Mesmerising: Liz Stringer, Mia Dyson and Jen Cloher.
MUSIC QUEENSCLIFF MUSIC FESTIVAL November 28-30
A trombone, middle-aged men and sophisticated funk. I bet you're not thinking of hip-hop. Yet festival-goers of all ages, hairstyles and voting tendencies bounced along to Skunkhour's 'classic album' set on Friday night. Across the weekend punters were spoilt for choice, enjoying pop, blues, country and soul. Part Bluesfest, part Tamworth with hints of Aunty Meredith and Port Fairy's 'folkie', Queenscliff Music Festival covers most bases. Gigs from the manic (The Delta Riggs, Steve Smyth) to mellow (The Waifs, The Little Stevies, Emma Swift & Chris Pickering) rang out around town.
Some came to hear established chart-toppers but most dipped their toes into unfamiliar waters too. QMF has a knack of introducing the 'next big thing' as it's about to break. Adelaide rapper Tkay Maidza has made serious waves since launching last year. Fans lined up waiting for others to exit as the packed Pavilion heaved to her beats. The historic Vue Grand Hotel was similarly cosy during gigs by Charles Jenkins and roots revellers Skyscraper Stan and The Commission Flats. Festival director Andrew Orvis noted plenty of buzz around the latter - a typical QMF revelation.
The four sisters of Stonefield gave a lesson in old-school stadium rock, sounding slightly more dangerous than at their previous QMF outing, when most of them were still students. Vocalist Amy Findlay stepped out from behind the drum kit for their trademark blistering cover of Whole Lotta Love. Free earplugs came in handy during several high intensity acts. I could feel the Tijuana Cartel's pulsating rhythms from the base of my thongs.
Dan Sultan rocked out with songs from ARIA award-winning album Blackbird, as well as favourites Old Fitzroy and Letter. Hits from The Church's back catalogue slow-cooked to a propulsive wall of sound. The Bombay Royale provided colour and movement seasoned with a delectable dash of crazy. Castlemaine's D. D. Dumbo brewed his unique sound, looping guitar and beats with vocal flavours somewhere between Malian blues and Michael Hutchence.
Arnhem Land's Yirrmal and The Yolngu Boys' set included original Young Blood (inspired by a conversation with Archie Roach). QMF favourites, Yolngu and his cousins look set to be role models for young men across the country. The line between young blood and old-timers blurred further as roots acts embraced the past. Archer is to country/folk what CW Stoneking is to blues, the US-born local echoing both Chad Morgan and Woody Guthrie. Mighty entertaining. NZ's Marlon Williams delved back too, with Jim Reeves' He'll Have to Go and tear-stained oldie I Died For Love. After the challenge of balancing guitar and limbs on The Blues Train, Christopher Coleman broke hearts - and rocked - at the outdoor stage.
Big gigs ranged from a trio of icons in The Good Times Band (Morris, Clapton, Braithwaite) to smooth a cappella and laughs from Perfect Tripod. Internationals featured Hurray For The Riff Raff, from New Orleans (a gumbo of swinging and swampy influences), the sonic and visual feast of Nahko and Medicine For The People and fellow American Kristy Lee. Xavier Rudd closed the event on Sunday, uniting all in feelgood rhythm and joy. Of other highlights, one was expected and one a surprise. A late inclusion on the bill, The Imprints took looped gypsy violin, drums and dub to a whole new place, while Dyson Stringer Cloher was simply mesmerising.
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