Gig review: Splore 2010

BY MICHELLE COOKE

Thousands of people eagerly await the three-day music, art and nature extravaganza that is Splore.

Their only complaint is that two years is too long to wait.

The biennial Splore festival  is one of those things that once you've had a bite - you'll always go back for more.

Headline acts Lupe Fiasco and Basement Jaxx received a brilliant reception from the 6,000-strong crowd on Friday night.

The American rapper and British electronic DJ duo had most of their audience dancing from the start.

Lupe Fiasco's fans were convinced and others were converted.

Basement Jaxx lifted the energy with favourites Red Alert and Where's your head at.

 It isn't usually until the second night that the party really starts at most three-day festivals.

But performances from Lupe Fiasco and Basement Jaxx on Friday declared the party had most certainly begun and the vibe remained upbeat for the rest of the weekend.

Saturday afternoon provided a more chilled sound with African beats from Zoh Zoh and Dunedin group Six60.

Other musical acts throughout the weekend included Mikki Dee, Nickodemus, Minuit, Tahuna Breaks, Sola Rosa and Pitch Black.

But  music is only one element of the Splore experience.

The unique festival is equally about art and location.

Tapapakanga Regional Park, just over an hour's drive from Auckland, is the ultimate festival location.

The main stage is so close to the ocean's edge that it might as well be in it.

The site's rolling hills also offer the perfect setting for the visual element of Splore.

Lurking from branches above, or hidden in the grass are a variety of creations, some interactive, by New Zealand architects, sculptors, photographers and other imaginative people.

Laser beams, robots, installation work.

There was even washing hanging from the fences - for art's sake, not cleanliness.

This year's favourite was a large tree with its trunk and branches wrapped in plastic flower leis.

People were in awe.

They were also mesmerised by the Living Lounge, which had a theme of Midsummer Night's Dream on Saturday night.

A lot of people went along with the theme this year, unleashing their inner fairy.

Drag queens, burlesque dancers and aerial performers set the buzz in the Living Lounge.

Splore had truly become an adult's playground.

But for some people it was a more serious occasion.

For the first time, a marriage celebrant was on hand and more than one couple tied the knot.

Who knows what's in line for Splore 2012.

- © Fairfax NZ News