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| Photo by Dave Vann |
The Hangout Music Festival Interviews
Part One
Huka Entertainment's AJ Niland
Huka Entertainment's AJ Niland grew up in a household filled with sports. In fact, Niland comes from a long lineage of collegiate basketball coaches.
But even as a child, he followed music closely.
He even predicted the idea of something like the Hangout Festival as a youngster.
AJ: I can recall going to shows and festivals when I was very young. I definitely got the bug very early on. My parents tell me that when I was watching Woodstock in the early nineties that I mentioned I was going to produce a festival. I don't recall that, but I definitely got into this business because of my young musical influences. I am very grateful to my parents for being cool enough to let me go around and experience music in a live setting. The live show experience to me was always more exciting than buying a record. That's not to say I wouldn't get excited about a new record, but the anticipation of the spring and summer tour definitely got my juices flowing more than the new release. Those three to four hours of a live show are just heaven on earth.
Long Term Goals of the Hangout
AJ: When we made the decision to do this, we also decided that this was a long term plan. We hope to be here 20 years from now. That's how we plan, that's how we budget and spend.
On the city of Gulf Shores
AJ: They deserve a giant token of credit. The Mayor Robert Craft and Grant Brown, the police chief, the fire chief, they have all been incredible. This will be our fifth event since the oil spill. We produced a series of economic development concerts here on the beach as a way to spur some economic growth because of so much negative press from the oil spill. This is a tourist based economy and we were able to spread some good will together to this area on behalf of the city's involvement.
From the moment we brought the idea of The Hangout (Festival) to the city, we have had a tremendous relationship. I have to tip my hat to these people and will wave the flag of Gulf Shores proudly. The officials take a strong stance for the citizens. The people there have had the foresight and bravery to take a chance and partner with us and allow us to do it. There is a huge responsibility on our end to protect this city because they allow us to put on this festival.
The Process of a Full Scale Festival
AJ: It's an everyday thing. We're constantly working on something with this festival. For the first year, you'd like to start out with 18 months to plan. We had the luxury of six months before last year, and this year we had 12. At this point, we've managed to take the extra time and fill it with new stuff, so it doesn't feel like we've had any extra time actually.
In terms of booking, its a year-round process as well. You're relying on the information about who's touring and who dug the festival last year and how much they talked about it. It's a constant dialogue, almost 24/7.
How Many People are Involved with The Hangout Festival?
It's upwards of 1,000 people who are involved in this festival. One of the biggest challenges of producing an event like this is keeping all the parts informed and moving forward. There is a structure that keeps it moving but it's a constantly evolving process and there are a lot of moving parts.
Lineup
AJ: We are stoked. From year one we set out to be as diverse as we possibly could. And this year we were able to pull that off in a big way. We want to bring in bigger acts every year. And from year one to year two, I think we took an extra step that I didn't know we would and as music fans, we are definitely excited.
Niland added a bit about how Huka was able to nab such a talented roster for year two. “The attention that was brought to the oil spill was a big factor. The biggest thing was that the artists that played here last year really loved it. We would run into artists six-months down the road and they would tell us how much they enjoyed playing on the beach. That's when we knew we had something cool going on. The artists that we bring in tour almost constantly and I don't know how much vacation time they get. So for them to be able to spend three days or so on the beach, I can see why they would enjoy it. I think that word of mouth inside the music community played a big part in the growth from the first year to this one."
We've covered a lot of festivals and we can't remember the artists having a better time on stage. Why do you think that was the case?
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| OK GO from the 2010 Hangout Festival |
AJ: It's the environment. It's the beach. It's not something that we could create. I can't even come close to taking the credit for that because it has nothing to do with us. I didn't get to see much last year, but there were a couple of moments where I was able to catch a set...During the Black Crowes, Gov't Mule and Rodrigo y Gabriela sets...these were some of the best sets I've ever seen these bands play. I was standing on the stage from their point of view and looking out over than crowd and the sand and the waves crashing. I really think there is this amazing spirit that injects itself into the experience.
Artists additions
AJ: It's gonna be as diverse as the first announce. There’s gonna be more indie acts, more rock acts, couple more hip-hop acts, more female soul acts and some more dubstep stuff as well. It'll be another diverse group of artists, probably 10-15 additional acts, maybe 20.
Tickets in the Mail
AJ: It's gonna be about 30-45 days before the festival. Unfortunately, one of the things you have to think about is scalpers. Tickets are safeguarded this way. It's one of those things that hurts the fans who want tickets so much.
Who designs the artwork and the atmosphere
AJ: Our lead designer is Lilly Zislan. She has never had any stake in the festival scene, but she stepped up to the plate and hit a home run last year. There will be more added to the festival this year.
Who are you looking forward to seeing most
AJ: Paul Simon. I just can't imagine how “Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes” and “Call Me Al” is going to sound on the beach with that setting. I think it's going to be magical. I'm hoping to see a few more shows this year. I'm also looking forward to The Flaming Lips and their crazy show on the beach and The Black Keys, but being able to book Paul Simon this year was huge for me as much as it was for other fans.
The Schedule
AJ: The additions will be announced in the next week or two and the schedule will follow about two weeks after that. End of March, early April.
Day Passes?
AJ: The festival experience in general is supposed to be about the sum of the parts and the ability to catch a whole weekend of music. We need to sell out our weekend passes to catch back up and the first priority is going to be for those who are ready, willing and able to make the trip down for the entire weekend. And the response so far has been very good.
Crew's Festival Experience
AJ: Even in year one, our team had tremendous festival experience. Little touches make a huge difference. Some of the guys are in their 30th or 40th year producing these big events, so their help is tremendous.
Late night sets
AJ: Everything that is on the poster is included in the festival. When we make the next artist announce we are going to announce the late night headliners. Those will be ticketed events that will happen in and around the festival site. They will occur inside the Hangout restaurant and in the new tent. And it's the same size tent that you'd see at any of the other festivals. Tickets will be between $15-$35 at the most. When you're doing a camping festival and there are people on site 24/7, there's obviously a difference in the ticket price from what they are charging and what we are charging because all of that 24-hour-a-day stuff is included in the ticket.
Shuttles
AJ: Gulf Shores is now sold out but Orange Beach is essentially the same community (five miles away). We have shuttles for the majority of the day running east and west along the beach for about ten miles and all the way into Foley, AL. It's upgraded from last year and we were able to dial it in through the big shows we did for the coast restoration over the summer. It also runs to the State Park Camp Ground if folks want to get a ride to the festival from there. There will be a small fee and they can either do it per-ride or get a weekend wristband. It will run from before the festival starts well into the night each day.
Credit
AJ: There are a lot of unsung heroes on this task. Everybody from the top to the bottom has had a big part in making this happen. Chris Sorely handles production and makes sure all the lighting and miscellaneous things are in place and Dave Reese is responsible for setting up the festival itself. Everything from fence lines to where the port-a-johns are and how close they are to the bars. Everybody brings a tremendous amount of knowledge and respect for the fans.
New to Hangout Fest 2011
AJ: There's gonna be a lagoon, Hammock Beach, some new trees. We may be able to add a pool. Ferris wheel is coming back. There's also a sky-bar, which will be 30 feet in the air where people can enjoy a nice panoramic view of their surroundings. We've added a fifth stage which will be inside an air-conditioned dance tent for late night sets. So there will be more DJ, hip-hop and dance acts there along with phenomenal production (lights, etc.).
There are tons of small things too, but with the hope of increased attendance, we've redone our lay out a bit without losing what made it special last year. There will be more space to move around also, and there are going to be some nice surprises that people are really going to enjoy.
By Rusty Odom
What d'ya think?
Interview courtesy of BLANK Newspaper in Knoxville, TN. www.blanknews.com
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