Nowhere we'd rather be
Words by Alex Hallifax & Java Katzur.
Images by Alex Hallifax, Frankie Finnigan, and Java Katzur.
Our fourth stop on the Yo Vocal tour was Welcome to Nowhere - an intimate, independent festival somewhere outside of Whanganui. Java, Frankie, and Alex, the crew on the scene, were all Welcome to Nowhere first-timers, and we were excited to step into the unknown.
The landscape was tiered from Old Man’s Hill to the lagoon with many stops along the way, including the Camp Stage, merch tent, Mouthfull art space, Main Stage, and Poetry Stage. I really take my hat off to this small two-stage festival which had, would you believe it, four areas for wellness and harm prevention, including a tent for harm reduction, first aid, general wellness and the ‘Know Your Stuff’ team. I realised that my definition of a festival community was nothing on the environment created by the Welcome to Nowhere team. With an attendance totalling 600, intimacy and connection with strangers became an inevitable aspect of the festival experience.
A highlight for us all was the ‘zines handed out upon arrival: a full artist, poet, and comedian run-down accompanied by a map of the space. A useful reference during the weekend turned special keepsake post-festival. The festival really kicked off Saturday morning with a camp welcome. Much like Tora, the chance to come together and set a kaupapa gave the people power to uphold respect for the whenua and each other, which was reflected during the weekend as rubbish was picked up judgement of others was nowhere to be seen.
Welcome to Nowhere introduced us to some of our new favourite bands, including Mystery Waitress, Dick Move, and Soft Plastics. Thirty-minute sets meant we were able to enjoy and discover lots of new music during the weekend. There were a variety of genres to choose from with no common denominator in sound. Instead, the musicians were bound because they were either local, independent or from the New Zealand underground. Apart from performing, the artists were just as excited to be attending, making for a cosy atmosphere. The Mouthfull tent was one such snug space. We’ve been lucky enough to encounter this crew at most of our festival stops and can now confidently call them friends. Their tent provides a welcoming oasis from the festival music, a place to slow down and enjoy or create art. This magical little corner of the land was lit up come darkness with colourful lights. There were always people writing, painting, playing cards, and having a kōrero there.
We’re really grateful to the Mouthfull team for the work that goes into fostering and encouraging this kind of environment; it added a lot to the festival as a whole. We can’t recap on the essence of Welcome to Nowhere without mentioning the lagoon. A muddy, magical swimming hole that provided refreshment and relief from the sun. The swimming hole was the first on our to-do list every morning. As the weekend progressed, more and more people felt comfortable to swim freely, with or without togs. It felt like a space in which you could truly escape the expectations and restrictions of the city.
Aside from music, poetry was performed on the brink of the lagoon late Sunday afternoon. Hundreds crowded the small space to listen. It was a highlight of the festival—truly fantastic poetry across the board. We particularly enjoyed Freya Daly Sadgrove and Rhegan Tu’akoi. Comedy shows also graced us both days. It really was my favourite kind of festival, entertainment for all the senses. And as we woke up on Monday morning with the sun streaming into the van and birds chirping outside before the morning chatter of the campsite started, we felt refreshed, having had a break from city life. The music and entertainment, seeing new and old friends, and enjoying a couple of swims, had filled our souls. Not to mention the massage workshop and yoga we’d done.
We boiled water for one last coffee, packed everything in the van, started the engine, and said goodbye to nowhere. All our gratitude to the festival planners and artists that showed up. Thank you for having us.