Auckland Folk Festival 2016
click on any photo's to make them bigger
I survived! More below...as this post will be updated with photo's etc.
How strange on the Sunday when the weather returned to something nearer to normal. It was amazing how memories of rain and wind and leaking tents...well it all felt so distant, like it was a year previous, not just the day before! Amazing. It was a really good festival for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it (unlike last year).
This morning I have "Killing the Blues" going around in my head. It was lovely to hear and see Jan* playing guitar and singing it again at the late night session we had in the barn on the last night. So delicate.
So, AFF 2016. I almost didn't go. But the highlight for me turned out to be final night session.
The forecast for most of the weekend was custard, terrible rain etc. Wet camping is not my thing these days. Been there, done that, had enough. But I gave it the benefit of the doubt as the forecast improved a bit as the week progressed. So much so that with help, I was able to get my tent up in a lull between showers. There were a few leaks as it rained on Friday night and most of Saturday, but come Sunday with the sun and wind everything dried out and the rain was completely forgotten.
I retreated to my tent for early nights on the first two nights due to rain and tiredness. So on the final night I was ready to find a good session. It was eerily quiet after the final concert ended; most ppl going to bed it seemed. I wandered over to the Hall for the first time all weekend. Here, Pete Grassby was getting them all dancing from the side of the Hall. I hung around for a dashing white sergeant but he didn't arrive before I got bored. So off I wandered. The diddles were up in the Shearers Quarters all squeezed in the darkness. I continued my journey discovering that 2 venues were still empty! Unheard of!
I bumped into D near the Hall and got an update on his travel plans for the next week. G appeared from the Hall after he finished contributing some guitar to the Whoever Turns Up After Hours Ceilidh Band. After introducing D <-> G (again), G and I wandered over to the empty Barn. Well not completely empty now as G:{>> was there with a small guitar looking 12 string instrument. Not seen that one before (not unusual as he collects unusual instruments). So we started our own alternative session with a Roy Harper song, probably Old Cricketer.
From there we did some Pink Floyd and before long other ppl turned up (bailing out of the Shearers) and I was happily singing away. I had closed the big garage roller door at the back and the side door of the Barn. This improved the acoustics for singing amazingly! I will remember this in future years!!
Brenda Liddiard and Mark Laurant joined us and did rousing versions of Floyd and other standards that got everyone going. I can't believe we were in there singing and playing from about 1am to well after 5am. I met young Nick, who I've probably met before but young ppl change so much from year to year that you can't always remember.
Talking of such. Young Adam from Whangarei blew us away on main stage as part of the invitation concert. He has developed his guitar playing and was attempting things like Tommy Emmanuel. I guess he's been influenced or taught by local boy turned star, Mark Mazengarb. More of Adam we will see in future for sure. In fact there was a strong showing from up North as the new organisers and President of the festival are regulars up north. The festival definitely benefited from the new blood with more venues and more slots. Well done to the new committee.
So who was officially on that I caught?
Eliza and Martin Carthy - did their thing and took part in a radio style interview on stage. They had arrived in NZ on the Thursday, went to festival on Friday, performed on Saturday, did stage interview and played on Sunday for an hour and a half. Also did a set in the final concert! Played up at the Bunker on Monday night then got on a plane on Tuesday and returned to UK!! Yes they were in NZ for less than a week and played the festival like you would never know they were jet lagged!!!
There was some altercation between Eliza and the grumpy Mexican food vendor resulting in him leaving site. But we didn't dwell on such things as no one missed him.
Dan Walsh - more brilliant banjo playing. Such a nice young bloke. I may have gone a bit soft on him over the festival but really he's just a fine cute banjo player. Hmmm, not the first banjo player I've gone soft on. Strange that. He also joined the Blue Grass band from Melbourne called ???? for a truly fired up few tunes.
Chris Priestly and various Old Timers - doing his songs about imfamous old time NZers from around the country. On the Saturday in the Barn he was joined by Phil Garland in his awesome kiwi hat. Also squeezed onto the small stage was Cameron Bennet (one time TV host on NZ TV) playing guitar and slide and singing the best song about the Mining disaster on the West Coast 5 years ago, that I've heard yet. Also there was Nigel Gavin and a female vocalist mostly for BVs. I wished I had a camera during this as the 4 main characters on stage there made a fine sight and composition.
They did another set in the final concert, minus Phil, with 7 ppl on stage. Chris doesn't like to be alone.
Tui Award finalists - this year there were 3 female singer songwriters who each performed a 20min set before the winner was announced later during the final concert. A very commendable winner came from south island, Arrowtown perhaps? Although I thought the final woman had a better sound with her double bass player accompaniment. But her performance was a bit chaotic, not that it forms part of the judgement.
Albi & the Wolves - Rockin blue grass and more! I had no idea that Michael Young was in this band *as well*! but he'd learnt to play double bass and had a lovely slim version which must be easier to transport. He complimented the younger energetic members of the band, including Albi who we've all watched grow up at the festival and become a competent and wild musician. Then ended the final concert and kept everyone dancing.
At one point over the weekend, the daughters of the previous and current Presidents of the festival were on stage together. Now thats clever - a cello and a harp.
A good year :) (apart from…)
Oh, a few hours before the festival, while I was driving to it. I found out that wonderful funny UK/NZ folky Marcus Turner had unexpectedly passed away in his sleep. Not much was said of this at the festival as the news was still sinking in I think. But thankfully before the start of the final concert Martha Louise sang his Chocolate Song and the packed marquee did its best to sing along. It wasn't the best version sadly, but I'm really glad that this acknowledgement was done. Sad also for Mike Moroney, his good friend and bandmate, who found him. Terrible loss in so many ways.
Another down side was that my feet gave up again. Back to having really sore feet and hobbling around like a granny. I guess my feet don't like folk festivals anymore :(
*may not be her Real name...