Chasing my Dreams!

#28. Go backstage at a major event/rock concert/show. AND

#162. Attend an outdoor Music Festival – TICK!! 😀

Towards the end of 2012, word started to get round that there was a Music Festival being planned at the Big Pineapple on the Sunshine Coast.  The Big Pineapple is an iconic ‘Sunny Coast icon’ which has been around for a very long time…but sadly in recent years, the Pineapple ‘had wilted’ and became somewhere many people just no longer visited as often – such a sad outcome for what once was a very popular tourist attraction, and loved icon here on the Sunshine Coast.  As a longtime resident of the Sunshine Coast, it was really sad to drive past the giant Pineapple out the front of the site, and look at it, all sad and ‘broken’.  Slowly though, with the Markets now happening there on weekends…the Pineapple started to come back to life – awesome! 🙂

So, when this news of the Music Festival came about (coincidentally, not all that long after I had put on my List that I wished to attend a Music Festival, but unsure how I was going to pull it together, to travel to another part of the country/state to attend one) – not only my eyes lit up….but every part of my being was SO excited, that a Festival was happening in my very own backyard! (I live not far from ‘the Pineapple and I am a huge lover of ‘all things music’, so this was more than awesome!)

As soon as Early Bird tickets were released, I was straight onto it.. I purchased my ticket – I was IN…I was going to be attending what was looking to be an EPIC Music Festival, right here on the Sunshine Coast!  I also saw this as the perfect way to celebrate the ‘rebirth’ of the Big Pineapple…I was excited – I always did love the Pineapple..and I LOVE music! 😀

As the months and weeks flew by, I became more excited…especially on the day the Program was released – and when news broke that it was heading to be a sellout (10,000 people – wowzers!)..this was going to be amazing!…

3 stages…music pumping out from each….all day long, into the night – awesome! 😀

After weeks and months of excited anticipation, the day arrived – the day of the Inaugural Big Pineapple Music Festival was here! Before I knew it, I was sitting on the verandah of the Pineapple, looking down at the crowds pouring in during the day, music below me, music pumping from the stage inside behind me..and knowing that there was a stage not far from me around the corner, also pumping out music to the masses who had come to the Festival – it was amazing – the atmosphere was incredible – a true day of ‘celebration’!  For me personally….music makes me ‘come alive’ – and I sure shook off some cobwebs of stress which I had been feeling lately – I was a born again teenager! haha… (but the days after, in the ‘recovery phase’ I came crashing back down to earth – I sure felt my age!)

Bart Simpson was even spotted in the crowd!! haha….

Bart Simpson rocking out in the crowd! 🙂

Such amazing value – under $70 to see not only such awesome bands as Grinspoon (they ROCKED, just as they did as the support act for Cold Chisel at the outdoor concert at Stockland Park), Regurgigator, Birds of Tokyo….but to also listen to and discover other bands/artists which were less wellknown was awesome – local bands, bands from Brisbane and other areas…the Festival even attracted international NZ bands!   The band Hermitude, on the inside Bump stage, absolutely ROCKED the Pineapple like it has never been rocked before – this was a band which I had never heard of…they were an epic way to end the magic day/night which had just unfolded…Wow!

Looking down from ‘backstage’ onto the Main stage – the crowd got much larger as the day wore on!

Thank you so much to Big Pineapple Music Festival management and staff (especially Brendan), who made the day run smoother (outdoor venues for Events are sometimes a bit of a challenge in a wheelchair), by coming up with a plan for me to manage the access issues, given that it was their first Festival at the venue (so, it had been as yet untested for an Event of this size).  To also tick off #28. Go backstage at a major event/rock concert/show, at this Festival – by being permitted, with a couple of my friends, to go into the backstage area of the Festival (up on the verandah where the bands, media and other VIP were…and also down in the VIP tent near the main stage down on the grass), to make it that little more manageable and enjoyable with attending in my wheelchair – I can never thank Big Pineapple Management, enough.  To be behind the scenes, to meet various members of different bands…to go down to the bottom stage on the ‘Pineapple train’ (something which the general public didnt have access to that day, it was being used to ferry bands and staff up and down the hill)…to be able to sit with my friends (when I wasnt up dancing!) and enjoy the music and atmosphere  in ease was amazing, and so much appreciated!

I had an incredible time, ticking these off my Chasing my Dreams bucketlist! …it was huge – 1030am till after 11pm, of nonstop music and shenanigans all day/night! I dont think my body knew what had hit it! haha….it was EPIC! 😀 3 stages, nonstop music all day, a huge crowd of amazing, happy spirited people to celebrate with…amazing!

Big Pineapple Music Festival 2014 – Bring it on! 😀

Chasing my Dreams….SO MUCH FUN! 😀

The Pineapple Train on the beautiful Big Pineapple grounds…this was a first for me too…I had never been on the train before this day! 🙂