WHETHER they were Folkie first-timers or old friends of the festival, performers and punters alike shared a special weekend of music.
Counting blessings — like being spared the flooding rains that lashed Melbourne, celebrating new music, honouring musician Ruby Hunter with a memorial concert and an emotional performance by her partner and the festival’s artist of the year, Archie Roach — made this year’s Folkie like no other.
New kids on the Folkie block Ashleigh Mannix, Jen Cloher, Josh White Jnr and The Badloves lapped up the atmosphere and treated festival-goers to something a bit different.
Mannix played to a packed crowd captivated by her honest, bubbly and bright performance.
The 22-year-old singer- songwriter from Canberra looked at ease on stage, chatting between songs and sporting a very stylish hat newly acquired from a Folkie stall.
After spending the past five years touring and performing at a range of festivals including the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan, Mannix said she enjoyed the vibe of Port Fairy.
“It’s awesome, this is just cool and different to anything I’ve been to before,” she said.
“It’s great to see people just walking in to your show and having a listen, by the end of the show (the tent) was full and I’m happy people came.
“I love doing festivals. So many people have come from all over the place to be here and there is such a diverse range of artists. I’m just stoked to be part of it.”
Thankful her house in Melbourne had not been washed away, Cloher and her band the Endless Sea delivered a lively performance which she hoped may have won her a few new fans in the packed crowd.
“It feels like there’s a mix of fans and people seeing us for the first time,” she said. “That’s the great thing about festivals — its great for artists to not have to spend a lot on promotion but you get a great bunch of people coming to your shows.
“I think this is a really good festival for us. We are folk-based but we also have elements of country and rock which a lot of people here like.”
Leading the crowd in a call-response song while he fixed a broken string on his guitar, American Josh White Jnr said he was impressed by the spirit of the crowd.
“I love it here, people are friendly and don’t throw things,” he joked.
Back on the road 14 years after their last studio album, The Badloves floored the crowd with their soulful and slick set.
As good as ever, the band delivered all their hits including Green Limousine, I Remember and Memphis.
Singer Michael Spiby described the band’s first Folkie experiences as “fabulous”.
“We’re not playing much at the moment, just picking special things that feel good at the moment,” he said.
Festival favourite Shane Howard arrived in Port Fairy after a marathon nine-hour drive from South Australia’s Riverland, where Ruby Hunter’s funeral was held, and went straight on stage to perform as part of the Red Dirt Music showcase concert on Saturday afternoon.
The show’s line-up included Troy Cassar-Daley, Ted Egan, Stephen and Alan Pigram and featured 90 minutes of lively, personal stories and songs.
Also mourning the recent death of his father, Howard said the past few weeks had been “a time of change”. But kicking off with a group performance with close friends was a good welcome-home, he added.
“We’ve all known each other for many years, so singing with them up there was really just like being around the kitchen table.”
Back for his third Folkie, Troy Cassar-Daley said it was great to be back in Port Fairy and he relished the chance to be part of the theme concert alongside Howard.
“When Shane asked me to be part of this I didn’t know what to expect,’’ Cassar-Daley said.
“He just said bring your stories and songs and away you go and that’s what it was. You don’t get that very often, it’s very special for us.’’
Howard and Cassar-Daley were among the musicians at the festival who performed a tribute concert to Ruby Hunter on Saturday night.
The concert was held instead of Archie Roach’s CD launch performance, because he was still in the Riverland with family.
Festival director Jamie McKew said the show was organised by the artists. It included performers Kerrianne Cox, Brett Clarke, Andy Alberts, Amy Saunders and Ewan Baker.
Howard said it was important for him to be able to celebrate Hunter’s life and the contribution she made to her people and music.
“Losing Ruby was profound, deep grief and such a shock for someone so young who had so much more she planned to do,” he said.
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