Parachute power at Mystery Creek

This weekend has another major festival, Parachute. The annual gathering of Christian musicians has now become too big for its former site at Matamata and so this year is at Mystery Creek, Hamilton. The drug and alcohol-free festival has a huge lineup, with regulars such as the Parachute Band and Brooke Fraser alongside the Chris Mason-Battley Group, the dreadlocked Christafari (roots reggae from California), Tauranga rock band Wash, and American bands the Pillar (hard rock), Newsboys (pop-rock) and Relient K (punk). Add the Tribe ( British hip-hop), Hillsong from Australia, a swag of DJs and dozens of other bands, plus a worship party, burnout demos, a roller disco and much more and you have the makings of big weekend. Amateurs can also have a bit of a go in the "Debut Dome".