Camp A Low Hum 2024: The final weekend(s)

Writing by Jade Lindsay who attended Weekend One. Photography by Lekhena Porter who attended Weekend Two.

Problems bring up the energy with their Lagoon-side bangers.

Middle: Dusty braves the precarious walk around the lagoon; this section is later fenced off.

Camp A Low Hum, the passion project of Ian Jorgensen (better known as Blink), is a festival unlike any other that I have seen or heard of before. Camp was an extraordinary gathering that celebrated the beauty of musical diversity, with 80+ bands over four nights and three days with an eclectic mix of genres and one to two thousand attendees each weekend. Camp A Low Hum had it’s debut in 2007 and was loved by the masses. With much dismay to fans across the country, Camp had its final weekend in 2014. However after a decade-long hiatus, Blink revived Camp A Low Hum in 2024 for what would be the very last time (for real this time). People were absolutely buzzing for this revival, sharing fond-memories from Camps of years previous on the Facebook group and getting those who had never attended before even more hyped to experience the legendary festival firsthand. Blink had spent years watching hundreds of bands in order to curate the perfect line-up for the final camp; every artist is hand selected by him, and it showed. 

This year it was set at Camp Wainui in Wainuiomata. Nestled in the heart of nature and surrounded by lush greenery, Camp A Low Hum was the perfect place to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and reconnect with nature whilst exploring the wild rollercoaster of mind-altering and life-changing musical experiences. This was a place where boundaries were blurred and people from all walks of life collided. 

Local legends The Phoenix Foundation ease campers into the weekend with a pared-back opening set Friday morning.

Camp A Low Hum felt like a huge family reunion, with people of all ages coming together to celebrate. People were bringing their babies, exposing the next generation to music in a form that is unlike anything that they would likely experience again, as well as babies who were brought to camp in previous years now coming back as adults. It was a full-circle moment for a lot of people that I spoke to, where they had grown up with the stories and the music and are now making memories at Camp themselves. It truly is a testament to the enduring spirit of Camp and how the community that Blink had been building over the years were so eager to come back and indulge in the shared experience for one last time. 

At Camp, the unconventional spirit permeated every aspect of the weekend. The stages and set times were not standard like you would see at other popular festivals such as Rhythm and Alps, Homegrown or Northern Bass; instead, music flowed through every corner of the campsite in an immersive experience where you weren’t ever truly sure what to expect. You might stumble upon a quiet acoustic set in a hidden forest clearing, or two guys jamming out with just a set of drums and a doubled-string diddley bow in a cabin. The possibilities were endless, and the surprises were constant. Camp A Low Hum thrives on the unexpected, bringing together artists from all genres to create a truly unique and inclusive atmosphere. Whether you are a fan of alternative rock, experimental electronica, or something in between, Camp truly had something for everyone. 

One of the standout features was the unconventional stage set-up. With 8+ stages/environments, Camp offered the freedom to experience performers in various locations. Whether it was dancing in a dense forest, relaxing in a hammock or immersing oneself in a lagoon, attendees had the opportunity to choose their preferred setting. The unique round set-up of the stages, having the artists facing each other with the audience crowded around, fostered a sense of community I have never experienced at other festivals. Artists and audiences faced each other, creating a shared experience and completely blurring the boundaries between the two groups. There were no VIP areas, no hierarchies, no us vs them, simply people just enjoying the music. This sense of camaraderie and shared passion for music created an electric atmosphere that lingered long after the event concluded. 

One of my personal stage highlights was the Journey stage (and as the name suggests, it was truly a hike to get there). Nestled amongst dense bushes, the Journey stage provided an enchanting backdrop and allowed the audience to enjoy performances up close and personal. The natural surroundings blended harmoniously with the music from artists such as Motte, Danika and Kaishando, creating a truly captivating musical experience. Another noteworthy stage was the Winter Room (my absolute favourite from the weekend). The dynamic and vibrant stage (aka, the floor of the cabin) exuded an electrifying atmosphere. The room pulsated with energy as people gathered around the artists, finding seating on bunks, and windowsills, standing on benches and even crowding outside the cabin to hear the music. The space was a hub of passion and intensity, creating profound connections between audience and performers, fostering a sense of unity and shared passion for sound. 

Front woman Harriet Fraser-Barbour of Workhorse teams up with Keeskea to mesmerise at the Journey Stage.

Left: Campers trek through streams and scrub on the return from Journey.
Right: Camp’s new champion Square stage, encircled by huge LED pillars makes for impressive visuals.

Blink also implemented a brilliant strategy to ensure that every single attendee had the opportunity to witness all of the bands performing. Most bands performed twice throughout the event which allowed for maximum inclusivity and enjoyment and ensured that no one missed out. Even if you couldn’t make it to one of the sets, there was the opportunity to see them again at a different stage, giving each performance a completely different feel. Well-known bands were playing during the day, as well as lesser-known bands playing into the late hours of the night. Blink had curated a perfect selection of these well-known and lesser-known bands, providing a platform for established, as well as emerging talent. It allowed attendees to broaden their musical horizons and appreciate the artistry of these hidden gems, as well as giving artists a platform to share their music with the loving masses. Bands that weren’t a part of the line-up also had the opportunity to play in the ‘Renegade Room’, which was a wild, untamed space all about surprise, chaos and people just fucking around. Whenever I would find myself drawn to the Renegade Room there was a new delight to be appreciated. 

Although the music programming at Camp A Low Hum was seemingly random, behind the scenes it was thoughtfully curated to ensure that a diverse range of performances were offered for attendees to enjoy. It was truly a testament to Blink’s dedication to creating a memorable and immersive musical experience, not for any sort of profit, but to bring people together through the incredible power of music and making sure that everyone came home from Camp with a one-of-a-kind experience. It was a celebration of music in its purest, most wholesome form. Blink said about this unconventional scheduling method: “I program based on the feeling I want a performance to deliver in a particular environment at a particular moment and the energy of that performance - not based on how many monthly Spotify followers a band has”.

Middle: Tears are definitely shed during Marlon Williams’s Te reo-laden set.

Left: Liam Clune, Night Lunch. 
Right: Party punks DARTZ deliver a killer performance, full of cheeky energy and contagious fun.

Some important highlights for the weekend (for me) were as follows: 

• Vanessa Worm, Saturday 4:20 pm, Winter Stage: Vanessa Worm once again broke barriers with her confrontational and immersive performance blending club music and punk sound with her unfiltered vocals. 

• Grecco Romank, Saturday 12:15 am, Forest Stage: The self-described ‘sewer punk’ trio turned on their smoke machine that filled up every inch of the space, the music pulsating around us and strange whispers that seemingly came from the trees. It made for a very surreal performance. 

• Turtle Skull, Friday 10:30 pm, Noisy Room: The “Flower-doom” group blew my mind with their trippy synths and psychedelic rock. I went in with no expectations, went through a journey into their remarkable mind and came out feeling renewed.

• Party Dozen, Saturday 9 pm, Winter Stage: The atmosphere was electric and the crowd filled every nook and cranny of the room as Tickle, wielding a saxophone, unleashed a torrent of raw emotion into the body of the sax. 

• Night Lunch, Friday 1:25 pm, Winter Stage: The Liam’s never fail to disappoint. Just a man and his drums, and a man and his diddley bow. What else could you possibly ask for?

• + so much more, including but not limited to, Koizilla, Pretty Dumb, Dole Bludger, Hōhā, Workhorse, Twine, Dartz, Cuck, Dale Kerrigan, Deathtrippa, Te Kaahu, Denudes, Holy Fuck, Ebony Lamb and Midi Committee. 

Left: The Empty Threats provide one of the most dynamic performances of the entire weekend, complete with performing between two stages. 
Right: Porpoise Split’s guitarist getting up close and personal with the crowd.

Left: Reptrillion Culture Club tears up the Noisy Room, suitably. 
Right: Revellers swarm the stage during Tongue Dissolver’s face melting set.

Camp was truly the best weekend of my life and I feel blessed to have experienced it for its final act. The whole experience was entirely enchanting and immersive, taking the best aspects from multiple different festivals and fusing them to create a dreamy and bittersweet experience. It has left a lasting impression on the way I view music festivals as a community rather than simply a chance to see live music. I created cherished memories, with friends and strangers alike, and felt as if I evolved and changed with each performance. It’s the kind of thing I will be telling my grandchildren about, a story a part of my family history that gets told over and over again. Camp demanded your full attention from start to finish, urging you to fully immerse yourself and reflect on the beautifully produced and introspective delve into an altered state of mind. It was not challenging, merely profound, and encouraged you to give everything a listen, let your predispositions go, and sit back and relax.

Private Function’s bassist represents the Palestinian flag before taking a quick dip in the lagoon, guitar and all.

Thank you so much to Jade and Lekhena for sharing their experience at Camp A Low Hum! You can find them on the internet here:

Jade Lindsay: @jelinds
Lekhena Porter: Instagram @lekhenaporter & www.lekhena.com