Get your program and then you can decide if you want to go to the main tent,
the marquee, the hall, the church, the pub or the dance floor.
If Gospel and Folk are your thing then there¹s lots of choice. Broomhall,
Spillane and de Santi are up from the Illawarra, Franklin B. Paverty and
the Clydesdales from Mogo are driving the Bush Dances, The Ellis Collective
is full of musical surprises, and The Hopefuls, Wayward Folk, Craig and
Simone and the Jim Stubbs Backing Band all do a mix of traditional and
modern material.
If you lurved the music of the 60¹s and 70¹s then don¹t miss Humbug who will
also mix in a few poignant Celtic ballads to keep you on your toes.
Mark Lucas and the Deadsetters are described as the ones who brought country
to western Sydney and they like to mix traditional and contemporary, but
country fans should also catch O¹Neill and Rogers, Silver Strings and Chris
Brown.
Blues, roots or jazz fans can get their kicks with Kooky Fandango,
Karismakatz, Richard Perso, Tongue and Groove, and if you like a hint of old
time Appalachian, don¹t miss Anthony D¹Antonio.
If you like getting up close and personal with solo storytellers and
wonderful musicians, Ami Williamson, Ange Takats, Eva Popov, Anita George
and Rose Bygrave are all critically acclaimed or award winning artists.
Similarly, you could try the blokes like Vorn Doolette, Fred Smith and Tony
Eardley. The duos Grimick and Cilla Jane love to tell stories, and the
internationally acclaimed Hottentots just keep winning awards year after
year.
Soursob Bob performs songs everyone can relate to on the universal themes of
love, loneliness, world peace, bad holiday experiences in dodgy cars, and
poor customer service by telephone companies. If you like your songs with a
touch of humour, Mr Fibby and Bill Quinn are likely candidates as well.
You can come on a journey to harmony heaven with such groups as Malaika,
Ecopella, Triantin, Acapalerang, the Illawarra Union Singers and Madrigala.
The Braidwood Cantors¹ harmonies will take you on a Sentimental Journey.
Trev Dunham and friends will amaze you in the Guitar Olympics and Dave
O¹Neill and his friends will get you toe-tapping and knee-knocking in the
Fiddle Forum.
I¹d love to tell you about the twenty other equally-wonderful performers I
haven¹t mentioned, but space precludes and you¹ll just have to come and see
for yourself.
You might even catch some of them at the pub which is a performance as well
as a blackboard venue.
Your kids can make butterfly magnets, paint moulded plaster, get into
recycled instruments, learn about storytelling and song-writing, perform a
kids Maypole, do se do in a mini bush dance, and meet Grummy, the Fat Fairy
in a poetry feast.
There¹s a Poet¹s Breakfast on the Saturday and Sunday hosted by the
talented Zondrae King ,Barry Lake and Dave Myers.
You can even do a workshop learning to play the tin whistle, harmonica,
guitar, flute or the spoons. You can practise basic vocal techniques,
performance techniques, learn about improvisation in music, and how to make
tricky rhythms easy, fit lyrics to music, or try a range of different
singing workshops.
Dancers can take their pick from Belly, Folk, Tango , Flamenco, Morris and
Bollywood.
For the first time, a youth venue will operate as a creative space for
performance, poetry, dance and music where beginners can join with talented
locals and perform on their own or as part of a group, or simply enjoy the
talents and company of others.
With so much to see and do, how could you possibly not join us. I¹m having
fun already!
Arthur Baker
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