Image: Tony ProudfootOne of the most talked about appearances from last weekend’s action stacked Golden Plains lineup – that included Sleater Kinney, Royal Headache, The Buzzcocks, and Eddy Current Suppression Ring – was from a Ballarat 21-year old dubbed White Boy Will.Will was called onstage during Freddie Gibbs set when the hardcore hip-hop MC spotted him in the crowd holding aloft a bottle of homemade ‘lean’. After negotiating the fence and security, Will and his codeine-laced concoction joined Gibbs on stage to the applause and amusement of thousands.After offering to share his beverage with Gibbs, Will spent the rest of the set on stage with the Gary, Indiana hip hop star who continued to refer to him as ‘White Boy Will’.We ran into Will in Ballarat on Thursday at the Noisey party and asked him about his onstage antics with Freddie.Noisey: How was your weekend leading up to Freddie’s set?
White Boy Will: It was good. I got to Golden Plains pretty late on the Saturday. I was with three mates and I was pumped to see Freddie. Besides Eddy Current Suppression Ring, he was the only act I was looking forward to.What was in the bottle?
Codeine and promethazine AKA lean.How do you make it?
You have to go to the chemist and ask for the correct product. Because it’s not for adults, it’s a child medication, you can get it pretty easy.Is it big in Ballarat?
Say if there’s 100 000 people in Ballarat, I reckon 100 or 200 people would know about lean.How did you end up stage?
I was holding the lean above my head in a two-litre Sprite bottle. When you mix the lean in with the Sprite it goes that purple colour. Freddie’s mates who were on stage pointed me out to Freddy and he said “Hold up we gotta get this motherfucker on stage”.How did you feel when you heard that?
It was amazing. I’d drunk half a slab earlier. I’d had three pills before the show and I was off my face but I still jumped the barrier straight away.Was security cool?
Two of them jumped me but I told them that Freddie wanted me up so I went around the back and was then on stage.What did Freddie think of your lean?
He said it was the “dirtiest of the dirty Sprite” but he also said, “You’re’ my guest. Chill, have some champagne, stay up here.”Did you hang out with him after?
As soon as he finished the show I didn’t want to bother him. He’d already given me a hug and we’d spoken. I have some friends who have since got in touch with him on Instagram and he got back to them, but I don’t want to do that.How did it feel to be on stage?
It wasn’t even that I was in front of 10 000 people that was so amazing but just the feeling of standing next to Freddie Gibbs and my mates are in the front row cheering me on. For the rest of the weekend people were coming up to me and saying “Yo, White Boy Will!”. It was amazing. I’m still buzzing.
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White Boy Will: It was good. I got to Golden Plains pretty late on the Saturday. I was with three mates and I was pumped to see Freddie. Besides Eddy Current Suppression Ring, he was the only act I was looking forward to.What was in the bottle?
Codeine and promethazine AKA lean.How do you make it?
You have to go to the chemist and ask for the correct product. Because it’s not for adults, it’s a child medication, you can get it pretty easy.Is it big in Ballarat?
Say if there’s 100 000 people in Ballarat, I reckon 100 or 200 people would know about lean.How did you end up stage?
I was holding the lean above my head in a two-litre Sprite bottle. When you mix the lean in with the Sprite it goes that purple colour. Freddie’s mates who were on stage pointed me out to Freddy and he said “Hold up we gotta get this motherfucker on stage”.How did you feel when you heard that?
It was amazing. I’d drunk half a slab earlier. I’d had three pills before the show and I was off my face but I still jumped the barrier straight away.Was security cool?
Two of them jumped me but I told them that Freddie wanted me up so I went around the back and was then on stage.What did Freddie think of your lean?
He said it was the “dirtiest of the dirty Sprite” but he also said, “You’re’ my guest. Chill, have some champagne, stay up here.”Did you hang out with him after?
As soon as he finished the show I didn’t want to bother him. He’d already given me a hug and we’d spoken. I have some friends who have since got in touch with him on Instagram and he got back to them, but I don’t want to do that.How did it feel to be on stage?
It wasn’t even that I was in front of 10 000 people that was so amazing but just the feeling of standing next to Freddie Gibbs and my mates are in the front row cheering me on. For the rest of the weekend people were coming up to me and saying “Yo, White Boy Will!”. It was amazing. I’m still buzzing.