With Sydney Festival finally announcing its 2010 lineup, they’ve once again delivered a truly eclectic group of musicians, who’ll be entertaining Sydneysiders in a variety of unique venues. What continues to amaze me is just how impressive these line-ups are, year after year – it helps, of course, that we are provided with artists who may have never travelled down here otherwise. And to the rest of the country: you just might receive a few “sideshows,” too, if you’re lucky!
But who is responsible for making this happen? While it’s no doubt a collective effort, I recently had the opportunity to chat to the individual who wears most of this responsibility: Kristy Pinder – Sydney Festival’s Program Manager, and recent WAMi recipient, who was snapped up for the 2010 edition after a 5 year stint in the same position with the successful West Coast equivalent: Perth International Arts Festival (PIAF). And boy did she deliver.
You’ll be pleased to read that this is someone who loves live music, and her job. And by “pleased” I of course mean “jealous”. But rest assured – we’re in safe hands.
Here’s the interview in full.
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Larry: Firstly, I’d like to talk about your history in the music industry, which in short, seems to have ticked just about every box possible in a relatively short amount of time. However, you’ve remained in the position of Festival Program Manager for the last 6 years, I believe, with this being your first in Sydney?
Kristy: Yeah, that’s right
So what attracted you to this position, and what’s kept you stickin’ around?
I was always, as an audience member of the Perth festival, really curious about the way they built custom venues, to present artists that wouldn’t have come to Perth any other way. And as my role as an agent, we had sold bands to the Perth festival, and I had really enjoyed that experience.
So I guess when I got that job, and was on the other side, I had found it to be everything I wanted it to be! It’s a really privileged position, to be able to hand pick the artists that tour Australia in Summer – and to always be creative about trying to find what’s niche about the event – keeping its presentation in an arts festival different to why the acts wouldn’t have played on any of the other big Summer music festivals.
On that note, Sydney Festival, as well as PIAF, are well known for collecting an incredibly eclectic group of artists; this year being no exception. How does it remain possible to keep your finger on the pulse of the international music scene year after year – to keep it interesting, to keep it fresh?
I guess you certainly get a bit reserved about finding those unique acts, there’s always one act in the program that people are like “really, you want to tour them?” Well, yeah, because it’s based on amazing reviews of their live shows… I guess over the years you develop a network of contacts of other music enthusiasts, and you can trade information that way.
Do you think that the jobs that you’ve had prior, from managing bands like Jebadiah, to sitting on the WAM board, has that helped you in achieving these sort of lineups?
Yeah, absolutely. I guess my history in management has given me a real empathy for artists. I spent a lot of time around them. It also gives you a network of contacts with artist management, as well as with agents and promoters. So, it helps you create experiences that you know the artists are going to enjoy, that stand it apart from them playing in a venue that exists the rest of the year around, or from another music festival. So yeah, it’s all the skills that help you in pitching and positioning your festival as the best possible performance for that artist to do.
In having venues like the City Recital Hall and the Spiegeltent, does that help you convince bands to come down here?
As part of the job in Sydney, that’s one of the things I’m blessed with – these amazing venues. Especially those two. The City Recital Hall, there’s not a lot of bands that play there the rest of the year, so artists like Grizzly Bear and Neko Case, if they’re given the opportunity to play in those venues, as well as in the context of the festival, then they can identify that it’s a once-in-a-year or lifetime opportunity for their show in Australia.
Is there anyone, either for next years festival or in the past, that you still look at, despite all this and go, “I really can’t believe we ACTUALLY got them down here!”
Actually, the first gig that I ever booked for Perth, is my favourite story. At the time I was in love with a band called The Shins, and when I got the job, of course the first band that you think of to book, is whatever your favourite is at the time. I remember saying to my boyfriend – “I’m going to book The Shins”, and he’s like – “As If!” – and I guess that spurred me on to do what eventually happened, where they opened my first night at our Beck’s bar, at the Perth festival.
We had this amazing venue which is called The Veranda, a terrace one floor up looking over the Swan River, quite amazing, capturing all that custom built, outdoor under the stars, that the Beck’s bar in Sydney has too – but I remember just sitting up on the couch, watching The Shins soundcheck as the sun was setting over the Swan River – and there was me and the production crew alone in the venue and I was like, “okay, this is my new job!”
That’s certainly a great way to start it, isn’t it?
Yep, that definitely set the benchmark.
I bet. Have you ever come close to matching that experience?
Hmm, that’s a good question. I worked with Rufus Wainwright, and that was in Western Australia as well. It was a pretty extraordinary show to be a part of. And Sydney Festival, I’m sure, there’s lots of potential.
Who are you most looking forward to seeing and sharing with the rest of Sydney?
Grizzly Bear in the Recital Hall, I think will be extraordinary, I can’t wait to be sitting in that venue, with those acoustics, and just having those songs wash over us. But the other show which is something I’ve personally been working on for a long time is the Hal Willner show, Rogues Gallery. I got to see that show in London, and I think that outdoors on the (Opera House) forecourt, with the sea air, and the ships passing by, I think that’s got all the ingredients to be one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments.
Yeah, I was going to mention this production. I personally consider it to be the highlight of the festival. How did it come about, especially getting people such as Tim Robbins on board for the one-off show?
The history of the show is that it’s a concert version of a compilation 2-disc CD, which had a pretty extraordinary list of names on there (Note: Bono, Lou Reed, Bryan Ferry, Andre Corr, and Sting were among the artists to appear on the 43 track set). And it was put together as a tour that went around the UK. And when I went along to the show at the Barbican in London, Tim Robbins was a part of that performance.
Before that, I hadn’t realised he was a musician – but he has got a great voice, and can play guitar, and I guess just having someone like that on stage, being an extraordinary actor, he’s got a lot of stage presence, which definitely adds something to the show.
So I work directly with the Barbican and Hal Wilner, and we have a pool of artists that we all agree on and work through, and we have an invitation process – so for the brochure we’ve announced 9 names, and there’s roughly another 9 to come, which we’re hoping to announce in early December.
Do you feel there are some surprises in that?
Yeah, absolutely – I think it’ll be one of the most eclectic lineups ever thrown together on the one stage! Some amazing folk artists like Norma Waterson, through to Tim Robbins, as an actor – and there’s plenty of other surprises. A bit of indie rock.
As you are someone who’s well on the pulse of everything going on in music today, who should everyone be listening to right now?
The disc that’s getting the high rotation at the moment is a band called The Low Anthem – I reckon they could be next year’s Bon Iver or Grizzly Bear.
And we all have our own reasons to love live music, but what attracts you to the experience?
I think it’s just that thing of a great live performance – you can’t bottle it up, you can’t package it, you can’t release it on a CD, or a DVD – you have to be there to experience it – and I think that you’re always on the hunt for that live experience that’s transcendental – that bolts you to the spot that you’re standing in, and makes you forget everything else that’s going on.
I couldn’t agree with you more! On a final note, as I’m speaking with someone with as much experience in the industry as you – Who I have to mention was recently awarded with the 2009 Golden WAMi.
I know! It’s such an honour. The first female to win that award.
Ah, I didn’t realise that – Congratulations! On that note, my final question for you today is, what advice would you pass along to people who are looking to get into the Music Industry in Australia?
I guess I’ve always been prepared to work really hard for people and artists that I’m passionate about – and that’s really what set me on my course. I actually studied environmental science, so I don’t have the boxes ticked in terms of studying and what I ended up working in, but what I did to get into this industry, was actually be a super enthusiastic and thorough poster girl, *laughs* that was where my launching pad for this industry was.
I actually started putting up posters for Jebadiah, (while I) was studying at the University of Western Australia, where at the time there was a really big local music scene – so I guess it’s looking for the small opportunities as well. If you’ve got friends that are in bands, and you’re really passionate about them, then that’s a good a place as any to start. And just keep an eye out for your dream job in the paper or online!
Kristy, thank you very much for your time and speaking with us at the AU review. Best of luck with the festival!
Thanks Larry!
Visit our Festival Guide or their Official Website for more Sydney Festival Buzz.
Kristy’s photo taken by Prudence Upton and used with permission.
