RIIKI REID Takes Us Behind The Scenes Of Intimate Pop-up Event
To celebrate the release of her latest single last week, pulsating synth offering ‘The City’ taken from forthcoming EP ‘Crash And Collide’, New Zealand singer RIIKI REID performed in the window-front of a pop-up store in Sydney to an intimate audience. The singer recounts the event and everything that went into it.
The concept
I come from Wellington where there is so much underground stuff going on and I love that they aren’t exclusive, but you have to really love the art or find out about it to be able to come. I’m appealed by artists in all performance areas who throw events that are really on a ‘if you know, you know’ basis and a bit unique. It felt so special to me to perform and create a space this way because I wanted to make genuine connections with new friends and fans of the music, and also I wanted it to have that real DIY, ‘it’s a free party, come and find out if you want to’ type of thing.
Setting it up
This particular one was about being more DIY and being raw, and I wanted to be really involved with the set up. Straight after I landed in Sydney, the team and myself literally went and ripped up newspaper, stuck little RIIKI REID stickers all over it and stuck it up all over the entrance door ourselves, and it was the best time ever. Literally blood sweat and tears lol. Our poor team mate cut her finger with the scissors accidentally, that’s how dedicated she was to the cause…HAHA!
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The event
We had a bloody ball. It’s always nerve-racking putting on these small intimate shows, because you have to rely on people finding out about it and wanting to come, so I always get so nervous of the turnout. But it was a wonderful turnout! I felt like I made a whole room full of new pals. There’s something so special about performing so intimately. You really can see and feel people connecting and it just feels so personable and like a real life connection.
The people
There were some dope people that turned up in the end. Way way way cooler than I am or will ever be. Being in another country doing an event like this can be a bit scary, but wow I didn’t realise I could connect with people this strongly in a new country. We all drank wine, ate pizza, chatted about life and art and it was just a big giant chefs kiss!
RIIKI REID’s new EP Crash And Collide is out November 4.
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