Swampfest facts for kids
Swampfest is a cool music festival that happens every year in Palmerston North, New Zealand. It's a special event where local bands get to show off their original music. The festival started in May, to celebrate New Zealand Music Month. But in 2009, it moved to September. This was to match the 21st birthday of The Stomach, a popular music place in the city.
Swampfest features all kinds of music. You can hear rock, punk, ska, electronic, hip hop, metal, and pop. There are also solo artists and acoustic acts. The festival is named after Palmerston North's old history. The area used to be a swamp!
Contents
Where is Swampfest Held?
Swampfest has been held in different places over the years.
- In 2004 and 2005, it was at The Guv'nors Tavern.
- From 2006 to 2007, it moved to The Globe Theatre.
- There was no festival in 2008. This was because The Stomach building was being fixed up.
- Swampfest 2009 took place at The Stomach.
- In 2010, there was no festival due to money problems.
- Swampfest came back in 2011. It used The Stomach, The Regent Theatre, JBHiFi, and other spots.
- In 2012, it was at The Regent Theatre, The Stomach, and The Royal.
- Swampfest 2013 used The Regent Theatre, The Stomach, The Dark Room, and The Square.
- Later festivals have used places like The Fish Cocktail Bar, Snails: Artist Run Spaces, and Massey University Concourse.
Who Organizes Swampfest?
The main groups that put on Swampfest are Creative Sounds and the team at The Stomach. Sometimes, a local radio station called 99.4 Radio Control helps out. This station is the Massey University campus radio.
A Quick Look at Swampfest's History
The idea for Swampfest came from a local musician named Murray Shaw. He thought of having many local bands play over several nights. He didn't continue with the idea, but two other musicians, Craig Black and Hayden Sinclair, started the first two festivals.
The first Swampfest was in 2004. It had 8 bands and lasted two nights at The Guv'nors Tavern. It was a big hit! Because it was so successful, Swampfest 2005 had 12 bands over three nights.
To help the festival grow, Creative Sounds and The Stomach took over in 2006. This also helped with the money side of things. The 2006 and 2007 festivals were at the Globe Theatre. This meant people of all ages could attend. In 2008, The Stomach was being renovated, so there was no festival.
The Stomach celebrated its 21st birthday in 2009. Swampfest was part of this celebration! Sadly, in 2010, the festival couldn't happen because of funding cuts. But Swampfest returned in 2011. It got money from a special fund for Rugby World Cup events.
From 2005 to 2007, some Swampfest shows were filmed. Two songs from each band were put on a special DVD. In 2011, four shows at The Stomach were even streamed live online!
Before Swampfest, Palmerston North had other music events. These included The Intergalactic Balls in the early 1990s. There was also The Restless Festival of Youth in 1997. This festival helped local artists and used different venues. It grew each year. In 1999, it became Cerebral Cortex, with 17 local bands playing on one night.
Past Performers and Dates
Here's a list of some of the bands and artists who have played at Swampfest over the years, along with the dates and places.
| Edition | Year | Dates | Acts | Venues |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2004 | ~ | 7.62 Short, Collapse, Faker, Hellborne, Hoopla!, Reflector, Stitchface, Wall Of Silents | The Guv'nors Tavern |
| 2 | 2005 | ~ | *The Bing Turkby Ensemble, Black Chrome, Cathedra, Collapse, Dub Arkestra, Hellborne, Hoopla!, Impish, Reflector, Scourge Of Tussin, Stitchface, Velvetine Black, Missing Link | The Guv'nors Tavern |
| 3 | 2006 | ~ | Bing Turkby Ensemble, Black Chrome, Collapse, Emmilies Illusion, Grayson Gilmour, Hellborne, The Livids, Reflector, Stiletto, Stitchface, Twice Daily, Wall Of Silents | The Globe Theatre |
| 4 | 2007 | 11 - 13 May | Bing Turkby Ensemble, Black Chrome, The B-Side Electro Funk Disaster, Cathedra, Cord Willis, The Godfrees, Hoopla!, Little Room, The Livids, The Particulars, Us As Robots, Wall Of Silents | The Globe Theatre |
| 5 | 2009 | ~ | Massacre the Weak, Ricky Bobby, Joe Hill, Scarkiss, Solfonic, Black Chrome, The Kleptics, The Nerines, National Office, David Stevens, The Excludents, Haluciagea, Nutella Monk, Bing Turkby Ensemble, The Postures, Ruski, Us As Robots | The Stomach |
| 6 | 2011 | ~ | nutellamonk, HUF, researchintospeed, -52, Highfield Weekend, Us As Robots, Fowl Friends, Brooklyn State Hospital, The Bing Turkby Ensemble, Thief, Robin, Cephalopod, Losses, Discorpse, Project Blood, Ricky Bobby, iRyoko, Outside the Beat, Stanley Pedigree, Dirtbox Charlie, Grayson Gilmour, The Nerines, Jemmamarie, Amelia Shadbolt, Te Ra Moriarty | The Stomach, The Regent Theatre, JBHiFi, others |
| 7 | 2012 | 1 - 29 September | nutellamonk, Busta Dimes, Given Names, researchintospeed, Alpha Beta Gamma, iRyoko, Grysn Glmr, The Methadonnas, Mountain Eater, Pom Pom, -52, The Bing Turkby Ensemble, Black Chrome, The Impediments, Reclusia, Dirtbox Charlie, Amphora, Bloodspray for Politics, Cephalopod, Nausea, Project Blood, Diamond Sutra, BottleKids, Beneath The Heavens, Black Wings, Forsaken, huf, Stanley Pedigree, Abi Symes, Benny Tipene, Hydro Raspberry, Kelsey Lawn, The Nerines, Robin | The Regent Theatre, The Stomach, The Royal, others |
| 8 | 2013 | 1 - 27 September | Abi Symes, Amelia & the Other Stuff, Bridget and Dylan, Sam Morgan, Shayla, Te Ra Moriarty and Tim Jurgens, Benny Tipene, Dick Tracy, The Jefferys, The Nerines, Beneath the Heavens, Carrion, Cats Eat Dogs, Gains, Valerie Solanas, Hot Property, Indecisive, Man in Rug, No Shells, 66Queens, Alpha Beta Gamma, Commander Dimes, Given Names, Journey of Chaos, DJ Samir, Rave Dobbyn, Big Friendlies | Regent Theatre, The Stomach, The Dark Room and The Square |
| 9 | 2014 | 23 - 26 October | DJ Dee Steez & HUFF, Alpha Beta Gamma, Anna Madeleine, Big Friendlies, bBuska Dimes, Journey of Chaos, Man in Rug, Pixie Dust, P90s, Topaz rooster, Abi Symes, Alt Simulacra, Arcadian Kites, Gains, Given Names, No Shells, Slower Motion, SODA BOYZ, Fay Morris, Jakeland, JemmaMarie, Risky Kittens | The Square, The Globe Theatre, Great Job, Village Inn Kitchen |
| 10 | 2015 | 29 - 31 October | Benny Tipene, Jakeland, Foreshadows, Dentist Apprentice, Pixie Dust, PNC, Splitting Atoms, Stanley Pedigree, Mikey Dam, Buska Dimes | The Stomach |
| 11 | 2016 | 19 - 23 October | 1964, Acid Animals From Outerspace, Andy Anderson and Band, Churlington, Crackpot Theory, Diamond Sutra, Buska, DimesDimes, Foreshadows, fruit juice parade, Fusion NZ / Punk Rock Band., Goto, Jemma Marie, Kelsey Jo Music, Kokoa Nashi, Liam Cody, Miss, nerlin, Parafin, researchintospeed, Robin, Bing Turkby Ensemble, Tommy Deluge, Tū Tonu | The Fish Cocktail Bar, The Stomach, Snails: Artist Run Spaces, The Square |
| 12 | 2017 | 5 - 21 October | Anandonion, Bearded Theory, Bing Turkby Ensemble, Black Chrome, Dusk Till Dawn, Felix & Jack, Fruit Juice Parade, Fusion, Ge0-citiez, Goto, Government Pest, Humming, Intellivisions, Jakeland, Jaywalker, Katie, Kokoa Nashi, Kolkhoz, Lewis Kingston, Miss, Realtors of Rave, Shannen, Soda Boyz, The Gorge, The Hellebores, Tū Tonu | The Stomach, Us Studio, Massey University Concourse, Square Edge, Halcyon Cafe on Cuba Street, The Square |
| 12 | 2018 | 16 - 21 October | Alpha Beta Gamma, Asbestos Man, Bottlekids, Churlington, Defetus, Democracy Manifest, DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR , Distance, First Move, fruit juice parade, GeoCities, Goto, Government Pest, Heavy Blarney, KOLKHOZ, Ladders, Mirror Stage, Parafin, Ripple Effect, Robin, Skitz Hydro, SODA BOYZ, Sweater, Takaro Techno Club, The Makos | The Stomach, The Square, Snails: Artists Run Spaces, Cafe Royale / Square Edge |
| 13 | 2019 | 11 - 19 October | researchintospeed, Asbestos Man, $hannengeorgiapetersen, Feildings Best Dancers, Strange Brew, Abi Symes-Edmonds, Amelia Shadbolt, Dave Boyack, Bambin, Marcus Hermit, Synthetic Children, ghost of ris, Distance, Felix, GeoCities, M.O.C, Department of Labour, Tim*J, Parafin, Kybele, Polaroids of Polarbears, fruit juice parade, The Wake Up, Government Pest, Focus, GeoCities, Rave Dobbyn, Tū | The Stomach, Snails: Artists Run Spaces, |
| 17 | 2023 | 19–29 October | Sports Dreams, Bad Schematics, Bush Lawyer, Carb on Carb, Coffee Breaks, Dahlia, Daniel Foster, Epidemic, Fusion, Hine Raiona Bigbada Boom Sound System, Illusive, Khaki Department, Kokoa Nashi, Libby Offord, Lies and Lullabies, Lucid, Meanowls, Milo Lou, Molly Pawson, Nic Mason, Old Man Pine, Our Beloved Ditch, Persimmon, Philip Yeo, Renee Therese, Rusty Frame, Ruul 34, Showponi, Sports Dreams, Stellar Talauta, Swampwitch, Teams Meetings, The Fairlight Choir, WintyrQueen | The Stomach, Square Edge |
