Queenscliff is more like a fair ground than a music festival

I don't normally go to Queenscliff. It is a bit of a "yesterday's heroes" job, with burned out and tired acts from the 70s and 80s that are put on to attract those who think there really were "good old days" and just want to hear the olds songs all over again rather than some of the really exciting stuff happening now days.

However, I got a bit of promo material from John Murray and decided I liked what I saw.

So tickets all arranged I headed off to Queenscliff.

Now don't expect it to be like any other festival. In the past it has been very closed and there is not much atmosphere on the street. But if you don't view it that way, you are OK. You have to remember that Queenscliff is the traditional seaside village come weekend seaside getaway. Then it suddenly all starts to make sense. You see that the festival is setup more like an English seaside fair ground or fun park and caters to visitors at that level. So what they are doing is probably right. The weekend tickets sell out every year before it starts and it is tight getting into venues of the acts you want to see.

Queenscliff is more like a fair ground than a music festival
[Photo: Og Bear]

I think the big appeal this year was the move away from "digging up the dead" and there was a good variety of blues, also some new and interesting acts in other genres.

SATURDAY

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It was a funny old day, the Saturday, I wasn't quite sure what to wear, so I played it safe. I had plugged a list of what I wanted to see into the phone in case I lost the program and headed down to Queenscliff and fluked a car park just near the station and main festival site.

The market this year and activities on the street were a big improvement
[Photo: Og Bear]

There were buskers on the street this year which added a lot to the atmosphere
[Photo: Og Bear]

I headed up the main street to The Atrium to see Sambrose Automobile, a local band who won the Vic Hunt Award in 2007. Sweet Delores was playing at front of the Queenscliff Inn and Karla was there to see them so I stopped for a few minutes before moving on.

Sambrose Automobile are a young local band that won Sleepy Hollow Blues Club's Vic Hunt Award in 2007
[Photo: Og Bear]

At The Atrium, after I had listened to a few of Sambrose's tunes, Kristen and Karla wandered in, so I headed back down the street with them, then headed off to see Marshall & The Fro on the Festival Train (AKA Blues Train).

With four carriages and only 160 seats the queues were enormous. Thank goodness your humble editor was just able to walk straight on!

Marshall and the Fro on the Festival Train were the first band I saw and I knew they had set the bench mark for the rest of the weekend
[Photo: Og Bear]

Once in the carriage it was good to catch up with Marshall and the guys again and as soon they started I knew I could set the whole weekend against these guys and their Aussie Rock-Roots music. They had just arrived from Byron Bay that morning in the tour van, but despite the journey they were already to go and put on a wailing performance.

Wasn't quite sure what to expect with Nigel Wearne, but it was a pleasant surprise
[Photo: Og Bear]

Once we got to Lakers Siding, Marshall threw us out, so we could go to see what was in the other carriages. Nigel Wearne was my choice for the return trip to Queenscliff. He was a bit of a surprise as I hadn't really quite known what to expect. It turns out he is a local and is someone we should think about having at the Blues Club sometime.

Changing the loco on the Festival Train
[Photo: Og Bear]

I grabbed some nibblies for lunch, the prices were outrageous, but that's the way Queenscliff is. Even the shuttle bus was $5 where as at everyone else's festival it seems to come with the ticket price. In fact the TAC has a program where they will sponsor one at festivals to prevent drink driving so there is no need to charge at all.

I headed back up the main street and checked the street market out.

This time when I passed the Queenscliff Inn where Brooke Leal, who until recently had run the G-Lounge, was playing.

Queenscliff's own Tides of Welcome Soul and Gospel Choir performing at Apostle
[Photo: Og Bear]

At Apostle the Tides of Welcome Soul and Gospel Choir was playing. It was directed by Sarah Caroll, Chris Wilson's partner and also has my friend Marj in it. As their name they sing mostly gospel and soul.

I did have to go home for a few minutes as I had forgotten my medication, and the left over Thai curry I had made the night before was starting look appealing and very much more within the budget. But no, back to the throng, I would just have to make the adjustment and find the positive tilt in the not so level food service playing field.

Another nice surprise was to find Stooka with Jim Diamond and the Tuff Tones busking on the street
[Photo: Og Bear]

Once I returned I found Stooka and the boys of Jim Diamond and the Tuff Tones playing on the street, which wasn't in the program. I have to admit, the organisers seemed to have rectified a few of the problems of the past. As well more interesting acts there was a lot more going on in the street and you could get a sense of a festival atmosphere without having bought a ticket.

Austin Busch and Band performing in The Shed
[Photo: Og Bear]

At The Shed, Austin Busch and Band were in full swing, playing their own brand of dynamic and captivating blues with Austin's strong vocal delivery.

Jeff Lang was on the Lighthouse Stage so I wandered over there next. He seemed to struggle in such a big venue and after a few songs I moved on to see what else was on.

I stumbled across and old friend, Rodney from Lighthouse Days, on crutches and sporting some kind of injury. That's the other thing that's weird about Queenscliff, you don't seem to run into any one you know, a few people are happy to make your acquaintance, but not a lot.

I managed to grab a $5 snack of Mexican food and a $2 can of drink (which I never could find again later) then it was a squeeze back into The Shed to see a dynamic performance by Geoff Achison & the Souldiggers, after 18 months in the USA.

The "Japanese Cowboy", George Kamikawa on the Festival Train
[Photo: Og Bear]

Then it was back on the Train to catch the "Japanese Cowboy", George Kamikawa play some really good fast blues guitar. Apparently he learned to love the blues in Japan, but no one there listens to it, so he came to Australia 7 years ago because we did. He picked up the Busking Championship in 2004 at Tamworth and recently won the 2008 Australian Busking Championship. I stumbled across, him busking in the Bourke Street Mall about a month ago, when I got out of St Vincents for several hours for lunch.

Pagey and the Boneyards got the old freight car on the Festival Train rockin'
[Photo: Og Bear]

I was going to catch Sambrose Automobile on the Train's return journey but then noticed that the Boneyards were playing in the next carriage with our own Adam Page on lead vocals. "Pagey" was in fine form and with his rocking style of blues, they kept the carriage's punters amused.

Josh Owen in The Shed
[Photo: Og Bear]

On arriving back in Queenscliff, Josh Owen Band were playing in The Shed, but again packed with people listening to the mix of red hot funk and soul, only new people were being let once some had left.

Grabbed a curry for tea and whilst eating it got drawn towards then into the Lighthouse Stage Tent by Ross Wilson's Eagle Rock. I am not a great one for raising the dead, but I think Ross is far from dead, and there is always the exception.

Luke Watt & Danny from Jeff Lang's band on the Festival Train
[Photo: Og Bear]

Back onto Festival Train to hear Luke Watt who had Langy's bearded drummer, Danny facing him in the centre of the carriage, played his honest and unpretentious style of contemporary blues/folk.

Paul Greene almost blaisely performed the quickest string replacement I have seen
[Photo: Og Bear]

I was at a bit of a loose end for the return trip, but I thought I would try Paul Greene, who was coded on the program as jazz, but written up in the bios as blues/roots. He was a bit of a character and was surprised that I had actually been to and stayed in his remote part of Jervis Bay. In the end I came to conclusion that he was probably more in the folk category!

Marshall working the audience into a frenzy. Reminiscent of early AC/DC days?
[Photo: Og Bear]

The highlight of Saturday evening was Marshall & The Fro in Fishnets, the Fishnets Stage that is. They were really cooking with a light show and sound to go with it. One of the guys I was talking to said that the band with their refreshing face generating a progressive modern roots based musical energy, reminded him of the first time he saw AC/DC. I could certainly agree with where he was coming from.

The Bawdies from outside the Fishnets Tent
[Photo: Og Bear]

Next in Fishnets were The Bawdies, a band that is a sort of Japanese Beatles from the 1960s. They were pretty slick and keep the crowd entertained. The show was disrupted halfway through by emergency services trying to find someone who had been reported as having some kind of turn in the audience, but to no avail.

I called it a night, but as I wandered out there was quite a crowd of younger people hanging around at a loose end looking for something to happen. This is the other thing that is poorly handled here. They just want these young ones to go away. Other festivals seem to avoid this problem by providing activities and acts that are accessible to the under 18s so they blend into the main crowd, also, the same TAC program that provides the shuttle bus also will provide a crash refuge area with counselling for those young ones, and maybe a few of us oldies who have overdone it.

SUNDAY

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I hit the snooze button about 4 times on Sunday morning. My body just didn't want to get out of bed. It was aching and stiff! Finally I decided that maybe if I could get to the shower that might do it.

On the Sunday the monthly Queenscliff Market was in full swing
[Photo: Og Bear]

Jim Diamond and the Tuff Tones were also a high light on the Festival Train
[Photo: Og Bear]

Chris Fogarty in his Sunday best blowing an amazing burst of harp
[Photo: Og Bear]

A bit harder getting a park this time at Queenscliff, but as soon as I was settled I headed for the Festival Train. You would think you could never tire of this train, but after 3 trips yesterday and felt I had seen enough of Swan Bay, no matter how magic it was. But it was Diamond Jim & The Tuff Tones for the trip to Lakers and Austin Busch and Band for the return and soon it was like a whole new day again.

When I got back I wandered into the Brickhouse to catch some of the young acts in the FOOT-in-the-DOOR competition. This year's theme was Blues Roots & Beyond and some of the acts from around here and down the coast showed quite a bit of potential.

The crowd streaming through the Festival gates
[Photo: Og Bear]

Jeff Lang was in his element in The Shed
[Photo: Og Bear]

Jeff Lang's drummer, Danny
[Photo: Og Bear]

I made it in early to see Jeff Lang in The Shed. I was glad I went to see him here as the smaller venue was just right for Langey. It was more intimate and he was in his element there. It was honestly the best show I have seen him put on for over 10 years!

The Shed just seemed to be the right size for others too, such as Geoff Achison and Austin Busch.

Whilst waiting for the next act I tried a Tom Yum noodle soup I had spotted the day before and a few people had given it the thumbs up. At the higher end of the price range, it turned out to be worth every penny and I enjoyed every bit of it. At $11 it was far better value than the $8 pasties down the road!

Abbe May & The Rockin’ Pneumonia turned out to be the biggest disappointment of Sunday afternoon
[Photo: Og Bear]

As I finished my food I could hear an amazing sound that came through from the Fishnets Stage. It was a voice like Grace Slick's and with a band that started off sounding a bit like Pink Floyd. But, it turned out to be the big disappointment of the day. I had downloaded some tracks off the Abbe May and The Rockin' Pneumonia Myspace site and had noted them down as a must see. But when I went into the tent I couldn't work out why so few were there. The sound was great and her voice was fantastic. She had even won the 2007 and 2008 WAMI (Western Australian Music Industry) Best Female Vocalist awards.

But when I saw this band on stage I understood why. It was a very lazy effort, quite self indulgent. This girl has been on RockWiz and JJJ and I feel it has gone to her head. You could sense she had an over-rated view of where she stood.

I had seen most of what I wanted to see, so for something entirely different, I headed off down to Point Lonsdale for the rest of the afternoon to join the Lighthouses of Australia function down there.

I returned from there later that evening looking forward to the After Party in the Royal Hotel Basement, but in the end it was a non-event. It wasn't so much those who had organised the festival turning up and letting their hair down after putting so much into a big weekend, but more it was those who were just trying to drag the Festival out for a few more hours. After a few hours there I decided that curry in the fridge was getting more appealing and I still had Myra McRae's CD Launch to get to at Irish Murphy's that Sunday night so I headed off. For me the Queenscliff Music Festival was truly over.

[Og the Bear man]

Weis - a little touch of heaven

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For more photos go to:
http://picasaweb.google.com/OgBear/QueenscliffMusicFestival2008#

For a slideshow go to:
https://picasaweb.google.com/OgBear/QueenscliffMusicFestival2008#slideshow/

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