By Chris Lambie
Town Folk Festival. 16th November 2024, Castlemaine, Victoria.
The essence of the Central Goldfields Mount Alexander shire its the sense of community. From the State and Fringe festivals to the annual Swap Meet, residents and blow-ins of all demographics love a feelgood gathering. Town Folk Festival truly came of age from its 2022 debut, with a major increase in scope and 3,500 through the gates. It was a joyous blend of both the bustling and intimate. The name suggests a focus on ‘Folk’ music but it’s really about the folk who make the township. Alt-folk, rock, soul, DJ sets, a Dja Dja Wurrung Welcome To Country and an intermission of mass boot-scooting kept proceedings genre-rich and interesting.
The layout of three venues made for an easily commute between. The main stage this year at the Sunken Oval (beside the Botanic Gardens) was a short stroll from outdoor stages beside the Bridge Hotel and Shedshaker Brewing’s Taproom. Local radio MainFM supplied an outdoor broadcast. A kids’ zone, food vans and an overworked bar were popular. The crazily long queues for booze at the oval was probably a good thing, deterring many from dehydrating on a random stinker of a day. Hugging shade and refilling water bottles were essential strategies.
Locally-grown acts included The Maes, M79, Aplegate and Felicity Cripps Band. The latter featured Cripps in shimmering gold lamé and Tim Heath (The Basics) on guitar. The pair are owner/operators of Castlemaine’s iconic Theatre Royal. The group set a high bar with a captivating, sax-infused set including songs from new album Chasing Volcanoes.
Queenie and band were positively electric with punters listening in the packed closed-off street and from inside and outside the pub. Latecomers to Harmony Byrne’s outdoor gig at the Shedshaker, stood on tiptoes to catch of glimpse of the trio. (I think there were three of them?) Others shaking it up between the two outer venues were Merryn Jean, Don’t Thank Me, Spank Me and Kid Sam.
Despite the biting sun, plenty of fans danced (or chilled in the ‘BYO seat’ area) close to the main stage. The well-wrangled sound also ensured good listening from the fringes under trees and well-placed big brollies. Ruby and Loretta opened the afternoon on the oval with charmers The Maes (formed by local sisters Maggie and Elsie Rigby) following. Multi-intrumentalist Grace Cummings was next, delivering a powerful set featuring songs from latest album Ramona. As she approaches the stage, you might expect fair and fey vocals, but her commanding Florence Welch meets Grace Slick pipes come from a deep well.
American singer-songwriter and artist A. Savage impressed with a varied set of indie folk, alt-Country and a cracking version of ‘Elvis In The Army’ with its instantly catchy and spiky guitar riff and rhythm. After the heat-defying boot-scooting shenanigans, Tek Tek Ensemble brought multi-cultural fun with brass, keys, fiddle, congas and short shorts. An accomplished truly ensemble affair.
No doubt, fans eagerly anticipated Ngaiire’s striking costuming choice as much as her set-list. The PNG-born Australian-based R&B/soul star relished her time on stage. Gorgeous vocals, songs and moves kept the crowd on its feet.
The relief of sundown saw Aotearoa’s Marlon Williams launch into a beautiful set of favourite tracks including ‘Nobody Gets What They Want Anymore’ and ‘Party Boy’ (loved the Auslan signing with this one) and a divine rendition of Māori love song ‘Pōkarekare Ana’ that had fans swooning. Dancing in the dark continued with Joey Lightbulb spinning 80s bangers from the DJ van. Then headliners The Teskey Brothers took out the event with smooth soul rhythms for the only 2024 show in their home state. The appearance of Harmony Byrne was a surprise bonus. As expected, and under a scene-stealing full moon, it was a beautiful thing.
Town Folk Festival donated $1 from every ticket sold to Nalderun, a service that supports the local Aboriginal Community, led by Aboriginal people. Wash Against Waste volunteers kept things green and tidy. The whole affair was a shining gift to the town and all who came from far and wide.