Where to begin…the almighty Kings Of Leon perhaps, or block-rockin’ Black Rebel Motorcycle Club? How about the sophisticated grooves of Groove Armada, or the genuine folk genius of The Waifs? But then there’s The Go! Team, José González, Built To Spill, Blackalicious, Girl Talk, Gotye, Lior, Midnight Juggernauts, Neville Staple’s Specials, The Mess Hall, Angus & Julia Stone and The Beautiful Girls.
And this is merely the beginning! More than 30 international, national and local acts will grace four stages at the fourth annual Southbound Festival from Friday, January 4 to Sunday, January 6, again with camping entertainment commencing on the Friday night, the main festival taking place on the Saturday, with campers leaving the festival site on Sunday.
The hugely popular Friday night entertainment will again offer plenty of money-can’t buy experiences exclusive to campers, including special acoustic performances from The Waifs, The Beautiful Girls, Lior and Angus & Julia Stone, plus a groove tent, outdoor street theatre, outdoor movies, karaoke (remember Michael Franti last year?) and an open mic stage. More acts will be announced shortly.
And the main festival on the Saturday will see some of the globe’s finest purveyors of sweet sound on four stages, garnished with a colossal feast of art, culture and community at WA’s most environmentally friendly major festival.
Southbound will again feature many special initiatives, including StageBound – our very own band competition – and ArtBound, which gives visual artists a chance to get involved in the cultural celebration that is Southbound. More details for both initiatives will be announced shortly.
EcoBound will also be back greener and more eco-friendly than ever. While we will let you know more about EcoBound initiatives in the coming months, what we can tell you is that we’re cranking up our environmental commitment this year. This will include a treeper-ticket policy, where for every ticket sold we’ll purchase a tree and plant it through the Greening Australia programme. Also, we’re giving punters the opportunity to offset their own travel emissions to and from the festival by taking up an Optional Green Fee – for an additional $2 on the normal ticket price, an Optional Green Fee is the basic peace of mind that you’ve more than covered your own carbon footprint (the Optional Green Fee is based on the estimated average return travel journey and estimated average fuel consumption of a 2.4L vehicle). Of course, Sunset Events encourages car-pooling and the use of the mini bus services we offer to and from the festival. See full ticket prices below.
Okay, now a how-to guide to camping from the acts themselves
1) What has been your greatest music and camping festival experience to date and why?
Tom Findlay from Groove Armada: I think playing the main stage at Glastonbury three years ago, it was a great gig, an amazing weekend, and I almost enjoyed sleeping in the tent…
Girl Talk: Some middle school buddies and I chipped in together to rent Woodstock ’94 on Pay Per View. We camped at my parents’ house for three straight days. We drank lots of soda and stayed up all night. At the actual Woodstock ’94, it rained and everyone went crazy in the mud. It also rained in Pittsburgh that weekend, and we partied in the mud.
Vikki Thorn from the Waifs: That would be the Strawberry Festival in Yosemite National Park in California back in 2003. Magical setting. Moonlight through the pines. Banjos and bullfrogs singing into the wee hours…
Bruce Braybrooke from the Beautiful Girls: This year’s Splendour was a really good event, heaps of great bands, fine weather and good people.
Julia Stone of Angus & Julia Stone: Woodford Folk Festival, about three years ago…Angus and me went up and we did all the wrong things with camping. We were on a hill, with no shade, it was so hot…but it was wonderful. We spent heaps of time swimming in Stoney Creek down the road.
2) From experience, what is your camping advice to punters tenting it up at Southbound?
Tom Findlay from Groove Armada: Well ideally stay in a fancy Winnebago, but if you’re committed to camping I have always thought you could try and attach yourself to your tent with a long piece of string, or possibly attach something luminous to the top.
Girl Talk: At the Woodstock ’94 sleepover, we covered one of my friends in ketchup while he was sleeping. He showered and still smelled weird. So my advice would be to not let your friends cover you in condiments while you’re sleeping.
Vikki Thorn from the Waifs: Earplugs and a pee bottle.
Bruce Braybrooke from the Beautiful Girls: Make sure you mark out your tent pegs with fluorescent paint and equip your shoes with a beeping device that can alert you when you’re about to trip over them. Get close (but not too close!) to the portaloo. And last, but not least, do not under any conditions take a shower – camping is all about getting filthy.
Julia Stone of Angus & Julia Stone: Never pitch a tent next to the toilets, take earplugs and get there early so you can get a spot with some shade. Take moments in the trees to visit the monkeys. Don’t bring your dogs and cats. If the festival goes for a while then make the effort to bring all the gear for a communal area, where you can set up your own chai tent…and nice pillows.
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Tickets for The Southbound Festival are $107 + booking fee, available from www.sunsetevents.com.au or Ticketek on 132 849 or at www.ticketek.com.au. Or head to Live Clothing Stores, 78 Records, Mills, Beat Music, Planet Video, Trax Music (Mandurah), Blue 62 (Busselton), Swell Sounds (Margaret River), Nob’s Musique (Bunbury), 3 Bears Bar Bottle Shop (Dunsborough) and Vibes (Albany). For an optional $2 extra, you can offset your carbon emissions to and from the festival.
Happy Camper tickets – which include two nights camping on Friday and Saturday night, plus the exclusive camping entertainment – are an extra $68 + booking fee and strictly limited, and also available from all outlets listed above.
Or if your up for a bit of luxury, snap yourself up a Pampered Camper ticket, which will make it all the more cosy – arrive with your tent already set-up in a special area with bedding, towel, a welcome pack…and even a clean shower. Now, that’s the business. Head to www.sunsetevents.com.au for more information. Tickets go on sale Monday, September 10. The Southbound Festival is all ages, and camping tickets are 18+ unless accompanied by a parent of legal guardian.
