Three day wonderland from Rhythm & Vines

Media Announcement
November 2008

Rhythm & Vines transforms into a virtual three day wonderland!

Dates: 29th December 2008, 30th December 2008, 31st December 2008, 1 January 2009
Venue: Waiohika Estate and BW Campgrounds, Gisborne
Tickets: www.rhythmandvines.co.nz

Imagine taking one of the most picturesque spots in New Zealand and transforming it into virtual three day wonderland? A place that will awaken your senses through vivid colours, intelligent pyrotechnics, laser lighting and a world class fireworks display; A place that will stimulate your mind with art, visual effects, acrobatics and a touch of the weird and wonderful!

With acres of rolling sun-kissed hills laced with grapevines and views out to the stunning Gisborne coastline and Young Nicks Head, Waiohika Estate Vineyard will set the scene for the biggest New Year music festival in the country! This unique venue will be divided into 5 open air stages, bar and food areas, market stalls area and multiple chill out zones. Plus it features a series of custom made hammocks and a 25 metre long waterslide.

This year the Creative and Production Team behind Rhythm and Vines has grown even further to include more than 100 individuals who work on concepts and implementation for months to complete the three day event. The team is made up of some of New Zealand’s most talented creatives such as film and television art designers; theatre set designers, artists, graffiti artists, staging specialists, set builders, fire safety specialists, audio and lighting experts and many more.

The man who puts it all together is the Rhythm and Vines Creative and Production Director Alan Green. His role involves pulling all aspects of the venue and creative design together, and takes 10 months of the year to plan and prepare for the New Year event. And with a CV that includes many of New Zealand’s big events such as the early WOMAD festivals, Pacifica, Music in Parks , Dancing in the Streets and Splore, he’s no stranger to large scale production.

“Rhythm and Vines is one of the biggest calendar events for me. It’s an incredible opportunity for the entire creative team to work at such a huge scale on a world class level. The budget for the event production is even stronger this year so we’re able to really get our creative juices flowing and create something that will blow the minds of the party audience. You can expect a fully interactive, 360 degree experience that will take you to the limits of your imagination. We’re certainly pulling all out all the stops this year to create something really special!” says Green.

The venue will be made up of five stages, which include the Rhythm Stage (Main Stage) where all the serious action takes place - This is a wide sun-faced space lined with Willow trees, the center piece for all the headlining live acts. The Vines Stage will transform into the biggest dance music area, laid out in a natural amphitheatre on the northern slope of Waiohika Estate and considered the best view in the house! The Futureshock Stage brings you the hottest new music, from acoustic folk to nu-rave, indie rock to disco-punk, and is designed as an adult playground that really comes alive after dark! The Cellar Stage is set amongst the native trees and grasslands of Waiohika Estates in its very own forest. Heavy bass undertones will vibrate amongst the undergrowth as beatboxers, turntablists and MC’s do battle in the bush. A new addition this year sees a fifth and final “Jagermeister” sponsored stage, which will be a musical hub for singers and songwriters to get together in the sun for some relaxed jamming time.

Event Promoter Hamish Pinkham is excited about the venue plans for the three day event,
“We've pulled in some of the most experienced and creative teams from around the country to transform Rhythm and Vines into the most visually stimulating and fun filled event that you could imagine. It is a huge task to plan and implement the staging, lighting and creative elements that 'dress up' this world class venue. Each year we have built on the previous year, and for our new look festival we are really taking it up to a new level to exceed the expectations of our guests,” he says.

The intensity of the Rhythm and Vines experience is also heightened by the bevy of specialist performers from New Zealand and around the world. These include flying trapeze artists, circus performers and acrobats; a group known as Thaumatology Visual Associates (TVA), who produce mindboggling stage pyro-theatre; a performance troop called “Vivid” that use cutting edge technology and customised neon wire suit creations in a show stopping performance; a team of fire breathers and flame throwers; a massive aerial Van Tiel pyrotechnic show; interactive theatre performers; a huge mechanical fire sculpture wheel that spins around on stage in an amazing burst of flames, and a special stilted winged angel with fireworks cascading from its wings and shooting sky rockets into the night.

“The special performers at Rhythm and Vines add the final dimension to the event experience,” says Green.

“The planning and choreography involved between our performance, lighting and pyrotechnic teams is a big job and involves several rehearsals to get it right. The final result is multi layers of spectacular entertainment that really wows the crowd. The “Playground” or Spark Stage as we call it, is the special space next to the main stage where most of this action takes place,” he says.

A signature artistic trait at Rhythm and Vines has always been the huge sweeping flags that are colour grouped around the venue. Ex Gisborne resident Margot Trocchi from Flag Fiesta, designs a new set of flags each year which are used strategically to create mood and bring areas to life.

Alan Green and his production team will start setting up the venue as early as the middle of December and will work tirelessly for weeks to get everything just right for opening day on the 29th December!

The three day line up

29 December
Franz Ferdinand (UK), The Kooks(UK), Santogold (USA), Jamie Liddell (UK), Liam Finn, Ajax(AUS), The Mystery Jets(UK), Cut off Your Hands, Katchafire, South Rakkas Crew (USA), Aquasky (UK) Emerson Todd(AUS), The Ruby Suns, Anna Coddington, The Enright House, Lydia Cole. Jonny Love. Tim Richards, The Constituents, Brazil Beat Soundsystem plus more to come…

30 December
DJ Nu Mark (JURASSIC 5 / USA) / Cut Copy (AUS), The Phoenix Foundation, Anika Moa, The Datsuns, Ladi 6 (MC & DJ Set)Late of the Pier(UK), Ladyhawke, Recloose LIVE, Busy P & DJ Medhi (FRA), Fort Knox Five(USA) DJ Switch (UK), SJD Antiform LIVE & MC Twin Cam Die Die Die Little Bushman, An Emerald City, Batrider, DJ Audit(CAN) Cool Kids Club, The Naked and Famous, Soane, Olmecha Supreme, Module LIVE, The Coshercot Honeys, House of Shem, Blackbird, Over the Atlantic, The Secret Knives, Unity Pacific. DJ Lotion, Daniel Farley and loads more again…
31 December
Shihad, Carl Cox (UK), Digitalism LIVE (GER), The Black Seeds, Adam Freeland(UK), A-Trak (CAN), The Cribs(UK), Antix(LIVE) Dick "Magik" Johnson, Vinyl Slingers (AUS),
P Money So So Modern, Disco Not Disco(AUS), Honey Claws(USA), Sampology feat Tom Thum (AUS), Motocade, Disasteradio Bang! Bang! Eche, Trei, 38:40 DJ's Clap Clap Riot

ends

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