SPLASHY FEN & ITS HISTORY

Renowned Underberg music festival celebrates its 20th anniversary and looks back on its history

This year marks the 20th Splashy Fen Music Festival since its inception back in 1990 and music lovers making the annual pilgrimage to Underberg in KwaZulu-Natal over the Easter weekend can look forward to a special celebration to commemorate this major milestone in the festival’s history.

Over the years, Splashy Fen has evolved into one of South Africa’s premier music showcases and built a reputation that extends far beyond our borders. Although continuously adapting to changing trends, Splashy’s unique character and appeal have not been lost along the way, which is undoubtedly one of the reasons why it has endured for nearly two decades to become the longest-running music festival in the country.

The idea of holding a music festival first came to Peter Ferraz and his wife Almary when they attended the Festival of the Flower Children at Woburn Abbey in England in 1967. The experience made a lasting impression on the couple and, many years later, after buying a farm near Underberg in the Southern Drakensberg, they finally started working on making their dream a reality.

“We realised immediately that the farm was perfect for a music festival,” recalls Ferraz. “With its natural amphitheatre, great acoustics, breathtaking mountain vistas, winding river and lots of fields for camping, no-one could ask for a more ideal setting.”

So, while it may have taken several decades for the grand plan to come together, the inaugural Splashy Fen Music Festival duly made South African history in October 1990.

Held over two days, its original aim - according to Ferraz, was “to have a really good time with a few musicians playing round campfires, joined by some truly passionate music-lovers.”

No-one was more surprised than Ferraz when, instead of the anticipated attendance of 200, they attracted 1,200 enthusiasts who camped under the stars and listened to artists like Tony Cox, the Silver Creek Mountain Band, Plagal Cadence and Syd Kitchen.

Infrastructure was rudimentary – a make-shift stage, a tractor-powered generator and a few portable toilets. “There was no Eskom then,” recalls Ferraz. “Power was provided by my ancient little tractor driving an erratic farm generator. Every so often the music would stop for 20 minutes while the tractor was re-fuelled, but nobody complained. The foundations for today’s mellow Splashy vibe were laid right then and there.”

A late snowfall on the final day of the festival also failed to act as a deterrent, but later saw Splashy’s positioning on the calendar change to early May and more recently to the Easter long-weekend. Despite all this, the pioneering Splashy Fen Music Festival was so successful that another was organised the following year, and the year after that – and so began the saga of an event that has become an integral part of the South African music scene.

Today, Splashy Fen prides itself on offering festival-goers a total entertainment ‘package’ that goes beyond great live music performances to include a wide choice of outdoor leisure activities for the whole family, as well as numerous different food and drinks outlets, colourful craft stalls and a children’s entertainment marquee and crèche. Also on offer are much-improved camping facilities, a separate family campsite and even a tent ‘hotel’.

Ferraz is quick to point out, however, that although efforts are continuously made to introduce fresh ideas, the basic formula of providing a therapeutic break from the real world coupled with top-quality entertainment, remains the same.

“Nobody can ever say that Splashy Fen is the same old thing year after year. On the contrary, we are always on the look-out for new ways to enhance the festival but never at the risk of losing the special, relaxed ambience that is unique to Splashy and sets us apart from other festivals.”

Lessons learned and expertise gained over the years, means that attendees can expect only the very best in terms of production and event management, which is now slicker and more professional than ever before. Infrastructure has also been built up to support the growing festival. This includes Eskom power and stand-by generators, public telephones, permanent and temporary ablution facilities and a marquee ‘village’ to accommodate the different stages, bar areas, security and medical services. Tons of sound, stage and lighting equipment is assembled each year to ensure that the quality of the sound matches the quality of the music. The most recent development is the widening and re-grading of the festival access road in 2008, which will do much to avoid bottlenecks in the event of heavy rains.

Supported by East Coast Radio, Splashy Fen 2009 is set to offer one of its most memorable line-ups in recent years. Festival-goers can look forward to featured performances by a number of Splashy ‘legends’ and other great artists. Expect to see the likes of Watershed, Shawn Phillips, Syd Kitchen (who goes into the record books as the only artist to have performed at each and every festival since 1990), Tony Cox, Nibs van der Spuy, Chris Chameleon, The Rudimentals, Hot Water, Cofield Mundi featuring Brendan Jury, Madala Kunene, The Simon van Gend Band, Napalma, Goldfish and many others.

Splashy Fen 2009 takes place from April 9 to13. A limited number of discounted tickets on sale at selected Game stores for R400. If you miss out on this promotional offer, then tickets are also available at Computicket (R450) and at the festival gate (R500). Children under 12 pay R50 – tickets at the gate only. The price includes camping for the entire long weekend.

For more information and the latest festival news, visit www.splashyfen.co.za or contact Pedro at 082 892 6176.