The Maldon Folk Festival returns this weekend, with a sensational program that features performers from across Australia, the US and England. Weekend and day tickets are on sale from today (Friday 3 November) at the Folk Festival office in High Street.
The unstoppable Pam Lyons and her committee have put plenty of thought into selecting this year’s program. “Every one of the performers has a great deal to contribute, and there’s a wide range of music genres,” Pam told the [Tarrangower] Times. “From traditional Scottish and Irish folk to blues, and modern Celtic to bush bands, they’re all outstanding musicians. And I’m pleased to say that there will be some musos playing in their first-ever folk festival, as well as some well-known acts such as Mick Coates coming back to perform in yet another Folkie.”
Where to start?!
Let’s begin with Gina Jefferey, who must surely be one of the queens of country music. She’s a winner of the Starmaker Award, is the first Australian female country singer to achieve platinum record sales and opened for Johnny Cash in his 1994 tour. Impressive!
Other performers that you simply can’t miss out on include:
Blues master Lloyd Spiegel and his trio.
High-energy bands 19-Twenty and crowd-pleasers Claymore.
Return to the Sixties Folk Club – songs of the 60s and 70s – think Jim Croce, Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell.
Dittyville and George Mann – two top acts from the USA.
And then there’s Glenn Skulthorpe, Kavisha Mazzella, Alanna and Alicia, Paul Wookey, JoJo Smith and Tracey Roberts, Liza Frenchman, Hannah Schmidli, Peter Titchener, Ruiz and the Sugarplums, Jen Lush, Play it Martha, Christina Green, Songs From Mermaid Avenue, Shona Williams and Paul Lester, Adventures Before Dementia (this is a musical!), Katankin, The Raglins, Valley Road, Riley Catherall, Carlo Arcinue, Cate Taylor, Lucy Parle, Kaylah Thomas, Sylvie Rigby (local gal!), Rod Barrett (from the UK), Eric Purdie and Mick Coates and the Tibooburra Three.
That’s just some of the music taken care of.
You can also see bush versifier Geoffrey W. Graham who channels Henry Lawson, Kyneton Street Band (led by Andy Rigby), Electric Ukelectix, Brewers Bush Band (kick your heels up) and Anita Hansen and JAM Trees.
You can join in the Festival Choir and the Ukulele Orchestra and there are bush music sessions all around town.
There’s also the Emu Creek Brush Band, Harpers Bizarre and Jeanette Gillespie and Duncan Brown.
And don’t forget Campbell the Swaggie, who has achieved Folkie Legend status!
The Irish Dancers and the Morris Dancers will be performing in town and the Connected Circus will be providing plenty of family fun at the rotunda tomorrow (Saturday 4 November).
On behalf of the Folkie, now in its 48th year, Pam would like to thank the Community Bank Maldon & District, which helped to fund the reusable plastic beer and wine cups that will be used during the Festival. “We’re also grateful to Bettercup, who reduced the price for us,” Pam said. “They’re sturdy cups which we can put through the dishwasher at the Community Centre. They’re not glass, so they’re safe to use, and they can be used any number of times.”
Pam also wishes to pay tribute to the enormous support that the Folkie has had from the town’s businesses, plus the billeters and volunteers who have put their hands up to help out. “Thanks so much, the Folkie wouldn’t happen without you,” she said. “We finish up on the Monday night with Mick Coates at the Maldon Hotel. Looking forward to seeing you there!”
Time to grab yourself a wristband and enjoy the Folkie…
This article appeared in the Tarrangower Times, 3 November 2023.
