By Alan Calder.
New Program Director Justin Rudge called for patrons to bring large amounts of kindness, support and understanding to this year’s festival and patrons, staff, and volunteers responded in spades, from the Welcome to Country on the Friday night right through to Archie Roach’s closing remarks on the Monday of Victoria’s Labour Day weekend (March 11-14). The Port Fairy Folk Festival was back with no less than six main stages, the Pavilion for workshops and at least 5 other small halls and locations in the charming seaside village of Port Fairy – not to mention the muso sessions in the pub, the roving acts and a continuous program for kids in the Flag Circle. The diversity of the acts left no stone unturned and Rudge is to be commended on achieving this in tricky times.
Port Fairy 2022 provided opportunities to be entranced by the sweet sounds of Scottish folk artist Fiona Ross (more than ably accompanied by Shane O’Mara), mesmerised by the passion and skill of John Butler, intrigued at different takes on the blues from Ash Grunwald and Cedric Burnside, inspired by the Find Your Voice Choir, or exhausted by any number of high energy dance bands. Elephant Sessions, Pierce Brothers, Jazzparty, Black Rock Band, Weddings, Parties, Anything and The Bushwackers all delivered for the dance floor devotees. While neither of those last two bands are quite ready for the ‘heritage act’ tag just yet it was, nevertheless, a nice gesture of The Bushwackers’ Dobe Newton to apologise to several generations of school children and parents for ‘We are Australian’, written by him and Bruce Woodley 35 years ago. But then we all sang along anyway! And sing along was what all those WPA fans did at full volume at the two late night sessions where their rich back catalogue was showcased with polish and passion.
I would be perfectly happy to listen to the melodic fingerpicking of Nick Charles unaccompanied for ninety minutes but add the likes of Justin Bernasconi, Dan Parsons (Tracey McNeil & The GoodLife), Nick O’Mara (Heartbrokers), Anna Scionti and Andrew Wrigglesworth (The Weeping Willows) to the stage and there is an amazing array of guitar wizardry on display, both in their individual offerings as well as the jams. Nick mentioned that hosting The Guitarists concert at Port Fairy has been one of the highlights of his career. We trust that his extensive and acclaimed career and The Guitarists concerts still have many years to run.
The great Port Fairy tradition that is the Women Out Loud concert this year included two 20-something women with exceptional sophistication in their song writing and musicality. Katherine Priddy is a spell-binding young UK artist with haunting vocals, distinctive finger – picking guitar playing and the songs of a self-confessed literature nerd. From our own North Queensland comes Kee’ahn (Port Fairy Emerging Artist of the Year), a Kuku Yalanji, Jirrbal, Zenadh Kes song woman whose rich and healing vocals melt serenely into rhythm and blues. Guatemalan Gaby Moreno joined this panel after driving through the night from WOMADelaide yet she provided fresh, enchanting and soulful highlights in both this concert and throughout the festival.
Common themes of loss, passion and optimism emerged amongst these women and Tracey McNeil and Irish Mythenadded even more complexity to both the music and the discussions. In fact, this concert sent this reviewer on to see both Tracey McNeil & the GoodLife and Irish Mythen in their individual sets. Tracey and her band delivered some precise hard-driving indie Americana and Irish is simply a force to be reckoned with – part stand-up, part musician and a performer that swings your emotions from tears to joy with a grin and clever wise crack.
The most significant innovation in the 2022 festival was the inauguration of the Archie Roach Foundation stage where the stories, traditions, culture and music of both emerging and established First Nations people were shared. Highlights included Emma Donovan and Kutcha Edwards (Port Fairy Artist of the Year), both with their bands and in the more intimate discussion sessions in which they participated. Dr Shellie Morris shared experiences and challenges with a panel of equally fierce First Nations Women including Candice Lorrae, Maylene Slater Burns, Emma Donavan and Kee’ahn. Archie Roach also hosted Kitchen Table Yarns with emerging artists J-MILLA, MARLON X RULLA and the Black Rock Band who had the crowd up and dancing late into Saturday night.
Port Fairy Folk Festival, it’s great to have you back!