Stanthorpe Rocks is only in its third year, but this year promises to be bigger and better.
Taking place 14-15 November, the festival is doubling its audience capacity at the picturesque Ballendean Estate Wines vineyard. The Festival's Managing Director, Ian Wade-Parker began SlyDogz events with his wife Karyn when they moved to Stanthorpe after 21 years on the Gold Coast. “It was a bit of a lifestyle change, and we saw the opportunity to do something.”
Ian's previous career as a chef saw him thrust into the entertainment business. After working in executive chef positions at Movie World, Big Day Out and the Indy 300, it was no wonder he thrived in the entertainment business. “The music side of things for me has always been a passion. Unfortunately I’m not a musician, but I’ve always appreciated it.”
The couple saw a gap in the market for festival goers over the age of 40, who know how to let their hair down but prefer to do it on their terms. “You get to a certain point in life where you're not going to rough it anymore – you want the finer, better things in life.”
This year’s festival promises to deliver a culinary smorgasbord, with fresh produce from local vendors being served at the International Food Village. “You go to a lot of places where the food is not the promoters area that they really specialise in or really care a lot about. But being a chef, I do. You won’t see any junk food at any of our events. It’s all restaurant-quality food.”
The new addition of The Rocks View restaurant this year will offer a unique dining experience for festival goers, complete with views of the main stage. “You can sit down, have your two-course meal served to you by waitstaff that's cooked for you fresh on the spot, have your glass of wine, but you can still watch the concert.”
Headlined by Jon Stevens, Ross Wilson, Daryl Braithwaite, Taxiride, The Eurogliders and more, Stanthorpe Rocks knows exactly who its audience is. “We're taking people on a nostalgic trip back to when they were 18 and hitting the pubs in Melbourne, Sydney, wherever. These are all the big bands we would see.”
Ian also places an emphasis on affordability. “Instead of spending hundreds of dollars on a corporate suite, which is something we do offer, you can still go into the restaurant and get restaurant service with a general admission ticket.”
On-site camping will also be introduced this year for those wanting to pitch a tent, caravan or similar.
The influx of visitors booking accommodation in Stanthorpe associated with the festival has seen positive growth in the Granite Belt region. “Last year’s event pumped 1.5 million dollars into the area. We've turned a weekend in November where accommodation places were running at about 10 to 15 per cent to now overflowing. We're seeing those benefits flow into Tenterfield and Warwick and beyond.”
With the headline acts happening on the Saturday, the Sunday programme will leave room for local talent to entertain patrons for a relaxed market-style ‘rock recovery’ day. “Sunday we're really wanting to show off our local talent – we've also got that available on the Saturday in the beer garden. [Local bands] are usually playing very small gigs in front of 50 people. There'll be some local acts on the Saturday playing in front of 4,000 people.”
With the unprecedented success of Stanthorpe Rocks, SlyDogz have taken the festival on the road to other regional areas. Charters Rocks is happening in early September and Rocky Rocks and Roma Rocks are scheduled for 2016. Local bands to the region are encouraged to apply via the website for their chance to play at Stanthorpe Rocks or other SlyDogz events.
Stanthorpe Rocks takes place at Ballandean Estate Wines 14-15 November.
