Larrikin Spirit Will Never Die
Once a coaster always a coaster, so say Neil Blanchfield and Paddy Sweeney. The two have teamed up and are hosting The
Good Bastards West Coast Gold Rush Festival at QE2 Stadium in Christchurch this Queens Birthday weekend.
It started off last year when Sweeney on behalf of Good Bastards claimed Queens birthday weekend as Good Bastards
weekend. “It was a bit of a tongue in the cheek thing, that sort of grew legs quite quickly” Said Sweeney from his Gold
Coast home today. “Somehow the media got hold of it and I was fielding calls from all around the world on it. They even
did an article in the Sunday Mirror in London about it.”
“Its basically a dud weekend.” Said Sweeney. “It’s not even Elizabeth’s birthday, no one sends her a present or even has
a cup of tea to celebrate it, it was a good weekend going to waste until Good Bastards put a bit of pep and flavour
into.”
“The Queens mob can do their thing what ever the hell that might be that weekend and we’ll do ours.”
He said the monarchists were welcome to come along and experience the new direction of the previous dud weekend.
“What is fast getting lost in this politically correct society is the larrikin spirit that is so much a part of our
heredity. The bloody do gooders would have all us larrikins dead and buried if they had their way. Well guess what, we
are like the phoenix, we are rising from the smouldering ashes and we are already having so much fun rekindling this
spirit and taking the mickey out of that gaggle of geese who see themselves as the upper crust of New Zealand Society.”
“These crusty bastards are the greatest collection of comedians around once you see through their poncey false charade.
We have a whole range of things planned to take advantage of the material they give us to work with.”
The event is planned over three days in Christchurch and Sweeney claims, “It is the greatest Collection of larrikin
events ever assembled”
There is a contest to find the funniest Good Bastard in the country. Patrons will have the opportunity to tell their
best joke and could win a year of Good Bastards beer for their efforts.
They are hosting their own version of Selwyn Toogoods “It’s In The Bag” This version is called “Its in the Beer Box and
has the top prize as a weeks holiday at Santana resort on the Gold Coast.
There are some hard case contests, including the “Good Bastards Heart Of A Champion Challenge” It’s a Good Bastards
version of an Iron Man contest only a lot more civilised. Said Neil Blanchfield. There will be several world record
attempts and much singing dancing and drinking in true blue West Coast fashion.
The Good Bastards Band from the West Coast will make its first appearance at the event and also a hard case band called
“The Puha Bandidos from up the North Island will compliment a whole range of talent.
The Southland Hotel in Hokitika is the principle sponsor and rightly so, as it was where the Good Bastards thing all
began.
Evan and Jane Birchfield from Ross have donated a Good Bastards Nugget, which will be the top prize for the Gold Rush.
The Gold Rush is a prize draw every hour over the three days from the lucky Souvenir Program.
The Birchfields have become a part of Good Bastards with their centurion tank featuring in the news along other Good
Bastards larrikins escapades.
The Good Bastards Mad Butchers Big Bastard Sausages will be launched and along with traditional West Coast food
attendees wont go hungry.
You can even get a Good Bitch Cocktail and a Bad Bitch Bourbon and C.
“In no way is there a resemblance to The Wild Food Festival.” Said Sweeney. “We have set out to create an event that is
totally unique and will stand alone and become an icon in its own right.”
They are expecting somewhere in the vicinity of 3000 for the event, which will be staged inside a very large function
area.
We chose QE2 because it had this 3000 square metre area that is air-conditioned which makes the weather irrelevant to
the event.
“A Good Bastards Village is being constructed to add to the atmosphere of the program. It is intended to have more than
one thing happening at a time to keep the folk entertained.” Said Blanchfield.
The event commences at Noon on each of three days and goes into the evening.
Sweeney believes “There are only two kinds of people in the world, West Coasters and those who would like to be.” And as
such is expecting good support to the event.
Paddy Sweeney 0061 419 553375
Neil Blanchfield 021 315 007
Rachel Teen, Southland Hotel 03 755 8344
Pat Condon, an original Good Bastard. O3 544 9863 evenings
Gary Hutchison, an original Good Bastard 03 755 8755
John Hynds, chairman The Most Recent Order Of Good Bastards 0274 948403
Web Site: http://www.goodbastards.com