Rhythm and Vines review - Day 3

  • Breaking
  • 01/01/2015

Ka kite anō 2014 and kia ora 2015.

Three days of memory making with buddies, dancing until your feet ache and bringing in 2015 in glorious style.

Last night I had the pleasure of interviewing one half of Broods, Georgia Nott. Her brother Caleb Nott struggled with hay fever in the hours leading up to their 9:15pm set on the main stage. Despite charging on, technology issues caused them a headache for the first 15 minutes of their performance. Georgia was forced to get creative and they played an acoustic version of Tom Petty's 'Free Fallin'' and their own single 'Bridges'. Not long after, they were playing all their bangers which have made 2014 such a successful year for the siblings.

British band Bastille who I also sat down with yesterday, were on the main stage playing up until 11:50pm. Having played at Rhythm and Alps the night before, they were pumped to be playing further north in warmer conditions. The weather has been stunning for the last few days, so a light drizzle in the early hours of 2015 wasn't a bother.

Zane Low and Just Blaze kicked on until 3am providing great beats that had everyone dancing.

Thousands hung in there to see the daylight for the first time this year as the sun come up at 6am.

Rhythm Group chief executive Kieran Spillane said, "We are delighted with the turn out for this year's festival. The sun shone on Gisborne this holiday season, we had a strong international line up of artists, and an 18,500 strong crowd. We look forward to Rhythm and Vines (R&V) 2015."

2012's 30,000 sold-out crowd was the biggest attendance R&V have had and it was quite obvious there were 10,000 odd missing - although no body minds short beverage, taxi and toilet lines.

Unfortunately there's always a few who ruin it for others. A riot broke out at 5:30pm last night at the BW Festival camp grounds and saw 63 people arrested, 83 injured and seven people in hospital.

Those arrested will face various charges from disorderly behaviour to assault.

Festival-goers sustained injuries and police were pelted with full cans, bits of wood were thrown, vehicles were overturned and several fires were lit. Police believe the riot was organised by a group of festival-goers who were keen on causing trouble. Intoxication levels were "extremely high".

 
(Photo: RNV Madness 2015/Facebook)

Campers were able to bring unlimited amounts of alcohol into the campsites despite the police opposing the BW campgrounds BYO licence. BW organisers attempted to implement a new special on-premises liquor licence - putting an end to their long standing BYO alcohol policy. Five-thousand people signed a petition forcing organisers to reinstate the BYO policy. I'd say there will be some serious discussions had post this havoc.&

I must give a notable mention to the security guards and staff at R&V who were behind the bars, stalls and money exchange stations (AWOP). They were exceptionally friendly, polite and helpful. I even saw a police man use what looked like his own phone to take a selfie.

Well, that's a wrap. Drive safe back to wherever you call home, and I wish you a wonderful, happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

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source: newshub archive