F.A.Q
Event info: http://www.alowhum.com/
Location: Tatum Park (around one hour north of Wellington on SH1) Map
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.co
You can download a map showing stage placements on the site above, click on it for a higher resolution version.
Several of these will be stuck up around the site, but if you want one in your pocket, download and pop it on your phone.
Big timetables with band playing times will be displayed at several places around the site and will be updated if any changes take place.
ARRIVING
The entrance to Tatum is a REALLY BUSY part of SH1. PLEASE drive carefully.
PARKING
There are two carparks available to park in. The lower carpark is super close to the party and not-so-party camping area so really easy to keep close to your car and a short walk to set up your tent, however - if you park in this carpark, you cannot leave the site until Jan 1st, also, if you want to park in this carpark, you need to arrive during daylight (before 9pm).
If you are thinking of coming and going from the site during the event (please do sparingly if so), you will need to park in the upper carpark which is further from the tenting areas (but closer to the "quiet camping" area).
If you arrive in the dark, you'll need to park in the upper carpark.
If one of the areas get filled, we'll send you to the other...so if you want to have your pick, come early/in daylight!
START/FINISH
You can arrive anytime from 4pm on Dec 30th. PLEASE don’t try to arrive earlier. If you are not crew and try to arrive before 4pm, you'll just be asked to leave.
Performances begin from 6pm.
Those checking out of rooms must do so by 11:30am on Jan 1st. Those tenting must leave by 12:30pm on Jan 1st.
Though you are able to come and go from the site during the 31st (you will need to have a sober driver and pass a breath test to leave), once you arrive on the 30th, you may not leave again that night, so please arrive with everything you need. If you need to drop off stuff then leave again, you’ll have to just drop things off outside the main gate and have people walk in with those, once the car is in on the 30th, it can’t go out till at least the morning of the 31st.
If you wish to stay onsite on the 1st, you may do so, however you will need to pay an extra nights accomodation fee to the site. See the reception on the morning of the 1st to discover your options
BANDS/PERFORMANCES
There will be timetables posted around the venue. This is not “Camp”, at Camp, bands play twice and performance times are relaxed and if you wanted you could see everybody, that is not the case with NYE. You will have to choose between acts and as some of the acts are on small stages, if you want to make sure you see them, you’ll need to make an effort.
I’ve spent the longest I ever have programming this to try and avoid clashes, and unfortunately due to the amazing wide ranging musical tastes of the people coming to these events, clashes are inevitable, just be chill, it’s a party.
Dec 30th is pretty relaxed, only a couple of small stages are operating and there are no clashes, it’s a chance to get settled, find your way around and get warmed up before 50 artists perform on the 31st.
MERCH
Bring money, there will be lots of amazing merch.
FOOD
Tatum will be taking care of this, at all times they will have basic items available for order with expanded menus at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Vegetarian, GF and vegan options will be avail. Expect classic curry, burger, pizza, sandwich, etc options.
You are welcome to bring your own supplies to the event, there are no cooking facilities available though. If you have a sober driver, you may leave the site also on the 31st to go and get food also, but not on the 30th (as above).
I am very confident you can use Eftpos to pay for food and drinks, if this is not the case, I will be sure to inform people ahead of time.
Bring a water bottle - there will be spots you can fill up your bottle around the site.
TOILETS
There are two blocks of flush toilets (highlighted on the map) and also some portaloos scattered around the site. The main toilet block (near the “big stage”) has some showers also.
CARPOOLING
Please fill your car. I didn’t want to do that thing of charging people who bring empty cars, but it would mean a lot of you made the effort. There is a little form online here: http://www.alowhum.com/carpool
There is also a Camp A Low Hum carpooling FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/585638931520158/
BYO?
Unlike Camp, this NYE event is not BYO. Tatum will be running their own onsite bars.
The onsite bars are very well priced, drinks from $5 etc and means you don’t need to cart around chilly bins, ice etc.
Sorry, I know this is a departure from previous large events of mine and is going to break some hearts, but it is unavoidable.
If you are freaking out as you were planning on drinking goon all day then using it as a pillow, bringing along your wine cellar (looking at you Hugh C) or your own sketchy home brews, send me a message and we can talk it out. Don’t get angry on the internet, get angry at me and email me back here: alowhum@gmail.com
The event is all ages, therefore, if you are going to be purchasing alcohol, make sure you bring ID, you will need to present this the first time you purchase (upon where you will be given a proof of age wristband). Don't worry you don't have to consume alcohol is a stupid caged pen or anything.
IS THIS CAMP A LOW HUM?
Lol, i know thats what everyone is calling it, but it really isn't - a lot of the philosophy and organisation and structure of Camp is not present here, it's a sick party that looks kinda like Camp, but don't expect the same attention to detail that you might have expected at Camp...but, yeah, haha, if you've never been to a Camp, I guess it is just going to seem like a short version of one. To me its nothing like Camp, but, haha, I'm pedantic and obsessive over the little things...though calling it "15 Years of A Low Hum" is pretty ridiculous, i never expected anybody to call it that :)
TICKETS
Please print out your ticket. You ticket might have the same name as others, it might not even be your name, that is fine, we will check off each ticket as it arrives, the name is kinda irrelevant.
It is easier for us if you print out your tickets rather than show on phone (we’ll recycle the paper) as people trying to stay seated in a car while handing their phones over and then the screen locks coming on etc really slows down the check-in procedure. Please try and find a printer if you are able, or be prepared, make sure the person in the passenger seat (or driver if only one person in car) has phones and paper tickets from the car and your screen locks are off.
If you do not have your ticket, email me back here, alowhum@gmail.com
ACCOM
If you have a room booked, I will be emailing you your details in the next few days. When you arrive at the site and have checked-in and parked up, please go to the Tatum main reception area (at the very end of the driveway). Your name will be on a register there and you can collect your keys. You’ll hear from me soon anyway.
FIRST AID/CHILL
If you need assistance in any way during the event, or if somebody is being an abusive douche (zero tolerance), seek assistance immediately.
People who can help/offer assistance:
If you are at a performance, go and see the engineer (person mixing the bands from the mixing desk - usually at the back of the space),
If you are fine to walk, go directly to the Merch Room. If the Merch Room is closed, head to the First Aid area which is directly opposite the Merch Room and under the “Noisy Room”
The First Aid area is also a space where you can also just go and chill if you just need to get away from it.
If you are in one of the bar spaces, talk to the person behind the bar.
Any of those people can also contact security.
CAMPING
There are several different spots you can choose to camp in your tents on the site. These are identified on the map. There is a camping area for those who have no real plans to sleep, an area for those who still appreciate beauty sleep and an area for those who are happy being semi-beautiful.
CAMPING IN CARS/CAMPERS
I don't allow cars to be parked in the same area as tents, but if you have a campervan or wish to sleep in your car, you have a few options.
If you arrive on the 30th while its still light (pre-9pm) you can choose from:
Party Car Camping - You can park your car on the lower field which is very near the "not-so-party" camping area, its only a very short walk from the car to the tenting area...like a hop and a skip. However, you may not move your car during the event, or leave the site until Jan 1st.
If you want to sleep in your car in a quieter area, park up the top carpark. This also means you are able to come and go during the event (providing you have a sober driver).
If you arrive in the dark, or on the 31st, you will need to park up in the upper carpark.
When you arrive, after you have collected your wristbands, tell the first parking warden you come too that you're going to camp in your car and what you'd like to do.
STAYING OFFSITE?
If you are not camping or staying in a room onsite and you will be coming and going.
A) make sure you have a sober driver! Anyone leaving the site will be tested.
B) We offer a taxi service and can collect you and drop you off at your accom for $25 per trip. We can fit a maximum of 9 people in our van. This is on a first come first served basis, if you want to have your crew picked up at a specific time, book it in! Email me: alowhum@gmail.com with your pick up location and time you want to be picked up.
You can arrange with the driver a time for him to drive you back to your accom. Please try and make this as simple as possible.
GLASS
Do not bring any glass! The site hosts lots of events with young kids and after my last event there they were cleaning up broken glass and bottle caps for ages… cans and plastic only please.
SMOKING
If you are smoking, can you please bring a little box or cannister to carry around in your pocket and put butts in? Picking them up after events is suck a buzzkill.
RUBBISH/RECYCLING
Please make my life easier and bring a rubbish bag and keep it by your tent to put all your rubbish in - make an effort to keep your recyclables seperate and take home if you are able.
PHONE RECEPTION
Vodafone phones get pretty decent reception at most spots around the site. 2Degrees is pretty shite except for around the Tatum main office area, except if you were trying to contact someone also on site, they would need to be in the same area.
If you are really wanting to be online/contactable that weekend, you might have to pick up up a Vodafone sim.
I didn’t get to test “Spark” (lol, Telecom), I will try to do so before the event and mention on the A Low Hum site FAQ section (where this whole shebang will soon reside).
SWIMMING
There is a pool onsite you can get your swim on, and we’ll be having a party there as well, but no drinking in the pool please (we'll be keeping an eye out for this and slapping wrists). It's fun and all, but yeah, last time people did this at this site in 2008 I had to pay (a shit load) for the pool filter to be replaced as it was full of bottle caps and the pool itself ended up being 50% booze by the end of the event.
MAKE SURE YOU BRING:
Your ticket, printed out.
A Torch
A tent/camping gear/bedding
Warm clothes
Sunscreen
Togs
ID (if you want to buy boozes)
Cash to buy food, drinks and merch
Leave at home:
Anything you don’t need like flash expensive stuff that you’ll just lose then regret because you didn’t actually need in the first place - including designer clothes and jackets that you will inevitably leave somewhere.
Don’t bring any keys you don’t need at the site, leave them at home under a pot plant or something - the amount of lost keys, sheesh.
Don’t bring all your cards like library cards, sushi cards etc..you’re just going to lose them all
SEE YOU SOON!!!
