Festival Artist Focus: The Rubens

The Rubens

Answered by: Elliott Margin

Which festivals can we find you at? This That and Caloundra Music Fest.

Sum up in five words your typical festival season experience. Hot, sweaty, fleshy, fun mess.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve seen at a festival? Shoeys were weird six years ago and now they're so common it's like people forgot that cups exist. I'm looking forward to the next weird thing.

Name your top five essentials you can’t live without while on the festival circuit? A portable speaker for the green room, wifi to stream music to play on the portable speaker in the green room, air conditioning to keep the green room at a pleasant temp, beer on ice in the green room and a green room.

What’s been your favourite backstage moment during a festival? I met Taika Waititi at Splendour a few years ago. I'm a big fan of Flight Of The Conchords and What We Do In The Shadows. All I did was drunkenly introduce myself and mumble that I loved his stuff but in my head I thought, "Sick, we're mates now."

What are your festivalgoer pet peeves, the things you wish people wouldn’t do at a fest? I think we all wish people would be respectful of each other. Keep your hands to yourself, don't be obnoxious and look out for one another. Everyone deserves to feel safe and have a good time.

Three songs that are on your festival pump up playlist? My Happiness - Powderfinger. These Days - Powderfinger. Sunsets - Powderfinger. Because sometimes it's good to just feel good.

Aussie weather can be a hectic force come festival season. So, if you had to choose: mud pit or dust bowl? I'd pick mud pit. There's nothing worse than waking up hungover in a tent that's baking in the sun in dusty 40-degree weather. Plus mud seems to bring out the inner child in everyone.

Which acts are you most excited to catch during your festival season? I'm keen to see Goldlink at This That, I've never seen him live.

Website for more info: therubensmusic.com