“We all need to imagine Chris playing at Peats Ridge,” said my friend Sarah. That was about eight months ago, just before the end of my last trip to Oz, as a group of us enjoyed a night of good Aussie BBQ, jamming and wishing on the stars. Not long after that night, I received an official invitation to play the festival and the wheels were in motion. With all that swirling around in the air, the excitement mounted as Peats Ridge approached.

I left Toronto on December 25th, just in time to get to the festival site, set up camp and settle in before the festivities, which would include two performances at the charming Chai Temple, (which happened to be the venue at the festival that my friends were hoping I would play). Picture a huge carpeted tent filled with couches, cushions of all shapes and sizes and with a no-shoes policy. And of course, an assortment of teas and other tasty treats. I was also told that the Chai Temple is where festival headliners Angus & Julia Stone got their start a few years back and I was thrilled (and a little nervous) to have them hanging amongst the crowd during my first set.

Another highlight was watching fellow Canadian Dan Mangan rock out on one of the main stages. He had the whole crowd dancing and singing along and he even jumped off the stage to pass the mic around at the end of his set…Awesome. Here’s a pic of me, Dan, and my friends Fiona, Shannon and Marta. Funny enough, they were the ones who introduced me to Dan’s music during my last visit.

Overall, Peats Ridge was a blast and the opportunity to share the experience with a special group of friends is one I will cherish for a long time. To give you a little taste of the vibe at the festival, here’s a video of the good times had courtesy of my friend Morgan Touvron (Free Spirit Films). In case you’re wondering about the costumes, Aussies love to dress up and get in the party spirit and this New Year’s Eve would be no exception.

CA
(Sydney, NSW)