Archives
March/April 2011
Looking backwards and looking forwards
Listened, jammed and performed at the 22nd Harrietville Bluegrass Festival in November 2010. It was awesome! Had an opportunity to open the gospel session with friends on the main stage due to the unfortunate absence of Bluegrass Parkway. I look forward to the next bluegrass festival, which I believe will return to Harrietville. At the end of the festival everyone was told that 2010 was going to be the last year for Harrietville and that the venue would change. The recent announcement on the return to Harrietville should please many.
Attending to urgent family affairs has meant music had to take a back step for a while and so overall, the last seven months or so prior to April have been very quiet musically. I've only had time to play at a few important events including: a promised performance with friend Andrew at Belconnen Markets - ACT, the Harrietville Bluegrass Festival, a wedding and a funeral. Now that period has passed, Melbourne is really opening up as I find all the little gems in the south-eastern areas of Melbourne.
Local Folk Clubs
Doing the rounds at local folk clubs is a pleasant process of discovery. There's a surprising number of them out there. New faces, new venues, new networks. I've just recently discovered BAD Folk and they weren't bad at all, in fact they were very good. I played some tunes there which were received well. See the Links page to find the B.A.D. Folk of the Berwick and District Folk Club and other related sites. Selby Folk Club is tucked away in the hills and is a real gem of a place, it's cosy but inviting. Pay attention to their website and enter through the Charles street way, it's easier to find that way.
On 5 April, joined the newly formed Mountain Pickers Association (MPA) and played some songs, first up on stage. Lots of good acts and a great new venue up there in the hills (Burrinja Cafe), where you can have a nice meal and drink whilst listening to some great live music. The main act was Uncle Bill and they played with great gusto and energy, a fine performance.
On 8 April, listened to some good talent and played at Fathers in the Chapel (FITCH). Their venue is a wonderful old church built in 1866 with outstanding acoustic properties. The setup is completely unplugged so it's just you and your instrument(s). The audience is very attentive and you can hear every note from the back of the chapel, no problem. It's very unique and there aren't many venues like this around Australia. The Master of Ceremonies, Michael Tinetti is very welcoming and a real pleasure to know.
Other artists
Listened to the Lurkers on 19 March in Berwick and was highly entertained. Lots of political stuff in their music and a real passion resonating in their music about social injustice issues. Lots of good original songs and excellent interaction between the three band members. Saw Coolgrass and Bluegrass Parkway play recently on 22 March, in Upwey and they were fantastic. These two groups are always very entertaining and a pleasure to hear. Coolgrass' antics are hilarious but behind the jokes is some really precise work. Bluegrass Parkway looked dapper as usual and put on a show to please, their harmonies are beautiful and the vocals from their fiddle player were a pleasing surprise, I think he should perhaps have greater share of the spotlight?!
On 1 April heard 'Invisible Boy', a Tasmanian duo that had a good original sound - loved their original song and background story on the tune 'The boy who couldn't change the world'. Also saw Sally Carter (and daughter) at Selby. Nice work with the violin Sally and the hurdy-gurdy is a real treat.
I've seen and met a lots of good artists at FITCH, too many to mention all. These included some familiar faces from other venues like MPA and BAD Folk. Low Class Grass were very good - a bluegrass trio which changed from duo to trio at the start of April 2011. Jim Golding of Coolgrass fame was entertaining, as always. I really liked Jimmy Fong and his original tunes such as December Skies.
This month, I had a great opportunity to listen to Hugh McDonald of Redgum fame (and writer of Diamantina Drover) at BAD Folk. In an all acoustic, solo live performance, he played not only on his two Taylor guitars, which I suspect he had set at two different action heights, (a higher one for the loud tunes and a lower one for gentler picking?) but also mandolin and violin. Hugh has been promoting a new album titled "The Lawson Album" where Henry Lawson's poems are put to music. Hugh is a truly accomplished musician who's at home with an Irish jig, a Henry Lawson Poem, contemporary songs on environmental issues or old classics like "I was only 19".
Canberra
The Canberra Acoustic Music Jam or 'Jammalong' now has a new website providing a lot of information. They've been going for some time now and at last they've got a website. Go to the links page or directly to http://parkmusic.weebly.com to check them out. I'm looking forward to catching up with Canberran friends at Easter whilst attending the National Folk Festival.
Listened, jammed and performed at the 22nd Harrietville Bluegrass Festival in November 2010. It was awesome! Had an opportunity to open the gospel session with friends on the main stage due to the unfortunate absence of Bluegrass Parkway. I look forward to the next bluegrass festival, which I believe will return to Harrietville. At the end of the festival everyone was told that 2010 was going to be the last year for Harrietville and that the venue would change. The recent announcement on the return to Harrietville should please many.
Attending to urgent family affairs has meant music had to take a back step for a while and so overall, the last seven months or so prior to April have been very quiet musically. I've only had time to play at a few important events including: a promised performance with friend Andrew at Belconnen Markets - ACT, the Harrietville Bluegrass Festival, a wedding and a funeral. Now that period has passed, Melbourne is really opening up as I find all the little gems in the south-eastern areas of Melbourne.
Local Folk Clubs
Doing the rounds at local folk clubs is a pleasant process of discovery. There's a surprising number of them out there. New faces, new venues, new networks. I've just recently discovered BAD Folk and they weren't bad at all, in fact they were very good. I played some tunes there which were received well. See the Links page to find the B.A.D. Folk of the Berwick and District Folk Club and other related sites. Selby Folk Club is tucked away in the hills and is a real gem of a place, it's cosy but inviting. Pay attention to their website and enter through the Charles street way, it's easier to find that way.
On 5 April, joined the newly formed Mountain Pickers Association (MPA) and played some songs, first up on stage. Lots of good acts and a great new venue up there in the hills (Burrinja Cafe), where you can have a nice meal and drink whilst listening to some great live music. The main act was Uncle Bill and they played with great gusto and energy, a fine performance.
On 8 April, listened to some good talent and played at Fathers in the Chapel (FITCH). Their venue is a wonderful old church built in 1866 with outstanding acoustic properties. The setup is completely unplugged so it's just you and your instrument(s). The audience is very attentive and you can hear every note from the back of the chapel, no problem. It's very unique and there aren't many venues like this around Australia. The Master of Ceremonies, Michael Tinetti is very welcoming and a real pleasure to know.
Other artists
Listened to the Lurkers on 19 March in Berwick and was highly entertained. Lots of political stuff in their music and a real passion resonating in their music about social injustice issues. Lots of good original songs and excellent interaction between the three band members. Saw Coolgrass and Bluegrass Parkway play recently on 22 March, in Upwey and they were fantastic. These two groups are always very entertaining and a pleasure to hear. Coolgrass' antics are hilarious but behind the jokes is some really precise work. Bluegrass Parkway looked dapper as usual and put on a show to please, their harmonies are beautiful and the vocals from their fiddle player were a pleasing surprise, I think he should perhaps have greater share of the spotlight?!
On 1 April heard 'Invisible Boy', a Tasmanian duo that had a good original sound - loved their original song and background story on the tune 'The boy who couldn't change the world'. Also saw Sally Carter (and daughter) at Selby. Nice work with the violin Sally and the hurdy-gurdy is a real treat.
I've seen and met a lots of good artists at FITCH, too many to mention all. These included some familiar faces from other venues like MPA and BAD Folk. Low Class Grass were very good - a bluegrass trio which changed from duo to trio at the start of April 2011. Jim Golding of Coolgrass fame was entertaining, as always. I really liked Jimmy Fong and his original tunes such as December Skies.
This month, I had a great opportunity to listen to Hugh McDonald of Redgum fame (and writer of Diamantina Drover) at BAD Folk. In an all acoustic, solo live performance, he played not only on his two Taylor guitars, which I suspect he had set at two different action heights, (a higher one for the loud tunes and a lower one for gentler picking?) but also mandolin and violin. Hugh has been promoting a new album titled "The Lawson Album" where Henry Lawson's poems are put to music. Hugh is a truly accomplished musician who's at home with an Irish jig, a Henry Lawson Poem, contemporary songs on environmental issues or old classics like "I was only 19".
Canberra
The Canberra Acoustic Music Jam or 'Jammalong' now has a new website providing a lot of information. They've been going for some time now and at last they've got a website. Go to the links page or directly to http://parkmusic.weebly.com to check them out. I'm looking forward to catching up with Canberran friends at Easter whilst attending the National Folk Festival.