Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival

“BUSHWACKING ON THE PLATEAU”

The Tenth Annual Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival coincides with the 40th year celebration of The Bushwackers band – Australian Country Music Award winners, dubbed “THE AUSTRALIAN BAND” by Rolling Stone Magazine.

As well as hosting our welcome Grand Bush Dance on Friday night at the Dorrigo Showgrounds, and performing on the main stage during the weekend, we are excited to have members of The Bushwackers band participating in a Festival Event debut – “BUSHWACKING ON THE PLATEAU”

For two days before the Festival, Primary & High School students will be attending Song-writing, Instrument-making & Dance Workshops with members of the band, culminating in an afternoon community Bush Dance in the newly re-furbished Dorrigo Community Hall, showcasing the students’ achievements from the workshops. The dance will be welcome to all. This will be an opportunity to celebrate the wonderful atmosphere of traditional bush dancing, with original songs and the sounds of homemade instruments.

A second element to the event will be a series of murals created by local primary students from the plateau depicting scenes from some of the Bushwackers iconic songs. These will be on display at the Community hall and at the Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival site. Local artist Peter Mulheron is facilitating these works. This project is proudly supported by Festivals Australia.


1. Community Bush Dance featuring local students works from ”Bushwacking on the Plateau” workshops 

Community Bush Dance
1:30pm Friday 21st October
Dorrigo Community Centre Hall
Hickory Street, Dorrigo                

2. At 6:30 pm Friday night the FULL BAND of The Bushwackers will be opening the Tenth Annual Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival at the Dorrigo Showgrounds with the Grand Bush Dance.

YOUTH VENUE

Following the success of last years Saturday Night Youth Concert, we will be adding a new element to this years Festival – a designated Youth Venue.
We are programming concert performances, open-mic sessions, song-writing presentations, and workshops specifically aimed at youth and supporting your musical passions and goals.

Some of the artists performing and mentoring at the Youth Venue will be:

Stars of Thursday

Stars of Thursday are an acoustic, slightly alternative, original music three piece band providing a refreshing new sound. Combining creative acoustic guitar parts with intricate drum rhythms on a djembe (traditional African drum) supported by funky bass lines covered in creative melodies and inventive lyrics.
Two brothers, Tim Orchard and Jon Orchard along with Chris Richter have been working together to create the Stars of Thursday sound. A rich, energetic and quite unique taste of original music that appeals to a very wide age group. With the ability to play thought provoking ballads or fast, catchy 'get up and dance' tunes, Stars of Thursday is proving that they can keep you interested and inspired with their energy and unique, creative style of music.

Karise Eden

Karise Eden is a 19 year old singer songwriter guitarist from the central coast north of Sydney. Karise’s influences are wide and varied from traditional music through Old Time, Blues, Soul, Bluegrass and Rock.
Karise might sing a Janis Joplin song in a powerful husky voice followed by beautiful Joan Baez song the next. She also writes strong and original songs and is in the process of recording them. Karise can sometimes be seen playing double bass in the Usual Suspects, and is also involved with MADD musicians making a difference.

Susanna Carman

Susanna Carman’s live performance hints at a bit of Fleetwood Mac via Dixie Chicks skip, mixing lilting acoustic guitar, violin and smooth vocals with a gift for storytelling that slides into your affections.
Susanna is currently in the US performing a series of shows promoting the release of her second album, Circus Girl. This year at the festival, Susanna is looking forward to participating in the festival and at the Youth Venue Tent.

Andrea Soler

Andrea Soler is a genuine gypsy. Music is her life and she lives it with a nod to the cultural tradition of the troubadour, travelling the world, singing songs, telling tales and lifting spirits with a beguiling, bohemian flare and an authentic joie de vivre.

Her music is nomadic too, wandering the realms of indie folk, jazz, roots and world music. With touches of calypso, flamenco, reggae and more, Andrea intuitively blends a myriad of global influences to create music with universal appeal.

Andrea wins hearts wherever she goes, and lately a couple of awards too, picking up Female Vocal of the Year and World Music awards at the 2010 North Coast Music Industry Awards; recognition for the passion, talent and integrity that will take her a long way and win her many more accolades and many more fans.

Although this wandering minstrel is technically based in Northern NSW, she never stays put for long. She recently spent three years roaming around Europe with her guitar and ukulele, connecting with her French ancestry, honing her craft and gigging her heart out.
Her travels took her to the cobbled streets and smoky bars of Paris, the lush green hills of Scotland, the Moroccan desert and all around the UK festival circuit. Along the way, she dropped in at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London, where her EP, Better in the Sunshine, and debut album, Earth on an Axis, were mastered.

Whether it’s an intimate solo show or a packed out festival, Andrea exudes a warmth and charm that quickly envelops an audience – she has an uncanny ability to connect with people through music on a very genuine and intimate level.

Andrea Soler will be performing and conducting workshops at the Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival Youth Venue.

YOUTH WORKSHOPS

Some of the Youth Workshops presented at the Youth Venue this year include:

Singer/Song-Writing
Sound and PA Systems
Band formation & Band dynamics
Getting started and established
Instrument Workshops

Alex and Annette Hood present:

Australian Folk Theatre - "Deep Blue Sea"

For one performance only at the Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival main pavilion at 4pm Saturday 22nd October.

Alex and Annette are well-known for the quality and professionalism of their performances. They have travelled the country together since 1986, performing their unique brand of folk theatre for hundreds of thousands of children, and keeping alive the traditional songs and stories of Australia.

Deep Blue Sea is a full theatrical childrens show (also for the not so young...) about Australia the ocean continent. It includes songs and stories from right around our country, including those from the Torres Straits people, Bass Strait and the music of Oceania.

Alex and Annette Hood's Deep Blue Sea features Annette’s beautiful and dramatic fabric backdrops, costumes and life-size puppets with Alex’s songs and stories.

Through songs and stories, we learn about the people who travelled south to trade with the Aborigines. They were traders from Indonesia with Gibbons (monkeys) on their praus (fishing boats) as pets.

Stories of “Monkey & Turtle”, “Yellow Dog Dingo” and “The Cassowary”. Two island songs introduce this story, “Blue Sea” and “Cora Farewell”, and audience participation is included.