The Kinetic Dreaming Festival happens this Labor Day Long Weekend, Saturday, February 28, until Monday, March 2, at the famous Bindoon Rock festival site. BOB GORDON catches up with some of the artists to chat about the festival ethos.
JUNKADELIC BRASS BAND
Ken ‘Papa Funken P.’ Allen, band leader
What’s it feel like to be involved with a festival like Kinetic Dreaming? It’s pretty different…
We jumped at the chance to be a part of the Kinetic Dreaming event – Junkadelic have been supporters of the Forest Rescue crew going back years – and it is fantastic to see them score such a fantastic venue for this massive event. Judging by the social media posts – it looking like it’s going to be huge – and they are doing some amazing work on building their stages. We can’t wait to play there with our big 12 piece line-up!
Wave Rock Weekender and Southbound have previously done their bit for a more green-oriented approach, do you feel that more festivals should embrace environmental concerns?
Definitely. In fact we have been offering our own solar powered PA system to many events – such as the Light Up Leederville Carnival and a few pop-up events around town. We believe all events should be using renewable power – it is totally doable these days if you invest in the hardware to store the energy. The other big challenge is the disposal of waste – and more and more councils are now thinking about greener ways to reduce waste – and recycle what they can’t eliminate. Many local council enviro-officers have been leading the way in greener ways of thinking.
Rather than big music events being an escape from the problems of the world, I really think they can – and should – be spearheading the solutions to the problems of the world. If you think back in recent history – that was what the big Woodstock events were about – and Kinetic Dreaming will be raising the bar for what a local event could be – along with the others you mentioned such as Wave Rock Weekender. But not just big events – small pop-up events can show the path to a new way as well – like what has been happening all over Perth in Cannington, Vic Park, Freo. Get out and check out your local pop-up venue people! Get involved – it’s awesome fun.
What do you have in the pipeline for 2015?
Junkadelic has a massive year ahead. We just launched our big Voodoo Show recently – which featured eight brand new songs! We plan to develop it in to a big show with dancers, circus performers, guest vocalists and lighting effects – with the aim of showcasing it at Fringe 2016. We also have a tour to Seattle in June in the works – and another trip to Sydney and Wollongong in January, 2016. Our current core line-up is really solid – with all of them having spent three years or more with the band. There’s a bunch of different people writing new material – we’ve added about a dozen new songs to the set in the last six months. Who says you can’t make a big band work in Perth?
THE SHOESMITH QUARTET
Gavin Smith, bass
What’s it feel like to be involved with a festival like Kinetic Dreaming? It’s pretty different…
I personally share many of the underlying philosophies with the ‘ideas’ motivating the festival. Plus, I’ve performed at many corporate style music festivals where money is the motivation, art and music being subordinated and used to generate massive amounts of income for the promoters, etc – as long as the kids have a good time and you can sell enough alcohol it’s considered a success. I’m an armchair anarcho-syndicalist so go the green left revolution.
Wave Rock Weekender and Southbound have previously done their bit for a more green-oriented approach, do you feel that more festivals should embrace environmental concerns?
I feel that all of society should adopt a much more pro-active approach to environmental issues. So it’s great that these festivals have moved in this direction, and yes I feel all music festivals should as well. Especially as they attract the youth of today, who are the future. Also, corporations who do make massive profits should be giving back to the society and the environment from which they make their money. At least so it’s easier for them to sleep at night.
What do you have in the pipeline for 2015?
The Shoesmith Quartet is releasing it’s debut album, The Round House, and a live DVD, Live At The Roundhouse. These two albums/DVD are parallel and contrasting manifestoes of the distinct musical styles The Shoesmith Quartet explores. The first is a studio album that incorporates improvisation and, composition and arrangement. The live DVD – filmed in the historic Roundhouse in Fremantle one November night in front of a live audience – is an hour-long set completely improvised by the quartet with the original tunes used only as a basis or guide to inform the musicians.
RAGDOLL
Leon Todd, guitarist
What’s it feel like to be involved with a festival like Kinetic Dreaming? It’s pretty different…
Festivals generally cater to our self indulgent and hedonistic desires, which are human traits we spend a lot of time critiquing through our music. In that sense, it’s right up our alley. Personally, I can’t wait to take a mud bath there!
Wave Rock Weekender and Southbound have previously done their bit for a more green-oriented approach, do you feel that more festivals should embrace environmental concerns?
At the very least I think music festivals should aim to be as sustainable and to impact the environment as minimally as possible. Music is the ultimate model for a high consumption, low waste product after all!
What do you have in the pipeline for 2015?
We’re recording a new single/video which will drop in early May, a handful of local dates in March/April and a showcase tour of the USA in May; hitting Rocklahoma festival with Linkin Park and Slayer and then onto Texas, Vegas and LA.
LOOSE CONNECTION
Kris Oddity
What’s it feel like to be involved with a festival like Kinetic Dreaming, do you do similar festivals in Wales with this kind of environmental focus?
It feels great to be contributing to something which really feels like it has a impact on educating people, through creativity, sustainable living and healthy lifestyles, things like yoga and meditation. As for festivals in Wales, there’s not as many environmentally focussed talks and workshops as you’d hope to see, but I think Wales is a little bit behind on this kinda thing. I never really party too much in Wales though; I always tend to travel outside the country to play gigs etc. there is Magikana, which is a really nice festival, which plays great music and has a great atmosphere but not so many workshops.
Do you feel that more festivals should embrace environmental concerns
I totally think people should be educated on environmental concerns, it’s so important to our future for holding these type of events and reaching the younger generation about respecting the land we so lucky to be on. We should ideally leave nothing behind after an event. I think psychedelic festivals really promote this attitude but I think it’s the larger, more commercial parties which really need to take note on these actions. Some festivals after the event is over… it’s pretty disgusting. Leaving a sea of litter stamped into the ground is sadly a common sight at a load of other big commercial festivals. As long as we continue to spread the word on keeping a healthy planet we are doing our part for the scene, I think.
What do you have in the pipeline for 2015
I have a few more amazing parties to go to while on my tour out in Australia. This weekend’s Kinetic Festival is set to be a killer party. There’s also Lucid Labyrinth in Sydney which is going to be off the chain, plus I have a load of European gigs coming up like Modem Festival in Croatia and Lost Theory and possibly Noise Poison festival again. As you may know, Loose Connection consists of two dudes myself and Morris. Morris is in the UK doing a load of international gigs too, but hope to meet up in the year to play festivals together.
I’m really going to play it as it comes. I have been offered to go to Nepal and Canada for another tour later in the year, but for now I’m going to be travelling across Australia with my girlfriend and really soak up the surroundings. 2015 has already gotten off to a incredible start for me and would like to thank newfound friends and organisers for giving me this opportunity. I feel truly blessed at this time of my life and couldn’t be happier hope to see you on the twisted pants floor!
Tickets for the Kinetic Dreaming Festival are $100 at the gate or $75 online from kineticdreaming.com.au, where you can check the full line-up. All profits go to forest rescue environmental projects (see forestrescue.com.au).
