Let’s get Homegrown

Kiwi’s are great creatives. The proof is in the Marmite, No. 8 Wire, the bungy and our music is no different. Homegrown is New Zealand’s biggest love fest for Kiwi sounds. This Saturday, 45 acts and all five stages will be packed with Kiwi goodness – 2018 is going to be massive! Homegrown is a sell-out event, so knowing you’re getting amongst it, that’s a treat in itself.

Welly’s waterfront transforms into an ode to Kiwi music on the 7th of April and we’re ready to sit back, open our ears and take in the picturesque harbour backdrop that comes around once a year.

Let’s do the rounds of the beats and eats available for our listening and eating pleasure.

Dub & Roots Stage

Beats:

Shapeshifter – Hailing from Christchurch, Shapeshifter is headlining with heavy soul blended with drum and bass.

Fat Freddy’s Drop – Their musical style has been characterised as any combination of dub, reggae, soul, jazz, rhythm and blues, and techno. Wellington’s own and frequenters on the Europe music scene, the self-proclaimed ‘seven-headed soul monster’ is not to be missed.

Kora – Recently working space funk and dubstep elements into their sound, the five man group consisting of four brothers and another man called Dan, have been active longer than I’ve been alive – for good reason.

Eats:

• Chiwi –  paella and calamari
• Beat Kitchen – roasted lamb and pulled pork burgers
• The Greek Food Truck – souvlaki and pita
• Dukes of Sandwich – gourmet sandwiches
• Churro Express

Rock Stage

Beats:

Elemeno-P  – For me, Elemeno P oozes nostalgia from when I listened to them back in Intermediate School as I went through my very Vanilla ‘rock phase’. 90’s kids, prepare to belt out ‘Fast Times in Tahoe’ and ‘Verona’, without any trouble remembering the lyrics.  

The Feelers – Dangerously close to qualifying as a national institution after 17 years of New Zealand hits and touring.

Eats:

• Dutchy’s Burger Joint – Charcoal grill burgers (vegetarian too)
• Fritz’s Weiner – German sausages

Lab Stage

Beats:

David Dallas – Influenced by Snoop’s – Doggystyle, Mobb Deep – The Infamous, Jay-Z – The Dynasty, Dallas’ rapping career kicked off when, as a computer science student, he featured on the remix of Scribe’s Not Many in 2003, and is now making headlines in his own right.

Stan Walker – Alright Australia, we’ll share this one with ya. Stan bravely takes the stage after recent health battles and we are so here for it.

Eats:

• La Boca Loca – Mexican tacos, Indonesian street food
• Fritz’s Weiner – German sausages
  

City Stage

Beats:

Dave Dobbyn – It doesn’t get more Kiwi than this. We’ll just leave this here.

Eats:

• Garuda: Indonesian street food
• Elemental Eats – Kumara crusted pies with gluten and dairy free, paleo, vegetarian and vegan options
  

Electronic Stage

Beats:
State of Mind ft MC Woody – You know what, anyone that cites The Venga Boys and David Hasselhoff as their influence – we are all about it. The Drum and Duo frequently record and perform with MC Woody, who is best described as a cheeky, crowd mover with hip hop flows, quirky antics, and a quick tongue.

There you have it, a quick squiz over what Welly can expect tomorrow from Homegrown 2018, bring your thirst for Jim Beam and have a bloody good day!

words by chris lee