|
The Dorrigo Festival is a small, relaxed and friendly festival with something for all members of the family.
The Festival is held at the Dorrigo Showgrounds which feature lots of space and shady trees; camping is available adjacent to the Festival site. The showgrounds have 2 Pavilions - the Main Pavilion is where concert performances are staged; the Luncheon Pavilion is the place to enjoy some delicious food accompanied by more intimate or acoustic performances. Dorrigo town is a short walk away and the cafes host Festival Breakfasts with free live entertainment by some of the Festival performers on both Saturday and Sunday mornings.
The Festival really kicks off with an old time Appalachian Square dance on Friday evening in the Main Pavilion. The MY-T-Fine Stringband return again this year and should get everyone tapping their toes on the dance floor.
Workshops are held during Saturday and Sunday - these include a wide range of music making with some wonderful Festival musicians sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm. There are workshops and entertainment catering especially for children as well.
This year the Headline acts are Victoria’s Davidson Brothers and Anne Kirkpatrick.
The Davidson Brothers grew up in rural Victoria in a musical family, and started playing music from a young age. Hamish and Lachlan have built a reputation as being two of Australia’s hottest bluegrass exponents - multi instrumentalists on banjo, fiddle, mandolin and great entertainers with an enormous respect for the traditions of the genre. Still only in their twenties, this duo won their first Golden Guitar in 2009 for Best Instrumental -“Left Hand Drive”. They also won Best Instrumental in the Independent Australian Country Music Awards (aka TIARA Awards) in 2004, 2005, 2007 & 2009 as well as the TIARA 2007 Award for Album of the Year with “Raised On The Road”. The Davidsons have toured extensively in Australia and the southern states of the USA and have recently recorded their new cd in Nashville. The brothers will be bringing their band to the festival and holding some workshops.
Anne Kirkpatrick is a well known singer songwriter who seemed destined to be a performer, being the daughter of country music legends Slim Dusty and Joy McKean. Her career started at the age of ten in her parents' travelling country show and she released her first solo album in 1974. Her 1991 release “Out Of The Blue” was heralded as a watershed album in Australian country music and her latest album “Showman’s Daughter” was declared by Bruce Elder of the Sydney Morning Herald to be "a remarkable achievement that keeps Australian country music in the hands of the nation’s first family". Anne has received six CMAA Golden Guitar Awards and one ARIA Award.
Other great performers will feature across the weekend.
Ami Williamson has created something not quite country, not quite folk or classical or pop but a unique mix of all. Ami is very entertaining and has written some inspirational songs.
Big Blue Fish features Innes Campbell who recently won first prize in the CMAA national Bluegrass championships for his flatpicking guitar. Big Blue Fish play a mix of bluegrass and swing with some thrilling original compositions.
The Junes is a combination of two highly successful girl groups (GIT and Toe Sucking Cowgirls) and bring glamour and humour to an array of country classics and cleverly crafted originals.
The Orphans are a roots trio who perform acoustic driven songs inspired by bluegrass and country. The Orphans showcase the songs of Lyn Taylor and Nick Payne who play acoustic guitar, blues harp, dobro, ukelele and mandolin. These acoustic sounds are enhanced by the sweet pedal lines of Mike Kirkley.
The Lonely Horse Band is a writing collaboration conceived at the 2006 Tamworth Country Music Festival by Andrew Hull, Tonchi McIntosh and Mick Daley. These 3 songwriter musicians aim to produce original music relevant to the “one horse towns” of regional and remote NSW.
Gary & Sam Shepherd are both accomplished fingerstyle guitarists who have won many accolades for their musicianship, songwriting and ability to entertain.
There will be plenty of traditional music including Simple Folk, Evan Mathieson, Gary Brown, Jane Harding and more. That’s just a taste of some of the sounds to be sampled over the weekend.
Early Bird Tickets (available until October 1st) are only $65 for the entire weekend - Full price is $75 . A youth pass (for primary & secondary school students) is only $20 and includes all activities and workshops.
The Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival is an alcohol and smoke free event.
No dogs are allowed onto the festival site.
Dorrigo Folk & Blue Grass Festival 2009
Festival Hotline 02 6657 2988
Website: www.dorrigofolkbluegrass.com.au
|
