Rock, riffs, and revelations: An inside look at Spliffs n Riffs

As the anticipation builds for the upcoming Spliffs n Riffs festival at Rosemount Hotel on Sunday, March 3, X-Press Magazine delves deep into the mind behind the music extravaganza, Matty James. With three stages, twenty bands, and non-stop riffs promised, this year’s edition is set to be bigger and better than ever. Among the stellar line-up stands Japan’s Minami Deutsch, ready to headline their first full Australian tour. But what inspired the creation of this unique festival experience? And how does Matty James navigate the challenges of organising such a mammoth event? Join ANDY “ANDO” JONES as he explores the visionary landscape of Spliffs n Riffs and glimpses into its psychedelic future.

How did the concept for Spliffs n Riffs come about, and what inspired you to create such a unique festival experience?

Honestly, it all came about by itself. In 2022, it was originally just going to be a six-to-eight band line-up of just some good riffy bands, and my band Vulgurite was going to headline it. It was just us and a few locals like Mage, The Wedges, Giant Dwarf, etc.

When I was trying to come up with a name for it, my brother goes “Spliffs n Riffs,” and that just stuck. With the intention of originally just being a once-off stoner rock gig, Dr. Colossus (Melbourne) happened to announce a Perth show literally an hour before I was announcing Spliffs n Riffs, so we got in touch with each other and got them to headline the show, and it went off.

We got Brendon from Fuzz Factory Touring involved to do some psychedelic visuals for the night, and people were talking about how good the experience was. I was getting messages from east coast bands asking me to jump on the next one, and that was it. I instantly started working on a three-stager festival for six months’ time.

What can festivalgoers expect from this year’s edition of Spliffs n Riffs, and how does it differ from previous years?

They can expect the same awesome atmosphere as last year’s three-stage event at Rosemount Hotel; it’s going to be just as intense, if not more intense. While there is no real significant change in this year’s Spliffs n Riffs, we’ve turned it up a notch by getting an international headliner, Minami Deutsch from Japan, as well as the three interstate and 16 local bands. The festival is still only a couple years old, and it’s still growing, and things will change for future festivals for sure.

What challenges did you face in organising a festival with three stages and twenty bands, and how did you overcome them? Can you share any behind-the-scenes insights?

There are lots of challenges, to be honest, but I have to say the scare of not covering costs is mentally challenging itself. There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff to cover financially, like having extra stages set up, three stages worth of music equipment, extra staff for merch, stage management, and then there are 20 bands to pay plus more.

So it’s always scary when ticket sales aren’t selling as fast as I want, but they always pick up closer to the event. We sold a lot of tickets early, so that’s a good sign.

What criteria did you use when selecting the line-up for Spliffs n Riffs?

I try to get the most popular bands—whoever is active and who sticks out the most live. I like to keep it diverse, but I’m still trying to lean into more psychedelic and stoner rock. Adding in punk and a little bit of metal keeps the day versatile. I go through every single message and email of applicants and look at what they’re doing, how much they’re promoting their shows, how good they are as a live band, etc.

It’s hard, and I’ve had to reject great bands. The process for selecting the line-up for 2024 was different; I did a call out for bands who haven’t worked with Spliffs n Riffs yet and filled the show with a unique line-up.

How has the response been to Minami Deutsch’s announcement as the headliner for Spliffs n Riffs, and what do you think sets them apart from other bands in the line-up?

It’s been great. A good bunch of tickets sold quickly. The public are excited to have another international band in Perth, especially a band like Minami Deustch. They’re very unique. Their mix of Krautrock and psychedelic is amazing, and I think the fans are going to love it. It will be a nice touch to end the night following Potion and Mountain Wizard Death Cult.

Imagine if Spliffs n Riffs was a planet in a distant galaxy. What would its landscape look like, and what kind of extraterrestrial creatures would inhabit it?

Planet Spliffs n Riffs would be like a dry night-time desert like Venus, filled with Auroras. It would still have live music, probably played by lizards or something. (Laughs.) I know I’d be there regardless.

If you could magically swap places with any band member for a day during the festival, who would it be and why?

Probably the drummer of Sons of Zöku. Their music is wild, and I feel like everyone will really appreciate them after seeing them live. It’d be awesome to be a part of something unique like that.

If Spliffs n Riffs had its own secret underground bunker for band rehearsals, what hidden surprises or quirky shit would you put inside?

I’d have compartments filled with vintage musical instruments from various cultures. The room would be full of psychedelic art that reacts and moves to the music. Definitely loaded up with party utensils.

With Monday, March 4, being a public holiday after your Sunday show, what’s your advice for fans on how to keep the party going after Spliffs n Riffs?

Wake up, have a BBQ, and crank some tunes. Drink some frozen, spicy margaritas and sit in the sun. I know that’s what I’ll be doing!

Are any of the bands on the line-up celebrating milestones or new releases at Spliffs n Riffs?

It’s Minami Deustch’s first time in Perth, so that’s pretty big. There are also a couple bands releasing music the week of Spliffs n Riffs, including Mage with Black Rain, Vulgurite with King of the Dirt, and Gorilla Glue with Around the Sun (And Back Again).

Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for the future of Spliffs n Riffs, and how do you envision the festival evolving in the coming years?

Spliffs n Riffs is still new, but it’s growing quickly. The fact that I’ve had so many bands from across the country already hit me up about playing next year’s event; it’s getting attention; it’s going to get bigger. My goal is to make it an outdoor event, but probably under cover, so we can still experience the amazing psychedelic visuals. I’d definitely be keeping it to three stages.

If the festival gets really big, it means I could make the line-up even more diverse, with a metal stage, punk stage, stoner rock stage, etc. But I guess my realistic end goal is to travel with it. It’s my dream to build a team and do a Spliffs n Riffs tour across Europe. Create the same vibe we have here, but do it there, and repeat it every weekend in a different city.

That’s something I’ll work on when the money is there. But I’ve already communicated with promoters in Europe who are keen to get involved, so it is a realistic possibility. We will see what happens, I guess!

Spliffs and Riffs goes down at Rosemount Hotel on Sunday, March 3, 2024. For more info and to buy tickets, head to tickets.oztix.com.au