Kinstock organiser Belinda Walker is buzzing at the talent she managed to attract this year and the numbers in attendance at the Saturday (January 31) afternoon music festival.
“I think it was absolutely our best one yet. We had an amazing lineup of bands. The comment I had from the audience so often was how amazing the youth artists were.”
A repositioning of the stage this year to maximise the use of shade worked well, she says.
“It felt more intimate, but we definitely had the largest crowd we’ve had since we’ve come back post-COVID, so that’s exciting.”
The kids’ market was also a huge success, with all of the participants turning a good profit.
Even the coffee cart on site for the afternoon donated its profits to the Kinloch Kindergarten. “That was what all the koha entry is. We haven’t got our figures yet, but it was just brilliant and everybody just smashed it, loved it. And of course, the weather played its part.”
Walker says the ethos is to be an event where the local community can come with a picnic and enjoy a great afternoon of music and be together, but also to support youth artists.
“Giving them a stage they can perform on, and they’re all going great places.”
Several of the bands had recently or are currently releasing music, she says.
“So it’s super exciting to see the bands coming through and this year we had the most local bands. We always have Taupō bands. But this year we even had five performers that were from Kinloch.”
Some of the acts on show, such as Sonorous. will be performing again before the summer is out, Walker says, over Waitangi weekend and then at the Blues and Beers Barbecue Festival on March 21 at the Time Bank.
With an offer of some bouncy castles for next year, Walker is hoping the family friendly atmosphere at Kinstock will develop further
“I think we’re definitely heading down the festival route… anchored by the very cool music.”
And while the event was further experience for one young band Pseudo Psychosis, it was something of a swansong for Pocketwatchers – with several band members now finished secondary school.
Guitarist and lead singer Kaegan Palmer says he and Whakairo Karauti-Hape and Thomas Ramsay, all in Year 13 last year have decided to head to the big smoke.
“We were all going to go to university, but we’ve decided to go down to Wellington to give a whack at… being musicians. For real you know.”
He says the three will be on the hunt for some new band members – including a drummer.
“It’s gonna be sad to see the original guys go, because they’re both amazing… We tried to get Frankie to come, but he’s only a year eleven, so we can’t pull him out of school.”
Picture: Tauhara College band Pseudo Psychosis at Kinstock.
This story has also appeared on LakeFM Kinstock to continue its support of young local talent
