Mix of musical tastes for Nostalgia 2018
Psychedelic pop, 80s rock, soulful beats and modern jams from the country’s best artists will all be on show at one of Christchurch’s favourite festivals.
The 2018 Nostalgia Festival is fast approaching, and caught up with founder Johnny Gibson to discuss who will take the stage at Ferrymead Heritage Park on February 10, 2018.
Now in its fifth year, Gibson felt Nostalgia owed it to the audience to bring fresh sounds to the mix of generations that turn up for the day.
‘‘I think last year [the artists] – Liam Finn, Lawrence Arabia, Nadia Reid – were all for quite similar audiences, so this year I wanted to stay true to who our audience is,’’ Gibson said.
Dunedin 1980s rock band The Chills will ‘‘look after that generation’’, while Connan Mockasin will set the tone for the gathered hipsters.
‘‘Connan Mockasin is, in my opinion, one of New Zealand’s most underrated musicians,’’ Gibson said.
Mockasin last visited Christchurch in 2010, and Gibson hoped he would serve as a drawcard for the event.
‘‘He’s bound to come back with plenty of stories. Whether it’s touring with Radiohead and Charlotte Gainsbourg or living with Japan’s first ever Playboy Playmate – he’s full of great yarns.
‘‘He’s not the most well known artist, so having a known act like The Chills, they compliment each other really well.’’
Wellington artists Estere and The Glass Vaults will also play sets. Estere is known for her smooth vocals and looping beats, while The Glass Vaults’ brand of tight pop tunes will have people swaying in unison.
Lisa Tomlins and the Presidents of Funk will round out the day’s musical offerings, bringing a big band feel and turning the grassy area of the heritage town into a dance floor.
‘‘There was temptation to look at a traditional New Zealand festival band, and think, shall we go a little bit more mainstream, but our point of difference is that we don’t do that and we never have,’’ Gibson said.
‘‘We’ve had a lot of reports of people who didn’t know the bands and ended up loving them and having a great time, so I think it’s Nostalgia’s responsibility to programme a great day of music.’’
Five years in, Gibson said festival-goers came to the festival for the mix of food, music, and exploration, which meant ‘‘we can get away with [the music] being a little bit unknown, more so than another event’’.
A secondary RDU Stage and grass area would allow for overflow from the main stage, which Gibson said became crowded in 2017.
‘‘That second stage is going to have some real old DJs like Pylonz and Simon Kong spinning the records, and some local emerging artists that are really exciting to watch.’’
Regular food attendants like Grizzly Bagels, Cakes By Anna and Bearlion will have stalls, as well as festival-newcomer Smokey T’s, serving up American-style BBQ.
‘‘We’ve had a lot of reports of people who didn’t know the bands and ended up loving them and having a great time . . .’’ Nostalgia Festival founder Johnny Gibson