Do you love reggae, roots, bass, island culture and the beach?
Situated on North Stradbroke Island, Island Vibe Festival's tenth birthday features Melbourne Ska Orchestra, Natiruts, Zion Train, Mungo's Hifi, Dov1, K+Lab, Hugo & Treats, The Seven Ups, Kingfisha and many, many more. Festival director Morgyn Quinn looks back at a decade's worth of reggae fun.
Ten years of Island Vibe… how has the festival progressed since the initial event?
The first one was pretty rudimentary when I look back – a ragged, hessian fence surrounding a trailer stage and a few hundred loveable scruffbags, but it had plenty of heart. It quadrupled in size two years later and now has four stages encompassing huge international bands, electronic bass music, dancehall, cabaret, folk, funk, ska, workshops, eco and kids space, cultural performances and ceremonies. Yeah, it's come a fair way from the beginning.
Does it feel like ten years?
It feels more like 20 hehehe. I just got the first anthology of all our compilation releases since 2006 – listening back to 150 tunes brought on a flood of great memories and I'm proud to have worked with so many talented artists and crew.
The community involvement and association with the North Stradbroke locals is obviously an important aspect of the festival. Across a decade what sort of programmes and networks have been developed?
Every year we've had involvement with the primary school, running a mix of cultural, circus, craft and storytelling workshops leading up the event and now we have a bunch of young, local kids who MC the live stages. We also invite dance groups from neighbouring Pacific islands to engage in a cultural exchange, sharing dance and stories and a Kup Murri feast. It's important to have the Elders' blessing to start and close each festival – this year we will be opening with a traditional smoking ceremony by the Yulu Bari Ba dancers.
Can you walk us through the selection process for the artistic line-up?
It's a pretty complex process – there will be artists who have applied for four years running and you just can't say no. Then there's your mates who will disown you if they're not on the bill. Then there's the ones you met at a festival when you were sideways and promised them a gig. Then there's the strategic ones, bands who actually have a following, or might help with promo like radio or putting up posters. And there's the artists you discover through the application process. I love coming across something fresh and new, when you realise you haven't seen and heard it all before.
Personally, and I know this is a loaded question… kinda, which acts are you most looking forward to skanking on the d-floor?
Mungo's Hifi always present an immaculate selection of the hottest dancehall coming out of Europe, that's a must see for me... and I can't deny – Melbourne Ska Orchestra never fail to get a rudeboy like me skankin' in fine style. Locally, there's a bunch of high-octane reggae and funk acts like The Seven Ups, Kooyeh, Felicity Lawless and Zennith that I won't wanna miss.
Volunteers… they are the lifeblood of any major event. How treasured are the vollies who staff Island Vibe year after year?
They're amazing – you get to know them pretty well over the years and often they end up getting paid work or becoming a staff member eventually cos they know the ropes inside out.
The festival has a saturation of music, but you can't deny the natural beauty and connection to the ocean Island Vibe shares. What role does that element play with festival?
Straddie (Minjerribah) has a special place in many people's hearts from this area. I think that no matter who we have playing, the headline attraction is always going to be the island itself.
Across ten years of Island Vibe can you pick two or three moments against the insurmountable highlights that stick in the memory?
Charli 2na in 2009 was ridiculously funky; and just last year, Hugo & Treats managed to get the crowd to spiral into a massive group hug. It sounds corny, but the energy was so damn good, I was high for two weeks after that gig.
Morgan Quinn performing at Island Vibe
Any moments you can laugh at now, but back then were really serious, with major consequences looming?
When two streakers got up with Laneous & the Family Yah on main stage. I told security not to worry, they would be off in a minute. But I got called away to another stage, and one of the nudists was up for the whole set. I got a roasting from the Sarge, angry mums and elders after that!
Artist relations… so many acts return multiple times to play as well as attend as punters. What is it about your festival that cultivates a warmth from the artistic element?
Island Vibe is straight-up fun to play. It's an adventure to get there, the atmosphere is unbelievable and for some people it's their favourite festival. I'd say that too, but you would accuse me of bias!
The inclusion of Paul Abad's Earth Frequency crew manning The Bamboo Bass stage has added another dynamic element to the festival's experience. Do you have other collaborations in the works?
Paul was actually there from the beginning and we've realised both festivals share a similar fanbase. This year we have Solidarity Sound running a replica Jamaican style soundsystem stage, which features a great crew of guest selectors. We are also collaborating more with the Brazilian community who are keen to see Brazil's #1 reggae act Natiruts this year.
For the first timer, what spread of music can they expect to hear this year?
Reggae, ska, dancehall, glitch, drum & bass, funk, soul, hip hop, Indigenous, gypsy, roots.
The festival isn't just for south-east Queensland. You get travellers coming in from all over the country, and even abroad right?
The festival attracts people from Cairns to Hobart, Perth to umm... Paddington and is garnering a reputation in Europe and Brazil.
If you can peer at the crystal ball, a decade on, what do you envisage Island Vibe 2025 will look like?
Maybe it will be on pontoons like some kind of reggae Water World... But the crew and I are definitely keen to keep it running for another decade.
Do you have plans to cultivate Island Vibes at other locations?
It's a temptation, but I find for me it's better to focus on doing Island Vibe to the best of my ability and not spread my energy to thin trying to conquer the world. Other events have tried to expand, and then inevitably end up crashing and burning.
Celebrating the tenth anniversary, you have commissioned a limited edition vinyl pressing, with the assistance of a crowdfunding campaign… what cuts have you included Rudi?
I've got one side covering a bunch of Brisbane greats: Kooii, Kingfisha, Darky Roots, Bobby Alu, Bankrupt Billionaires etc. and the other with a peppering of Mungo's Hifi, The Strides, Electric Wire Hustle and others.
What other events are planned to commemorate the tenth anniversary?
We are getting our Chakras aligned at our sibling event Island Elements the weekend before – it's a warm-up for the crew, with some great music and workshops planned.
Come the final curtain on the Sunday, what sort of celebrations will you have planned for the revellers left standing? All trails lead to the beach, right?
It's going to be DIY party time… officially we can't organise any mass, beach parties a la yesteryear… the authorities have cracked down a little. Last year there were some Brazilians having a wee jam on the dunes, unplugged under the stars, and it was sublime.
Island Vibe Festival is held 30 October until 1 November on North Stradbroke Island.
