Festival Artist Focus: Heaps Good Friends

Answered by: Nick O'Connor - bassist

Which festivals can we find you at? NYE On The Hill!

Sum up in five words your typical festival season experience. Sharpen up. Pioneer. Warm down.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve seen at a festival? All the festival people. Where do they all come from? (Sung to the tune of The Beatles for max effect.)

Name your top five essentials you can’t live without while on the festival circuit? 1. Focus. There are bands to see, people. 2. Water. 3. An ear to thought-spew in when the inspo is too much. 4. Snacks. 5. A quiet spot for recharge.

What’s been your favourite backstage moment during a festival? Waiting on my own for Die Antwoord to come out of their trailer pretending to just be chilling and looking at Gumtree. And then them coming out and me having an internal battle about what to do about it 'til they were inevitably gone. It all happened in slow motion.

What are your festivalgoer pet peeves, the things you wish people wouldn’t do at a fest? It'd be nice if everyone was chill and lovely to each other. Maybe cared a little more for the venues/staff. People can get so dang loose and that can suck for others sometimes... like get loose let's go, but slam dunk your junk in the bin sucka!

Three songs that are on your festival pump up playlist? Right now it'd be AFI (something from Black Sails In The Sunset 'cos that album is hardcore), any of Barry Harris' piano workshop videos on YouTube and Sardines by The Montreals.

Aussie weather can be a hectic force come festival season. So, if you had to choose: mud pit or dust bowl? Mud pit... I'm feeling saucy.

Which acts are you most excited to catch during your festival season? Stella Donnelly, Haiku Hands, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets. I'd like to see Ball Park and OC3EANEYES and 20 new flavours I didn't even know exist, please. Double choc.

Website for more info: heapsgoodfriends.com