Friday, March 30, 2018

Entertainment in Warrnambool March 1988

From the Warrnambool Standard

IT was a case of turning back the clock at the Lady Bay Hotel with 1970s Australian group Masters Apprentices playing at the venue as part of their comeback tour. Rodney Vincent was playing at the South Rovers Football Clubrooms and the Garvoc Hotel had live Irish music.

Sunday, March 25, 2018

Bushfire Benefit @ The Loft 24th March 2018




St Patrick's Day in Koroit March 17th 2018

O'Bucks -- Michael Schack, Russ Goodear, Brett Holbrook @ Mickey Bourke's

Eddy Boyle band -- Raff Marino, Tim Conlan, Eddy Boyle, Dave Burgess @ Commercial Hotel

Tuddy Bowman @ Mickey Bourke's

Cillairne -- Brett Holbrook, Don King, Jo Brooks, Marty Ruane, Leamon Chambers @ Mickey Bourke's

Saturday, March 17, 2018

International honour

 Warrnambool Standard 16th March 2018
TWO south-west songwriters have had their work recognised at international level. Killarney’s Shane Howard and Warrnambool’s Don Cowling were semi-finalists in the International Songwriting Competition. The pair were up against stiff opposition with 16,000 entries received. Cowling’s song was GoodTime Baby and Howard submitted his song Not in Kansas Anymore.

Win secures folkie gig

Warrnambool Standard 16th March 2018

COOPER Lower has won the Moyne Shire Youth Council FReeZa Emerging Talent competition at the Port Fairy Folk Festival. The competition was held at St Patrick’s Port Fairy Primary School on Monday with Gabby Steel second and Flynn Gurry third. Lower’s win has secured him a place on the bill of the Folkie’s fringe festival in 2019. The FReeZa competition featured seven acts.

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

South West artists at 2018 Port Fairy Folk Festival

Claire Anne Taylor

Gavin Franklin and James Stewart Dyson -- Southern Ocean Sea Band

Fiona Kershaw

 
Kate Gane - Southern Ocean Sea Band

Jordie Lockett - Southern Ocean Sea Band

Warrnambool Symphony Orchestra with Harry Manx

Nigel Wearne

Southern Ocean Sea Band

Southern Ocean Sea Band

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Port Fairy Spring Music Festival

Variety is the key -Warrnambool Standard 7th Oct. 1998 - by Anthony Bunn - Copyright Warrnambool Standard 1998. All rights reserved.
The seaside community of Port fairy will again emphasise its musical ties this weekend. Anthony Bunn spoke to organisers about what is on offer for patrons. Performers ranging from the Hamilton College band to the renown English tenor Ian Partridge highlight the diverse program on offer at this year's Port Fairy Spring Music Festival. Event chairman, Eda Ritchie, believes the line-up reflects a festival with universal appeal for music fans. "We've got a very varied program with some wonderful quality music. There really is something for everybody with the variety of classical music, jazz and ballet", Mrs Ritchie said. Particularly pleasing to Mrs. Ritchie is the injection of district performers which is emphasised in Cook's Tours, a children's musical theatre production which features community members and the Brauer Chamber Choir. "We really wanted to involve some schools in it and the director, Wendy Grose, is telling me she is very impressed with the talent", she said. Major performances at the three- day festival, which runs from Friday to Sunday, will include an Australian farewell by Mr. Partridge, piano recitals by Lachlan Redd and Ian Holtham and a tribute to composer George Gershwin. There will also be a free concert, Songs of the Sea, at the Botanical Gardens on Sunday afternoon, held on the Sydney 2000 Olympic touring concert stage which is being taken around Australia for use at major cultural events. Mrs Ritchie said she was pleased the event, which is now in its ninth year, had reached the stage  of its reputation being a key to attracting performers. "In the music world we're now established as an important event, which is well run, and that helps in attracting performers to Port Fairy", she said. "A lot of the festival is broadcast Australia-wide through ABC-FM and we get good coverage through the national dailies, such as the Age and the Herald Sun, who send representatives down." Around 60 per cent of the audiences at the festival come from Melbourne or interstate, and Mrs. Ritchie believes the appeal for many of those people lies in the location of the event. "There are a lot of different elements (to the events success). It's been the quality of the performances, but also the fact we can have the festival in a small area", she said. "People who come down from Melbourne can walk to all the performances, they don't have to get in their car, and all the performances are quite short which means people can take in a lot of different performances over the weekend". Andrea Lowenthal, who tends to ticket sales for the festival and works at the Port Fairy tourist information centre, said the accommodation for the event was heavily booked and 1000 people were expected to attend concerts. "It's certainly grown and is very well respected, even on a statewide basis. It's known very well in classical music circles, and respected for the quality of performances", Ms. Lowenthal said. She said one of the aims of the event was to create an intimate feel. "We'd like to keep it on a small scale, where the artists can mix with the patrons. We don't want it ever to grow as big as the folk festival", Ms. Lowenthal said.

Port springs into singing -Warrnambool Standard 12th Oct. 1998 - Copyright Warrnambool Standard 1998. All rights reserved.
MUSIC lovers had be early to get a seat at the Port Fairy Spring MusicFestival at the weekend, with nearly all of the 15 concerts booked out. Chairman Eda Ritchie hailed the festival a success."It's been very good, I think the audience really had a lovely weekend,"  Mrs Ritchie said. "There's been great attendance and really a good variety of entertainment. It's been a buzz in the town, really - nearly every concert's been sold out." Yesterday afternoon featured an open air concert, presented by the Sydney 2000 Olympic Arts Festival and Events. "I think every year the festival is different and certainly the ticket sales indicate people are booking earlier," she said."Every year there's a different theme. This year we're celebrating 100 years of George and Ira Gershwin. "So much of this music is of a great quality. It will be broadcast nationwide over ABC-FM." Mrs Ritchie maintained that the star of the festival was tenor Ian Partridge. She said the festival was growing, but was limited by the number of seats at the venues. Director Michael Easton said it was one of the best Spring Music Festivals he had seen.

"Folkie" popularity sees tickets sell out in hours

Warrnambool Standard 3rd Nov. 1998 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard 1998. All rights reserved.

If you haven't already got a ticket to next year's Port Fairy Folk Festival, it looks like you've missed out. It took only a few hours for the 500 tickets to be snatched up after the Port Fairy newsagency began selling tickets at 9 am yesterday. Ticketing manager John Ploenges said that the dale was a record for the festival and likened its popularity to big-name concerts in Melbourne. "I think people now no longer have to look at what artists we're having but they're assured the quality of the program is there" he said. The remainder of the tickets would be sold through the mail, with Mr. Ploenges estimating all of those would be accounted for. Last year tickets sold out in eight days, while in previous years it had taken four weeks for them to sell, Mr. Ploenges said. While the record sale time was an indication of the festival's growing popularity, Mr. Ploenges said there were no plans to expand it in terms of size. "It's a successful formula and we want to stick to it", he said of the festival's low key atmosphere. South-west artists scheduled to play include Its Your Thing, Slap N the Cats, Finn Mac Cool Ceili and Tukan Sam. The line-up will also include Geraldine Doyle, Eric Bogle, Vika and Linda, John Williamson, Jeannie Lewis, The Black Sorrows, The Bushwackers and Sirocco. The festival takes place on the Labor Day weekend, March 5 to 8.

Winning formula

Warrnambool Standard 24th February 1997 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard 1997. All rights reserved

Organisers believe they have found the winning formula following the successful Portland Musical Fest on the weekend. Committee member Max Dolman estimated the three-day event had attracted between 3000 and 5000 people but he the numbers of people at the free venue on the foreshore could have been up to 8000. Mr. Dolman said the festivals was an "outstanding success" and particularly the popularity of the huge marquee located on the foreshore which was a "natural ampitheatre". "A highlight was the Portland Concert Band accompanied by Don Burrows which three times during the festival", he said. "And Vince Jones was smoother than ever". Mr. Dolman said Tiddas band member Amy Saunders grew up in the district and talked about her experiences during the band's set, making it a close and personal performance. "We weren't concerned about making a profit, we just wanted to get the festival on the map and give people value for money".



Busking in the streets was how Portland group Flo spent their weekend. L. to R. Paul Whitehead, Rachael Olver, David Klar and Gus Ferguson   
 
Mt. Gambier man Girard Williams, 25, showed his talents at eating a microphone during the performance of his heavy metal band, Grind, at the Portland Music Fest battle of the bands

Monday, March 5, 2018

Port Campbell Music Festival

Seaside town gets the blues -- Warrnambool Standard 24th August 1999 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard 1999. All rights reserved
Port Campbell will rock this weekend when the second annual Blues and Roots Festival brings both musicians and music lovers to the seaside town. The winter festival will feature the likes of Warrnambool band Slap 'N' the Cats and Koorie artist Andy Alberts, together with Geelong based band Turning Blue and many others. About 1500 people enjoyed the festival last year and organisers are expecting 2000 people to flow through the town between August 27 and 29 this year. Port Campbell traders' association chairman Neil Trotter said music would be coming from various venues throughout the town and there would be buskers on the streets. "There's two main marquees in the camping ground and the main marquee on on the Saturday is host to the battle of the bands, which runs all day ... and after that there will be Blues Under Canvas", Mr. Trotter said. "I think there's six bands playing. They will play all night and finish with a grand jam. Through the night in the other marquee - there's a workshop through the day - there will be other artists appearing and there's the Blues Brothers movie on Saturday evening and after that we hope to have the winners of the Battle of the bands playing". Mr. Trotter said the festival was aiming to provide more entertainment for the younger generations this year. "The first year we only had about eight weeks ... from inception to when we ran it". The festival was first conceived to bring some of the business in the town together for a common purpose" he said. "Just for some activity in the winter when there's not much happening here. We thought it was a good time to have it when it was quiet in the winter and people could participate. We were really happy with the response we got last year. The message we got last year was that we should have had more blues than we did, so this year we've increased that.""The whole idea of it was that it was a winter festival and there are very few winter festivals". Mr. Trotter said all venues were undercover and marquees were heated. Other features of the weekend included a visual arts exhibition and poetry, he said. "The principle idea was for people to get together and have a good time in the winter because we don't get that much opportunity to do it and (it's) a good was to bring trade into the town when it's quiet. It's usually a good time to see the coast, when it's at its wildest".Festival line-up:
Andy Alberts
A rapidly emerging Koorie artist. Andy recently won Song and Album of the year at the
Australian Roots Music Awards in Warrnambool.
King Bees
Castlemaine musician Brian Keillor-Reed and Warrnambool musician Brendan Dowd perform with guitar, didgeridoo, bongos, stompbox, djembe and dumbec (African and Middle Eastern drums). They have a debut CD "Tales from Akashic". King Bees play what they call groove folk, which is acoustic-based music.
Silent Blue
A Warrnambool duo, featuring Ruben Shannon, Vocals & Bass with Luke Watt on Slide Guitar. A unique sound covering contemporary blues to the traditional, they are a must see.
Brian Fraser
Front Man from band "Turning Blue", Brian's solo show is a must to see. A big man with the voice to match Brian plays acoustic and slide guitar through a range of originals and old standards.
Marco Goldsmith
Acoustic, contemporary blues player from Warrnambool currently in Darwin. This nationally acclaimed artist has played throughout Australia and New Zealand and shall play at Port Campbell before leaving for Tasmania.
Bo Jenkins
Originally from Arkansas, USA. Bo has grown up with Country Rock & Blues in his veins. A Byron Bay blues performer this year, he is big on slide and a toe tapping beat to match.
Joe Micallef & Kenny Terrington
These two musicians bring together the influences of Loose String Blues and the Muddy Puddles Band to produce a big wild foot stomping sound.
Shakerats
Shakerats play a blend of blues and Texas stomp developed over many cold Port Campbell winters. They only get together to play in special circumstances and the Port Campbell Blues Festival is just such an occasion ! If you are upright and have a heart beat you won't be able to stop your feet tapping.
Turning Blue : Popular Geelong based band. Big hit at last years Blues Festival. Back for a return performance with Brian Frazer "out front." See them at the Pub on Saturday night!
Rick E. Vengeance
The consummate performer across a big variety of music styles, Rick is a legend amongst festival goers. He and his old National Guitar will take you right back into the Delta Blues with his knowledge of the singers and the songs of the times.
Slap'n the Cats
Slap 'n the Cats are a three piece band from Warrnambool who play tight Punchy rockabilly. They've been described as having too much fun on stage, and it's the truth. The band are regularly invited to perform at major rockabilly events in Melbourne and interstate.


Winter blues vanish in sun, sea and surf -- Warrnambool Standard 30th August August 1999 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard 1999. All rights reserved
ABOUT 3000 people took the time to sample some blues by the coast during the weekend at Port Campbell's Blues and Roots Festival. The idea was to blow the winter blues away and it appears organisers were successful because the event was graced by dazzling sunshine on Saturday and Sunday. Festival director Neil Trotter said the last weekend in August was chosen because it had endured only one rainy day in the past 10 years. It was the second festival the town had hosted and included two days of markets, a visual arts exhibition and spoken word performance as well as a host of buskers.  Bands included Bo Jenkins, King Bees, Rick E. Vengeance, Turning Blue, Andy Alberts and Slap 'n' the Cats. "We were really happy but, more importantly, most of the people seemed to really enjoy it," Mr Trotter said of the festival, which ran from Friday evening until yesterday afternoon. But there won't be much time to bask in the success of the weekend: organisers are already setting their sights on improvements for next year. "You've really got to start planning for the next year's festival straight away because there's so much work involved," Mr Trotter said.

 Coastal line-up -- Warrnambool Standard March 2nd 2006 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard  2006.  All rights reserved


Nick Styles with Troubled Minds members Josh Taylor and Sean McKinnon.
The festival season continues this weekend with another new event gracing the scenic streets of Port Campbell. Saturday’s inaugural Port Campbell Music Festival brings together 13 bands from along the Great Ocean Road coast, from Apollo Bay to Warrnambool. Organised by members of Port Campbell rock trio Troubled Minds and Jancourt solo artist Nick Styles, the event aims to give young local bands a place to perform, with the line-up also boosted by some more experienced acts. The town’s skate park will be taken over by bands and pro-skaters from 11am until 10pm. Among the up-and-coming acts on the bill are Port Campbell’s The Killpatricks, which will open the event, Warrnambool youngsters The Axis and piano-vocal duo The Mudlarks. They will be joined by award winning south-west pop-rockers Third Vision, Apollo Bay’s Van Troppo, Port Campbell’s Mantra and south-west pub regulars White Line Fever. Warrnambool alt-rockers The Extreme Sprinklers, Timboon battle of the-band winners Cashdog, Port Campbell surf-rockers Surge Whitewater And The Filthy Left, Camperdown punks Feebal Squint, Nick Styles and Troubled Minds completing the day. The event on Saturday will be prefaced by a Friday night gig at Bombora Beach Bar featuring The Mudlarks from 5pm. The outdoor part of the festival finishes at 10pm, at which point things will move into the Port Campbell Hotel so Cashdog and Troubled Minds can perform again. Markets, a skate demonstration and a free jumping castle will also be featured. Styles said the event wouldn’t have come together without the help of the Port Campbell residents. ‘‘Everyone seems enthusiastic and really positive about it,’’ he said. He said it was hoped that it could become an annual event for regional bands.

Collaboration rocks

Warrnambool Standard July 9th, 2009 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard  2009.  All rights reserved
MUSICIANS from three south-west bands will come together this weekend in Port Fairy after a six-month hiatus. The Pocket Rockets will strike up their own breed of ‘‘swing, bluesand rock western’’ at the Stump on Friday night and Sunday afternoon, Nobby Stewart, of the Louise Clancy Band, said. Stewart will join Johnny Maroniti (guitar/harmonica), of the Motivators [sic], Billy Bevan (drums/vocals) and Tim Conlan (bass/vocals) from the Sky Rockats.



The Pimps

Reproduced from Missing Link Magazine 8th November 1999 (the voice of South West Institute of TAFE Student Association)

Members:
Name:     Shane Chamberlain
Better known as:     Shags "AKA DJ PIMP"
Main instruments:     Harmonica/Vocal/guitar   
   
Name:     Jordan Lockett
Better known as:     Jordy "Jammaster Jordy"
Main instruments:     Drums/Vocal/Bass   
   
Name:     Chris Hedges
Better known as:     Chris "Sledgehammer" Hedges
Main instruments:     Bass/Drums   
   
Name:     Michael Ferguson
Better known as:     Mick "DJ 8-Track"
Main instruments:     Organ/Guitar/Vocal
Background: After several jam sessions between Shags and Jordy, they invited Chris along. The Pimps were created for the TAFE Battle of the Bands. They then played at Brown Dog night and then got a gig playing at FREEZA.  After a couple of months they acquired new member Mick to fill out the sound on Hammond Organ. Their style has been deemed PSYCHEDELIC TRIP-HOP.

Sunday, March 4, 2018

Dylan session band - Port Fairy Folk festival 2007


Dylan session core band
This photo of the "core band" for the Bob Dylan session at the 2007 Folk Festival was taken during rehearsal on Friday March 9th 2007. From left to right - Richard Tankard (keyboards), Michael Schack (bass), Jane Little (vocal), Greg Jansen (drums) and Andrew Reid (guitar). The photo was taken by Frank Platon.

The Waifs named artist of the year (Port Fairy Folk Festival 2009)

Warrnambool Standard March 5th , 2009 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard  2009.  All rights reserved
THE Waifs have been named artist of the year for this weekend’s Port Fairy Folk Festival. The popular WAroots will be making their seventh visit to the event and festival director Jamie McKew the award reflected the event’s love for the group. The Waifs cook up a spicy gumbo of organic roots music, roots like it’s straight out of the earth, organic like it’s so nutritious you could eat it,’’ McKew said. Aside from the triumphant return of The Waifs, this Folkie will also feature what could be a record number of local acts including:
Blues legends Blue Heat who will be launching their new CD Live At The Continental at the festival;
Warrnambool country blues act The Rusty Bucks; Damian Howard & The Ploughboys; Former Mailors Flat artist CW Stoneking, who is touring in support of his ARIA top 50 album Jungle Blues; Locally-connected Celticpop act Dalriada, who will be promoting their album Soak; Warrnambool roots group TomRichardson Project; Warrnambool guitarist songwriter John Hudson, who performed at the Folkie guitar concert two years ago; Port Fairy’s Oriel Glennen, who is a festival regular; Children’s entertainer Barry Peters; WAMI nominated indigenous artist Brett Clarke& friends; New zydeco-blues group KombiNation, which features members of The Monaros and The Hog Stompin’ Zydegators; and Andy Alberts&The Walkabouts. If you can’t catch Irish accordion-guitar duo Seamus Murray and Jim Begley at the Folkie, then you’ve got two more opportunities. Tonight they play the Courthouse Cafe in Camperdown and on Tuesday they will be at The Loft in Warrnambool. Special guests tonight include Sugarloaf featuring Pete Daffy. The annual post-Folkie session held by the Friends Of St Brigid’s will take place at the Crossley Hall on Monday from 8pm. Local ensemble Lex’s Shed will be on hand to perform, plus some special international and national guests. You can also pick up a copy of the Saving St Brigid’s CD, recorded just hours before last year’s session.
Blue Heat

Blue Heat

Blue Heat

Blue Heat

Blue Heat

Buddha and the Chocolate Box

Buddha and the Chocolate Box

Stage Manager -- Shebeen Bar

John Hudson

 
John Hudson

Louise Clancey Band

Louise Clancey Band

Louise Clancey Band

Nick How

Oriel Glennen

Rusty Bucks

Russ Goodear

Ralph Leutton, Michael Schack

Ralph Leutton, Michael Schack

Ralph Leutton

Ralph Leutton, Michael Schack

Richard Tankard

Richard Tankard with Broderick Smith

Home-grown talent for folkie

By Matt Neal. Warrnambool Standard 06 March 2008 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard  2008.  All rights reserved


Tom Richardson

ANOTHER huge Folkie awaits in Port Fairy this weekend. There’s more than 20 international acts plus the Aussie headliners, ranging from Weddings Parties Anything to Kasey Chambers and Fourplay String Quartet. But let’s not forget about the locals. Folk-rockers The Ploughboys and Celt-punks The Go Set have south-west connections but there’s four bona fide bands of locals to look out for.

 Andy Alberts & The Walkabouts
 A REGULAR fixture at the Folkie, this Gunditjmara singer-songwriter and his talented backing band have been kept busy since the release last year of Alberts’ album Life And Land. Recorded at Yelp Studios in Warrnambool, the album encompasses country, blues and rock and has been garnering airplay and good reviews across the country.

Hog Stompin’ Zydegators
THE new-look line-up for the long-running Zydegators sees the return of guitarist Mick Murphy (Hullabaloos Band, Wahyu, It’s Your Thing) and the arrival of singer Kate Gane (Tukan Sam, Kate Gane&The Regulators). With a zydeco-blues sound that could have come straight out of the Louisiana swamps, HSZ have been a popular act at the Folkie in recent years.

The Chosen Few
PART folk, part acoustic rock, part pop and all groove, The Chosen Few have been regular performers at The Loft and Hotel Warrnambool, as well as impressing the 1000-strong crowd at last month’s Wunta Fiesta. Featuring something of an all-star line-up of Warrnambool musicians, The Chosen Few released a self-produced EP The Seed to a warm reception recently.

Tom Richardson Project
THIS rootsy trio could be Warrnambool’s answer to the John Butler Trio. Richardson released his debut EP Follow Me in late 2006 and has been touring the nation ever since. Armed with a drummer and bassist to bring his bluesy grooves to life, Richardson is performing four shows over the weekend.

Port Fairy Folk Festival March 10th-13th 2006

Young band busking in the street during Port Fairy Folk Festival 2006

The Dead Livers performing at the Caledonian Inn during the Port Fairy Folk Festival 2006

The Dead Livers - Don Farrell, Mike Schack, Richard O'Keefe, Marty Atchison and Rodger Delfos.

Dead Livers bass guitarist Michael Schack

Wagons on the Fiddlers' Green stage Port Fairy Folk Festival 2006

The Wailin' Jenny's (Canada) at the Port Fairy Folk Festival 2006

Andy Alberts and the Walkabouts at the Stump during the Port Fairy Folk Festival 2006

Rod Hind, Tim Conlan, Andy Alberts, Lyne Eales - at the Stump Monday March13th 2006