A great night with Mike Compton and Fat Chance

About 100 people filled the Newport Bowls Club on Melbourne Cup Day for a wonderful night of music with Mike Compton. Support act Fat Chance got the night off to a great start with a set of lively songs. These guys' enjoyment of their music is infectious and the audience loved it. Fat Chance is Andrew Barcham (banjo), Don Gula (guitar) and Michael de Valle (double bass).

Then after a short break Mike Compton took the stage and showed why he's in demand as a performer right across the USA and worldwide. He can play up a storm on that mandolin, but he can also be meditative and lyrical. The music ranged from bluegrass to slow blues and folk songs, with Mike's simple, authentic singing style complementing the mandolin on some numbers. Much of the time however he just let the mandolin take centre stage, and in his hands that small instrument is plenty. Actually he swapped around between two mandolins and a mandola (a slightly bigger version, as the viola is to the violin). All the instruments were made by Australian luthier Paul Duff. Mike brought Bruce Williams and Don Gula up for a couple of numbers too, including Bruce's classic song Too Much Fun.

The audience didn't want it to end but Mike has a busy touring schedule so after an encore the night was over. The buzz continued late into the night however; this concert will be remembered for a long time!

Michael deValle, Andrew Barcham, Mike Compton and Don Gula

prepare for the big night with a few laughs and a couple of tunes.

Still Fiddlin' and Folkin'

The October Session was a hoot - lots of fiddles (none last month) lots of spoken word, plenty of songs and a bit more beside. 
Started off with 'Feel Like Goin' Back Home' from Bran New Day - sounds great with a couple of guitars using capos in different positions - if you are coming along next month feel free to join in. 
Then we had Blas, who is on a year's holiday in Aus (more specifically Newport) singing a Portugese song accompanied by his beautiful uke.  Jackie presented Phar Lap the Wonder Horse in what is now a pre-cup Tradition at the folk club.  Wonderful story, beautifully told, and making use of animate and inanimate props.  Dave Davies also had a horse story - tho wondered that he might be accused of 'flogging a dead horse' so he avoided his own Phar Lap poem. 
What else?  Alan lead everyone in a rousing version of Day Oh, Thomas recited an historical poem about the early days of Williamstown from the perspective of those poor souls stuck in the hulks, the string group played a Brandenburg and a smaltzy favourite (to some) The Rose.  Rick and Nicola followed up their Live@ Newport performance with a couple of Irish slides and tunes, and Bernard and Sarah played 'Jealousy' with reference to a cat (long story). 
Before the break Maurie presented a lovely rendition of a piece he heard performed just after the second world war, about the meaning of a pack of cards and its reference to the bible.  The folk club continues to live on in a most eclectic fashion.
Lots of tea, coffee and biscuits followed by more music - songs by Toni and her uke, a jam session lead by Blas, the New Gypsy Djangos playing Swing Gitan and lots more.
Apart from Blas who hails from Spain, we also had Bruce who hails from NSW - he came to the festival, loved it, and last night was his first session at the club.  He played harmonics and really enjoyed the night. 
Good simple pleasure of people playing music and performing for enjoyment. 
See what happends next month

Festival Footage from Ireland

Newport's most welcome visitor for our festival from Ireland, Laura Plummer, has posted a lovely and quite long video here of the choirs festival at the festival.
Many thanks Laura - it was lovely to have you for our festival and even lovelier that you have recorded and posted a sizeable part of the Choirs Festival. 
Enjoy

Mike Compton Australian Tour

Mike Compton is doing a whistle stop tour of Australia starting this month - 3 states, 6 gigs and one radio interview.  We are pretty chuffed that one of the 6 gigs is for the Newport Fiddle and Folk Club at the Newport Bowls Club on Cup Day (actually Cup Night - starts 7.30pm). 

Mike is doing an interview on PBS at 1.30pm on Cup Day so we reckon most people in town who are keen on bluegrass and roots music will know about the gig - and may just head on over to Newport in the evening.  The Folk Club has been fielding calls from all over Melbourne so the word is out already.  Put it in your diary. 

Here are the tour dates

10/22 - AUSTRALIA TOUR 10/24 - 11/12/2012

10/26 - THE SOUTH LEAGUES CLUB, BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA: SOLO CONCERT 7:30pm

10/28 - STATE THEATRE of WESTERN AUSTRALIA, PERTH, AUSTRALIA CONCERT

11/02 - ALBANY TOWN HALL, Western Australia SOLO CONCERT 7:30pm

11/06 - NEWPORT FOLK CLUB, MELBOURNE VICTORIA CONCERT

11/06 - PBS LIVE IN-STUDIO INTERVIEW, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA 1:30pm

11/07 - YINNAR HOTEL, VICTORIA: CONCERT

11/09 - CAT & FIDDLE HOTEL, SYDNEY, NSW, AUSTRALIA CONCERT

11/10 - PRIVATE FUNCTION: SYDNEY, NSW, AUSTRALIA

11/11 - ANITAS THEATRE, THIRROUL, WOLLONGONG NSW, AUSTRALIA:
                  WORKSHOP (2-4pm) AND CONCERT (7-10pm)

Mike Compton in Newport - A Must See Concert for Cup Day

Just a quick note to everyone regarding the upcoming appearance of Mike Compton at the Newport Bowls Club on Cup Day and why I'm excited about it.  Mike is widely regarded as THE premier roots music mandolin player in the world today. Over a span of 35 years, Compton has made a career playing on recordings of others adding his signature sound.  Mike has made music with such diverse notables as the iconic mountain music man Ralph Stanley, British rock legend Elvis Costello and the Sugarcanes, guitar virtuoso David Grier, and producer T-Bone Burnett (O Brother, Where Art Thou and Down From The Mountain tours). In 1994, Mike became a sideman for John Hartford (American musical legend and writer of one of the most recorded songs of all time - 'Gentle on My Mind').  Mike remained a key member of the band until Hartford's death in 2001. To date, Mike has performed on over 100 CDs in a variety of genres, with some of the most beloved artists of our day.

 

Mike has been a hero of mine since I saw the movie 'O Brother Where Art Thou' and heard his wonderful 'melodic' rhythm playing. I was lucky enough to do a four day workshop with him at the 2011 National Folk Festival. He was an inspirational teacher and I consequently started having online mandolin lessons with him through Skype. I am still having those lessons and thoroughly enjoying the experience.

 

Hope to see a bunch of folk club members at the gig - Cup Night - Tuesday Nov 4, 7.30pm at Newport Bowls Club. I know it will be a show to be remembered!

 

Bruce Williams

Three Shades of Grey?

Here's one pic from Friday night's session - 'Three Shades of Grey' taken by Gerry Nelson.
It was a great night - very diverse, about 40 punters all came along to share and enjoy and recreate the Newport Musical Community. 
Gerry's pic gives rise to the thought that we could have a photographic exhibition at next year's festival - lovely pics of NFFC'ers and friends learning, making and enjoying music. Any takers??

Landsbourough 150th - the NBO were there!

 The Newport Bush Orchestra were dispatched off to Landsborough to provide musical accompaniment for the Town's 150th Celebration.  Here are Maryanne, Wendy, Anette, Alastair, Neil and Bruce at the unvieling of the statue of William Landsborough, after who the town is named.  The NBO provded music at the pub on the Friday night, up for the unveiling at 10.30am before playing down the street, at the school, and then to open and close the concert on Saturday night.  A great success as always with songs and tunes and plenty of laughs to make for an entertaining weekend.  More photos to come.  Great for the folk club to be an exporter of culture - the NBO's next gig is up at Digger's Rest in November for the Family Fun Day at Animal Land Children’s Farm, Diggers Rest on Saturday 10^th November so a few more musical miles for the NBO before the end of the year.  Well done!