9 Weeks Out. Meet Adele.

9 weeks to go…

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, this blog post is the best yet. We meet Adele and talk FESTIVAL SUNDAY BANDS!

Extraciting!

Hi Adele, introduce yourself please.

I’m Adele, the Festival Producer. I’m in charge of bringing all the different bits of the Festival together to make a program. I also manage the magnificent Festival team.

Aha - check that: “magnificent”. Nice one.

How many St Kilda Festivals have you worked on?

Six so far. Four as producer and the first two I was the Festival Administrator.

How many St Kilda Festivals have you been to?

I grew up in St Kilda and over the 30 years it’s been running, have been to every one – except perhaps the first one when I was 2. My parents can’t remember if they took me or not.

And when you went, did you ever imagine you’d be producing it?

No I never imagined that I would be. Actually I don’t think I ever really thought about who or how it was produced. I thought it just happened.

So, when you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A rock star.

I still might be on one day.

Yes, it’d be so good being a rock star.

Ok ok – the information we’ve all been waiting for…. who’s playing on Festival Sunday?

……The amazing TIM FINN!

The wonderful KIMBRA. 

One of my idols, PARIS WELLS.

The exciting HUNGRY KIDS OF HUNGARY…

We still have lots of secrets up our sleeves.

I’m really looking forward to Tim Finn, singing songs I’ve sung all my life – there’s nothing better than a St Kilda Festival sing-a-long.

Correct – better than spending 6 months in a leaky boat I imagine.

What other secrets can you let us in on?

I’ve been working with a huge number of activity and community groups, putting together a huge range of things (aside from music) for people to see & do around the site.

Highlights?

So many…

Yalukit Willam Ngargee on the 5^th Feb which has a super strong line up plus a sunset ceremony I’ve been hearing about for months and can’t wait to see.

Live N Local’s getting better and better every year. This year there’ll be over 90 bands performing during the week.

There’ll be a free screening of muranduk – a film about the Black Arm Band’s global tour in O’Donnell Gardens on Fri 11 Feb.

The Hare Krishnas will be reintroducing the Ratha Yatra Parade to Melbourne for the first time since the 70’s.

We’re bringing Skimboarding to St Kilda beach – it’s like a cross between snowboarding and skateboarding, in shallow water.

Keep checking our website as we release more programming information…

Oh, for the first time on Festival Sunday – we have a DanceZone featuring everything from Zumba to cha cha, hip hop and swing.

Ooo will you be there dancing?

I’d love to be, but will be too busy for much dancing.

What do you do on Festival Sunday?

I have to be in about 45 places at once.  I try to see every band playing and check in on each activity I’ve worked with programming. I need to spend time with our VIPs – showing them round and making sure they’re all enjoying themselves. I also do interviews – like this one.

This interview is much more important though.

And I talk a lot on radio, make sure there are no problems I may have to deal with, which there never are.

Do you get nervous before the Festival?

For about the first 30 seconds when I wake up on Festival Sunday. Not before, not after. It’s excited/nervous.

And I know that at the end of the day I’ll get to stand and watch the crowds leaving,  everyone’s had fun and we’ve pulled it off another year.

Ahhh yay! Can’t wait.

Goodbye Adele. Happy Friday!