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Via Fashion Journal
Dancefloor essentials.
Whether you’re a seasoned festival attendee or a first-time raver, it’s important to follow the golden rule: be prepared for anything. When you’re clocking hours on the dancefloor, you want all the essentials – water, wipes, snacks, gum – on hand.
Trudging back and forth from your campsite is unappealing at the best of times, but particularly when your favourite artist is in the middle of a set. Pitch Music & Arts is returning to Victoria’s Grampian plains for another year, with its dynamic program kicking off from March 8 to 12.
The lineup features international and local talent alike, offering its signature mix of visual and auditory creativity. Below, we asked five of the DJs playing Pitch to share what’s in their festival bags, so you can come stocked with the essentials.
Originally from rural Victoria, Lisbon-based DJ CC:DISCO! known for her uplifting house, funk and disco (duh) selections. Her handbag essentials include a Lady Speed Stick, because “festival chub rub is real for some of us. Let’s normalise talking about our dear friend chub rub. I still have flashbacks to dancing way too hard and not being able to walk the next day.”
Also in her bag are sunglasses (“they are your best friend in so many ways”), Hydralyte (“not gonna lie, I would mix it with my vodka sodas back in the day… yin and yang it”), mints and gum. Finally, her cold-weather essentials are toe warmers. “You know those packets you see at Australia Post? Yes, them… I’m always freezing my tits off when I try and sleep in a tent. Make a mattress of those and you’ll sleep like a baby.”
Mparntwe and Naarm-based producer, DJ and artist RONA likes to be prepared when it comes to her festival kit. “I might be a bit pedantic but I carry two of everything,” she says. “I’ve got two USBs, two headphones, two headphone adaptors, two lipglosses, two hats. Two of everything.”
Rona also carries a pair of slides, because comfort is key. “Dancing in sneakers is fun, but after I’ve finished a show or am heading home from the festival I put on a pair of slides.” She also packs sunscreen (“SPF always”) and a pillow from home. “[I] cannot live without my pillow from home,” she says. “Doesn’t matter where I am, I’ll always get a better sleep. Early morning sounds can be rough at a festival, but I always have a better sleep when I bring a pillow from home.”
Finally, she’ll bring a stash of lemons. “Okay, this is where I get weird. I carry a heap of supplements and love to keep my normal routine when I’m out at a festival or on tour. I bring lemons so I can start my day with lemon water.”
Born in Toronto and raised in Melbourne, DJ and producer Jennifer Loveless favours danceable tech-house that sounds “like it sprung from the depths of some tropical ocean”. Her bag contains a water bottle, ear plugs (“club kids know this is essential”), gum and eye drops (“contact lens users know this is essential”). The most important necessity? Lip balm. “I get a mild panic attack when I leave home without, so it’s actually never not on me.”
Boorloo-based creative Yikes is a music multihyphenate – DJ, producer, radio presenter, artist, designer and promoter. When on the festival circuit, he brings a water bottle (“strap to the side and stay hydrated”), a hat and sunscreen, hand sanitiser (“nice to have when venturing into the elements”), a battery pack (“the crew will jump on this too) and an “underrated simple pleasure”, chewing gum.
Toronto-based DJ and producer Chippy Nonstop brings party-starting energy to every set she plays. In her handbag, she carries “fresh rosewater mist to freshen up my face in the summer… I love a mist”. Other necessities include Glossier Lip Blam to keep her lips “soft and moisturised”, disinfectant wipes and La Roche Posay Sunscreen, because “if you’re going to be raving for a lifetime, this will keep your skin young”. Finally, Chippy brings her USB. “This one is self-explanatory… essential DJ kit.”