Bush Doofs

As a part of an educational collaboration between RMIT and the Australian Music Vault, this article was written and researched by students of the Bachelor of Arts (Music Industry) degree under the guidance of Dr Shelley Brunt. The authors are Cambell Courtney and Campbell Mcnish.

Bush Doofs: The Essential Australian Rave

Awoken by kookaburra laughter, you emerge from your tent after a long night of music and dancing. The sun is beaming down on the campsite where friends are gathering to share experiences of the night before and prepare for the day ahead. There are no responsibilities for the next two days: you’re away from civilisation and technology. Some may choose to spend the day at the stages making friends and dancing to music. Others may detour through endless groves of gum trees. The setting of the bush allows people to participate in the festivities at their own leisure, and is a constant reminder that we are completely separated from anything resembling everyday life and any worries associated with it, even if for just a moment. This is the Bush Doof.

The ‘Bush Doof’ can be summed up as a rave in the Australian bush where patrons set up tents and camp out for days on end. But it is much more than that. It provides a space for like-minded individuals to form a community around a shared love of dancing and electronic dance music, with its own set of quirks and peculiarities. It has a unique sense of identity, connection to Australia's diverse landscapes and is a platform for emerging local dance music artists: all wrapped up in a light-hearted sense of humour that forms the basis of many of the invented traditions that these festivals have.

Deriving from the free party movement surrounding dance music in the 1990s, Bush Doofs started as small-scale, non-commercial DIY parties held out in the bush or on private land. It has since grown into a large commercial industry with multiple events held across all states, ranging in size and popularity. Genres of music typically found at these events are commonly techno, house and psytrance. As one may imagine, a commonality of these styles is a consistent, heavy 4x4 drum and bass line, often accompanied by sprawling synths, samples and heavily augmented vocals or vocoders.

Eneti Waretini, a musician who has performed at the Rainbow Serpent festival, was keen to offer his perspective on the relationship between traditional land owners and Bush Doofs.

As an indigenous man myself, Māori, it is within my cultural protocol to know and acknowledge the ‘tangata whenua’ (people of the land) and at the beginning of all of my sets I make sure to do so. It is important for all people to know where they stand and the history it holds.

Eneti was eager to offer his perspective about why Doofs were different from other festivals.

“A lot of the Bush Doofs I played were protest gatherings, from anti-uranium mining to the protection of endangered forests and animals, although there were some for just hedonistic purposes too. What I think separates [Bush Doofs] from other festivals is the community… [that] creates them. They usually aren’t organised for profit but [some might be] for a political purpose or just for the connection to the music and land.”

The origins of the term ‘Doof’ supposedly lie in an often-told story about a music party in inner Sydney hosted by the Non-Bossy Posse and Vibe tribe. A middle-aged neighbour knocked on their door to query “what is all this doof, doof, doof music?” The terminology was soon appropriated by the community, and has become connected to Bush Doofs.

The first commercial Bush Doof was the now defunct Earthcore in 1994, however, the largest and most influential festival would have to be Rainbow Serpent, which began in 1997 and continues to run today. Other notable examples include Hopkins Creek, Strawberry Fields, Babylon, Esoteric, Inner Varnika, Pitch and Rabbits Eat Lettuce. The spirit of its DIY origins are still intact, with many instances of people still hosting small, non-commercial parties across Australia. Groups of mates simply take speakers and camping gear into the bush to create their own version of the Bush Doof.

The Doof Stick is a cultural item of the Bush Doof rarely seen outside Australian music festivals. Typically made from broom handles, poles and branches, the Doof Stick was initially created as a marker sitting above the crowd so that you could find friends on the crowded dance floors. It soon blossomed into an artefact and staple of Bush Doofs when patrons began to decorate their sticks with lights, ornaments, prints and cut-outs often referencing artists and DJs, pop culture, Australiana and drug related iconography.

Clothing is another aspect that is unique to the Doof, ranging from simple outdoor summer wear to outlandish costumes. Festival-wide themes set up by patrons are common: attendees participate in mass dress-ups that become tradition among festivalgoers. Some more notable examples include Rainbow Serpent’s ‘Mullet Mondays’, where attendees cut each other’s hair on the dance floors into mullets of all shapes and sizes. Or it could be Inner Varnika festival’s ‘Suit Sunday’ where almost the entire crowd can be seen wearing suits participating in business related banter, carrying briefcases, wearing headsets, setting up desks and can be heard spurting random business jargon at one another: a juxtaposition of city and corporate attire with the rural and carefree setting. This silly and humorous atmosphere adds to the inviting nature and helps build a sense of unity amongst patrons.

Eneti went on to explain that the significance of communities around these festivals is that “all like-minded people, usually gather for the same reason: purpose or pleasure. The genres selected for the event will usually only bring enthusiasts of those genres so already they have the commonality.”

Although many of the commercial Bush Doof festivals are often headlined by international DJs, they also provide a platform for emerging Australian electronic artists. Some festivals, like Hopkins Creek, emphasize local talent while others such as Rainbow Serpent have open applications. An invaluable process for the Doof scene in Australia is allowing aspiring artists to nominate themselves directly to practice their artistry.

The Bush Doof is an important part of Australian electronica and dance music with its unique atmosphere guided by the cultural traditions that they inhabit. Locations deep in the bush and countryside, far removed from the real world, and an overall sense of humour helps build a feeling of unity, inclusivity and enjoyment. It is a wholly Australian phenomena that offers a sense of escapism that would be lost in an urban setting.