So, like, Parachute Music Festivals

[iYRe]

Last weekend I went down to Parachute at mystery creek - for work, mind you.. (I work for lifefm as an IT tech).
The festival was pretty cool, 20k or so people for 3 days, and I got to make some funky stuff happen (a silent disco, which is a DJ fed into an Fm transmitter, which is then picked up by people with a little tuner and headsets, and a live broadcast of what is normally a talkback show, but was done using a live audience instead, plus general IT'ness and camp dad kinda stuff).

But for me, it was a chance to get the bike out and have a blast through the old wakatooooo...
Riding down was fun, hung a left at Taupiri and went through to Cambridge on the "expressway" - or at least that what I think they call it. Its a nice ride if you like smashed up bugs on the visor.
Got to the festival and was let in on the bike on setup day, so I got to cruise around mystery creek on the Intruder.
On monday morning at 2am (after 3x 21 hour days..) I rode home to Manurewa. Man.. it was a fun ride.. except for one thing..

WHY THE HELL ARE THERE 25.4245 ROUNDABOUTS BETWEEN HAMILTON AND NGARUWHAIA?
Honestly people, at 2am they come out of nowhere.. and they are as slippery as hell.. talk about terrifying..

I recently replaced my headlight with a nava-whatever from supercheap auto - the plus 50 or 100 or something - I was lighting up the road at least 2 times as far as any of the cars I caught and passed. Seriously good.

[Maha]

Go this way next time, only 10 ks longer and much more biker freindly...http://maps.google.co.nz/maps?saddr=...1,2,3&t=m&z=11

[iYRe]

ooh, that looks alot better than this:

http://maps.google.co.nz/maps?saddr=...=1,2,3&t=m&z=9

[javawocky]

Every time I go to Parachute I always seam to have some run in with the 'Walkie Talkie Man'

Last time me and the misses went we thought we would go to the main gate and part somewhere nice and convenient. The gods guards on the first day guided us to a lovely spot right near the front gate where motorcycles fitted perfectly, we were happy as. But no, next day a different guy stopped us and rudely told us to we couldn't part there - even when we explained that we had the day before

I won't go into the time I was 'arrested' for filming around the main stage even though I was volunteering for Shine Tv

Anyway, I think the wife has finally realised that she and I are getting too old for parachute games - until the next time a major act comes out anyway...

(Btw, I do recommend staying off site if the tent thing is too much. There are some nice holiday parks where you can go to in the Tron.)

[iYRe]

Every time I go to Parachute I always seam to have some run in with the 'Walkie Talkie Man'

Last time me and the misses went we thought we would go to the main gate and part somewhere nice and convenient. The gods guards on the first day guided us to a lovely spot right near the front gate where motorcycles fitted perfectly, we were happy as. But no, next day a different guy stopped us and rudely told us to we couldn't part there - even when we explained that we had the day before

I won't go into the time I was 'arrested' for filming around the main stage even though I was volunteering for Shine Tv

Anyway, I think the wife has finally realised that she and I are getting too old for parachute games - until the next time a major act comes out anyway...

(Btw, I do recommend staying off site if the tent thing is too much. There are some nice holiday parks where you can go to in the Tron.)

Lol.. well i work for shine tv :P (well, RBG in general). Parachute generally do not allow any kinda filming - we've had a number of issues with even interviews being hammered - some bands agent sees it.. not going to get his fidollar, complains.. etc etc. Paracute doesnt really care about us, its a fund raiser for them, and they need to clip the ticket every way they can.

I was lucky, the gate protection department took orders from "backup security", and backup security this year, was my sister :P
I ended up parking at gate 2 (main gate), and there was a stack of other bikes there in the end, so that was cool, hopefully (since I was first), i made it a bit easier for everyone else.

[Miserymalone]

It was my first time at Parachute this year. I was offered drugs, got strangled and punched by some fool in a mosh pit and a condom was put on my lap followed by a subtle one sided smile. Hahaha! Christian festivals, good fun.

The best part was stumbling upon all of the Motorcycles by the front gate.

[2Seat_Terror]

Last weekend I went down to Parachute at mystery creek - for work, mind you.. (I work for lifefm as an IT tech).

WHY THE HELL ARE THERE 25.4245 ROUNDABOUTS BETWEEN HAMILTON AND NGARUWHAIA?

Whoever is in charge of roading 'upgrades' in Hamilton is clearly obsessed with them. Theyre' popping up everywhere. They've even put one in at the end of the cul-de-sac I live down (after applying a loose seal over top of the perfectly good asphalt). There's like 25 cars an hour going through there...

[iYRe]

It was my first time at Parachute this year. I was offered drugs, got strangled and punched by some fool in a mosh pit and a condom was put on my lap followed by a subtle one sided smile. Hahaha! Christian festivals, good fun.

The best part was stumbling upon all of the Motorcycles by the front gate.

ah well, just remember that not everyone there is Christian, and those who are, are generally christian because they they were messed up (if you know what I mean), in the first place... A famous man once said "Those who are healthy don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do".

2Seat_Terror:

Yeah, its nuts.. and what's with all the Westfield shopping centres? There's nearly as many of them as there is roundabouts...

[tri boy]

WHY THE HELL ARE THERE 25.4245 ROUNDABOUTS BETWEEN HAMILTON AND NGARUWHAIA?

Beats having agazillion sets of traffic lights impeding traffic flow.
MHO

[iYRe]

Beats having agazillion sets of traffic lights impeding traffic flow.
MHO

well true.. although, most of these seem to be pointless..

[The Singing Chef]

It was my first time at Parachute this year. I was offered drugs, got strangled and punched by some fool in a mosh pit and a condom was put on my lap followed by a subtle one sided smile. Hahaha! Christian festivals, good fun.

The best part was stumbling upon all of the Motorcycles by the front gate.

Reminds me of the time I played at Parachute, had my own fan base of gorgeous girls. Haven't been in years though, never have spare cash to go along.

[Mental Trousers]

It was my first time at Parachute this year. I was offered drugs, got strangled and punched by some fool in a mosh pit and a condom was put on my lap followed by a subtle one sided smile. Hahaha! Christian festivals, good fun.

Used to be a standing joke that all the local supermarkets etc would sell out of condoms when Parachute was on.

One of the guys from work took a couple of days off and went to Parachute this year. He can't remember the name of a single band but he seemed to enjoy himself.

Can't say I recognize any of the bands/performers. Do they all prattle on about the same subject or is the subject matter quite varied??

http://www.parachutefestival.com/lineup/artists

[iYRe]

its varied.. many of the bigger artists are on the "normal" charts too, like switchfoot (playing next year), so their content is "spiritual" but not always overt. Some of the others are a bit on the party line..
Problem for me is alot of the more "spiritual" bands are also usually the most factually incorrect, but oh well. I dislike most Christian music, and will stick with SLF, sabbath, led Zep etc, for enjoyment (gets me in a fair bit of trouble with the "in" crowd... but they can shove it. I'm the one with a BA in theology, not them).

[javawocky]

ah well, just remember that not everyone there is Christian,

These are true words. I have always though of it as a great place to do evangelism, except you would most likely be thrown out by the guards

its varied.. many of the bigger artists are on the "normal" charts too, like switchfoot (playing next year), so their content is "spiritual" but not always overt. Some of the others are a bit on the party line..
Problem for me is alot of the more "spiritual" bands are also usually the most factually incorrect, but oh well. I dislike most Christian music, and will stick with SLF, sabbath, led Zep etc, for enjoyment (gets me in a fair bit of trouble with the "in" crowd... but they can shove it. I'm the one with a BA in theology, not them).

'Christian' music has been an a death spiral for ages to the point where nearly any song that is slightly positive can be called Christian.

Sadly I think a lot of worship music and sermons are heading that way fast. In it all the central truth of The Gospel is drowned out by all the gumf. Parachute is the extreme of this, and it gets tiring to filter out all the gumf for the sake of some watered down truth.

But I suppose when/if I have kids and someone held a gun to my head and said I had to send my daughter to a concert, I suppose Parachute would be acceptable - in a large group of Amish fellow campers

[iYRe]

These are true words. I have always though of it as a great place to do evangelism, except you would most likely be thrown out by the guards


'Christian' music has been an a death spiral for ages to the point where nearly any song that is slightly positive can be called Christian.

Sadly I think a lot of worship music and sermons are heading that way fast. In it all the central truth of The Gospel is drowned out by all the gumf. Parachute is the extreme of this, and it gets tiring to filter out all the gumf for the sake of some watered down truth.

But I suppose when/if I have kids and someone held a gun to my head and said I had to send my daughter to a concert, I suppose Parachute would be acceptable - in a large group of Amish fellow campers

Well.. the problem with Christian media organisations worldwide is that they need listeners, and people are going to listen to U2 before they listen to some worship leader from waikikamoocow. So they will always play U2, justifying it by saying "well they claim to have faith and do good stuff..."

Its just the way things go... imho its more about the content and the lives of the "talent" (musicians and dj's) rather than what they sing/play..