Sunday at GreazeFest

Lori Lee: With just a couple of hours sleep under my belt, I returned to the showground at dawn for what was to be a huge day at GreazeFest. The weather was kind to us, the rain stayed away, we had warm, sunny conditions with a slight breeze. With all the publicity we had generated this year, I figured we would have a big roll up, and roll up they did - cars by the hundreds and people by the thousands.

Kustom Artists

Lori Lee: There was an incredible display of artwork hung for the GreazeFest Art Show. New and returning artists displayed paintings, tiki carvings, pinstripes, photography, skate decks, illustrations and clay models. Due to the time restraints on the day, the awarding of the Boss Artists for 2011 was skipped until after the festival. Selecting two artists for the awards was of course difficult, every piece of artwork on display was deserving of an award. Vick Pattison and Sonya Erhart were the Boss Artists for 2011. Check the Art Show Page for photos.

This year we set up a special range of stalls for kustom artists in the Art Village, giving artists their own space to display or sell their creations to the public. Also within the Village was special guest Wildman, the pinstripe and kustom artist from Japan!! Wildman is one of the pioneers of pinstriping in Japan. His works grace many of the designs from the Mooneyes studio and he also pinstriped the GreazeFest tshirts in 2010 and 2011.

As well as Wildman, CEO from Mooneyes, Shige Suganuma spent the weekend at GreazeFest, meeting old and new friends. We feel privileged to have welcomed Wildman and Shige as our guests at GreazeFest and it gave me a special thrill to know they enjoyed themselves at our show.

Mike: My son, Oscar's highlight was having his leather jacket pin striped by the amazing Wildman and then getting his photo taken with both Wildman and Shige from Mooneyes Japan! Oscar also debuted his very first painting at the Greazefest Art Show…did I mention he is only 12?

Mimsy: After a rockin night at the GreazeFest on Saturday night, it was up 'n' at 'em early for the Trailer Trash crew:) We put our paintings in the Art Show, set up our canvasses and shirts for sale, and then the onslaught of curious greazefesters began..! I'm not sure if it was our handcrafted 'southside tyre swans' for sale, or the sexy trailer trash gals (!), but I gotta say the response was wild!

This year in the Art Show section of the event, we felt priviliged to be alongside many talented folk also touting their creative wares. It was a thirsty day, and o-boy was I ready to hit the bar after my 6th (and final) tattoo of the day. I was so lucky to be able to tattoo some wonderful folk from near and far this year, the order of the day was Sailor Jerry pinup gals - which is how we like it here at Trailer Trash Tattoo. And who could argue, getting tattooed in the 1959 Sunliner trailer, while listening to the rockin' bands that GreazeFest had to offer, is some kind of marriage made in heaven!

As dusk set in on the GreazeFest ovals, it was off to the bar I headed. Just to top off the awesomeness that is GreazeFest I got to see my hubby's band The Ten Fours perform before dragging our weary tails home to reminisce our time at GreazeFest 2011. Thank you to the Brisbane kustom kulture scene for being so supportive and inspired and also to all who came from interstate and overseas, you'll see the trailer there next year as always, and please drop by and say howdy!

Hot Rods and More

Sheri Bomb: Sunday was HUGE! I don't think I've ever seen the showground as busy as it was on that day. There was just so much to look at - it was eye-candy overload. Not only row upon row of hot rods and kustoms but heaps of stalls selling everything from clothes and jewellery, records, tikis, homewares and car parts. The entertainment ran all day and well into the night packed the dance floor and worked up a sweat with all the dancers. There was plenty to enjoy, with the Rusty Pinto Combo, The ReChords and local favourites the Ten Fours were some of the memorable performers of the day.

Lori Lee: The hot rods filled both ovals with hundreds of vintage vehicles rolling into the fest. There were original and restored American classics, Aussie iron, flamed sleds, rat rods, hot rods, muscle cars, old bugs, motorbikes, treadleys, pickups, coupes, convertibles, and some really interesting projects still being worked on. See the photos above and check the Hot Rod Show page for info on the trophy winners.

The most inspiring story of the weekend came from Bert & Phil, who drove their rat rods from Perth to Brisbane. Have a read of their adventure:

Bert: I figure if you drive a rat rod, then you've earned the right to listen to rockabilly music! That said and done, we fired up our hot rods, 'Chuckys Chop Shop' and the 'Junkyard Rat', hooked up some living quarters, and together with my wife Jan and mate Phil, we left Bridgetown Western Australia and headed for GreazeFest in Brisbane. This was a round trip that would see the rods do more than 10,000km each, and burn more than 4000 litres of fuel between them!

We drove through five states, from beaches to the top of the Snowy Mountains, across vast plains and through cities. We drove through sun, rain, wind, fog and snow. We drove on bitumen, gravel and through the outback mud.

We met people from all walks of life and were rewarded handshakes, pats on the back, smiles, wows and countless photos! Cars flashed their lights, trucks hooted air horns and thumbs-up were everywhere. What fell off we lost. What broke we fixed. Whenever we asked, we got a helping hand and shared in the fellowship of the hot rod.

Yeah the cars are noisy, and rough to ride in, your eyes water from engine fumes. There's a faint smell of petrol, no door seals or heater, and the fuel consumption is lousy. But damn it man, this is living the dream! So build, buy or steal a hot rod, invest in a credit card or raid the bank. Hey its only money. Long time dead and coffins don't have pockets! And don't forget some rockabilly music for when you hit the frog and toad!

Rockabilly Fashion

Lori Lee: GreazeFest is a time of the year when our community dresses to the nines. Friday and Saturday nights are the opportunity to dress in high style and the guys and gals just look fantastic. Sunday is a challenge to wear a sensational outfit, but one that works for the sunny conditions. You also need footwear that will survive the activities - exploring the car display, dancing to the bands and shopping around the markets. The barbers on Sunday were booked solid all day with gents getting pomped, DA'd, flat-topped and boogied. It is great to see thousands of people making an effort with what they are wearing and I reckon that GreazeFest could have the best dressed festival audience in Australia!

Micheline Pitt from California was our special guest this year and she held informative hair and make up sessions for an attentive audience of fashion fanatics. Micheline Pitt and local gal Miss Kitty Darling co-hosted the GreazeFest Fashion Parade, which featured fashion ranges from the market vendors. Once again Cowpunkabilly stole the show with his dancing cowpunks in their stylish western threads.

Sheri Bomb: Thanks to Bernie of Cowpunkabilly I became a 'Cow-spunkabilly' for the day and took part in Greazefest's Fashion Parade on the Sunday. MC'd by Micheline Pitt, the Fashion Parade drew a huge crowd and gave punters a little taste of the many delights on offer at Greazefest including perfect pin ups, swimwear sirens and the well-dressed but wild Cowpunkabilly crew who put on a rip-roaring show complete with firing six shooters and cowboy piggy back rides. It was great to be a part of one of the Sunday's key events and it was such an enjoyable experience, being able to really have fun, let loose and enjoy ourselves.

The Wrap Up

Sheri Bomb: GreazeFest was a huge festival and the punters couldn't have asked for more! If this year is anything to go by, I can't wait to see what next year will bring!

Mike: All in all it was one hell of a ride and one awesome weekend. We have so many great memories, and so many stories to share. The pretty ladies made us smile and the gorgeous cars made us drool. The hot bands made us dance and the bar made us cold drinks. The Art Show made me want to practice more and Wildman made me wish my hands were steadier! I have new ideas and inspiration for my art and my car. We all have new friends. Above all, Lori Lee and the GreazeFest crew made us feel like we were at home! Oscar (my son) is now a little too interested in pin-up models and now we have only 345 days left to get Daniel's Dodge ready for next year!

Lori Lee: The dominant feeling at GreazeFest this year was happiness. Everyone was smiling, beaming in fact, I have never seen so many happy people in one place at one time. Folks were stopping and talking to others, strangers talking to strangers, friendships firmed up or rekindled. Everyone was sharing the GreazeFest spirit. On a personal level, this was the most enjoyable GreazeFest I have experienced for many years, thanks to the round-the-clock support from Kylie, Simon, Rob and the team.

After our second GreazeFest at Rocklea Showground, it sure looks like we have settled in nicely at this venue. Folks jokingly said we've outgrown the showground, but we haven't. The venue is perfect for GreazeFest and suits our scene down to the ground. You would have noticed the oval had suffered damage from the January flood and we spent days rolling, filling and repairing the ground. We made a marked improvement, but we would have preferred it to be better. The oval is marked to be completely restored when the owners remove and relay the oval turf to bring the grounds back to pristine condition.

Our goals for GreazeFest this year were to put on an entertaining event and make the festival comfortable for our customers. The third goal was to empower our management team with extra skills and tools to allow me more time to spend within the event. I'm pleased to say we achieved all of these goals. The entertainment was first class; the site was comfortable (shade, seating, food, facilities) and the GreazeFest team did an outstanding job.

Next year our challenges will include finding some additional parking for the general public; we will also be creating a more centralised food and rest zone; and we will be offering a few extra entertainment options on Sunday.

Saving Cats & Kittens

As part of our annual support of the RSPCA, GreazeFest has sponsored two pre-adoption pens at the new animal shelter being built in Wacol. This also means GreazeFest will become a founding sponsor of the new site.

The RSPCA is a community based charity that works to prevent cruelty to animals by actively promoting their care and protection. GreazeFest is delighted to be able to support such an important organisation.

Carbon Offset

For the past five years we have been offsetting the carbon emissions for the GreazeFest event and for the Robot Productions office. We will be purchasing trees to offset our emissions for 2011 via Carbon Neutral, a not for profit company that measures and offsets greenhouse gas emissions and supports revegetation projects.

Thank You

As the GreazeFest continues to evolve, the demands and the size of our event team increase accordingly. Both the regular and newer members of the GreazeFest team put in a top effort this year, as evidenced by the smooth running of the event. Here’s a big thank you to all the staff and the sub-contractors went above and beyond to bring you an excellent weekend.

Thank you also to Johnny. Thank you to Teresa, Kylie, Simon, Malcolm, Rob, Derek and Scott. Thank you to Matt Black Photography, Pinup Parlour and MSR Kustoms. Thank you to Micheline Pitt. Thank you to Shige & Wildman at Mooneyes. Thank you to Pete Walker for his excellent photos. Thank you to new photographer Bec Reid. Thank you to Cruzin Magazine and Just Cars. Thank you to Drea Morsby, Sheri Bomb, Wayne McGregor. Thank you to everyone who has sent in feedback, photos, comments on the GreazeFest weekend.

The biggest thanks go to everyone who attended GreazeFest, the rockers, rodders, bands, djs, artists and everyone who travelled from outside of Brisbane to come to GreazeFest. You all make the GreazeFest a unique and memorable event.

See you next year!!

Lori Lee & The GreazeFest Team