The Brief
The year was 1981, and Oceania was offered the sound contract for the 1981 Nambassa Three Day Music Festival near Waihi. After taking a $250,000 loan out from UDC Finance (and using Greg Peacocke’s family holiday home in Waiwera as collateral), Oceania sent this money off to Cerwin-Vega in America to purchase 64 x double 12” and horn mid-high cabinets, 32 x double 18” cabinets, a small pile of wedges, 60 x Crest and Cerwin-Vega amplifiers plus 25 red racks and a few other bits and pieces.
Solution
All of the gear arrived later than expected, about two weeks before the festival, and they still had to make the cabling, rack up and wire the 20 amp racks and try to figure out how to turn 40’ containers of cardboard boxes into a functioning PA. There were only 4 or 5 people, plus some friends and family, who worked the show. It also started to rain in Waihi upon arrival, so they were forced to unload the brand new PA on a stage with no roof and no other means to keep it dry. When they returned the next day, they let the speakers drain and lay in the sun. By midnight that night, they had everything wired up and running, and they were surprised to find that everything worked and sounded amazing!
Outcome
The Festival happened and everyone had a wonderful time with the new PA system.