Lady Bear's is my accommodation for the night as the Badges would not be arriving until the next day.
Gypsy, Lady Bear's dog promptly greets me with a bite which sets things on edge a bit for the rest of the weekend.
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| Blues Club camp at the Butts [Photo: Og Bear] |
That night there is a concert in the Troubadour Tent for all the early campers at The Butts, so I check it out. It is good to see a fresh line up with 'locals' such as James Griffin performing pieces from his Ghost Town Bridge collection, then Mick Coates playing his 'cowboy' songs.
Catch up with the Blues Club crew again on Friday morning as a few more are arriving and Minno has posted on FaceBook to save a spot for his bus.
Dialysis this year is on Monday and Friday, alas, afternoon rather than morning. This is not a problem on Friday as things are be just getting cranking as I get back, but on Monday it means I will miss out on most of the end of Festival concert in the Maldon Hotel.
Changed and ready I pick my early bird ticket from the Festival Office. Oh no, the program is still this cumbersome A4 production! Most other festivals do compact A5 ones, half the size that more easily fit into your pocket and doesn't get lost, or rather discarded.
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| Geelong folkies session outside the Festival office [Photo: Og Bear] |
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| Map of Venues for the 2013 Maldon Folk Festival. |
As I leave the Festival office the crew from the Geelong Folk Club are having a big session out the front. This Festival is starting to feel good already.
Check out the pubs. Kieran O'Connell's Shanakee are playing in the Maldon Hotel. Edward and Jan are there as well as Patrick and Jeanette are among those who I see have arrived.
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| Mike and Thom Jackson at the Troubadour Tent [Photo: Og Bear] |
Sharon from Jerry's Vegiburgers has their stall over in the food court and I am hungry enough to succumb to one. Afterwards I realise the reason why, I have not had anything since the muesli and fruit I had at Lady Bear's for breakfast!
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| Nick Charles in the Troubadour Tent [Photo: Og Bear] |
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| Mick Coates, Jess and friends at the Troubadour Tent [Photo: Og Bear] |
The Badges have a billet, Phil Beck from West Australia. He is a bit quiet and I am worried that the Badges, plus maybe myself too, might be a bit too overwhelming for him.
I run into Brian Rhule at The Butts, who asks me if I have bought my ticket yet as he has nominated me as his 'co' official photographer and that there is a pass waiting for me at the Festival office. 'Drats, the downside of getting early bird tickets!' Mmm, could have used it for Mr Merls if he had come this year?
Apparently they didn't have any contact details for me. But once I am there they realise I am the same person they know all under my old nom de plume of 'Frankenwax'.
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| Battlefield Band in the Guinness Tent [Photo: Og Bear] |
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| Battlefield Band groupies in the Guinness Tent [Photo: Og Bear] |
Patt and Possum from the USA finish the night up in the Troubadour Tent but they are not much chop either.
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| Teressa at the camp fire [Photo: Og Bear] |
Even though a lot seemed to be camping, there is still no sense of many people here yet.
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| The Minnos at the Primary School Market [Photo: Og Bear] |
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| Busker at the Primary School Market [Photo: Og Bear] |
Rather than the school recital of previous years, it is a simple selection of Festival artists such as Festival perennial, Bruce Watson.
Everywhere I go I am running into people I know. It is great to catchup, but I don't seem to be getting anywhere!
It is a bit cool when I arrive but is much hotter by the time I leave, a hint of what is to come later in the day. Those who know me know how being a renal patient that this really plays up with my fluid balance, therfore I can dehydrate quite quickly.
I finally run into my neighbours, Ion and Janice who are renting a cottage for the Festival.
Again two smaller buses are running and they are working a treat. Also, the route is more flexible taking in all the venues, including the Neighbourhood Centre and the caravan park. The last run of the night (1am) makes sure everyone gets home, in the town, rignt to your door!
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| Dave de Hugard in the Troubabour Tent [Photo: Og Bear] |
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| Phil Beck in the Guinness Tent [Photo: Og Bear] |
Over at the Guinness Tent our billet, Phil Beck, is doing a bit of spoken word mixed with traditional folk tunes.
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| Dolphin Street looking towards the Maldon Hotel [Photo: Og Bear] |
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| Session under the Supermarket Verandah [Photo: Og Bear] |
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| The Willie Wagtails busking on the street [Photo: Og Bear] |
The ice cream weakness breaks through so it is off to Cherry's for a double scoop of their 'homemade' ice cream. Again it is very hard to get from A to B as I am running in to so many old friends and acquaintances.
That's what I love about this Festival. As I have said in previous years, it is more of a social occasion, unlike some other Festivals where people are far too busy chasing acts around venues to stop and enjoy the atmospehere.
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| The Ugly Uncles in the Neighbourhood Centre [Photo: Og Bear] |
All my friends laugh at my love of desserts, with extra ice cream of course!
In the Penny Schools place is the Neighbourhood Centre. Just as popular, it is an old church with pine ceilings and colourful glass windows. Just no New York cheesecake.
The Ugly Uncles are playing, lead by Derek Guille, retired ABC radio personality, who also used to MC for us when the inimitable 'Fatty' ran the Festival.
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| Scottish Dancers with Claymore in the Guinness Tent [Photo: Og Bear] |
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| Atmosphere at the Guinness Tent [Photo: Og Bear] |
Marilla who I have come to know through previous Maldon Festivals is next on the stage at the Guinness Tent with her new band, The Housemen. Though I only hear a few songs I am a bit disappointed, but this is to be remedied, as she promises me, at the end of the Festival.
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| Danny Spooner and Duncan Brown in the Troubadour Tent [Photo: Og Bear] |
Still more acquaintances! A real surprise is Allison who unfortunately is just up for the day.
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| Marni Sheehan in the Maldon Hotel [Photo: Og Bear] |
There is a big crowd in the Guinness but it is not clear who is playing, and it is difficult to get any photos.
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| Marcia Howard and Rose Bygraves at the Michael Kennedy Tribute in the Troubadour Tent [Photo: Og Bear] |
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| Doorway to the Maldon Hotel [Photo: Og Bear] |
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| Edward and Jan Badge enjoying the atmosphere in the Maldon Hotel [Photo: Og Bear] |
I always love to see Tiffany Eckhardt and Dave Steel play, and in the Maldon Hotel it is no exception, where they are joined by Sandy Brady. There is a real energy about them as they perform really strong original pieces.
On exiting I find Lady Bear, who has just picked up long time friend, Dave Smith. Dave has also been bailed up by Gypsy and is a bit unsettled. We are feeling a bit hungry so Lady Bear heads off and Dave and I head over to try out the Gold Exchange which is now doing dinner under the management of Tess who has taken it over. Very impressive.
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| Session under the Kangaroo Hotel Verandah [Photo: Og Bear] |
The Ferals, including Edward and Jan, are well oiled in the beer garden where a chalkboard is running.
Returning back through the courtyard we find yet another session in progress.
Shanakee are holding their own back up at the Guinness Tent. With even fall the people are warming up and hitting the dance floor. The atmosphere is great in the Guinness Tent far from simply being the beer hall of years ago. Matty and Stevie Wilson, son of Fatty, are there enjoying the atmosphere too.
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| Coffee stall at the Butts [Photo: Og Bear] |
Food, Maldon traditionally has had the best food (good value) of any Festival. Also, conveniently arranged around a court facing onto the Guinness Tent. There had been some issues building up over hygiene, complaints about 'stomach' aches, but also about complying with regulations about work areas and refuse.
Also stall holders had been complaining there were too many stalls and they weren't making any money.
That, I find this amusing as the same ones rebooked and came back every year.
So, the Council enforced a requirement that all stallholders had to apply, rather than book, and had to provide proof of insurance and food handling certificates.
This is OK, and it certainly discouraged the ones that were a worry from applying.
I think the mistake they have made on top of this was deciding to have less stalls and trying to balance the mix. This is already done by other festivals with quite a negative outcome.
Further, two of the 'selected' food stalls pulled out at the last minute leaving only coffee, donuts, Vietmanese, vegiburgers and yabbies to cope.
The Troubadour had also decided to do only snacks rather than dinners like in previous years.
This is made worse by the big turnout on Saturday and the big camp that expected to just pop down to The Butts food court for a feed.
As a result things fall over entirely. The stalls sell out by evening. The IGA is rushed with campers stocking up to cook their 'own' dinner and the pubs are flat out keeping up.
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| Neil Murray in the Troubadour Tent [Photo: Og Bear] |
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| The best camp at the Butts in 20 or more years! [Photo: Og Bear] |
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| The boys unloading wood for the Blues Club camp at The Butts [Photo: Og Bear] |
The Festival is held in a natural amphitheatre surrounded by granite boulders and the bush on the side of Mt Tarrengower. People pitch their tent, park there caravans and mobile homes all through the valley amongst the bush. This gives the Festival a lot of it's atmosphere as you can be sit around a camp fire or in your tent, and listen to the sounds of the Festival wafting up the valley.
This was what the old traditional Maldon Festival was all about; camping in the bush and listening to the music. But in the 80s the Festival nearly died, and with it the camping. A big issue was security and lack of facilities as a lot of people now had families. It took years of work to get people back, first improving security, but also toilets and showers for a modest fee.
The Troubadour has opened the day with First Songs, featuring Janette Geri, Margaret and Bob Fagan with Lloyd Spiegel.
The Blues Club crew are waking from their late night slumber.
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| Closed up, sold out, not enough food to go around! [Photo: Og Bear] |
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| Enda Kenny and Lindsay Martin on the Main Stage Sunday Concert [Photo: Og Bear] |
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| Audience at the Main Concert at the Butts on Sunday [Photo: Og Bear] |
The Main Sunday concert has started with Enda Kenny and Lindsay Martin.
Maldon originally comprised of the camp, as discussed earlier, with just Saturday and Sunday concerts.
The Saturday concert became part of the Guinness Tent program many years ago.
The crowd for the Sunday concert gets thinner each year and one wonders if it is time to let go of this tradition too and move to the Guinness Tent, which remains unused in this period.
Over all I feel the Sunday concert is pretty poor.
Interestingly, even though it is the 40th Maldon Folk Festival there is no sense of celebration. I talk it over with a few friends at the end, and we decide that this actually could have contributed to the weekend rather than taking away from it.
Again here are more friends, Kinga, president of the Maldon Blues Club, accompanied by local character Johnny.
It is good to see the Maldon Brass Band on the Main Stage as part of celebrating their 150th anniversary.
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| The audience watching Munro, O'Callaghan & Titchener in the Troubadour Tent [Photo: Og Bear] |
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| Munro, O'Callaghan & Titchener in the Troubadour Tent [Photo: Og Bear] |
Back down in town I enter the Progress Hall to check out the Instrument Makers Display they have every year. Instead I find a big session going in a circle in front of the stage. The display is actually next door in the Band Room.
One of my favourite venues is the Anglican Church. The gospel concert is in place featuring Duncan Brown, Danny Spooner, Jeanette Gillespie and friends.
When that is finished I stagger up the hill to the Neighbourhood Centre. Next time it's the bus! Buddha in a Chocolate Box are performing. I like their lyrics, but I find their music a bit mediocre so I move on.
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| A band busking on Main Street [Photo: Og Bear] |
The Royal (Wicked Temptations) too are running a chalkboard in their recently reopened courtyard.
It would be good to see these and more smaller venues develop in the future.
Along the street are some great young buskers, showing some real talent.
The Maldon Hotel three local women known as Bhan Tre are performing traditional folks songs.
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| Brian Rhule with Edward and Jan Badge at The Butts [Photo: Og Bear] |
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| Festival perennial Bruce Watson in the Troubadour Tent [Photo: Og Bear] |
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| The Festival attracts an array of characters such as Don, a highland gentleman [Photo: Og Bear] |
Throughout the weekend I spot a highland gentleman if full regalia. At the Troubadout Tent I finally catch up with Don, a Canadian living in Australia, who tells me that his dress reflects his mother's heritage. I like the fact the Maldon attracts people who add to the flavour of it the whole event.
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| Alawishus Jones plays the blues from the 30s in the Neighbourhood Centre [Photo: Og Bear] |
More acts progress through the afternoon towards tea time. It would be a pub feed as stated before, unlike previous years, there are very few options at The Butts.
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| My neighbour Ion has found his new vocation [Photo: Og Bear] |
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| Tiffany Eckhardt playing in the Guiness Tent [Photo: Og Bear] |
This time Dave Steel and Tiffany are at the Guinness Tent, for their last performance of the Festival. They are followed by Dodsworth and Dodsworth, a bit of a surprise, comprising of Graham and the next generation of Dodsworths.
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| Huge Tequila Mockingbirds combo in the Troubadour Tent [Photo: Og Bear] |
Julie and Baz and friends are also here, and I stay with them for the next act, a folk band called Pennyweight.
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| The Junes playing in the Guinness Tent [Photo: Og Bear] |
Few Maldons would be really complete without the Rigbys, so we started on Monday in the Maldon with Jane Thompson and her band, including her husband, James Rigby.
They are followed by a another real Festival stalwart from the early days, Maria Forde, and friends.
It is time and I leave for dialysis in Maryborough. Friday was OK in the afternoon, but today I will miss out on most of the day's acts. Dialysing away from home in a hospital can be a bit complicated, but this year, on both Friday and Monday, I have really good uneventful runs.
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| Marilla Homes and the Housemen in the Maldon Hotel [Photo: Og Bear] |
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| The Junes closing the Festival in the Maldon Hotel [Photo: Og Bear] |
The Junes are back to see the Festival out and do it in fine style with continuous calls for encores.
The billet Phil, my friend Dave, Edward and Jan and myself all fitted really well at the Badge's house. Phil said that when you are billeted you often feel like a bit of a shag on a rock, but this was one of the few accasions he felt really comfortable.
Like Maldon, The Apollo Bay Music Festival had its crisis. The old committee was getting a bit tired plus their Festival too was washed out two years running. A new committee took over and downsized it cutting out all the less mainstream acts and the smaller more intimate venues. They enclosed it all in a compound and went for a more commercial acts on the big stage. Sadly the Festival lost its soul and much of its patronage including ours.
Whereas Maldon in the same crisis under a new committee rediscovered its roots, people have returned, and the Festival is now going like a rocket!
Even more amazing, out of the 32 Maldon Festivals I have attended this is the 1st one ever that I don't get a whinger in my ear!
No really outstanding acts, or ones that blow us away, but everyone was happy and it worked.
After four days the has time come when we have to accept that the 40th Maldon Folk Festival is over.
[Og Bear]
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| Og at the Blues Club camp at the Butts [Photo: Kelvin Plumb] |
For more photos go to:
http://picasaweb.google.com/OgBear/MaldonFolkFestival2013#
For a slideshow go to:
https://picasaweb.google.com/OgBear/MaldonFolkFestival2013#slideshow/
