Just when you thought the summer festival run was nearing its end Golden Plains steps in to dish up some of the best in local and international talent at the Meredith natural amphitheatre over the Labor Day weekend.

Last year, after 17 years hosting the Meredith Music Festival, organiser Matt High decided it was time to expand the MMF empire and create a smaller boutique version of Victoria’s favourite rock festival.  With only 6,000 tickets sold compared to the usual haul of 10,000, Golden Plains offers a more intimate outdoor music corroboree than its well established big sister.

The Scene caught up with Matt High to get the low down on the Festival proceedings.

TS: How does Golden Plains differ to the Meredith Music Festival?

The main difference is the reduced capacity of the crowd, however the time of year and format of the festival itself, also plays a large part. 

The weather is generally a bit more stable in March and the autumn light creates a completely different mood in the amphitheatre, plus the fact that it’s the end of summer means there’s kind of a different mood in the crowd – basically people aren’t so crazy.

But despite taking the best bits of Meredith - the location, the one stage, and the relaxed approach - it is a different festival. There is no overlap in the lineups and the festival runs over a three day long-weekend as opposed to cramming it into the one weekend.

TS: Last year was the inaugural festival and something of a GP test run. Will you be changing anything about the event this time around?

Not a lot actually. We thought last year’s festival was fairly on the money. However we’ll definitely be getting another coffee vendor this year. With the two hour wait for coffee last year I felt pretty sorry for all those people with caffeine addictions.

Plus, this year we’re putting the bigger night on the first night so that things can finish up a little earlier on the second night.  It just means people will have more time to relax before making the journey home on the last day.

TS: With an increasing number of music festivals popping up throughout the country, are you at all fearful that Meredith or the Golden Plains will be pushed aside by one of the new up and coming events?

I hope there will always be a place for both festivals. Meredith has been going for 17 years and we’ve seen a lot of other festivals come and go in that time.

The majority of the Meredith crowd comes from Melbourne, and Melbourne has always been great place in terms of creating an interesting, vibrant and loyal music scene. While that scene remains as vibrant as it is and we’re still keen to put on the festivals, I don’t see why it couldn’t just keep going on and on.

Our view on Meredith and Golden Plains is that the festivals are what they are. We will always put them on, even if the crowds get smaller some years, so be it - they will always go on.

TS: How did the Meredith Music Festival come about?

It started off as a party in the bush for some uni mates in their early 20’s back in 1991 on the Nolan family’s farm. Then some local townspeople began to come along from Ballarat and Geelong and it basically kept growing from there. The first event probably only attracted about 250 people… it tripled the second year and so on and so on.

TS: What has been your most memorable festival moment in the last 17 years?

Every time the previous one is finished (laughs).

I think it would have to be Dirty Three playing during an electrical storm in 2004. It’s certainly the one a lot of people still talk about. It sort of reminds me a bit of people who watch sport all their lives just to see that one incredible come-back or that one amazing goal, or something like that. If you put on an event for 17 years in the outdoors and you keep getting really interesting bands to play, at some point you’re going to have something incredible happen, and that Dirty Three set was probably the pinnacle.

TS: Who are you most looking forward to seeing at the Golden Plains?

It’s got to be Ween doesn’t it? We’ve been trying to make that happen for 10 years, well, at least it’s been a dream for 10 years and we’ve been trying to make it a reality for the past five. We’ve never even come close before, so the fact that it’s happening the first time we’ve even gotten close is pretty exciting.

CLICK HERE for the official Golden Plains 2008 Lineup

CLICK HERE to view the Meredith Music Festival 2007 Photo Gallery