River Fest artist spotlight…The Short Fall
The 2023 edition of Rockhampton’s River Fest kicks off at the end of this month, with a huge roster of Australian artists and bands from a variety of genres. The town centre is set to come alive over three days for this Family Friendly & FREE event for a jammed packed program of Music, Art Installations, Workshops, market stalls and local food trucks. We caught up with a few of the acts on the lineup to ask them about their River Fest preparations, what can fans look forward to and who they are excited to see from the extensive lineup. First Up…The Short Fall.
You are one of the acts announced for the 2023 River Fest happening in Rockhampton from the 28th - 30th of July. Are you excited to be a part of this huge line-up of musical talent?
We can’t wait to play at the Rockhampton River Festival. Any opportunity to play in front of a big home crowd is exciting.
How do you prepare yourself for a festival event like River Fest?
We’ve been rehearsing a bunch of new songs and just getting our set list right.
What can punters expect from your upcoming performance in sunny Rockhampton?
Guitar driven indie rock. New original music, and a couple of sing-along cover songs as well.
If you could jump on stage and collab with any artist or band from the River Fest line-up, who would it be and why?
100% Delta Riggs. These guys are one of my favourite Aussie bands. Saw them live at the Triffid a few years ago and they blew me away.
What's your favourite festival memory either as a scheduled act or as an attendee?
We did the Mackay Arts Festival a few years ago and began playing one of our new originals for the first time live, and a woman in the front row started singing along to the first chorus. I freaked out so hard cos there’s NO WAY she could have known it beforehand. I almost stopped the song to ask her how TF did she know the words?
Another fav is The Village Festival in Yeppoon a few years ago we had a massive jam session at the local pub, The Strand with a bunch of the artists that played that year including Darren Middleton from Powderfinger. It was so organic and fun and lasted for hours into the night.
“Come out and support local music and be sure to stick around to watch The Delta Riggs rip it up after us!”
Do you find festivals are a good way to expand your fanbase as you can showcase your music to people who haven’t heard you before?
I think festivals are one of the best ways to win over new fans – people are there to listen to live music, so I think they appreciate new music more in that context. If they fall in love with your live show, then they’re much more likely to become long term fans.
What’s the one song from your catalogue that you HAVE to include in a festival set?
Our new single Looking Over My Shoulder.
Do you have a message for the attendees that are coming to see you play at River Fest?
We’ve got some brand-new original music that we’re really excited to play live – the new songs are catchy indie rock anthems that I hope our home crowd will enjoy. Come out and support local music and be sure to stick around to watch The Delta Riggs rip it up after us!
For more information : www.rockhamptonriverfestival.com.au
Interview by Michelle Symes
July 2023