The World - One Chicken at a Time

Wellington - NZ Beerfest February 28th 2009

The Lowdown

www.beerfestival.co.nz
Waitangi Park 12:00 PM till 9:00 PM
$25- Per ticket
Drinks $5/glass

Team FireChief Reporting for Duty

Team FireChief are ready: Me, Finchy, Fish, Vee and Chris are primed and ready for a fantastic day trying some new beers and hanging out together. We're decked out in garish Island shirts and wearing plastic kids-sized firemans helmets – we are definitely here for a good time.

We front up to the gate and barely have to wait before having our bags checked (oddly, Vee gets her water bottle confiscated and then returned to her) and then tickets checked and vouchers for free Monteiths beer are issued. This is a good sign, there are wall to wall staff ready to get people in the gate with as little fuss and delay as possible - good work!

So Many Beers -  Bring 'Em On!

Bennetts Fine Beers and Ales

We are encouraged by the founder, Maurice Bennett, who almost takes us hostage as we walk past the Bennetts stand. He is extremely passionate about his beers.
Maurice gives us a full run down on the beers, along with recommendations. It sounds like we can't go wrong, so my first beer of the day is a Bennetts Wellington Lager. It is an excellent drop, light, crisp, tasty and an excellent start to what promises to be a legendary day.

Tuatara Brewery

Our next stop is the Tuatara Brewery stand. Vee and Chris are keen advocates of Tuatara beers – Vee the Ardennes, a Belgian style beer and Chris the Hefe, a cloudy wheat beer. Both are nice, but I love zesty Belgian beers, so I go for the excellent Ardennes.
I'm getting pretty hungry; pouring back beers on an empty stomach isn’t a recipe for longevity, so I make a note to find lunch. Soon.

Smoking Room

There is a large marquee, with comfy seats etc in the middle of the central grass area, handy for comfortable shelter from the rain today and much appreciated as by the punters packing it out. It is actually the one of two marquees housing tiny cigarette stands. The stands are small and unobtrusive, only noticeable because the young ladies staffing them are dressed in bright red outfits.

Baltika

Fish has already had a Baltika and is keen for us to give them a try. Baltika is a Russian brewery and they have an impressive array of beers to try. We mosey over to the Baltika stand, admire the pretty Baltika girls on duty and order our beers. I go for the Porter; what a brilliant beer! I have never heard of Baltika, but they certainly brew good beer. Note to self – visit Russia some time, bring a maddening thirst!

Harrington's Brewery

Harrington's Brewery are next on the list for us. Ahhh, what memories - we've all stumbled from Harrington's in Christchurch in our dim and distant past(s), so their beers are a real trip down memory lane – especially their Ngahere Gold! The boys go for the Ngahere, but I'm getting a taste for Porters after Baltika, so I put my hand up for a Wobby Boot porter. I am not disappointed, it's a particularly tasty beer – a pleasure to enjoy - again, Harrington's deliver the goods!

Lunch – At Last!

I am so hungry, I have to get food. It's a dilemma – curry that will probably be mild or ribs. Ribs. Ribs. Curry. Ribs it is! Hell Pizza deliver the goods for the ribs, sticky, messy and deliciously fitting for a day drinking beer.  They don't last long and look as if a school of piranhas have been by after I've finished. Right, the next beer has to be from Croucher Brewing Co – we've walked past their stand and talked to the girls there a couple of times and their beer has got to be worth a shot.

Croucher Brewing Co.

We front up at Croucher Brewing, keep talking to the lovely girls and order a couple of beers, I go for their pilsner – I need some refreshing after the sticky ribs. The pilsner does the trick all right. We are starting to get some attention, due to the colourful shirts and firemans helmets. One poor girl asks us if we're really firemen. Of course we lie – this is a beerfest after all.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

The rain is just getting heavier, the beer is helping but it isn’t hiding the fact that everyone is standing in ankle deep water in their chosen marquees – apart from those swimmers crossing from one side to the other in search of more fine beer.
Funnily enough, as the water and mud levels rise, the blood alcohol levels rise in proportion and everyone actually gets friendlier! Apart from being near Fish and Finchy, I haven't seen any sign of trouble – we are all here having a hell of a good time with like-minded souls. Absolutely awesome! We join the crazies and cross over to the wet side.

Jagermeister - The Decline Begins

We hang out in the Jagermeister tent for a long time, long enough for something like four Jagermeister-RedBulls each. There is a steady procession of pretty ladies trying Jager and trying to throw hoops onto deer antlers to win a prize. Bless 'em. This is where for us we crank the fun up a notch – the booze is starting to have an effect now. Everybody is having a great day, despite the weather.

The Music

The rain eases off for a bit so we venture out for some fresh air and to watch a couple of the bands play. I have no idea who the first few bands are, the only one that stood out was Charlie ASH – they're pretty good and have a unique sound.

We are all standing in puddles and or mud, watching the band and the "dancers". In some circles they would be called dancers – not in this case! The swampy ground makes conventional dancing impossible, these guys and girls are swamp-moshing (a brand new phrase – you'll hearing it more often now!); a combination of dancing, diving, splashing, flopping, sliding, recovering and avoiding being tackled and thrown into the morass.

We haven't drunk enough to consider the swamp-moshing fun yet. Maybe we haven’t been drinking enough! Time for Team FireChief to get a few refills!

The Antics – It wasn't Us!

While strolling casually past the Tuatara stand, we notice a keg has been carelessly left outside the marquee – right in the walkway in front. Fish tries to lift it for a photo opportunity – Crikey – it's full!

He and a bystander (with a combination of determination, desperation and absolutely no coordination)  manage to push the ball valve in and fill a glass or two with Tuatara's fine pilsner.

Next thing a surprisingly angry bloke with a big chip on his shoulder comes out from behind the counter and starts squealing and pointing at Fish, threatening all sorts of dire consequences for interfering with their keg.

He's a loud-mouth and is treated with all the respect that Fish several dozen bystanders can muster. None. I hope he isn’t in Tuatara's PR department! They make fantastic beer, but this guy is in the wrong party.

The Long Cool Finish – Carlsberg

We retire to the Jagermeister tent for one last Jager-Redbull before wading across the pond that was grass earlier in the day, and park ourselves at the Carlsberg stand. It's dry, though flooded and friendly. I have no idea how many Carlsbergs we drink, several, but it is just easier than wading and braving the ongoing downpour to go anywhere else. We stay at the Carlsberg tent until the end of the beerfest at around 9 PM. As they close the bar staff throw me a small tent! Yay! A freebie! Thanks Carlsberg!

What Planet Are They On?

I head out to the portaloos and on the way back, with Fish, I take a picture of one of the smokers tents.The woman running the tent – working for one of the major cigarette companies, starts shouting.

Hey, I've been drinking all day, who cares? I keep walking/stumbling, getting about 200 metres away before being asked to return to the smokers tent by a confused security guard – he has no idea what the fuss is about either, he is a nice guy doing his job.
The smokers' tent attendant starts shouting and ranting at me. Little does she know, I've been married before and her mind tricks are powerless against me. My resistance is further enhanced by me also having a belly full of beer. Even the security guy is rolling his eyes.

Apparently in New Zealand, much like in Khmer Rouge era Cambodia, it is a serious breach of copyright to take photos of cigarette stands in a public event. Goodness me.

I let her go on for a while then delete the photo in front of her. I feel pity for her poor partner - assuming she has one; he's probably handcuffed in a cellar somewhere, praying for a quick death.

The Aftermath

We manage one final beer at the Carlsberg tent and head out onto the streets. As I mentioned earlier, there seems to be no trouble happening anywhere, that must be some record for any event in Wellington!

We finish our night with a couple of rounds of extra drinks around the pubs and a traditional post-boozing-kebab on Courtnay Place.

The Wrap-up in the Sober Light of Day

I will definitely be returning to the NZ Beer Festival in 2010. The event was well-run, reasonably affordable, the facilities were amazing. When I say facilities, I mean toilets; there were so many toilets that there was never a queue! I have never been to any event where you didn't have to queue for the toilets! Sure they were portaloos but they were clean and available.

The sheer variety and number of beers available was astounding! What a fantastic selection to try and enjoy. My favourites were: Baltik, Harringtons, Carlsberg and Croucher. That may sound judgmental, but to be honest, I enjoyed every beer that I tried.

The staff throughout were generally very good with the couple of exceptions, I experienced above and I heard a few grizzles about heavy handed female security staff, but I they were the exception, not the rule.

I take my hat off to the organizers of the Wellington Beerfest, they have outdone themselves and thank you for putting in the effort to make this years Beerfest the true day of champions, in spite of the miserable weather. Congratulations Guys, You Rock!

Wellington Anniversary Weekend
Sat 17 Jan to Mon 19 Jan 2009

An Early Start

I leave home early, my car loaded with camera, lenses, swimming gear, sunblock, insect repellent, water, snacks and raincoat. I don't really know what to expect - I'm heading to the Kimberley Reserve near Levin to check out the annual Organic River Festival. It is advertised as:

"... a vibrant and upbeat celebration of music, healthy food and wine, creativity and the community, a celebration of good Kiwi life."

That said, I really have no idea what to expect. Hopefully good music, a few beers, a swim in the river and some good food. The weather is fantastic, sunny and clear, with a light breeze. All the signs are right for a great day.

The parking is very well organised, different lanes for different options, multiple ticket collectors and everybody ready for masses of festival goers. The price is great, $NZ$20- for a one day ticket although you can camp on-site and stay for the full three days. I choose to park as close as possible to the festival for an extra NZ$5-, that way I can get to my raincoat/swimming gear easily throughout the day, if need be.

A Familiar face - Bev

As I stroll slowly into the gates, at the first stall, I spot Bev, from Kereru Natural Products, a friend I haven't seen for several years. We catch up for a while, then I wander deeper into the festival towards the food and drink area.

Wake me up - I Need Some Mojo

Feeling a little tired from my early start I really need a good coffee. I'm expecting to pay an exorbitant amount for coffee, usually food at festival attendees are treated as walking wallets. I grab a flat-white coffee from the Mojo stand. At this time of the morning, it's the nectar of the gods - soft, milky and delicious - and hits the spot perfectly. Even better, the price is what I would expect to pay outside the festival! I'm further impressed by the great service from the staff too. This turns out to be the first of many flat-whites today. Time to check out the music I can hear coming from the nearby main stage.

Hillbillies make good music

There are two guys on stage, Skelm, I think. I knew there would be something like this! A guitar and bass combo, they have bare feet and are wearing shorts, black singlets topped off with huge beards. Their music is pretty cool and they already have captured a small crowd. Disturbing look, but the punters love it.

Getting Worried Now - Beer and Krishnas

What do we all (broad generalisation) like to do while enjoying the fresh air on a hot summers day? That's right, pour back a couple of cold beers (one at time, please). With beer in mind, I carry out a quick survey of the food and drink establishments to find the cheapest, drinkable beer. Hmmm, I'm getting worried - there is only one stall selling beer and two stalls selling wine or mead. That really limits my choice  but at least it isn't too expensive.

Hare Krishnas; Where have they all come from? There seem to be about three different groups or tribes of Krishnas. The local hardware must have sold a ton of orange paint! I thought the whole Krishna thing had died out in the late 70's, but here we go again, young people (god, I feel old saying that) wearing baggy pants or saris, sporting the orange stripe down the forehead, chanting "Hare, hare hare, Krishna, krishna krishna,"...etc and generally looking too peaceful for their own good. There are  three Krishna food stalls, all vegetarian (no worries there), but all independently selling exactly the same six dishes. That's not a good sign for any foodies becoming Krishna converts! Get some variety guys!

Blacksmith On-site

One of the stalls (really an awning attached to his house-bus) is a real blacksmith. Intrigued, I stand by his forge, watching him heat up steel rod, to red-hot and beat and bend it into various hooks and implement, for sale. An interesting guy to talk to, he lives in the house-bus year-round and makes his living blacksmithing - really living his dream of a relaxed, reasonably self-sufficient lifestyle.

Heading toward the river, I got talking to a pretty girl who turned out to be a slightly undercover Hare Krishna (no orange paint, baggy pants or sari), subtly trying to get me to attend a sing-a-long, I grabbed a delicious lemon tart from her cafe, escaped and stood in the river to cool off - it was already warming up at 10 am - and took photos of keen people jumping into the river from high up the bank.

Jonathan Harding

Cruising back toward the main performance area after cooling down a bit I, hear some really cool guitar playing, so I mosey up to the main stage to see Jonathan Harding playing. He is a very cruisy one man, one guitar act. I sneak backstage after his performance and meet him - a very nice guy, and offer to send some photos of his performance.

Curbside Cabaret

There are a couple of smaller stages tucked away in the bushes between the main festival area and the river; One stage that I stop by throughout the day is the Curbside Cabaret. A Variety of acts play short sets through the day - seemingly with a very loose schedule or possibly no schedule. The performances I see range from solo cello to stoner rock.

Quartet Kids

First act I see is comprised of four kids, to my eye, younger than eight years old, ukelele/vocals, drum(singular), Bongos, backing vocals. They play some oooooold classics pretty well -- Jambalaya (on The Bayou) by Gerry and the Pacemakers, for example.

Stilt walkers

Stilt walkers roam the festival area from time to time - their stilts make them about 3.5 metres tall and they are dressed in various costumes. One couple are dressed as husband and wife, in brightly-coloured, comic book, Victorian costumes. They end up making very slow progress as they get stopped for photos every few metres. They don't look at all unstable, I bet they put in a lot of practice!

Black Eyed Susie

Black Eyed Susie take the stage and  rip ito their set, they are an Irish/blues/rock band with a social conscience and sounded pretty cool, they put of a good show and even have some kids from the audience come on stage to assist with vocals! Plenty of variety from BES and a good sound too.

Devil Sticks

Devil sticks are are comprised of two, 500mm straight sticks, each wrapped with a spiral of black rubber, and a similar single stick, also wrapped with rubber but with a rubber pom-pom on each end.
Devil sticks are a sure-fire sign of an "alternative' event to me. The proponent of the devil sticks holds the two plain sticks, one in each hand and uses them to pick up, twirl and toss the third stick. It proponent usually uses some body movement - spins, etc to further add drama to the "performance". What that amounts to is a what looks like a spectacular display of the third stick behaving as if it has a life of it's own and as the performer usually keeps a deadpan face, it looks deceptively easy. Believe me, it's not.

Masef

After another Mojo coffee I heard a sound that, for me, seemed to sum up the atmosphere of the whole day so far; It was funky, reggae, rocky, bluesy, soulful and most of all ... COOL. I'm talking about a kiwi band called Masef.
Masef looked as if they were having more fun than anyone else at the Organic River Festival while they were playing, I took around a hundred photos of them playing. They are a 5 piece band - (Guitar/Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Saxophone and Drums) and as tight as a facelift. I was so impressed that the day after the festival, I went online and ordered their new CD, Masef are a band that deserve to be BIG! If they can convince a jaded heavy metaller like me that funky reggae is damn cool then surely they deserve all the success in the world. I can't wait to see them play again. As I said, I have ordered their CD online on the strength of their performance, check them out!

Needless to say, after Masef finished playing, I sneaked backstage again to meet them and have a quick chat to Gaz (bass) and Joe (Guitar, vocals) and I'm impressed at how cool and down to earth they are. Top guys and easily the best new New Zealand band I have heard in years.

Curbside Cabaret Part 2

Still reeling from Masef, I fortified myself with a beer and headed for the river again to cool off a little and to see if there were any bands playing in the Curbside Cafe again. What I saw was, again, pretty cool; two guys with guitar and bass only, playing awesome renditions of Foo Fighters, Rage Against The Machine and some retro sounding stoner rock. These guys were amazing! I couldn't believe that two guys could come out of nowhere and just play like messiahs in a shack on the edge of a festival! Apparently about 50 people agreed with me and we sat and watched until they finished.

Nightshift

While taking photos of Masef, I had bumped into Nick, who was videotaping the festival and performers; As it turned out, he was also playing in a band on another tiny stage beside the river - Nightshift. Nightshift continued the cruisy groove of the day, into the evening, playing classic rock covers, Pink Floyd etc. Nick has a fantastic voice and the boys played well, easily giving the crowd their money's worth.

Rubber Band

Following Nightshift were the Rubber Band, another local band, playing classic hard rock covers. They had big boots to fill following Nick and the boys, but they had an ace-in-the-hole -- a rabid fan planted in the front of the crowd. Their "fan" was a blonde, heavily-deadlocked, black-dressed, mainly unconscious, human-wreckage of the days festivities. He stumbled to the front before Nick played and slumped (not sat) cross legged in the front of the audience, took a big gulp or two from the remains of the bottle glued into his hand and promptly flaked out until the Rubber Band was announced, then he suddenly regained conciousness, but not control and started yodelling "Yeahhh! the Rubber Baa-aaaa-aaand!" until consciousness slipped away again. This "performance" was repeated several times through the Rubber Band's performance. Ten points for style!

My Golden Soul

Nearly everybody I talk to during the day is talking about a band called My Golden Soul. not everyone knows the name of the band but they knew that the band to see is playing at 8:30pm. My Golden Soul are definitely worth seeing - they are huge without playing a note - they have eleven members and take up all the space on the stage. MGS crank it up from the start and have the crowd grooving big-time!

Overall Impression

The Organic River Festival is a laid back, gathering of overlapping groups of people, able to enjoy a dazzling variety of good food, fantastic music, the chance to investigate massage and alternative therapies and sample and buy small business products.
The day started off slowly and the energy increased markedly as it got dark and as the music got louder. I saw no signs of any trouble but instead saw a lot of relaxed people of all ages (it is a child friendly event) enjoying a nicely understated day assisted by good food and a fantastic choice of music.

I met some interesting people, made some good friends and listened to some excellent music. This is the best value enetertainment for a whole day that I can imagine, especially at only $25- for entry and parking. Next time, I would like to stay for the whole three days and absorb more of the party atmosphere and be able to drink more than just a couple of beers.