PRESS RELEASE : We Are the Mainstream Festival (Music festival Wellington 1,2,3 Sept 2011 & Dunedin 22,23,24 Sept)
As Rugby World Cup advertisements, news stories and merchandise explodes over New Zealand's public spaces, a Wellington initiative has organised a festival that offers an entertainment alternative to the RWC.
The We Are the Mainstream Festival runs for 3 nights in Wellington from the 1st to the 3rd of September and features a number of interesting underground Wellington bands including Gold Medal Famous, Power Lesbian, Blutfleck in Wellington and The Doyleys, John White and Gate in Dunedin, The festival includes 2 all ages gigs. The first at Fred's on the 1st of September from 7.30 PM and the other at the Otago University Student Association Market Day on the 22nd of September.
Outspoken Wellington musician Chris Wilson heads the festival's organisation. Wilson's frustration at NZ's obsession with rugby inspired him to stage an event which in his words would celebrate any other cultural pursuit but rugby. The title of the festival is based on the idea that if the world population was lined up, the total number of rugby mad would make up a very small proportion with the implication that it is in fact the non-rugby mad who are the mainstream. Wilson also likes to point out that the UN recognises 194 nations while there are only 20 competing in the Rugby World Cup.
The festival is an opportunity for the rugby bored to enjoy some downtime from our increasingly rugby crazed public spaces.
Wellington Program:
Fred's on Frederick St, 1st Sept, 7.30PM (All Ages): Tietz Syndrome, Karl Jansen, Gold Medal Famous & Brett Coombs
Happy Bar, 2nd Sept: Major/Major, Power Lesbian, Solo Ono & Gold Medal Famous
Mighty Mighty, 3rd Sept: DJ GFab Roadkill, Nancy 'n' Norman, Blutfleck, The Flying Sorcerers & Gold Medal Famous
Dunedin Program:
OUSA Market Day, 22 Sept 12PM: Gold Medal Famous
Re:fuel, 23 Sept: Psychic Maps, Death By Silo, The Doyleys & Gold Medal Famous
Chicks Hotel, 24 Sept: Gate, John White, Ded Sparrows & Gold Medal Famous
