The Gathering G1
G1 was the first Gathering of the 21st century - hence the name "G1". It was also the first Gathering not to be held at Canaan Downs. For G1 the venue switched to the Cobb Valley in Golden Bay, which provided considerably easier and safer access for Gatherers and crew.
The response to the new venue was mixed - some Gatherers loved it, and others weren't quite so sure - perhaps they missed the special magic of Canaan Downs.
This section of the site is currently very plain. This is because we don't have any of the artwork for G1, and the design of each section is based on the artwork for that year. Can you help? Once we have the artwork we can create the design. How to send us missing items from this section.
This section is also a bit empty at the moment. This is because we have very little in the way of archives we can draw upon for content. Can you help? How to send us missing items from this section.
In this section:
G1 facts & figures
How many portaloos? How many Gatherers? And how many incredible DJs, live acts, VJs and performers did their thing in Cobb Valley?
How to add to the information in this section
G1 media coverage
Media coverage started pretty well for G1, with a number of articles about the new Cobb Valley venue. A dust-up with organisers of the inaugural Visions party (exaggerated by the media) didn't make for great reading - but worse was to come.
Murray announced he was considering moving the party north, and the reasonable number of positive post-Gathering articles were ovewhelmed by firstly the "man ejected as girlfriend freaks out" story, and then the Nelson Mail's huge "93% of gatherers are on drugs shock! horror!" story - which was picked up by all the national papers.
The Gathering organisers had their say on the unscientific nature of the Mail's "survey", but by then the damage was done. And in February and March it was announced that The Gathering was in serious financial strife. Bummer!
How to send us additional media coverage
G1 official artwork
We're looking for copies of any of the official artwork for G1, so that we can create the design for this section. Do you have any?
How to send us missing items from this section
Map of the G1 site
A brand-new location meant a complete re-think of the layout of the Gathering. The camping areas were a 30 minute walk from the dance zones, with the crew area in between. The trail wandered alongside the river which flows down the Cobb Valley.
We're not sure if there was an "official" map that year - if there was, and you have it, please send it to us!
G1 photos
Images of the midnight mayhem, the artworks, the music-makers, the Gatherers and crew - and the new location.
G1 video and film
We're looking for video and film footage of G1. Do you have any you can add to our collection?
How to send us your video and film footage
Your G1 stories
How was G1 for you? What did you think of the new location? How did it compare to Canaan Downs?