Reviewed fromSunday December 27 – Friday January 1 (photo courtesy Woodford Folk Festival/Facebook).
Where to begin? Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the 2015/16 Woodford Folk Festival was always going to be special, with a program pitching old and new favourites across six vivid days and brightly festooned nights; of improbable creatures stalking the festival roads and music spilling from every corner.
Of course, you could plot your day down to the minute and still not have time to take in all that Woodford has to offer. This lovely frustration truly adds to the sense that Woodford is something of a Wonderland; even when you aren’t looking, there is still something marvellous happening just around the next carnivalesque corner. There was no particular headliner, no single act that might be claimed winner. Instead, a series of day-by-day favourites tended to emerge; those artists you catch fleetingly and are then compelled to track down on some other far-flung stage.
The Scrimshaw Four were once such act, a dirty bluegrass/folk mishmash armed with a brace of unlikely covers and rollicking sing-alongs. The Indian-Australian fused Maru Tarang, featuring last Woodford’s stalwart Jeff Lang, were strong crowd favourites, while Marlon Williams and The Yarra Benders proved why the New Zealand adoptee is on such a deserved rise. From country to blues, ballad to bellow, his was a name on many lips.
Though not an act that generated a great deal of festival chatter (a shame, since they sure did bring some big, enthusiastic audiences), Ganga Giri were outstanding. A tribal-dance whirlwind, these guys were a late-night sensation; a melting pot of uninhibited entertainment. Boo Seeka also had the night owls seamlessly thrumming.
Equally enthralling were Sydney favourites All Our Exes Live In Texas. Their 1am gig – complete with high-vis wigs in case of snowstorms – was a festival stopper, and their banter remains second to none. They featured seven times across the festival, though didn’t smash their instruments once, so points deducted. Canada’s The Weather Station did indeed suffer a minor instrument hiccup, yet delivered some of the most gently captivating songs you could hope for. It was also fascinating to see Tamara Lindeman’s lyrics translated live via sign language; a thoughtful consideration to the different forms that music can take.
There were several big names peppered across the program. Michael Franti was an absolute powder keg of an showman, still dancing and singing throughout the Amphitheatre crowd long after the last note had faded. Courtney Barnett, though hardly a verbose performer between songs, effortlessly proved why she is such a commanding and refreshing musician (though in truth, The East Pointers immediately preceding had a much more energetic crowd).
The only sad note was for Lanie Lane, who came out of retirement to fulfil her dream of playing at Woodford only to find her set nearly washed away with the festival’s sole intense downpour. Her diehard fans remained, however, though I admit I only watched from afar in the shelter of a nearby hillside bar.
It was not all about the music. Former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke gave a thoughtful address on nuclear waste, indigenous recognition and, I shit you not, the rise of the robots. Irish Joe Lynch has a voice and turn of phrase that could charm stars from the heavens, and the closing Fire Event was as grand a spectacle as ever (featuring a villain born of The Rocky Horror Picture Show via Mad Max, and a storyline much more poignant and coherent than recent years).
With some of the best acts (and easily the best weather) seen at Woodford in quite some time, the festival’s 30th is going to be a hard act to top. Now to start counting the days until December 27 rolls around once more.
