Heading out to Townsville’s top music festival this weekend? We have all the tips you need to survive the day.

By Kristen Mathiesen

Townville’s biggest social event of the season is fast approaching and the word on everyone’s lips is ‘Groovin’, but what do first time Moo-ers need to know?

You’ve got your ticket and your outfit sorted. You’ve got a couple of pre-Groovin’ parties lined up to get you into that festival spirit. You’re ready to let loose and dance the day away. But what have you forgotten? We’ve got your back; here is a list of essentials that you may not have thought to take.

We guarantee these items will get you through the day and well into the night.

FESTIVAL FEVER: The set time list for Townsville’s GTM.

Sunscreen – The festival venue doesn’t offer much in the way of shade so heed the advice of the Sun Mum and lather up.

Hat and Sunglasses – Townsville is synonymous with sunshine, keep this in mind when packing your festival survival kit. Remember cheap is best so you don’t have to stress about loosing or breaking your favourite sunnies while breaking it down to Disclosure. Also, Crazy Clarkes does a mean $4 sombrero!

Comfy shoes – Comfortable shoes are a must! You are going to be on your feet for the better half of a day so put on the comfiest pair of dancing shoes you have at your disposal. Closed-in is always best to protect your feet from overzealous festival-goers in the mosh.

Poncho or Raincoat – There is always a chance it could rain. Leave your bulky umbrellas at home and opt for something small and lightweight like a raincoat or a poncho. After all, it’s impossible to be unhappy in a poncho.

Water – You’re rocking out front row at Karnivool but the dust kicked up by the mosh pit is wreaking havoc on your lungs, you don’t want to miss the end of their set just to go find some water. Aah, but what’s this? The handy bottle of water you packed for such an occasion, thanks past self! Trust me, you are going to want to consume a lot of water. Save time and money by taking your own bottle which you can refill as needed at the water stations provided.

Cash – Probably the one thing I always forget and the one thing you need the most. If you want to purchase food, drinks, merchandise, or anything, you will need cash! There will be an ATM on site but we already know what that line is going to look like. Save yourself the stress of having to borrow cash from friends by thinking in advance and taking your own.

Snacks – It has to be said that you are probably going to be caught up having so much fun that you are going to forget to eat. Or you may wander past a food vendor but be put off by the length of those lines. Pack yourself some snacks to get you through the afternoon. Mixed nuts, fruit, protein bars, etc. are all a quick energy fix to keep you dancing through the night.

Earplugs – If loud music isn’t your thing, or you simply want to protect those delicate ears of yours, a pair of earplugs can never go astray.

Vitamins – This is not so important during the festival but remember to maintain your vitamin intake before and after Groovin to best protect yourself from Festival Fever.

Lastly, remember to take a good attitude. As sweet as the line-up is, your festival experience will only be as good as you make it.

Festival Details:

When – Sunday 4^th May, 2014. Gates open 10.30am.

Where – Murray Sports Complex, Annandale QLD 4814.

You can buy your tickets online through MOSHTIX or through selected independent outlets. Tickets are $99.90 + booking fee. Please visit www.gtm.net.au for more information.

Over 40’s filled Tony Ireland Stadium on October 20 for a rock concert to prove to the world they weren’t too old to dance.

ROCK ON: Founder and inspiration Richard Fuller shows he’s still got it when it comes to appreciating bands and good ‘ole rock and roll.

By Laura McKee

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Siskin River stopped by to perform their unique blend of folk and blues at Townsville’s Full Throttle theatre last week.

JCNN’s Rebekah Smith caught up with the girls after the show to discuss performing, festivals and a new album.

Sisters Tullara and Shalane Connors delighted a small but dedicated audience with songs from their EP and a debut song played especially for Townsville fans.

The talented duo added an unexpected element to their performance, breaking into a tap dancing routine halfway through the aptly-titled song, ‘One Step at a Time.’

Siskin River have slowly built a reputation for themselves since releasing their first EP in May.

“We’re onto our second print now – it’s been really nice having something to give to people,” Tullara said.

With an album set for release in 2013, the duo are preparing to head back to the studio.

Shalane (pictured right) said she hoped their previous recording experience will pay off.

“We’ve only done it once, and I actually found it quite difficult, but we’ll be doing that again soon, so the next time around, it’ll go a lot smoother,” she said.

The Connor sisters both said they  preferred live shows to studio work.

“It’s just a different atmosphere when you have a crowd, you feed off the crowd.

“It’s a lot more fun but recording is a blast as well, hopefully next time around we can do it more live, so to speak,” Tullara said.

Live shows seem to suit Siskin River, with their soulful vocals and intricate guitar riffs captivating audiences.

Influences such as John Butler, Mama Kin, Gilian Welch and The Waifs are clearly evident in their music.

Shalane, who is the main vocalist, said they drew inspiration from personal experiences, folk stories and “obscure ideas”. The song ‘Sex and Fairytales’ is a prime example of their song writing ingenuity.

Raising their profile through travelling, Siskin River said Townsville was one of their favourite destinations. However, they prefer festivals to stand alone gigs.

“It’s more [about the] events than places I think,” Shalane said.

With festivals lined up, including the Festival of the Sun in Port Macquarie this December, Siskin River have a very busy few months ahead of them.

Find out more about the band’s music on their website or their Facebook page.

Townsville stepped out in their finest on September 15 for the second annual Nostalgia Festival.

By Stephanie Waller with material by Sophie Kesteven

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.    It was a disappointing weekend for Townville’s Full Noise fans after the festival, planned for the October long weekend, was cancelled in July.

By Paula Willis

FESTIVAL FEVER: The iconic Full Noise bus wasn’t around town this year

Full Noise founders Mark and Karl Vass had to pull the plug on the event in May after their plan to attract international artists fell through.

“We were working with another touring company to bring some international acts, and we had to launch by the start of July, so it was a timing thing,” Mark Vass said.

Despite having homegrown acts already lined up, the Vass brothers said they didn’t want to continue the event without some new talent to excite the audience.

“We couldnt get the quality acts that the Full Noise punters deserve,” Mark Vass said.

JCU student Zinzan Clements said he wished Groovin the Moo wasn’t the only big festival held in Townsville this year.

The self-proclaimed festival fanatic supported Full noise for the last three years and said he was looking forward to the festival all year.

“It’s a shame Full Noise was put off this year because it’s one of those awesome events where everyone ditches work for the weekend to have a good time with their mates,” he said.

Last year’s festival featured freestyle motocross and the Full Noise ‘bridge split’ – a walkway that allowed partygoers to carry their drinks across to other stages.

Mr Vass said next year’s festival at the new venue, Ried Park, will have more packed into the day.

ORGANISERS: Mark Vass (right) with the Full Noise crew

“We like to make it more than a stage on the grass, but we still need people to give us feedback and ideas on our website,” he said.

“I love seeing the joy on everyone’s faces when they are out there.”

“The feeling of satisfaction when you see how much everyone loves it is the highlight of the whole thing. It makes you forget all the hard work you’ve done.”

Fresh from his recent performance in Cairns, up and coming North Queensland rapper Jordan Oliver sat down for a chat with JCNN.

BIG BREAK: Jordan Oliver’s single All I Need helped him break into the Australian hip-hop scene

By Joel Preston

Sitting alone in a dimly lit room, feeling the crushing weight of defeat and disappointment, Jordan Oliver picked up a pen and started writing.

He didn’t dwell on what troubled him – instead he focused on what kept him motivated to write and perform. His pride.

Fast-track four years later and the song he penned that day has been heard by thousands across Australia and allowed Jordan to perform across the country.

His single, All I Need featuring Libby Morrell, was his big break and made Oliver’s entry into the Australian music scene official.

After years of rejection by record companies, the 21-year-old North Queensland hip-hop artist signed an independent label with Sydney-based record company Rayzor Records. He said this milestone was just what he needed to get his name out into the industry.

“I was sending my demos away to a lot of people and they didn’t want to hear me,” Oliver said.

“Most people replied saying I needed to perfect my craft.

“I started feeling down, so I wrote the song All I Need and sent it out to Rayzor Records.”

Oliver originally sent the demo to Rayzor Records hoping that he could perform as a support act to Demetrius Savelio (the rapper Savage).

He was asking for the music company to “please listen to me”, and couldn’t believe his luck when he got a call from Rayzor Records co-founder Ray Daniel a week later with an offer.

“He said, ‘I’ve been listening to your music. Unfortunately Savage is out of the country, but we have an independent label, do you want to sign for it?’,” Oliver said.

“He ended up liking it, so he sent me a contract and I signed it. Then he flew me to Sydney to record my EP.”

Rayzor Records remixed, remastered and added a new percussion track to Oliver’s original piece before flying him down to record the music clip for All I Need.

Oliver said he found the filming experience full on, but the team ‘rolled with the punches’ and produced an industry quality video clip.

“We shot the clip over two days without many breaks and it was pretty stressful,” he said.

“There was a lot of stopping and starting, we shot about eight hours of footage and condensed it into three-and-a-half minutes.”

Oliver performed All I Need and other songs to an audience of 3000 people in Cairns, his hometown, in August.

“The crowd was really good, everyone seemed like they were really enjoying themselves,” he said.

“Just the smiles on people’s faces, you know, is good enough for me.”

HIP-HOP: Oliver has a massive following in Cairns, his hometown, but hopes to make a name for himself in Sydney and Brisbane

It was the thrill of performing in front of an audience that pushed Oliver towards writing and performing hip-hop songs.

“My first show was at Brother’s Leagues Club when I was 14,” he said.

“Just seeing the crowd’s response, everyone applauding and supporting, made me happy.

“And that’s when I said, ‘that’s what I want to do, I want to be a rapper’.

“When I was 12 years old, I used to go to Graft ‘N’ Arts which was held along Sheridan Street. They used to do break dancing, rapping, beat boxing and a whole bunch of different urban acts there.

“I hung around for a bit and watched the break dancers and beat boxers do their stuff, and realised I could never dance, I still can’t dance, so I thought I’d try rapping.

“So, at the age of 12, I started rapping and writing my lyrics.”

Oliver tried his hand at writing a lot of songs and isn’t afraid to admit a lot of his music was “just about crap”, but he said it was his mother who gave him the idea to write All I Need, the song that jump-started his musical career.

“Money was spent on my EP with songs like All I Need and Missing You because he (Ray Daniel) wanted people to relate to them,” he said.

“What All I Need says is that I keep my pride.”

Oliver said he is grateful for the support he has received from his family and friends and, without them, he wouldn’t even be rapping.

A solid fan base is building around the young North Queensland rapper in Cairns and he said he’s still working on building more support for his music in Sydney and Brisbane.

“I’ve done a couple of shows in Sydney, but in Cairns there’s a huge following which I am really grateful for,” he said.

Oliver has met and performed as a support act for prominent artists in the rap music scene including Krayzie Bone, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Outlawz and Xzibit.

He advises other aspiring artists to never give up and follow thier dreams.

“I wrote a slogan, DCT, which means Dreams Come True, which means never give up on what you know you want to do,” he said.

In the next five years Oliver aims to be knocking Timomatic, So You Think You Can Dance contestant turned successful musician, off of the charts.

“Pretty much that’s where I see myself, number one baby!”

The video clip of Oliver’s single All I Need can be viewed here.