The JAM Commercial Sunday 8 Jan w April Maze/Big Erle/Matt Southon pic Elizabeth Walton

.Well what a festival that was…75 bands over 4 stages  for  3 days. Gulgong hasn’t seen a musical event like that since the Gold rush and this was certainly a Gold rush of music. A lot if not all of the young up and coming bands would have been unknown to the locals but are very much sought after nationally and their immense collective talent became obvious as the event unfolded.                               There were some pretty amazing moments…the legendary TBONE Jam at the Commercial late on Sunday where even the corrugated iron wall was being played with beer bottles by Matt Southon whilst Todd from April Maze played on the bar with the banjo as  the locals filmed the fun on their iphones.  The storm which brought down a tree at the Memorial Hall Main stage in front of  amazed musos and patrons out dancing in the rain then the blackout which left a huge percussive jam going during Paul Greene’s closing set. The combined performance of the 10 pound circus /Brothers 3 tap routine all to the frenetic drumming of an expanded Kings of Congo Congo Percussion line up in the hot midday sun during the free entertainment and market in Coronation Park on the Saturday.  The celebrated workshops of Guitar virtuoso Daniel Champagne and the  stunning song writing workshop of Anne Kirkpatrick and Bill Chambers….

All these artists are festival favourites and worked  their way to Gulgong via the Wood ford and Peats Ridge Festivals  after  the scheduled change of the Festival to the free weekend of the 7/8 Jan and then after the fest were making their way on to Tamworth and the Illawarra Folk Festival and back overseas and word has it they are raving about what a beautiful and authentic town we have here. They loved it.

Daniel Champagne Main Stage Sat night...astounding Pic Elizabeth Walton

Anne Kirkpatrick and Bill Chambers songwriting workshop Trad Stage Sun pic Elizabeth Walton

The festival kicked off with performances at the Trad Stage [Opera House] and Unplugged [Centennial] and New Stage [Bowling Club] before the main bands started kicking in on the Main Stage at the Memorial Hall. Friday highlights included The Hussy Hicks, April Maze, the Yearlings, Jamie Hutchings and Suzy Connolly and the young celebrated Emma Barlow at the Main Stage on her way to Tamworth. With well over 600 patrons , musos and visitors alike the town swelled up quickly.

Saturday was a blur of  action kicking off with the market in Coronation park and Poets Breakfasts a the Commercial which had some luminaries  like Arch Bishop/Tom Hamilton/Pat Drummond/Allan Caswell and Kevin Pye in attendance. The music kicked in at the Centennial from 10 am and didn’t let up for the next 14 hours culminating in sublime performances by  Genevieve Chadwick/Daniel Champagne [jaw dropping virtuosity!!]/ Bill Chambers and Anne Kirkpatrick to a packed Memorial Hall main stage.

Sophie Hutchings Trad Stage Sun Morn pic Elizabeth Walton

Daniel Champagne and Marcus Holden meet the Daleks Back stage at Trad Stage Sun before Golden Fingers comp...pic Richard Lawson

     Sunday kept up the pace where the workshops came into their own and an eclectic performance on the Steinway Grand in the Opera House by rising  Piano  Star Sophie Hutchings then the madness of the Golden Fingers comp with Fiddle virtuoso Marcus Holden nudging out the more fancied young guns Daniel Champagne and Genevieve Chadwick…surely one for the ages. Then the party closed at the Main Stage with ABC Music signing Paul Greene’s climactic  set  being upstaged by the storm.

All the while the back alleys and bars reverberated to impromptu jams and performances which went well into the dawn hours…

Festival organiser and promoter Richard Lawson is to be congratulated for his  hard work over the last year on resuscitating the festival in such a huge way with  an enormous  publicity push for Gulgong right across the ABC state-wide and with both WIN and Prime TV  in attendance. Lets hope there is support for a follow up festival next year because this one was unforgettable….

Richard at Main Stage with April Maze/Big Erle/Matt Southon /Genevieve Chadwick and Brownie MC...pic Anonymous

Matt Southon and Big Erle Blues Workshop with a young Banjo fan...what it was all about pic Elizabeth Walton

http://www.paul-greene.com/

After completing VCE music, he quickly kicked the school yard theory to the curb and has taken to experimenting with his own personal style and building up a fan base.    Hes playing around a fair bit now and on an exhaustive East Coast Tour

Hes on the Unplugged stage Sun 10.30am and New Stage Sat 6.00pm

http://www.suzyconnollymusic.com/

You can access downloadable pdf it here

http://www.gulgongfolkfestival.com.au/i/GFF_venue_map_2012.pdf

Also available here on main page

http://www.gulgongfolkfestival.com.au/index.html

Richard will be joining Emma Swift on “In the pines” tonight on FBI Radio 9.15pm Sydney…streaming live…he’ll be playing Bryan Estepa/April Maze and Caitlin Harnett and talkin bout the festival with Emma…tune in or log on…. http://www.fbiradio.com/artists/detail/in-the-pines-with-emma-swift1

Single day tickets are $60 for either the Friday/Saturday or Sunday

Family Passes are $270 for 2 adults 2 children

Children under 12 are free

Tickets can be accessed here….      http://www.moshtix.com.au/event.aspx?id=50802&ref=gulgongfest

…or here at Mudgee Tourism…..http://www.visitmudgeeregion.com/categories/Gulgong-Folk-Festival/

THEY ARE STARTING TO SELL FAST NOW SO WATCH IT!!!!!

FESTIVAL WIKILEAK #48….David Knight is a young Melbourne based solo guitarist who uses his guitar as a total weapon…incorporating percussion and different picking styles…hes at the Festival as one of the new young breed…you’ll be sure to find him jamming to a few of the groovier artists

http://www.triplejunearthed.com/Artists/View.aspx?artistid=35514

FESTIVAL WIKILEAK #47…Nigel Wearne is a young alt country singer songwriter from Melbourne…coming to the festival….gorgeous tunes and voice and a dapper hand at making his own guitars as well…he might even show us a bit at workshop..

Nigel Wearne is an alt-country/folk singer-songwriter whose music has an intimate and poignant narrative. Equipped with personally handcrafted guitars, his music melds finger-style guitar, slide dobro, country twang and honest storytelling. Nigel’s influences include Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, Tom Waits, Gillian Welch and the spirit of Woody Guthrie. With frayed poetic edges and honest grit, Nigel delivers dynamic and inspired performances that will rattle your emotions. Nigel’s current album ‘Sweetest Delusion’ is an entirely acoustic affair – ‘the kind of music that really speaks and it would be a shame not to listen’ ~ Forte Magazine ~

http://www.reverbnation.com/nigelwearne