07 August 2011 - 0 Comments

With a line-up that organisers believe “reflects the spirit, bravery and chutzpah of the village itself”, Lake Wanaka SouNZ Incorporated has announced the artists performing at next year’s Waitangi Weekend Rippon Festival.
 
Featuring Kora, The Datsuns, TrinityRoots, Katchafire, Street Chant, Distasteradio, AHoriBuzz, The Yoots, Orchestra of Spheres, Sunshine Sound System and Lord Echo, Rippon Festival founder and director Lynne Christie describes the bill as “jaw-droppingly splendid”.
 
With only ten slots available at the biennial festival, organisers have been inundated with artists keen to perform, and have made an effort to showcase a diverse selection of Kiwi music. Covering everything from calypso, afro-disco, reggae, soul and rock, to genres that as yet have no name, Christie believes the audience will be unfazed by the fact that there are plenty of new bands on the bill. “The people who come to the event are a pretty open-minded bunch - they need to be with some of the insanity they’ll be witnessing.”
 
Local Wanaka band Colour Classic have also won a coveted slot at the 2012 event, after their success at the Smokefree Rockquest Regional Finals last month. The Year 13  students have taken out first place for three consecutive years, and are looking forward to the opportunity to showcase their high-energy synth-rock originals.
 
Festival-goers will notice marked changes in the landscape of the venue with the arrival of the rammed earth Rippon Hall, which will be open to 100 members of the public. Event Manager, Lisa Simmers advises “the GoldMember ticket option offers a more sophisticated festival experience for those who prefer a tiled bathroom to a portaloo, along with access to the indoor bar and café.”
 
The biennial event, scheduled for Saturday 4th February next year at Rippon Vineyard, Lake Wanaka is now into its fourteenth year and has been recognised as the nation’s longest-running festival of its kind, solely promoting the music of Kiwi artists.
 
The not-for-profit Lake Wanaka SouNZ Incorporated has donated over $50 000 over the past ten years to such causes as the Red Cross Canterbury Earthquake Appeal, Wanaka Wastebusters, Infinity Skate Park, Pembroke Park, Ruby Island, and local schools.
     
With the last festival selling out more than three months in advance, organisers are also expecting tickets for the Rippon 2012 event to move quickly. Tickets go on sale next month through Ticketek and Pembroke Wines (Wanaka).
 
The festival’s website can be accessed for further information at http://www.ripponfestival.co.nz/

Thanks to www.ripponfestival.co.nz for this story.

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