Review: The Gum Ball 2012

May 21, 2012 at 14:30 (Festivals)
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Review by KT Bell, photos by Stu B.

In spite of all our good efforts, enthusiasm and eager anticipation following last year’s fantastic Gum Ball, Stu and I found ourselves behind schedule driving in to the darkness from Sydney, desperate to get to Lower Bedford for the 2012 Gum Ball and it’s stellar line up. We arrived at 9pm, just in the nick of time before the gates closed for the night. In the headlights of the car we set up our modest camping facilities only a few hundred meters from the main festival area with the roaring set of The Tongue as our soundtrack.

To my delight, we managed to catch the last act of the night, the newly reformed The Bakery. While not really folk, they’re worth checking out in their new format. After an extended period of absence, the band took on a new line up for the 2011 Woodford Folk Festival and their act has been going from strength to funky strength ever since. As the festival’s sound system fell silent, the crowd migrated to the silent disco to revel on in to the early morning. Amusingly to those watching from the outside, it looked like a silent, shuffling human zoo exhibit with the occasional rousing group rendition of some classic chorus. As the silent disco serenaded us with another round of “they paved paradise to put up a parking lot, ooooh, bop bop bop…” we headed to bed in readiness for a huge Saturday to come.

In the morning light, we rose to discover the sprawling tent city nestled among the gum trees and the impressive set up of the seasoned gum-ballers surrounding us. Complex lounge room style common areas complete with couches, tarps stretched over cars, vans and tents, lean to’s and all manner of camping comfort and conveniences. We stumbled off to the festival arena in search of coffee and breakfast, passing impromptu camp kitchens, gas cookers perched on tow bars and the likes with eggs, bacon and all manner of delicious smelling DIY breakfasts taunting and tempting us the whole way. Eating your breakfast in the very grounds of the festival watching the place slowly waking up as the morning fog burns off certainly starts that excited feeling that only this kind of festival can inspire.

Just prior to 10am, Stu and I positioned our camping chairs just to one side of the sound mix tent where we had an excellent view of the side by side stages, ready and comfortable for a long day of The Gum Ball. To start off the day and brighten up the morning for some rather dusty heads, the Perch Creek Family Jug Band bounded on to stage not dissimilar to the endless enthusiasm of the Brady Bunch or Partridge Family, and we’re bedecked in much the same garb. A 5 piece family outfit saw the stage awash with banjo, washboard and jug, acoustic guitar, harmonica and double bass all blending together in a wholesome family vibe. They produced great rhythm and a great way to start the morning. Recently turned 17, Christi has become the bad boy of the family, proving his status with a cover of Justin Townes Earl’s “If you ain’t glad I’m leaving, girl you know you ought to be”. The crowd quickly grew as daughter Eileen delivered a sultry cover of “Minnie the Moocher”. A bit kitsch but a whole lot of fun, their onstage family banter must have been what it was like for our Evan Hughes growing up in a folk family, as the kids all complain to mother Camilla that, in spite of her Train Whistle opening, they “don’t do the ready stances anymore”. But after some ‘gentle’ motherly advice and encouragement from the crowd (would I do a thing like that? *looks innocent*) they struck their very silly and quasi rock star poses and launched in to a bit of honky tonk, country tinged, bluegrass. It was all very cheesy, but in the right way for that time of the morning. I had to question whether there is anything this family don’t do? They are all multi-instrumentalists, Eileen tap dances with a mini banjo, the vocal harmonies while all the time sharing the spotlight and the instruments equally. And to round things out they finally brought out the jug in time for Christi to accompany the jug playing a saw in a lullaby style number. Family nights at their place must be amazing.

A little later in the morning we were treated to the Irish lilt of Roesy. A modest chap, he thanked his family, saying he wouldn’t be here without them. Performing solo with just his acoustic guitar, full voice and genuine story telling style, Roesy told tales and drew the audience in to his melody of worlds. Enjoying his set, I often felt like we may not have been at a festival but relaxing in Roesy‘s backyard while he told us tales of the songs his Dad used to sing.

Benjalu is a name I have heard but not a band I have followed so I was interested to see what they had to offer. From the outset, it was clear they were on fire, sounding really tight with an excellent mix of acoustic guitar and electric. Their indie sound is heavily grounded in roots with a dash of rock and a touch of folk to round out their style. With their subtle harmonies and great energy, they had the crowd up and dancing instantly and it’s no surprise their infectious sound had the audience in raptures. I really enjoyed their song about being hungover complete with bongos for that pounding headache feel with strummy acoustic guitar and harmonized melody to sooth the soul. We’d seen him lurking at the back of stage but it was a great delight to see a cameo performance on their last song by none other than tour buddy Kim Churchill. It was clear that they had great rapport which delivers an excellent collaboration, they worked well together on stage and brought their set to a crescendo finish. Benjalu was an utter highlight and I shall be watching them like a hawk.

You all know that we here at TnS love Kim Churchill and we’re always very happy to see him on a festival line up. He took to the stage in his one man band style as we’re so used to seeing him. He opened with echos of “Waltzing Matilda” woven throughout “Loving Home” which attracted a big crowd to his set, it was clear people were drawn to him and his sound. In such a picturesque setting, it was easy to appreciate such musical layers all produced live by one person! Currently touring with Benjalu, it was clear they are all very good friends. He told the story of how Benjalu‘s van had broken down 2 days ago, that they have been saving every cent from every EP sold to record a new album and that he would hate to see that money to go to a van. During his next song, “Revolution”, donation buckets were going around collecting donations to help fix the van. Using his ethereal loop echo to advantage his passionate performance in songs both new and old, (like his LA song, telling how he dislikes the big cities), Kim’s raw performance energy is apparent. Close up, you can see him tremble as he performs, hands as they strum, face as he plays harmonica. Title track from his new album “Detail in Distance” is very reflective, he has learned over the years that sometimes distance is the thing that helps you see clearly. Kim likes to tell stories between songs, of how they came about. By far the most compelling was about a song written in French Polynesia while on tour, “Bathed in Black”, and how on a bad day he chose to change his own mindset and outlook. How a man in his early 20s could be so wise is beyond me, but I am grateful Kim Churchill is such a keen and regular performer who can bring this wisdom to us all through his enthusiasm and music.

Wagons wasted no time getting deep in to the bluesy country goodness as they burst forth onto the stage. In the between song banter, Henry Wagons dedicate a song to all those bad choices made at festivals, and “I Blew It” rang around the festival arena. Jovial with the crowd, Wagons was not shy of dedicating the next song to all there, especially a woman in the crowd looking at him skeptically who he was determined to win her over in one song. A deep, pounding rendition of “Love Me Like I Love You” may well have succeeded. An emphatic “Willie Nelson” had the crowd singing along and Si the Philanthropist’s hip hop gave Henry a moment to wipe his brow and take to the drum kit. Wagons whirled through their set getting the crowd totally involved for an energy filled finale that left the gum trees ringing.

Mat McHugh had quite the following gathered at front of stage well before his set began. His solo set up included an acoustic guitar and laptop to provide a variety of additional backing sounds as he launched in to “My Mind is an Echo Chamber”. I thought to myself that he sounded like a stripped back Jack Johnson or Xavier Rudd. I looked him up on The Gum Ball site and realised he is the lead singer and songwriter of The Beautiful Girls. Cue the moment of feeling really ignorant, no wonder he sounded familiar. After touring solo in support of John Butler Trio, Matt discovered his new stripped back solo career and the Gum Ball audience seemed impressed with his new solo exploits.

I’ve been a fan of Ash Grunwald for a while and enjoyed interviewing him at Bluesfest last year, but Stu had hardly even heard of him and looked at me dubiously as I enthused about his upcoming set with Vika and Linda Bull. As Stu stood in the audience ready to photograph the set, he casually chatted to the crowd who not only echoed my sentiments, but got Stu intrigued and pumped for the set. Ash delivered a powerhouse opening, engaging the crowd with thumping kick drum, strumming rhythm guitar and wailing vocals, brought down to a cool, bluesy lament. With notes like gospel howls, Ash’s voice took over the Gum Ball arena and the crowd was transfixed. He then welcome Vika and Linda to the stage and using a loop recorded in Melbourne of Linda, which according to her “sounds like my grandpa” brought a whole new dynamic of sound to the festival. Ash sang and delivered running commentary throughout the set, nothing phases him. He explained that the chorus of his next song was inspired by The Hangover II, the tattoo faced “Demon in Me” from his new release Trouble’s Door. A diverse set, the next song built from a slow start into a speedy intro for “Shake that Thing”. With out hesitation he slid in to a cover of “Sail”. Ash’s voice carried over everything, electronic backing track, the swagger of the guitar and sultry backing vocals by Vika and Linda. An a Capella with a gospel style changed the feel of the set but still had the audience clapping and singing along. A grungy recorded backing loop accompanied “Raw” which true to it’s name has a raw sound and heavy dirty beat. At the end of the set, he thanked good friends Vika and Linda as this was their last performance together in the collaborative format for some time as Ash moves forward with promotions and tour for his new album Trouble’s Door. After the set had finished, Stu returned to our spot, grinning. Turns out Ash Grunwald had been awesome.

We had munched on some terrific festival food including the Wagons‘ endorsed wood-fired pizzas, and enjoyed dutch poffertjes for dessert and then it was time for the dessert finale of Jinja Safari. Their excitement was evident as they took to the stage, full of energy and life. Without hesitation they delivered their ethereal, tribal drum soaked intro, layered with harmonies and rich melodies oozing forth over the crowd with everyone swaying in time. Their set was smooth and sweet like treacle and the perfect ending to a rolling, rollicking, eclectic day of music. The keyboard was fanciful and lyrical and they all danced with their instruments while they performed, the bongos energetically shooting between phrases of songs.

We collapsed in to our camp beds exhausted but very satisfied by a fantastic festival with a well considered and varied line up to cater to a wide range of audience tastes. It’s hard to believe that The Gum Ball has been going for 8 years and hasn’t yet exploded in size or grown too big for it’s earthy and natural soaked site. We arrived home just after lunch and were really impressed to have fit a trip out of Sydney and so much music in to one weekend and still have time to relax before the working week started. Clearly the folks at Lower Belford and the surrounding Hunter Valley know how to put on a truly inclusive and inviting gig and the locals have discovered what a gem it is, now the Sydney-siders and Central Coast people just need to clue on and The Gum Ball will soon become a sell out success year after year. This year some punters had traveled form Canberra just to see headline act Custard and they wouldn’t have been disappointed with their set as well as the whole event. So it’s a sure thing that next year’s Gum Ball will have just as brilliant a line up and hopefully, as they note in their wrap-up blog post, a whole lot more people will come and enjoy the festival alongside the regulars.

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National Folk Festival 2012: A Musical Feast Part 2

April 18, 2012 at 12:11 (Festivals, Reviews)
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Food

“I come for the music, I stay for the Veggie Burgers”. We tweeted that halfway through the Saturday at this year’s National Folk Festival proving that like Jules’ account in Part 1 of this review we too are obsessed with food.

Well not just food. The music, dance, art and community were all top notch as well. As was the Guinness in the session bar. And the mulled wine at the Flute ‘n’ Fiddle. And the Coopers at the Bohemia Bar. You get the idea. But as we walked through the (new this year) bag checks at the gate we had one thing on our mind – food, specifically The National’s famous veggie burgers.

In keeping with the first part of our review we thought we’d include another guest spot for our favourite festival food.

The Perch Creek Family Jug Band

We’ve read (and written) a lot about The Perch Creek Family Jug Band recently but The National Folk Festival was our fist chance to see them live – and we couldn’t be more excited. As were quite a number of other festival goers with seats at a premium at the newly relocated Flute ‘n’ Fiddle relegating this reviewer to seats just beyond the tent’s edge in the warmth of the morning sun.

The Perch Creek Family Jug Band have created somewhat of a myth around their performance – are they really a family? If so how do they keep adding members? And why is one of the members wearing a showercap? The answers to these questions never made themselves known but it didn’t matter – the band’s mixture of blues, bluegrass, old timey and of course jug music was outstanding.

I was most impressed with the saw solos of “Crispy Hot Chickens” Christi Hodgkins (it’s not often you’ll see the saw played in a modern band) and the incredible percussion, including washboard, jug and cymbals, of “Ladies Love” Lear Hodgkins. That said the musicianship of the entire group was outstanding and it was no wonder their shows became buzz-worthy as the festival progressed – they were definitely on the “must see” list of so many people I talked to over the weekend.

The Perch Creek Family Jug Band via the Veggie Burger: Substantial, nutritious and familiar just like the tasty wholemeal bun.

The Battlefield Band

The version of The Battlefield Band that I watched on stage at The Budawang was not the same band I had grown up with. Numerous lineup changes over the years plus a huge amount of time since I’d last seen The Battlefield Band perform had meant the band I was watching were in fact brand new to me. But that didn’t matter one iota – what I experienced at The National Folk Festival was some of the best traditional music Scotland has to offer.

What separates a great trad band from your average pub session is of course skill, unity and a high level of performance. The “new” Battlefield Band had all three in spades, filling the packed Budawang with glorious traditional reels, marches and hornpipes.

It was The Battlefield Band’s newest and youngest member Ewen Henderson who was the standout – which says a lot considering how talented all the members of The Battlefield Band are. His skill and dexterity with the fiddle in particular was not to be outmatched and there were times where it felt impossible that his fingers could move that fast. The highlight of the show I saw (and from all of their shows over the weekend from what I heard) was the fiddle battle between Henderson and Alasdair White which somehow morphed into an all out bagpipe performance with a duet from Henderson (once again) and Mike Katz – absolutely magic.

The Battlefield Band via the Veggie Burger: The homemade mayo – you think you know what to expect but it takes you to a place you never thought mayo could take you.

Uncle Bill

To be honest Uncle Bill was circled on my program because of their Smoke album with Paul Kelly. Sure, their reputation as one of Australia’s most enduring and well respected bluegrass bands in the country helped but admittedly I was going into their gig in Drowsy Maggies fairly uneducated.

And boy am I glad I circled them. In a festival rife with bluegrass acts Uncle Bill stood out because of their absolute professionalism. Watching Uncle Bill play was an absolute pleasure from start to finish, from the absolute skill of each of the players to the witty banter between each song. Chatting to a lot of people throughout the festival, including a number of artists, I discovered just how well respected Uncle Bill are with the most people exclaiming “how good is that band!?”.

The vast majority of the Uncle Bill set I saw were covers with quite a number of Paul Kelly songs making an appearance. I was impressed to realise about half way through that none of the instruments were plugged in – something I had missed as the sound quality had not been detrimentally affected in the slightest. A credit has to go to the sound team and the quality of the sound equipment for capturing that authentic around-the-mic bluegrass experience.

The highlight of the show was what Gerry Hale called his “Wall of Fiddles” – three fiddlers absolutely tearing up the stage (we tweeted a photo of the event here). Normally this many fiddles at once can be a bit much – it can border on school string orchestra territory – but Uncle Bill made it work and the results were toetappingly good.

Uncle Bill via the Veggie Burger: The vegetarian patty – all the right ingredients combined in just the right way.

Sam Buckingham (Feat, Sarah Humphreys)

Due to the Flute ‘n’ Fiddle’s propensity to fill up very quickly we made sure we snagged a seat very early for Sam Buckingham’s set there. And lucky that we did because by the time she stepped onto the stage armed with her electric mandolin the tent was full to the brim with people keen to experience and eager to listen to the Sydneysider’s brand of quirky folk-pop.

And Buckingham did not disappoint, immediately endearing herself to crowd with her songs about love and life. I can tell I liked her music because my notes are sparse (a good indication that I was paying attention rather than writing things down) although I did scribble down that “Shackles” was my favourite track.

In Jules’ review of The National Folk Festival (here) she mentioned that Sam Buckingham had guested with Sarah Humphreys during the latter’s set and it seems as though the favour was returned during the show I saw. Humphreys, complete with her child on her hip, complimented Sam Buckingham’s music beautifully, their voices one again silencing The Flute ‘n’ Fiddle.

Sam Buckingham via the Veggie Burger: The homemade tomato relish – quirky, zingy and just a little bit spicy.

In the end The National Folk Festival delivered in spades proving it is Australia’s premiere folk event. I only wish it wasn’t a year until I get to experience it all again – and that goes for the Veggie burgers as well!

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National Folk Festival 2012: A Musical Feast Part 1

April 16, 2012 at 12:05 (Festivals, Reviews)
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Food

Hosted over Easter by Our Nation’s Capital, The National Folk Festival is something I look forward to, and every year I am in equal measure befuddled by, and in awe of, the phantasmagoria of sounds and kaleidoscope of sights present.

Music, dance, workshops, and expert percussive monkey puppeteers – these are all reasons to attend. But of course, there is another…

Lounging amidst lashings of hot mulled wine, ubiquitous gozleme and meat on sticks, lays the lip-smacking delight that comes with a side-served promise of spiritual awakening, known as The Feast.

The Feast, folk festival grub perfected by vegetarian Hare Krishnas, has become a main attraction. Two parts Royal Rice and Mixed Veggie Curry, one part Kofta Balls and Tomato Chutney and one part Halava Dessert, The Feast describes The National Folk Festival itself – aromatic, wholesome, lively and at times, experimental (who knew that sweet, sticky date-laden halava and tomato chutney could taste so good once accidentally combined)?

For this reason I will allow The Hare Krishna Feast a guest spot in this report (as it ‘gets’ folk).

The Yearlings

This super-lovely set got off to a cute start, with Robyn and Chris, a.k.a. The Yearlings wholeheartedly strumming (as we wondered, “Why are they performing through their foldback, and underwater?” and “Who turned out the lights?”) until the sound guy helpfully pointed out that things had not yet begun. Then, after giggles all round and a formal introduction from the MC they were on their way, both visible and audible.

What followed was dreamy, alt-country, road-trippin’ side-winding – the kind that makes you think, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it”, or “Dernit, I fergit ma Stetson”.

“Wildflower Girl” was ultra-cool. Robyn’s voice, with a touch of the Hope Sandovals, is so listenable and Chris coaxes milky tones from his electric guitar. Isn’t it so much more engrossing when talented guitarists don’t overdo it, even though they could?

After the gig we bumped into them at the sunscreen dispensary. They were friendly, relaxed and not the least bit sunburnt.

The Yearlings via The Feast: Everything that is great about The Feast, exists within The Yearlings. If I had to compare them to a particular part, it would be Royal Rice and Mixed Vegetable Curry: subtle, moreish, satisfying.

Sarah Humphreys (feat. Sam Buckingham)

Sarah Humphreys is quite the endearing performer. Somehow both shy and confident, she has a gentle, folky sway and a bunch of stories that, if told by a performer less natural, would seem too earnest for me (heck, she’s brought me to near-tears on more than one occasion).

This year at The National she was joined by her guitarist and a percussionist, which added a good amount of pep, to her oft introspective set.

I adore her most when she sings this song, which she did with fellow songbird, Sam Buckingham, silencing all in the Flute ‘n’ Fiddle and well into the fields beyond, even the drumming monkeys.

Sarah Humphreys via The Feast: Sweet like Halava.

April Verch

We wandered into a dark, cow-barn-sized, full of folk-folk room and settled in on the floor to catch some country/bluegrass tunes sung by a tiny, be-frocked Canadian fiddler accompanied by her wickedly skilled band (Cody Walters on double bass and banjo and Hayes Griffin on guitar).

All seemed wonderfully put together, hearty, festival, fiddle-driven fare until…April Verch started TAP DANCING!

I rummaged around for her programme bio to confirm that yes, this was happening and yes, April is not only a multi-instrumentalist and cherished Canadian musical export, she is also known in the business for her ‘step dancing’ prowess.

What the?

Over the next 30 minutes April and her band wowed us with their 3-man show. They were true performers, charming and funny (Hayes pointed out wryly that the only way to tell one fiddle tune from another is by the name, how true).

“I’m Still Trying” was uber-country in both lyrical style and arrangement, and simply lovely. The final number, “Bumblebee in a Jug” was a foot stompin’ hurrah that had me looking around for bumblebees swarming from jugs (‘cause people play jugs at the Folky).

To finish, the crowd sung Happy Birthday to April and she forgave us for not bringing a card. It was short notice, after all.

April Verch via The Feast: Just like a small dollop of Tomato Chutney, April Verch stepped up with a surprising amount of (high) kick!

The Ellis Collective

Being a Sound Guy at a folk festival is pretty much the job from Hell. Sound checks in real time, constant rearranging of instrument mics, vocal mics and leads, knob/big ego/fiddle fiddling, it’s no walk in the park.

On Friday night, as The Ellis Collective prepared to folk-rock the Majestic (a 1950s circus-style tent and newish venue at The National), it was clear that there might be technical difficulties. The show was running 25 minutes late, for starters.

When Matty Ellis and his band of ragamuffin folksters graced the stage, they were met with raucous applause. Having recently been ‘Unearthed’ in 2011, their following is growing in number and devotion and those attending didn’t seem to mind the murky sound one bit. The Ellis Collective soldiered through the sound and even sanctioned some specific, rhythmic audience participation, which much to their bemusement, the odd wag continued in unexpected songs, with the full audience’s final approval delivered in said-same rhythm-claps instead of the usual applause.

The gig swung from an avant-garde experiment that at one point saw nine band members on stage (incl. four percussionists, one playing a chain, in a bucket) to a moving, heartfelt performance, and it brought the tent down. Sound Guy Hell, but fan Heaven.

The Ellis Collective via The Feast: Crunchy, crunchy Kofta Balls.

David Ross MacDonald

A cool thing to do at a folk festival is take a punt, as we did on Friday afternoon, with David Ross MacDonald.

Knowing nothing about him, we sat ourselves down in the Flute ‘n’ Fiddle, taking care to manage our exit strategy, should his set not fill our 40 minutes with joy (sounds harsh but there is a LOT of music to get through at The National)! The only clue that we were about to see something good was that The Yearlings crept in via a sneaky side entrance to watch. Did I mention how much I like The Yearlings?

David, a troubadour in folk-armour (white shirt and vest), had us immediately. And I can’t quite pinpoint what it was that captivated, perhaps the blend of introversion, quirk, honesty and sing-scat-humming to himself off mic. If you watch this shaky recording of “Ruby Stone” (try to ignore the children crying), you might hear what I think I heard – a hint of Darren Hanlon and something deeply lovely. And we all joined in with the chorus.

(Here, why not watch some more, it’s fun)!

I also liked what he had to say – whether dispensing advice from his Mother (“Adapt or die!”) or telling a funny story about a family holiday with Grandpa that takes a twist and punches you in the guts with brutal, beautiful observation.

David is a great guitarist but his appeal isn’t abracadabra or production. We lined up to buy his latest album after the gig (and maybe gush a little) and I like it, but his live performance with nothing added, seemed so, so pure. The album longs me to see him live again.

In any case, I give David Ross MacDonald two of my thumbs, pointed skyward.

David Ross MacDonald via The Feast: Have you ever eaten the feast for lunch AND dinner. David Ross MacDonald is just like that.

In sum, The National Folk Festival rules. So does sunscreen, songbirds, tap dancing, Sound Guys, Grandparents, D. R. MacDonald and of course, The Feast.

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Review: Womadelaide, 2012

April 13, 2012 at 16:24 (Festivals, Reviews)
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Timber and Steel are big fans of Womadelaide festival. The event takes place over 4 days during the March long weekend every year and brings dozens of the world’s best traditional musicians to the city for a romp of cultural celebration and unique performances. As a full time student and worker, the festival holds a strong significance in my life, as it surely does for tens of thousands of others as well. It’s the time of year that life slows down for a moment, the pressures of work and study are lifted, and curiosity and enjoyment take over. Its brilliance is that it has the power to make the most tightly wound folk feel like a carefree traveller, even if it’s only fleetingly before it all starts again. Testament to this is the fact that I can only get around to reviewing the festival a month after it took place. Even reflecting on it is somewhat soothing.

Whilst the previous year’s lineup was perhaps more folky in the sense of what we mostly write about here at Timber and Steel, 2012 had a lot to offer. The Friday opening night unfortunately clashed with Charles Bradley’s one and only performance at Barrio, so my Womadelaide did not begin until the Saturday afternoon. Penguin Cafe were the first act I crossed paths with, and I immediately recognised most of the tunes although never having listened to the band before. I could only describe it as the most fun you can have with classical music- verging on folk and pop. Apparently the band is really very famous and has been performing at Womad festivals for quite some time, which would explain why some of their songs seemed so familiar.

I spent some time checking out much-hyped Palestinian group Le Trio Joubran before stumbling across the highlight of my festival- The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. Lined up in a row with an arsenal of varying ukuleles, this charming and cheeky bunch of fun loving Brits put on an amazing show with both crowd pleasing cover renditions of popular songs and mesmerizing feats of arrangement as they flawlessly recreate all manner of genres entirely with one instrument, my favourite being their foray into Dixieland. Check them out below.

First Aid Kit were probably the only act on the bill that we frequently write about on Timber and Steel, and they were next on the agenda. I listened to their debut album a lot and was very impressed with their title track and first single from the new album. For those unfamiliar, First Aid Kit are 2 very young Swedish sisters that truly embrace the sound of classic American folk music, and remind most of Laura Marling with Fleet Foxesesque harmonies. Live, the flawless harmonies they achieve are all the more impressive. It was gratifying to see the pair perform with such confidence and unreserved passion, showing they aren’t above head-banging in moments of intensity. First Aid Kit had some decent publicity prior to their performance and the crowd was correspondingly strong. The sisters spent a lot of their set introducing the new album, which was the first time I heard it and I must say I am pleased with their direction- veering further towards folk and country and further from indie-pop. Exhibit A- their recent ode to their favourite folk musicians below.

Saturday ended with a fantastic curry and eclectic performances from Melbourne Ska Orchestra, Bonobo and Dirty Three.

Sunday was my girlfriend’s birthday and I brought her along to enjoy an afternoon of decidedly French-flavoured music. French-Senegalese heartthrob Tété kicked off the day’s proceedings with a good set of his trademark acoustic-pop/delta-blues blend. The result is truly unique, I honestly can’t say I’ve heard anything like it before. His guitar work was impressive, as was his voice, but for me the acoustic-pop element of his songs verged too closely to the likes of Jason Mraz and were ultimately slightly too predictable for my liking. Decide for yourself below.

Next we checked out French violinist/looper Chapelier Fou, which translates to “mad hatter”. I heard  from others that he was a highlight of their festival, and he was a very impressive musician. I susppose the experimental nature of the music and the repetitiveness of the looping put me off somewhat because I didn’t make it through to the end of his set before I opted for a trip to the food precinct of the festival. That evening I was lucky enough to catch Gurrumul for the first time, whom I’d wanted to see for a long time. The seated show was amazingly well attended and I only managed to get a spot behind an unfortunately large and dense shrub. Since I couldn’t see anyway there really wasn’t much else to do than close my eyes and enjoy it. I quickly caught a bit of Chilean folk star Nano Stern before calling it a night.

I made it to the festival on Monday just in time to see local act and friends Bearded Gypsy Band take to the stage for their first Womadelaide show. The group of incredibly young and talented musicians are notorious in South Australia for providing an unlikely party atmosphere with their moving arrangements that draw influence from gypsy swing, jazz and folk. It was a warm day and the crowd was packed in like sardines to get close to the Zoo stage and witness the lads finally get their opportunity to spread their craft with a significant new audience. You never get tired of seeing the Bearded Gypsy Band, and it was lovely to see how much it meant to them to be playing the festival.

We stuck around the Zoo stage for a while and checked out a piece of roving Japanese theatre called Sivouplait before joining in on Ivorian songstress Dobet Gnahore’s vocal workshop, which was a lot of fun.

I was by myself for a lot of the festival as a lot of the friends that I usually go with were interstate or working and I still really enjoyed myself. I probably didn’t make the most of every day but it’s honestly that relaxing that I didn’t really feel the need to. It’s not going anywhere.  See you next year, Womadelaide.

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Review: Blue Mountains Music Festival

March 26, 2012 at 15:23 (Festivals, Reviews)
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Blue Mountains Music Festival
Image Courtesy of the Blue Mountains Music Festival

To start, an admission: I’m a terrible festival attendee. My handful of must-sees quickly gives way to a fickle drifting, distracted eyes and ears rarely attentive for a whole set. I’m also, as you’ll quickly discover, musically illiterate yet fascinated and enthralled by a language I don’t understand. Lyrically, I feel adept to make comment; instrumentally I flounder and use inappropriate and often incorrect words. You’ve been warned: what follows is a review of the beautiful Blue Mountains Folk, Roots and Blues Music Festival by a musical illiterate with a deep love and appreciation for what she hears.

Thanks to Timber and Steel’s Editor in Chief Evan Hughes plans to marry one of my oldest (very youthful) friends, the lovely Sarah Tuz, and my convenient home in the misty, mystical Blue Mountains, I’m writing my first review for Timber and Steel.

Like many fellow festival attendees, I spent the preceding week checking the weather forecast, anticipating a repeat of last year’s perpetual rain and shin-deep mud bath (not atypical in the Bluies). Yet I also knew, as you can read in Evan’s review of last year’s festival, that the residents of the Blue Mountains and those attending from afar, are resilient and undeterred by a bit of soggy trudging between venues, and well-equipped with assorted gumboots and waterproof parkas.

The seventeenth Blue Mountains Musical Festival was, as the program described, the usual motley affair of folk, roots, blues, latin, world, jazz, bluegrass, Indie, reggae, blessed with artists from the quirky, theatrical The Beez, to the determined and socially conscious Blue King Brown. Young local musicians such as the passionate young Claude Hay played just metres away from the iconic Judy Collins, tackling themes from the intimate to the comical to the political and everything in between.

A “favourite five” glimpse of what we saw:

Fred Smith and Liz Frencham

Fred Smith is a songwriter of 15 years. He’s also an Australian diplomat who has been posted to far corners of the earth – from Bouganville to Uruzgan. Skilfully, he combines these two personas as a master storyteller, conjuring hope, despair and laughter in his audience. I was suitably curious to see him on both Friday and Saturday evening.

Fred began his collaboration with the beautiful, cheeky, passionate Liz Frencham at the National Folk Festival in 2002. Liz on vocals and cello brought balance and intimacy to Smith’s performance on Friday night, enthralling the audience with her vivacious enjoyment of her instrument, balancing Fred’s dry humour with a distinctly feminine presence onstage. The evening mixed the political – such as “Blue Guitar”, reflecting on his time in the Solomon Islands, to the everyday and personal, such as “In My Room”.

Throughout Saturday evenings Dust of Uruzgan (the title of his new album) performance, Smith used a combination of story, song and multi-media to tell of his time posted in the Uruzgan province of Afghanistan. What left the audience hopeful, despite his often tragic stories of distrust and fear, was Smith’s wry yet playful sense of humour, and his overt belief that in spite of the everyday horrors he witnessed, peace is still possible.

Liz Frencham and the rest of the band served as instruments by which Smith added life to his stories. Smith gave voice to the men and women of the armed forces in the province, describing the monotony of constant threat, the loss and death and ceaseless dust. It was not all bleak- from within the reality of war; Smith described uplifting friendships, a spot of ‘Schwafelen’ (brush up on your Dutch to translate this one) and plenty of laughter. A memorable and poignant experience.

Abigail Washburn and Kai Welch

Abigail Washburn’s sweet drawl and croaky laugh is just as compatible with Bluegrass as with traditional Chinese folk songs (hand gestures included). Vivacious, Nashville-based Washburn, complimented by co-writer and singing partner Kai Welch, blessed their Blue Mountains audience with some ramblin’ afternoon tunes, from the delicate “Dreams of Nectar” to the traditional Chinese folk song whose title (ironically for the weekend) translates ‘The Sun Has Come Out and we are so Happy’. Some soul-quietening, smile-delivering entertainment to bring in the Saturday evening.

My Friend the Chocolate Cake

Aptly described by our MC as ‘fizzy and effervescent pop’, My Friend the Chocolate Cake played us a range of tunes from their 21 years at the forefront of Australian Music.

Pianist and vocalist David Bridie started us on a melancholy note with “Strange Crumbs From the Suburban Fringe”, quickly swinging between the carnival and the cinematic in a set filled with songs you recognise but can’t quite place – probably from their presence on a plethora of Australian film and TV soundtracks.

Having never seen them before, I’m unsure if this is typical, but apart Bridie steering the show, and quirky Hope Csutoris on Violin, the rest of the band played along unobtrusively as if willing the audience to ignore the band and draw upon and use the music to conjure up their own images and memories. Bridies’ lovely shy young daughter joined the band on vocals for a rollin’ rendition of “25 Stations”, as My Friend the Chocolate Cake used suburban symbols integral to the Australian identity, music like the voice of a familiar and comfortable old friend.

Harry Manx, Judy Collins, Claude Hay

Bringing in Saturday evening, living up to my wandering tendencies our 7pm timeslot was filled with three very different artists I was very curious to see.

Firstly, a storytelling session with the diverse and bewitching Harry Manx accompanied by the extraordinarily talented and energetic virtuoso Hammond Organ musician Clayton Dooley. I sat, mesmerised as Manx minimised talk between songs, telling tale after tale, fusing eastern musical traditions with the Blues. Disappointingly, our time was cut short by the desire not to miss out on the legendary Judy Collins.

We skilfully edged into the jam-packed Big Top tent for a glimpse of Judy Collins, looking radiant, relaxed and all decked out in glitter and grin. At 71, Judy’s career spans more that half a century, and judging by the composition of the audience, attracts fans spanning many generations and backgrounds. The air was thick with nostalgia, and the voices of hundreds of festival attendees reminiscing in unison. The lyrics of Bob Dylans’ “Mr Tamborine Man” could no doubt be heard halfway up Katoomba St, Judy leading the crowd. Unfortunately, due my partner’s sore foot (see below paragraph), we hobbled across to the RSL stage where we discovered a whole generation perhaps untouched by Judy Collins.

Claude Hay had a collection of Blue Mountains youth dancing furiously to his Blue and Roots tunes. Feeling strangely old (especially compared to the rest of our time at the festival), we sat and watched the ‘young people’ shake and groove and chant along to defiant lyrics, while we polished our dentures and moaned about our arthritis.

Eric Bibb

A beautiful conclusion to my second Blue Mountains Music Festival. Eric Bibb, accompanied by Swedish guitarist Staffan Astner, bestowed upon the audience an exceptional set of traditional and contemporary folk-blues tunes. It was Erics’ fourth Blue Mountains Festival, and second time visiting the Mountains in the space of a year- he played at Blackheath Community Centre in April 2011.

Everything about Eric contrasted with the pervasive fog outside the tent, from his bright orange shirt to his infectious and radiant smile. Staffan, dressed in black, hat obscuring his eyes and occasionally bemused smile, was Eric’s quiet yet brilliant shadow. From “Stagger Lee”, “Floodwater”, “Troubadour”, “Tell my Baby” and “Going Down the Road Feeling Bad”, Eric played a mixture of covers and originals which created a warm and contented audience, pleased to be sharing the moment and the music with hundreds of others in the Big Top, rather than outside in Katoomba’s best mist and drizzle.

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Falls Festival Review: The Countdown

January 17, 2012 at 11:30 (Festivals)
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Crowd Panorama at Falls Festival by Stu BReview by KTBell, photos by Stu B

The most glorious, sunny morning greeted us on New Years Eve, and the main arena looked like it had been hit by a maelstrom of rubbish… Or perhaps like 16,000 people had used it as their own personal rubbish disposal the night before. Bright and early the army of volunteers were attacking the clean up with vigor and precision, Emu Parade style. It didn’t take long for the Valley to be returned to it’s rolling, green, inviting condition in preparation for what was sure to be an epic day. The weather was a completely different beast with punters huddling and scrabbling for shade wherever possible. Clamoring for relief from the scorching heat, we clung to the shade cast by recycling bins more often than not.

Gossling by Stu BA modest crowd assembled for Gossling‘s Valley Stage opening set, scrabbling for shade right up by the barrier. Overhearing the chatter about the previous night’s exploits resulted in a pair of lost thongs, purchased mohair and bravado personified. Drawn back to the promise of music and opening with a piano intro, Helen’s voice welcomed everyone to the day while “Days Are Over” gently greeted us all. It’s great to see her with a band behind her, giving the tracks a full sound. Among the pinwheels, Helen thanked the crowd for “coming down the hill and giving us a listen” and proceeded to hypnotise the growing numbers with “War”.

Helen switch to an acoustic guitar and commented that she had never played guitar on stage before and proceeded to play what I think was a new song as I didn’t recognise it.  The crowd steadily grew as songs progressed and once returned to her keyboard, “Hazard” presented itself to the eager listeners. A drawn out note and solemn mood came over the stage as “The Only Way” seeped forth and the lament spoke solemnly across the valley.

Sharing the Falls Festival bill with 360, Helen went on to divulge that she would indeed be appearing as a part of his set later that day in The Grand Theatre which made the crowds very happy. The familiar heartbeat like thump of the bass drum introduced ”Ancient Love” beautifully. To follow up, Helen explained that the next song was a slower song and not really a festival song but that they would give it a go anyway and delicate chords introduced “Oh Darling” to the valley. Her popular cover from Uncovered, “Dance The Way I Feel”  was very well received and it seemed only appropriate to close on crowd favourite ”I Was Young” to mark the start of an exciting afternoon and last day of the year.

Kim Churchill by Stu BWe headed up the hill to The Grand Theatre to see one of  Timber and Steel’s favourite yet relatively undiscovered acts, Kim Churchill. A very chilled out crowd lazed all over the grass inside the huge tent, we weren’t sure whether they were there to see Kim or not, but were soon roused by Kim‘s striking presence and opening performance. Kim had a whole swag of songs for his set, one haunting and introspective about life dreams and goals, laced with a questioning tone, another inspired by a literal dream after attending a party and catching up with childhood friends. One thing is sure, after early afternoon festival slots his presence, charisma and cheerful manner will impact on audiences and Kim Churchill will soon become a staple festival draw card.

Alpine at Falls Festival by Stu BAs we stumbled out in to the blazing sun and trekked back down the valley, Alpine were blowing retro styled socks off left, right and centre on The Grant Theatre stage. I haven’t heard much from these indie popsters but their retro onesies, girl pop voices and super on stage presence had an energy that could draw anyone in for a bit of a fun fling in the sun.

Down at The Village, a shirtless, Swedish Larry Bang Bang pondered ‘Who put the c*nt I country?’ and rambled  about a ‘British politician lady, fortunately not in power anymore’ and amused punters with ”Margaret’s Grey Eyes”. His guitar was covered in bright stickers and he even managed a costume change while he introduced a song, ‘an Egyptian love story of a love that failed because of camels’ and both confused and amused the audience. Larry had a comedians air about him as he told endless jokes that introduced songs or gave context, including his harmonica supposedly sold to him by Bob Dylan a a flee market and that we should support independent musicians like Bob. Larry specialises in just weird songs that are amusing really, including what seemed to be an Eskimo song.  He also managed to speak to us or say Thank you in 9 languages (I’m not sure which). Brite Fight who had performed on that stage earlier in the afternoon and who has been touring Europe with Larry, joined him on stage accompanying his next song “Postcard From The Moon” on grater and spoon, kind of a Clayton’s washboard I guess. All in all an intriguing alt-country and somewhat cheeky and vaguely folkish act I’d see again, just for the laughs.

Emma Louise by Stu BIt was time to head back to The Grand Theatre for Emma Louise where the crowd was quickly settling in. She had played at the Marion Bay festival the day prior and was very excited that it was her first time ever to Tasmania. 2011 was a crazy year for her, where in previous years she was ‘busking to no people’, suddenly she’s in a position of success and lots of plans to go overseas and regularly playing festivals like Falls. Backed by a band, complete with members switching between instruments to complete the right sound for the right song, Emma Louise is at the forefront with a burgeoning unfolding in front of her.

We went to check out Kimbra on The Valley Stage based solely on her collaboration with Gotye. Bedecked in a fun, pink, puffy, frilly and outrageous frock, akin to something Bjork might be seen in, she really let rip with funky pop, soul fusion. Every step and every note captured the crowds imagination. A truly enigmatic performer, Kimbra seems to have an endless source of energetic on stage. Her second song was the hugely popular “Settle Down”  which had the crowd excited, opening with looping and just keys as support, building through the first verse and ramping up with the crowd in tow. Funky staccato rhythms and attitude filled vocals made her a great act to watch.

Josh Pyke by Stu BThe crowds stayed through the blistering sun and were rewarded as Josh Pyke took to The Valley Stage to cheers and clapping. He’s a stylish lad, looking cool in a pink shirt and aviator glasses. The airy opening to “Clovis’ Son” with full band bolstering the melody had us cruising through the afternoon. Josh looked very comfortable and happy on stage and said it was a ‘pleasure to be back here at Falls’ shortly followed by “The Summer”, a very appropriate choice that had the audience swaying.

He wanted to play a few songs form the new album and asked the crowds if anyone had the new record. Looking out at the crowd’s response, he delighted announced ‘Most! That’s sick… As in what the kids say’ and broke in to “Good Head Start”. His set also featured “Goldmines”, “No One Wants A Lover” and of course the sing-a-long favourite “The Lighthouse Song”. It’s easy to see why Josh has become a popular festival act, with strong sets, affable demeanor and really delightful performances, he is a clear crowd favourite.

We popped in to The Grand Theatre to try and catch the end of The Head And The Heart and caught enough to be enchanted and excited by their music, but not enough to give them a whole review. Though their distinct harmonies and lilting melodies certainly have me keen to hear more and their confort on stage, jovially interacting with each other tells me they shall become a furute hit festival act.  Happily Timber and Steel caught them elsewhere on their tour and you can read the review here.

With all of the folk focused acts over for the festival (or even acts vaguely and tenuously linked to folk), we settled in to just enjoy the last acts of the night.

Aloe Blacc by Stu BAloe Blacc is a soul singer I’ve been keen to see for some time and to be honest, he stole the show! His infectious tunes infected the entire valley with ‘cool’ and proved he’s certainly no one-hit wonder. Timed in the early evening, his original crowd wasn’t overwhelming, but by the time his first song had finished, the crowd had swelled to at least twice the size and people were just flocking to be closer to the sound he and his band emanate. Almost every song was uplifting, one even inspired an impromptu flashmob style dance (which we were a part of) and was so big Blacc himself could see us from stage and some video footage made it online. I’m very keen to keep an eye on Aloe Blacc and would love to see him again.

One of the big pieces of news from the Lorne Falls Festival was the midnight countdown that went awry when the Arctic Monkeys left the stage, assuming someone from the festival would be leading the countdown. They were mistaken and came back out on stage to lead an amusingly arbitrary countdown at about 12.02am. I applaud them for their ability to roll with the punches and then rock on straight back in to their set. It didn’t matter if it was a countdown at the exact time, it was a countdown on a hillside with 16,000 of your now closest mates. Falls Festival, a truly astounding New Years experience.

You can have your say about the Falls Festival by completing their online patron survey and go in the running to win a double pass to the 2012 Falls Festival.

Read our other Falls Festival reviews, part 1 In The Beginning and part 2 Mid Stride, also take a look at our feature reviews from The Countdown, Kim Churchill and Emma Louise.

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Falls Festival Feature Review: Emma Louise

January 17, 2012 at 10:00 (Festivals, Gigs, Reviews)
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Emma Louise by Stu BReview by KTBell, photos by Stu B.

Emma Louise at the Falls Festival, Lorne VIC
The Grand Theatre, Saturday 31 December 2011

We arrived at The Grand Theatre for Emma Louise where a considerable crowd had gathered. Starting out on stage solo, she played a song written the previous week called “British Admiral”. Inspired by a visit to King Island for Christmas, the reef is littered with over 200 shipwrecks and the song reflects upon all the sailors who never came home to their wives. With a sweet, tender opening on acoustic guitar, the lament and mourning was clear. Emma was joined on stage by her band for “Sandalwood” allowing her angelic vocals to fill the tent.

Next was “Our Song”, though I might have the name wrong, based on the experience of being dumped yet still going back for more. Interestingly opening with vocal harmonies and a strong beat, it was a song full of concern yet able to achieve a quiet, calm moment of stillness of held guitar and keys notes among the drumbeat. Having last seen Emma Louise in the support slot for Boy and Bear last year, I was impressed to see her showmanship has improved performance wise, possibly part of that lift is the band behind her, but on stage experience seems to have served her well.

She told the audience that she had lived in Brisbane during the floods, and to escape that scene, had gone home to Cairns only to be stranded by cyclone Yasi. “Warning Eyes” was written while waiting for Yasi to arrive and delivered a quiet, solemn opening, building with the imminent story. “Darts” was about a good friend not long passed away, a slow song where memories unravel and intertwine through melody and emphatic versus. She reveled in the fact that she was playing a few new ones for the crowd and
played another which I think was called “Staying”.

Emma Louise by Stu BNext she pulled one from her EP from when she first moved to Brisbane and was living in a share house with smelly boys. “Bugs” had a delightful full sound, with a strong guitar, piano, drums and a massive wallowing bass riff. Given that the previous year had been a whirlwind of activity with her sudden rise in popularity, among all the changes, she wrote “Flannelette Sheets”, a song about being away from a loved one. The opening harmonies were like a light rain shower building up to a heartfelt yearning crescendo ending. “Sun And Moon” was punctuated and rhythmic with echoey harmonies throughout the chorus. And to bring her set to a close, Emma Louise pulled out a punchy rendition of the hit “Jungle”. She had a dedicated audience and a solid, entertaining performance. Her style still holds on to much of the floaty, delicate intimacy created by her breathy style, but she has stepped in to her own as a festival performer.

2012 will certainly be Emma Louise‘s year.

Read the rest of our Falls Festival reviews, part 1 In The Beginning, part 2 Mid Stride and part 3 where Emma was featured, The Countdown.

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Falls Festival Feature Review: Kim Churchill

January 17, 2012 at 08:30 (Festivals, Gigs, Reviews)
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Kim Churchill by Stu BReview by KTBell, photos by Stu B

Kim Churchill at the Falls Festival Lorne, VIC
The Grand Theatre, Saturday 31 December 2011

We headed up the hill to The Grand Theatre to see one of Timber and Steel’s favourite yet relatively undiscovered acts, Kim Churchill. A very chilled out crowd lazed all over the grass but were woken with Kim’s stomp box, strummy guitar and wailing harmonica opening to “Tides”. With the crowd well and truly intrigued, he brought “Smile as He Goes Home” to the table and piqued the collective crowd’s attention.

It seems like Kim should be far better known in Australia a feat yet to really be achieved. Kim manages to create a full band sound all by himself in an exceedingly impressive one man band style, so much so that his finger picking can almost sound piano like. I think this alone may be a part of the reason new audiences don’t always take in every aspect of his performance, because they may not even realise the skill that goes in to being your own accompaniment. I would love to see him sometime with a band in support, perhaps his charisma and talent would translate better with a backdrop.

Kim Churchill by Stu BI have to admit, I haven’t committed all of Kim‘s song titles to memory, but that’s because he so often plays new material and his Falls set was no exception. He explained he has been traveling a lot in the last year and proceeded to play a song written in LA where he was trying to work out if he liked the big city or not. With lyrics like “And water doesn’t care where it’s running” and “Keep them safe within their concrete walls”, it was a really powerful performance. Kim put his all in to every song and was rewarded with a now receptive audience, whether they were there to see him intentionally or just for the shade, they were drawn in.

Trying a song he wrote the week prior, he commented it might be a dumb idea, but ‘we’d see how it goes’. I think it was called “Detail Of Distance” and really struck a chord for myself with lyrics like “I’ve been running all along for something that’s not there”, I’m sure many others had the same connection. Kim‘s verve for performance is a sure reason for his continued appearances at festivals, and hopefully Kim Churchill will soon become a staple festival draw card.

Read the rest of our Falls Festival reviews, part 1 In The Beginning, part 2 Mid Stride and part 3 featuring Kim, The Countdown.

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Falls Festival Feature Review: Fleet Foxes

January 13, 2012 at 14:18 (Festivals, Gigs, Reviews)
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Fleet Foxes by Stu BReview by KTBell, photos by Stu B

Fleet Foxes at the Falls Festival, Lorne VIC
The Valley Stage, Friday 30 December 2011

The sun was setting, the air temperature was dropping and glistening bubbles danced over the heads of the buzzing crowd. The reputation of the Fleet Foxes proceeded them and I was excited to see them having very little real idea of what their music was like. Judging by the crowd’s anticipation, I knew something special was about to occur.  Thumping double bass and a steely chords intro lead into harmonized ‘aahs’ to a song that filled the arena but the name of which eludes me. The drummer was wild on the cymbals but their beautiful harmonies among the beats were reminiscent of Simon and Garfunkel. After a glowing opening, I was transfixed by “The Plains”, it was just enchanting.

Their third song, featuring an electric mandolin, was up beat and sounds like chimes. I was struck by the fact that they were such reserved performers but still sharing their energy and and bewitching the crowd. It was clear the entire valley was hooked, caught up in every chord and chorus. The audience was so enraptured by their enigmatic performance, there were girls were dancing and skipping all across the valley. With the audience frenetic with the energy of the performance, their hit song ”Helplessness Blues” chimed across the field and the place nearly exploded.

Fleet Foxes by Stu BEvery set of eyes was glued to the stage and we hung on their every word. Robin chimed in between songs with an intriguing introduction, saying “Just because I’m not wearing shoes, doesn’t mean I’m, like, carefree,” chattered with the audience a little more and broke in to “Sim Sala Bim”. The fiddle work just shone throughout the song creating eddies and flows to delight the mind. The popular “Your Protector” emerged next keeping the audience in the flow, followed by a much larger musical presence in the stunning “Winter White Hymnal”. All in all, for a first time experience of Fleet Foxes, their performance was nothing short of magical and I’ll be very keenly seeking out their recordings.

Take in the rest of our Falls Festival review Mid Stride, or have a look back over out first installment, In The Beginning.

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Falls Festival Review: Mid stride

January 13, 2012 at 08:30 (Festivals)
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After a late night, we woke up to a warmer morning on the third day of the Falls Festival and made our way first to The Village The Dad Horse Experience by Stu Bwhere the intriguingly named Dad Horse Experience were playing. What I expected to be a one man show was a 3 piece complete with banjo and kazoo who played ‘stupid country song[s]‘.  Dad‘s banter between songs was endearing and hilarious in it’s raw and honest delivery, the crowd was always chuckling. They whipped out a gospel song, but Dad commented that it’s weird that “gospel is usually about your dead mother and wanting to be in heaven with her”, so they sang an A.P. Carter gospel song, “Will The Circle Be Unbroken” which, by switching from the Banjo to a very beat up mandolin this rendition felt like a fouled up Regurgitator song… But maybe that’s a hangover from the previous night (Regurgitator played Unit in full). For their next song, Dad, in his thick and amusing German accent went on to discuss at length his thoughts on heaven and that “if my mama were dead, if she were in heaven, I wonder what would happen, because if it’s like immigration, they won’t let me in because of ‘all za shit you did’. If it’s the same in heaven, then I won’t see my mama again, and zat is shit”. That thought had inspired the song “Gates of Heaven”, a hilarious hillbilly style gospel lament full of swearing and the catch phrase, “bless this muthaf*cker, but won’t you please let me in.” Turns out it’s never too early in the day for a sing-a-long.

No doubt the whole audience could relate to that experience when you regret what you did the night before and promise never to do it again, only to wake up another morning and realise “oh shit I did it again!”. To the collective laughter, this was the introduction to “Lord Must Fix My Soul”. Dad took the time to teach us the chorus, “Lord must fix my soul, turn the shit in to gold”. The crowd was engaged and keen to sing and clap along. With lyrics like ”Mama taught me the bible, well I shot her with my rifle” and a break after each chorus to tell the story relating to each verse, this was the highlight of the set. We had to leave to make it to the next gig, but as we left we could hear the next song ramping up and punters singing along once again.

Lanie Lane by Stu BFriday was the first day that all stages were running, so we hiked it up the massive main arena hill to catch Lanie Lane at The Grand Theatre, a performance I had been hotly anticipating given Lanie‘s catapult to popularity and extensive list of festival performances for 2011. The crowd had assembled early and punters all claimed their seats on the grass eagerly anticipating her sultry tunes. I was amazed to see two kimono clad women distributing Japanese tea to the waiting audience and realised this festival truly has everything! Although Lanie was under the weather, her performance was strong and Stu commented just how well her music translates from recording to stage. There’s nothing more disappointing than loving an artist’s CD only to see them live and be disappointed. Lanie did not disappoint, in fact she wowed the huge crowd, had them all singing along and loving every second of her set. I left her set feeling so fulfilled and it was only the start of the day!

I can’t decide whether French 10 piece Babylon Circus is gypsy enough to include, or ska enough to omit. If you like upbeat jazzy tunes with huge brass sections a little like the Bamboos and the Cat Empire, then check them out, they certainly had the crowd swinging. Sitting watching The Valley Stage meant the sun was blazing down on us, so we quickly moved inside The Grand Theatre to see CANT, the side project of Grizzly Bear‘s Bass Player, Chris Taylor. Backed by a 3 piece band, he struggled through some sound issues and hit the crowd with an echoey pop ballad to open. Full of synth, ethereal meandering and some almost ‘Phill Collins at his best’ sounding moments, CANT provide a full sound experience, but certainly not a mini Grizzly Bear act.

Grouplove by Stu BNext Grouplove took to The Valley Stage with a huge, excited crowd just ready to burst at the seams. Their opening number sounded almost like an Irish pub rock ballad with the ukulele strumming and sheer enthusiasm from the 5 piece. Followed by “Lovely Cup” had the crowd keeping time. Grouplove are synonymous with their clapping introduction to the huge hit “Itchin’ On A Photograph” that just two beats in, the crowd recognised and were clapping in time while, over the top of the crowds clapping, Hannah explained that the band had painted the back drop for the day an hoped the audience loved it as much as they did. It was pretty cool and the audience sure let them know it. Next up they played “Love Will Save Your Soul” with the trilling intro chords revving the audience up. After the applause had died down, Christian confided that Australia  was the bands favorite place to play and they were so excited to be back. Grouplove are a fantastic festival act, I can only imagine what their sideshows with The Head and the Heart would have been like!

The Jezabels by Stu BAfter a bit of a non-folk interlude, The Jezabels brought a new vibe to The Valley Stage. With the main arena covered top to bottom in revelers, the crowd erupted as they came onstage. Their thumping bass, drums and synth keys took precedence as their hit “Endless Summer” rolled out across the valley, much to the audience’s delight. The drum heavy opening to the slower ballad “Easy To Love” caressed the crowd as Hayley’s voice transcended the octaves and floated up the valley. Their set was solid from start to end, treating the ecstatic crowd to a cross section of their folk-rock back catalogue including “A Little Piece” and “Deep Wide Ocean”. With the audience moving as one and the blistering sun shining down on bare arms, backs and faces, it was clear The Jezabels were both a hit and having a great time on stage. Hayley went on to thank the crowd and tell them how great the looked. She said “Last year we played in The Grand Theatre, this is way better!” to which the crowd erupted and the set continued.

Fleet Foxes by Stu BAfter another brief folky lull in the line up, the crowd reformed for the much anticipated Fleet Foxes on The Valley Stage. Having not seen Fleet Foxes, and hardly having a chance to digest their back catalogue, even the sound check had me excited for what was to come. They took to the stage and in a humble tone, lead singer Robin said “Thanks so much for coming to watch us, we’re very happy to be back” and they were as equally happily received by the crowd. With a gentle demeanor and humility in their performance, their chords struck out across the crowd and wrapt each listener up within their stories. Their music is honest and subtle, even live on stage. And without lifting much of a finger, their calm and often still stature on stage still managed to deliver far more emotion and energy than anticipated to a very happy crowd.

Tim Finn by Stu BAs another chilly night set in, Tim Finn took over The Valley Stage like an esteemed gentleman with a point to make and a story to tell. A mellow start to the set with the Split Endz classic “Poor Boy” but an upbeat bridge gave him opportunity to take in the entire stage like a young lead singer or any other band of the day. Clearly those at the front were core fans, singing along with full gusto. Tim‘s voice isn’t what it used to be, but like a wise man with a glimmer in his eye, a cheeky tale and more spirit than any young upstart with attitude, he sang comfortably through “Made My Day”. Animatedly he announced he would pull one from  Woodface and the crowd pleaser “Only Natural” echoed out from his enigmatic smile. On a roll, Finn wooed the crowds further with “Persuasion” followed by a hugely popular and rousing performance that had the entire valley singing along, word for word, to “Weather With You”. You’d think that would be the end of such a set, but Finn continued the crowd high with “Six Months In A Leaky Boat”. We were flagging but the crowd wasn’t. As we headed off, the valley continued to sing along and Finn mastered the stage like a King watching over his court. Truly an inspired performance.

Read our feature reviews of Lanie Lane and Fleet Foxes from the day. Otherwise read the rest of our three part review, with opening piece In The Beginning and look out for our final installment The Countdown.

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