvin Harris is one of the hottest artists in the world today. By the end of the year he will be a number 1 artist and it is a cool to have him in New Zealand to help us celebrate the new year. Perfect summer beats in the vines.There are a number of relative unknowns in the Lineup in terms of mainstream appeal. Rhythm and Vines has built a reputation for doing this and the public come to trust the Festival and its selection of performers. Who is your “Tinie Tempah” of 2011 and why?
I'm excited by an act like Foreign Beggars. They are taking their hip hop infusing it with dubstep and taking it to the masses. They will own the Vines stage, the crowd will love it. In the past the most memorable acts at R&V have been urban MC-driven acts like Santigold, Major Lazer and Tinie Tempah - I feel Foreign Beggars are on set to bag this award for 2011.
There are a couple of returning artists also. Cut Copy and Netsky stand out. Tell us more about why they are coming back. Did they request to come back? I know Boris had a ball last year.I'm excited by an act like Foreign Beggars. They are taking their hip hop infusing it with dubstep and taking it to the masses. They will own the Vines stage, the crowd will love it. In the past the most memorable acts at R&V have been urban MC-driven acts like Santigold, Major Lazer and Tinie Tempah - I feel Foreign Beggars are on set to bag this award for 2011.
Cut Copy we hosted for the first time in New Zealand back in 2008. They were already hugely popular in Australia with their sun drenched electro pop, they were relatively unknowns here. With the new album out this year it only made sense to have them back on the big stage. Netsky after last years memorable performance closing the vines stage we just had to ask him back. Probably the most talked about act from last years lineup. Plus he enjoyed the local wine too much.
Six60 have built a huge following in New Zealand. It is great to see young talent coming through. Their new album is about to set the bench mark for the roots sound in NZ. Plus I used to live across their flat Six60 Castle Street in Dunedin so a bit of a soft spot for their Scarfie roots.
Also great to have Ruby Frost back at the festival, a real performer with tons of talent.
You're turning the big 3 0 this year. How do you keep in touch with what the core audience are listening to and latest trends?
It just means I have to go to more University parties. No, I have a passion for the music and try to follow the trends. Luckily enough to visit some festival overseas and see what is working. Plus a great team behind us, everyone is pretty passionate about working on this show. We have a few new young interns at the office who are always happy to add their thoughts on the direction the program is going.
How is Jimmy the R&V Protégé going? Will we see another Protégé?
He is doing great. Often rolls in slightly late on a Friday morning but it is great to have him in Auckland. A fast learner he really gets the brand and what we are trying to achieve with the festival. We are going to look for a new position towards the end of the year so stay tuned on this.
Is there more to come? And when can we expect to see the full lineup in all it’s glory?
Stay tuned for further release at the end of September. Full day lineup should be out then as well. Also stay tuned for accommodation and pool party madness. Bringing some of the Coachella vibe to little old East Coast NZ. For the full lineup and details.
