SOUTHERN AMP 2008THE SOUTH ISLAND’S BIGGEST MUSIC FESTIVAL RAMPS UP!

Southern Amp shifts up a gear for 2008… The third staging of the South Island’s biggest music festival takes place on Sunday 9^th November at Westpac Arena Festival Park in Christchurch from 12.30pm. Southern Amp is bringing in more international acts than ever before and each of the 3 stages this year will be completely UNDERCOVER making the event a ‘weather-free’ festival with a strictly limited capacity!

The festival site is being specially designed and will be built around the existing Westpac Arena to comprise 3 fully-covered live music stages, more great thrill rides, a separate buskers’ stage, market stalls, loads of other stuff to do and plenty of bars & food outlets. Southern Amp 2008 is R15 restricted and will be held once again at the start of NZ Cup & Show Week, the busiest week on the Canterbury calendar.

The Main Stage will be inside the Westpac Arena with a mix of International, Australian & NZ rock acts; the Ministry Of Sound Stage will be in a huge mega-marquee outside the Arena featuring the best of Australasia’s current dance talent and a third NZ Music Stage in a big top circus tent will be presenting some of NZ & Christchurch’s best live bands.

SOUTHERN AMP REVIEWS

Forget Cup & Show week - this is the real reason to come to Chch in early November. Four stages were laid out in the Westpac Arena @ Addington, Chch - The main Rock FM stage was inside the stadium itself (at first I had my doubts, both of temperature and sound - both quickly dispelled), the Ministry of Sound Dance Tent in a translucent tent outside - bizarre feeling trancing out in the light, the Edge FM NZ Music Stage over the back by the raceway itself, and finally the local Chch music stage, also out the back. There was a real carnivalesque atmosphere, with a couple of carnival rides (unfortuntely you had to pay for these - we believe prevented punters using them) and giveaways (thanks Vodafone for my cool new hat - and baby's new blowup geetar!).

All stages had ready access to R18 drinking areas - bracelets at the door - excellent idea. There was no spillover sound-wise from each stage to another, no lines (except for the ladies toilet - of course), easy access to everything including food and drink - all aspects of the layout and flow were really well planned and worked well. Choice atmosphere and good tunes. What more can you ask for?

Highlights for both me and Wifey were mostly found in the Edge NZ Music Stage - every time we wandered over there was always someone mind-blowingly cool cranking out some tunes. Midnight Youth and Tainted were especially memorable. Tainted were much better live - and that's saying something! Both bands are not to be missed - see 'em whenever you can. Midnight Youth are in the final stages of a new album - so keep your ears peeled.

Living End on the Rock FM main stage was the act I wanted most to see, they were outstanding, although Wifey and myself felt there was a little too much instrumental solo action going down. Others we enjoyed on the main stage included Audio Empire (good radio), Goodnight Nurse (hilarious remaster of "Milkshake"), Gyroscope (took some time to get going, but 1984 & Snakeskin went off), and of course crowd-fave Seether who rounded off a rather epic day on the main stage nicely, moving through acoustic & heavy feedback metal riffs and everywhere in between.

On our wanders we cruised over to the Ministy of Sound Stage so Wifey could have a dance, suffice to say we are rather sore today. Artists we saw that got us grooving were Pitch Black, State of Mind, Concord Dawn and of course Tiki - who cranked a 30 minute acoustic set jammed packed full of enthusiastic crowd participation - followed by an hour long dub set. Just as epic as you can imagine - if you were there you know what we mean, if not, you missed out on something special.

All in all, a rather splendid day, the weather was none too flash, but no-one got sunburnt and it didn't rain, so go Chrischurch! The crowd of mostly young peeps was really well-behaved, there was no obscene drunks (that we saw anyway), very few drugs, and a real mellow atmos - bring on Southern Amp 09!

We're off to book flights for next year - it'll always be on our minds.

- CEO & Mrs Mong

With an impressive line-up consisting of The Living End, The Dandy Warhols, The Charlatans and my new NZ favourites, Clap Clap Riot there was no way I was missing out on heading down to Christchurch for Southern Amp 08. Having never been to one of their festivals, I was pleasantly surprised to turn up to a free can of black V – my favourite kind, along with an extremely small queue. So tiny in fact, that we didn’t even need to wait to get in.

First act on my list was the electro rockers, Exiles. I saw them at Big Day Out at the beginning of the year, and was so impressed that I couldn’t pass up the chance to see them bounce around the stage again. Even though it’s been nearly a whole year, it was exciting to recognize their non-radio songs from their set on the local produce stage at BDO. The kids performed the two songs which have been blasted on local radio stations around the country, Circles and The One along with a heap of others which will apparently be gracing a new album due to be released soon. Star of the show was keyboardist, Jessica Hindon who jumped around happily without a care in the world tossing her head from side to side with a delighted grin across her face.

Hopping across to the main stage where we found Goodnight Nurse was no hard task – another welcomed treat of the event. Not so welcome was the way that the bands bass player Rowan Crow threw himself around the stage like an idiot with ADD. I’ve seen it before, but decided not to take too much notice…but really, I think once is enough. Gets a little tiring, buddy. I got annoyed. We left.

Next on the cards on the main stage was Autozamm who I’ve enjoyed more than once in the past, so I was looking forward to a lively set outta’ these guys again. Playing all the hits off their album, Drama Queen like Disco, Killer Shoes, and Closer to Home, the lads worked the crowd with their magic. My favourite will probably always be Ways To Run…it’s always performed so precisely and delicately that it chokes me up every time. Beautiful. But, as the title of this write-up suggests, it’s always the little things that do it...like bassist Ollie Gordon getting in his ten cents worth and eventually having the mic turned away from him by front-man of the group, Nick Major. Yup. Good solid entertainment from the Auckland indie-rock lads.

Then we have the viciously erratic Clap Clap Riot boys who hail from the garden city…who would have thought? I saw them a week before in Hamilton, so I knew we were in for a treat with these fellas. Sliding around the stage from the get-go, the guys put on yet another energetic set for the growing crowd in front of them. Guitarist, Dave Rowlands sweetly wished his mum a quick happy birthday before they got into one of my new favourites, Mama with singer of the group, Stephen Heard wowing me yet again with his impressive vocals.

Heading back to the indoor main stage we were welcomed by the delightful Jordan Luck band. I think it’s pretty safe to say I’m not alone in love with this guy! He’s always so happy to see his fans and you can truly tell how much he enjoys performing no matter what the size of the audience. Turns out, this was probably one of the most popular acts at Southern Amp – the crowd was massive! Singing all the favourites, Sink like a Stone, Tracey, and Why Does Love Do this to Me?, just to name a few, he charmed everyone with his flowing charisma and slight insanity. Going on about The Silver Ferns and how wonderful they were was a little confusing, but was very quickly made up for when the band busted into another old favourite, Erotic. Staring at the crowd with his sexy eyes made me wonder if the guy even knows how old he is? I guess when you’re Jordan Luck, you can get away with almost anything…

Staying inside for Gyroscope was an alright idea, I spose. Sadly they didn’t impress me as much as I thought they would and I found myself paying more attention to the drummer than actually listening to their music. He was special, I can tell you that much, bashing the drums so hard that it looked as though he would roll off the stage on his platform at any minute. Probably the most entertaining part of their set was when I looked up at front-man Daniel Sanders to catch him first spraying beer out of his mouth onto the crowd in front of him, and then blowing his nose onto the stage. WTF?!

It was UK lads, The Charlatans turn to grace the main stage and man alive, I’m so so glad I was told to see them. Being their first gig on NZ shores, it was awesome to see that they had more of a following over here than I imagined they would. From the moment lead singer, Tim Burgess made his way onto the stage; I couldn’t take my eyes off him. It was like some kind of force drawing me in, every minute growing stronger. First it was the amazing head of hair which looked a lot like a wig until he began tugging at it and convinced me otherwise. Then it was the way he drifted around the stage in his kind of scary looking long black coat pointing and waving at people in the crowd as he sung. Careful not to leave anyone out, he then glided over to our side and began smiling and sprinkling us with what I reckon was imaginary fairy dust. I felt loved. I hope they did too. I want to see them back here.

Keeping my spot at the front, I stayed to see a rather delayed Dandy Warhols set that lacked the excitement I anticipated from such a well-known band as theirs. I think the best part for me was watching Zia McCabe when she came out clutching her little handbag, waving to the crowd who instantly loved her. Shaking the maracas the whole way through their first song was enough to keep my eyes on her for most of the set. Going through their songs with little enthusiasm or crowd participation made these guys kinda’ boring, and I hate to say it, but I was happy when it came to an end.

For me, and I think a lot of others, it was always The Living End, so when they came on stage there was no surprise when everyone went nuts. They always put on an awesome show, and Southern Amp was no different. Pulling out all the favourites, like West End Riot, All Torn Down, What’s on your Radio and newbie to our shores, Moment in the Sun, they whipped the crowd into a mad frenzy. One dude dressed in a Santa Bear suit decided half way through the set to crowd-surf which lasted maybe twenty seconds before he was thrown to the ground. It was awesome. Because I wasn’t involved. Clearly loving the crowd participation the long-time Aussie rockers performed to it, taking in the energy and throwing it back out. Bassist Scott Owen did all his tricks we love with his massive double bass that the band are so well known for while Chris Cheney blasted out tunes on form as always.

All in all, I had a wicked day out, and for a first trip down to Christchurch, I reckon it was pretty good…might even come down to Southern Amp again next year. If I do, there’s no way I’m walking through the Bronx to get back to the hotel in town like we did this time. My little office feet were tired for days after that and my hearts only just stopped racing from the thought we might get mugged. Hah.

- Amanda Ratcliffe

SITE MAP & STAGE SCHEDULES NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

The latest Southern Amp 08 news from the Southern Amp team

Post-Amp - The official Southern Amp After Party will be in Sol Square this year from 11pm onwards, straight after the big gig. Yellow Cross and Fat Eddies will be staying open with drinks specials until 3am for that post-amp party experience where you might even bump into a few of the Southern Amp artists there.

Vodafone mobile recycling - there will be a special fast-track entry lane at the main entrance for fans who bring along old mobile phones to recycle with various spot prizes to be won on the day! FreeTxt 'AMP' to 787 and more details will be revealed in the week leading up to the event. Do your stuff for the environment, all phones collected are donated to Enable Community who refurbish reusable handsets and give them to entreprenuers in developing countries creating the best environmental outcome. Any phones that can't be refurnished will be sent to specialist recyclers who manage the dismantling process according to international best practices. Vodafone NZ has a target to collect 100,000 handsets for reuse and recycling this year so let's try and get 1000 from Southern Amp 08... Bring your old or junk phones and get a chance to win something cool!

Rides - on the site map there are three great rides. Firstly we welcome High Jump, NZ's only Vertical Bungy Rocket to Southern Amp for the first time... hurtling riders 20 metres into the air at speeds of 3G's its an absolute BUZZ... We also welcome back the head-spinning/stomach churning Round Up and the inverting/swinging/screaming Kamikaze... Seasoned Amp attendees from previous years will remember both these rides with varying degrees of fondness, or not...!! Get amongst the thrill rides at Southern Amp 08 to pump that adrenaline through your veins!

Tickets - folks, they are selling... we'll say it again but don't miss out! Only 1900 GA standing tickets are still available for the Main Arena and as each stage has a limited capacity with entrance on a first come first served basis to make sure you get down into the Mosh-pit get online or get down to Ticketek (check TICKETS page at www.southernamp.co.nz for all locations) or visit the i-SITE Visitor Centre in Cathedral Square NOW! Real Groovy should hopefully be back on sale with Southern Amp tickets after the long weekend, if you've read the news you'll understand... We'll let you know!

Speight's Summit VERY Limited offer - Until the end of October, specific South Island liquor retail outlets have a special promotion currently running on Southern Amp tickets. A very limited amount of redeemable vouchers are on offer that give you a 3rd Southern Amp ticket FREE with the purchase of two General Admission tickets. To qualify you need to buy 2 x 12 packs of Speight's Summit Beer to get your voucher. Terms & conditions apply, look out for the Speight's Summit & Southern Amp posters instore or ask at the retail store counter to confirm they are one of the participating outlets. There are also Southern Amp give-aways happening through most popular Speight's bars in Christchurch. Good luck and don't mess with nature!

Other cool competitions - Check out the 'Music, Mares & Moshpits' promotion for NZ Cup & Show Week on 91ZM Canterbury next week. The chance to win the ultimate weekend out at Riccarton Races & Southern Amp.

'That Guy' - Leigh Hart talking up the Amp - Every great live stage needs and totally wild and crazy MC and Leigh Hart is That Guy at Southern Amp! Born in Greymouth, raised in the Andes of Peru, crafted at boarding school in Christchurch and a seasoned band member himself, Leigh made his TV debut on TV2’s Sports Café as roaming reporter ‘That Guy’. After covering 2 Olympic Games and a Rugby World Cup he moved onto produce his own Comedy show “Moon TV” and is now the face of Heller’s TV ads as well as playing in the Sports Café studio band. He’s back from travelling the world again to film a new series of Moon TV but jets into Christchurch for Southern Amp 08.

DIRT – aka The Rhymestone Cowboy rides into Southern Amp - From back country to backstage in true Southern style, Ashburton Bachelor of the Year and fifth generation high country shepherd Daniel Urquhart is also a rapper called ‘DIRT’ – no ordinary rapper though, kind of like a cross between The Man From Snowy River and Eminem! Beamed into countless thousands of homes through TVNZ’s 20/20 program recently, Daniel practices his unique urban sound, atop his trusty steed to a flock of between 1 and 1000 ‘sheep’ but he's about to take his talents to the mass public for the very first time on the Christchurch Music Stage as Southern Amp gives Dirt his first major break. "My homies are my dogs"- Dirt must be the only rapper in the world that can actually mean that literally! Something not to be missed… Google “Rhymestone Cowboy 20/20” and see for yourself. 

Loads more info coming over the next 2 weeks but as we get closer to the event the BEST way to get quick info quickly will be through the Vodafone TxtAlerts so if you haven't done it FreeTxt AMP to 787 on your Vodafone mobile and you'll get updates direct to your phone for FREE...

The SAmp08 Team

MySpace and The Rock search for band to open Southern Amp 08!

The winning band will win the chance to be the opening live band on The Rock main stage at Southern Amp in Christchurch on November 9^th!

Congratulations to Audio Empire who have won this competition!

Full Details.

FINAL LINE-UP HAS NOW BEEN ANNOUNCED

The full and final line-up for Southern Amp 2008 is now confirmed. The South Island’s biggest music festival, taking place on Sunday 9^th November at Westpac Arena Festival Park in Christchurch from midday, now comprises FOUR live music stages with loads more international acts than before as well as a solid line-up of Australian, NZ and local Christchurch artists. Each live stage at Southern Amp 2008 will be completely UNDERCOVER with the event having a strictly limited capacity of just 9000 live music fans! Earlybird tickets SOLD OUT in just 2 weeks and demand is stronger than ever before. Promoters advise that all remaining tickets are expected to sell out well in advance of the concert date so fans should purchase tickets as soon as they can to avoid missing out.

SOUTHERN AMP 2008 LINE-UPFirst Announcement

It has been more than 10 years since The Living End released their breakout double-A sided single “Second Solution”/“Prisoner of Society” – with many hit songs, gold & platinum albums, sold-out shows, festival headlining appearances, world tours and thousands of satisfied punters in between. The Melbourne trio’s 5th studio album “White Noise” is released 19^th July and is kicked off with the powerhouse new single “How Do We Know”. As a live act, the band’s reputation around the world is unquestioned – on a great night there is barely a band on the planet that can touch them! The band returns to NZ for their 2nd appearance at Southern Amp 2008. We are STOKED to have them back!

The Dandy Warhols need little introduction but pose, if not an actual threat, then at least a series of pressing questions; Where do they come from? What drives them? And perhaps most of all, what do they want with us…? Returning to NZ for their first live appearance since Big Day Out 2004 equipped with a brand new album “Earth To The Dandy Warhols” on their own brand new record label might help answer some of those questions for the band from Portland, Oregon who have given us a swag of psych-pop hits over the last decade-plus. One of the few bands in the music business whose name constantly means ‘quality’ and ‘unpredictability’, with no questions asked!

Do you believe in fate? The Potbelleez certainly do! From being a couple of Irish tourists landing in Sydney, Australia in 2001/2 with not much more than a record bag to their name, Dave Goode and Jonny Sonic have become the hottest property in the Australian dance scene. If recent form is anything to go by, with “Don’t Hold Back” being the biggest dance hit of the year on both sides of the Tasman, all sorts of awards and being snapped up by Ministry Of Sound to mix the recent “Sessions” CD, the sky now seems the limit! With their full 4-piece live set up seen for the first time in NZ, The Potbelleez will close out the Ministry of Sound Stage at Southern Amp 2008.

Artist, Producer, Engineer Tiki spent the previous twelve years playing to the world as front man for one of NZ’s most successful live exports, Salmonella Dub. Doubling as an audio engineer for some of the country’s finest acts as well, including Shapeshifter, Tiki’s unique gift for taking music into an innovative new realm has finally and totally deservedly resulted in a highly successful solo album “Past Present Future” in 2008 and a #1 single with “Always On My Mind”. Southern Amp pays much respect to Tiki’s achievements this year and looks forward to his captivating Acoustic/MC/DJ set on the Ministry of Sound stage.

Gyroscope have nailed it on their third album, “Breed Obsession” with the four best friends from Perth Australia pushing far beyond the infectious and intelligent pop-rock of their breakthrough 2006 album “Are You Involved?” From the standout piano-driven first single ‘Snakeskin’, to the intricate electronica-tinged ‘1981’ and personal, anthemic ‘Australia’, the band’s 3^rd album’s beauty is in its subtlety and complexity. Gyroscope are making strong waves on Kiwi radio and make their first NZ festival appearance at Southern Amp 2008.

The Jordan Luck Band, featuring front man and pop-writing genius of one of NZ’s iconic and legendary bands The Exponents, has clocked up a staggering 18 Top 40 singles over the years, with “Victoria” recently being voted by the public as one of the top 10 greatest NZ songs of all time. Today you’ll hear 20,000 rugby fans singing in unison to “Why Does Love Do This To Me?” ‘Legend’ is a word suffering from unwarranted overuse syndrome these days, but its original intention is 100% intact when describing the affection the Kiwi public has for Jordan’s songs.

Goodwill is not only one of Sydney’s finest DJ’s over the last 10 years, but also one of Australia’s! In recent years his production credits, including ‘Happenis’, ‘Go Away Baby’ & ‘Outta Control’, have made him Ministry Of Sound’s highest selling Australian artist and a producer in demand, resulting in him mixing the recent MOS “Sessions Five” CD with The Potbelleez. Goodwill returns to Southern Amp for the 2^nd year running this year and is a DJ well worth checking out!

Autozamm are carving out quite a niche as one of this country’s fine live acts having supported Powderfinger, Shihad, Silverchair and The Black Crowes recently. The release of their 2^nd album “Drama Queen” in March has seen them return to the live stage with a new sense of high energy and their latest single ‘Closer To Home’ is fast becoming a major hit on NZ radio.

Concord Dawn have been making major waves in the world of electronic music for many years, dubbed the “NZ pioneers of Drum & Bass” and have released their distinctive sound on some of the world’s most distinctive dance labels and earned a fearsome reputation for their live performances from extensive touring around the world. They return to the Ministry of Sound Stage this year.

With a couple albums and plenty of gigs, Little Bushman give the feeling they’ve finally got a foot in the door. After some excellent NZ festival appearances over summer and a recent concert with the 40-piece Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra, Australia beckons later in the year.

Dimmer featuring the enigmatic Shayne Carter rose from the ashes of Straitjacket Fits some time last century... their first album "I Believe You Are A Star" was released in 2001 on Flying Nun which the NZ Herald made their album of the year. With a brand new album currently being recorded, Dimmer will play their only South Island show this year at Southern Amp.

Die! Die! Die! are worthy of their Russ Meyer–like name… Hailing from Dunedin and having toured the world over, this sickeningly tight power-trio have little patience for pop concessions! Abrasive and bare-bones, the band makes a lot out of a little… the result is mind-numbingly satisfying!

Hailing from Wellington, Fur Patrol are now two thirds Melbourne residents and one third back in Wellington again! With two albums, one producing a huge NZ #1 single, and two EPs to date in Australasia since forming in 1996, the new album, “Local Kid”, is due for release later this year.

Its been a major year for Goodnight Nurse, their hit single ‘The Night’ was played non-stop on radio and their 2nd studio album “Keep Me On Your Side” debuted at #5 – They’ve won MTV Video Awards and their MySpace profile is the most prolific in NZ, with over 2 million song plays to date!

The success of State of Mind a drum and bass duo, both abroad and in NZ has been recognised over the last few years, where they have achieved a host nominations and were awarded the 2006 BNet Breakthrough Artist of the Year and Single of the Year for ‘Aces High’ with Concord Dawn.

The Valves are one of the South’s success stories of the last year. A huge live resume now boasts support slots to Bon Jovi, Ozzy Osbourne and Whitesnake plus literally loads of their own gigs. This tight kick-ass rock band deserves their slot on any major festival and we’re glad to have them back.

Pitch Black have pumped their way through NZ’s electronic music scene since their inaugural performance at the Gathering New Year's eve festival in 1997 and have spent the last 10 years rousing dance floor punters, generating rave reviews and gaining fans across the world.

The Exiles seeminglycame from nowhere when their debut single ‘The One’ became the first independent NZ track to reach Top 30 on radio play and digital sales alone. Their Big Day Out appearance this year caught attention of The Herald who judged them the band with “Best Attitude”.

Second Announcement

What Seether have done since 2002 – when they released their US debut “Disclaimer” – is capture the attention of music fans across the globe with epic riffs and thunderous rhythms. The reworked “Disclaimer II” went platinum in USA when a new rendition of the ballad “Broken” became a Top 20 US chart hit. Seether’s success carried forward with 2005’s “Karma and Effect”, which debuted on the Billboard Album Charts at #8 containing the huge hit “Remedy”. After a stint in rehab, Shaun Morgan, front man/guitarist and principal songwriter’s new outlook on life and music has resulted in this year’s excellent “Finding Beauty In Negative Spaces”, easily the South African-bred, LA-based hard rock band’s most innovative studio album yet. “Fake It” – the radio smash that launched the disc has been a huge hit in NZ followed by the equally anthemic “Rise Above This”. Their headline slot at Southern Amp will be the band’s FIRST EVER (and long overdue…) concert appearance in NZ.

The Aston Shuffle hailing from Australia’s capital Canberra, are a little electro, a little techno, but all house. In 2005 after being friends and associated production whores Vance Musgrove & Ross McGrath started their digital label project as a group effort to get their unreleased tunes out to the masses. Now under the influence of Ministry of Sound they are skyrocketing and heavily in demand for their white hot remixes… When the swing on their tunes hits the Ministry of Sound Stage at Southern Amp NZ dance fans will be very pleasantly surprised how hard it will be to keep their bodies from going retarded.

Midnight Youth, a five-piece Auckland band fresh from recording their debut album in New York have opened for the likes of Incubus, INXS and OK GO over the past two years. With 3 top 40 NZ radio tracks under their belts, a major record deal on the cards and strong support on music TV, this young band are a live act worth watching out for on the NZ Music Stage at Southern Amp.

Tainted make no bones about being one of NZ’s best live metal bands. The hard working Christchurch band’s long-awaited debut album “Carved and Created” will be finally be released in October and is expected to be one of the biggest NZ metal releases for quite a few years. Tainted will once again unleash their talent at Southern Amp on the NZ Music Stage this year.

More announcements on the NZ Music Stage will follow in the next few weeks.

Weta Return To Fill The Void

Filling the gap left by Testament will be Wellington rock band WETA. Formed in 1995 the band built a huge following as the fiercest live act in the country securing support slots with Shihad, Regurgitator, Everclear, The Foo Fighters & Soundgarden. After moving to Melbourne and scoring platinum sales of their debut album "Geographica", various dysfunctional fist fights and all sorts of other rock & roll 'issues', caused the band to split up in 2001. Now reconvened and raring to go, the band set out on their first NZ dates in 7 years including a main stage appearance at Southern Amp 08!

~ Southern Amp 2008 - It’s gonna be a huge day, we’ll see you there. ~

For more details sign up to the newsletter alert database at http://www.southernamp.co.nz/ or FREETXT ‘AMP’ to 787 on your Vodafone mobile for updates.

TICKETS AND OTHER INFO

Tickets are on sale through Ticketek, Real Groovy* and Play It Again Records (Invercargill, Wanaka and Queenstown), i-Site Visitor Centre (Cathedral Square) and Cosmic Corner (High Street). Tickets include a Premium Reserve Seating option in the main Westpac Arena closest to the stage allowing those fans to keep the same seat all day, wander around the festival site and other stages outside the Arena and return to see the acts they want at their leisure and in comfort, with access to Premier bar facilities close by.

The festival site will be built around the outside of the Westpac Arena with thrill rides, market stalls and plenty of bars, beverage & food outlets. Southern Amp 2008 will once again be held at the start of NZ Cup & Show Week, the busiest carnival week on the Canterbury calendar.

Southern Amp 2008 is R15 restricted. We care for our environment. Be Green, Be Clean, Be Safe!

* Southern Amp tickets are now available again from Real Groovy (Tuam Street) after the buyout of the Christchurch Real Groovy store by its previous management. Support a seriously great life-saving venture for the best record shop in Christchurch and grab your Southern Amp tickets from Real Groovy now!

Website Links:

Southern Amp Official Website
Southern Amp Official MySpace Page
Muzic.net.nz Southern Amp Forum
Muzic.net.nz Southern Amp Gig Listing

Christchurch Music Industry Trust
RDU 98.5 FM
The Edge
The Rock
Ministry of Sound