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Illawarra Folk Festival lineup announced
by Nick Hartgerink
TN174 Dec 25
Powerhouse folk-country duo, Felicity Urquhart and Josh Cunningham, are part of a star studded lineup for the 39th Illawarra Folk Festival at Bulli Showground, NSW, on January 15-18.
Urquhart, an award-winning Country music star and media personality, and Cunningham, guitarist in leading Australian Indi band The Waifs, have been partners in life and music since 2020.
Both are accomplished songwriters, and together they have produced two award-winning albums, with a third due for release in March.
They have also performed widely over the past five years, when Josh hasn’t been involved in touring and recording with The Waifs.
“We’re thrilled to have Felicity and Josh at the Illawarra Folk Festival,” Artistic Director Kay Proudlove said.
“They are a great live act, with their magnetic personalities, heartfelt songs and outstanding musicianship.
“I am sure our audiences are going to love them.”
Urquhart and Cunningham join an outstanding lineup of around 80 international, national and local acts for the three-day festival, presented by the Illawarra Folk Club.
Bulli Showground will be transformed with stages and venues for music, comedy, poetry and dance, with multiple stalls selling food, clothing and jewellery adding to the village atmosphere.
International acts include French Canadian-Irish trio Grosse Isle, Canadian Richard “Old Man” Luedecke, English clawhammer banjo virtuoso, Dan Walsh and Josefina Paulson from Sweden, who plays the Swedish instrument, the nyckelharpa.
National acts include long time Illawarra Folk Festival favourites Cigany Weaver and The Handsome Young Strangers, one man band Alex Kosenko, Emmy Ryan and the Hard Times, the dynamic Rufous Whistler, Brisbane neo-trad band Amaidi, featuring Illawarra raised Sam De Santi, and Melbourne-based Afro-fusion band, One Spirit Africa.
Some of Australia’s leading Indigenous musicians will be performing at the festival, including the legendary Pitjantjatjara singer songwriter, Uncle Frank Yamma, and the Stiff Gins, the musical duo of Wiradjuri/Yorta Yorta woman, Kaleena Briggs, and Yuwaalaraay woman, Nardi Simpson.
The Stiff Gins’ fifth studio album, Crossroads, released this year, marked the 25-year career point for Australia’s longest performing all female First Nations band, and reaffirmed Nardi and Kaleena’s status as matriarchal pioneers in the Australian Blak music scene.
They will be joined by Shellharbour Indigenous singer Kyarna, who impressed at her festival debut last January with her rich vocals and polished performance.
Other Illawarra based acts include Kiama’s The Water Runners, musical comedy duo Rheinberger and Wilson, Americana duo Marco and Rusty, The Con Artists, Penelope Church and the Penny Hartgerink Trio, reuniting Penny with musical collaborators, Tess Hathaway and Izaak Blomley after an 11-year break.
Festival Director, Shane Moon, said the Illawarra Folk Festival would cater for a wide range of musical tastes.
“There are so many acts to be excited about,” Shane said.
“Josh and Felicity, One Spirit Africa, Stiff Gins, Ungus Ungus Ungus, The Inadequates, Whiskey Dram, Scott Cook, Patina, Old Man Luedecke, Alex Kosenko, Kyarna, Amaidi, Cigarney Weaver, Grosse Isle, Slippery John Sausage … the list goes on.
“The artistic team have put together a great lineup and it’s going to be a fantastic festival.”
An annual festival feature, the Folk School, with sessions and workshops featuring festival performers, will again be part of the festivities.
Early bird festival tickets and Folk School details are available at www.illawarrafolkfestival.com.au
Festival organisers thrilled with attendance figures
TN169 Mar 25
Organisers of the 38th Illawarra Folk Festival thanked everyone for attending and for helping to make it such an epic event.
“We were really thrilled with the attendances on all three days, and for the positive vibe around Bulli Showground”, organisers said.
“Everyone, audiences, performers and volunteers, seemed to be having a good time.
“People seemed to appreciate the hard work of our artists selection committee for coming up with an amazing program with plenty of variety and acts that appealed across the generations.
“They really got people up on their feet, from the hundreds of people dancing to the reggae beats of The Strides and The Andrew Gurruwiwi Band on Friday night, to the spontaneous standing ovations for the legendary Eric Bogle after each of his two-hour Songbook concerts.
“We Mavericks obviously struck a chord with their Heart of Silver album launch show on the Sunday afternoon, because Lindsay and Virginia were the highest-selling act at the Merch Shop with their CDs, T-shirts and bags.
“Thanks also to all the performers, from overseas, around Australia and from the Illawarra.
“You made the festival special with your talent and enthusiasm.
“Last but certainly not least, a huge thankyou to our army of volunteers, who made the festival possible.
“For many, it is a year-long commitment, and we are already starting to plan the 2026 festival.
“Perhaps there are things you thought we could do better.
“If so, we’d really appreciate feedback as we are always looking for ways that we can improve the festival.
“We hope to see you back at Bulli next January”, organisers said.
Eric Bogle delves into songs vault for two special shows
TN167 Dec 24
Eric Bogle fans are in for a special treat at the 38th Illawarra Folk Festival in January when the musical maestro delves into his vast catalogue of songs to present a chronological retrospective of his storied 50-year career over two two-hour shows.
Bogle’s appearance at the festival at Bulli Showground on January 17-19 will be his fifth appearance, having previously appeared at the Illawarra Folk Festival in 1988, 2012, 2014 and 2018.
Scottish-born Bogle has written some of Australia’s best-loved songs, from his ode to his adopted land Shelter, his tribute to a struggling farmer, Now I’m Easy, to the timeless songs about the futility and loss of war, And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda and No Man’s Land (The Green Fields of France).
International artists from Joan Baez, Donovan and Billie Bragg to The Pogues, The Dubliners and The Fureys have recorded his songs, with And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda being covered by more than 100 artists.
Bogle is rightfully considered one of Australia’s greatest songwriters.
When he turned 80 in September, Bogle decided it was the perfect time to reflect on his career and perform a chronological selection of his songs.
“Who knows how much longer I have on Planet Earth?” he said.
“I decided I would like to perform a cross-section of my songs and take people on a journey with me … showing the audience what I was, what I am now, and how I have changed over the years,” Bogle said.
“I have about 230 songs, and so it was a bit of a voyage of discovery for me as I hauled them out of the vault.
“A bit of a fillip for my ego too, if I am being honest.
“I have had to choose the best songs, or at least the ones I like best, from the first song I wrote to the last.
“I need around 60 songs for the two shows and it has been an interesting exercise deciding which ones to perform.
“I have had to tread a fine line in my selections”.
Bogle tested the chronological concept at a series of three 90-minute concerts in Adelaide to celebrate his 80th birthday, and is excited to be bringing the show to the Illawarra Folk Festival in the form of two two-hour shows.
“I will be performing between 25 and 30 songs in each show, depending on how verbose I get with my introductions,” he joked.
“I want to explain the circumstances of how each song came about, and why I wrote it, but I will need to discipline myself and not get carried away”.
Bogle warned that he would be keeping to a strictly chronological order with the songs.
“That poses a bit of a problem, because some of the songs that people know me for, like Now I’m Easy and And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda, are from early in my career, so I’ll be doing them at my first show.
“If people want to hear them, they’d better come to the first show.”
Bogle said he realised it was an “indulgence” taking up a festival stage for two X two-hour shows.
“I didn’t want to hog the main stage, so I asked the organisers to find me a reasonable gig at an more intimate venue off the mainstage,” Eric said.
However, anticipating strong demand for the shows, festival organisers have instead scheduled Bogle’s performances as morning shows at the two main stages, The Black Diamond Marquee at 10.30am on Saturday and the Slacky Flat Bar at 9.30am on Sunday.
Bogle will be joined on stage at Bulli Showground by Peter Tichener (guitar), Emma Luker (fiddle) and Jon Jones (percussion).
“When I last played at the Illawarra Folk festival in 2018, it was my last gig with John Munro, my great friend who I had played, recorded and travelled with for 40 years,” Bogle said.
“John took ill and died soon after that festival, so it will be sort of bitter-sweet being back at the festival where we last played together.
“But I have always enjoyed performing at Illawarra.
“These days I restrict my performing to festivals that I like and where I know the people, and Illawarra is one of those.”
Early bird tickets for the Illawarra Folk Festival are available until December 22.
Visit www.illawarrafolkfestival.com.au
38th Illawarra Folk Festival will be a real treat
by Nick Hartgerink
TN166 Oct 24
Organisers of the 38th Illawarra Folk Festival at Bulli Showground, NSW, in January have announced a line-up of almost 100 acts which will take festival goers on a musical journey from Arnhem Land in Australia’s far north to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia in the US, and many points in between.
Festival Director, Cody Munro-Moore, and Co-Artistic Directors Kay Proudlove and David De Santi, are all performers themselves, and their musical “chops” are reflected in the quality and diversity of performers in the impressive line-up for the festival, to be held on January 17-19.
The line-up ranges from perhaps Australia’s greatest ever folk singer Eric Bogle to North East Arnhem Land reggae ragers the Andrew Gurriwirri Band to Blue Ridge Mountains singer-songwriter, Martha Spencer.
Cody Munro-Moore is excited by the line-up, and sees a generational change in the musical offerings while making sure the festival still caters for traditional “folkies” with a mix of music, comedy and poetry.
“The 38th Illawarra Folk Festival is going to be a fantastic festival of music curated by the growing team of young folk enthusiasts who are stretching the ideals of song, story and dance towards a new generation of attendees”, Cody said.
“We are very excited to have Andrew Gurriwiwi and his band come down from remote NE Arnhem Land to perform after his debut album ‘Sing Your Own Song’ was released this year”, he said.
“Andrew and his band are complemented by a whole raft of national and international artists who will make the 2025 event one of the most dynamic and entertaining festivals in our long history.”
Scottish-born Eric Bogle has performed at five previous Illawarra Folk Festivals, stretching from his first in 1988 to his last appearance in 2019, and organisers are thrilled to have him in the 2025 line-up.
Bogle recently turned 80, but is showing little sign of slowing down.
He is still entertaining audiences with his vast catalogue of Australian classics, including ‘And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda’ and ‘Now I’m Easy’.
Singer-songwriter, dancer, and multi-instrumentalist Martha Spencer brings her family’s Appalachian roots music to her performances, mixing traditional country, old-time, and original music.
Martha previously performed as part of the Whitetop Mountaineers, including at the 2014 Illawarra Folk Festival, but on this Australian tour, she will be accompanied by US born, Australian raised, balladeer and musician, Archer Broughton.
Since joining the Music Maker recording label in 2015, Martha has toured across the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand as a soloist and with her various bands.
Her latest album, ‘Out in La La Land’, was released on the Music Maker label in May.
On October 10, she featured in a sold out festival at Duke University’s Page Auditorium in North Carolina, taking the stage with Dom Flemons (who also played at the Illawarra Folk Festival in 2014), as well as legends Jackson Browne and Taj Mahal.
The Illawarra Folk Club and an army of volunteers stage the Illawarra Folk Festival, which will also feature a strong contingent of Illawarra performers, including Kiama’s sensational Water Runners, returning from a six-month sabbatical, The Carefree Road Band, The Con Artists and comedy duo Rheinberger and Wilson.
The popular Folk School, where aspiring musicians can learn from some of the festival performers, will also be held in festival week.
Early-bird festival tickets and festival information at www.illawarrafolkfestival.com.au
Festival Director Cody Munro-Moore is available for interviews. Contact Cody on 0421 009739.
Issue by Honorary Publicity Officer 0418 424085.
2025 Illawarra Folk Festival line-up:
International and National: Andrea Kirwin and Claire Evelynn, Andrew Gurruwiwi Band, Austral, Barbara Giamalvo (USA), Belly Savalas, Black Joak Morris, Brodie Buttons, Broken Creek, Bush Music Club Inc, Cameron Jones , Charley Castle, Ciarán Wynne (IRE), Concrete Sea, Drizabone D, Eric Bogle, Good Tunes Session, Jan Preston’s Boogie Circus, Kejafi, Ken Field’s Hoot Band, Mal Webb & Kylie Morrigan, Martha Spencer (USA) and Archer, Maypole with Molly, Mitch King, Peter Mace Bush Poet, Peter Willey, Ray Dimakarri Dixon, Redfern Shanty Club, Riff Raff Radical Marching Band, Robyn Sykes, Rocky Bottom Girls, Rough Town (NZ), Saplings, Shellie Morris, Snez, Stonybroke, Sunday Lemonade, Sydney Irish Ceili Dancers, Sydney Scottish Fiddlers, The Ramshackle Army, The Seben Brothers, The Spooky Men’s Chorale, The Strides, The Water Runners, Tuck Shop Ladies, Wadaiko Rindo & Noriko Tadano, William Crighton, Workhorse, Zumpa.
Local: Anvil: Queen of the Ribbon Gang, AZ-I-AM, Beatmeisters, Carefree Road Band, Gobsmacked!, Gray Read, Illawarra Nature Stories and Songs, Illawarra Union Singers (IUS), Kiama Sea Shanty Club, Koori Voices, Marco and Rusty, Maurie Mulheron, Meridian, Mother Banshee, Murmur, Mz Mally Moo’s Music 4 Minis, Nick Moses, Olivia Coggan, R.A.N.G, Rheinberger & Wilson, Shalani, Shanties and Worksongs, Silver Lotus Tribal Bellydance, Slippery John Sausage & His Bayou Brothers, Smith and the Devil, Somesing Laik Zat, Steampunk Vagabonds, StoryBeats, Super Kenny and Magnificent Manda, Tempo Dance, ‘That Summer Feeling’ – A Jonathan Richman Tribute, The Butter Trackers, The Con Artists, The Dempsey Brothers, The Femme Fatales, The Midnight Feast, The Other Noonans, The Swingaleles, Yoga – Dru Yoga with Erika Steller and Fiona Davis.
Strong international flavour at Bulli
by Nick Hartgerink
TN160 Dec 23
Scottish band, The Tannahill Weavers, won’t be coming to the Illawarra Folk Festival after all, but organisers have promised that the international quality of the festival at Bulli Showground, NSW, on January 19-21 won’t be compromised.
Festival Artistic Director, David De Santi, says “While organisers are disappointed that the Tannahill Weavers won’t be coming, the international component of the festival program will still be strong.
“We pride ourselves on having a great international side to our festival, introducing new acts that our audiences probably won’t know too well.
“Last January we brought English singer-songwriter, Grace Petrie, to Bulli and she absolutely blew everyone away.
“This time we expect performers like Irish singer-songwriters, Wallis Bird and Andy Irvine and young Scottish fiddle maestro, Ryan Young, will be doing that.”
Young, who has gained a huge following in the UK for his modern interpretations of traditional Celtic fiddle tunes, will be performing at the Woodford Folk Festival in Queensland before embarking on a Festival of Small Halls tour, which is bringing him to Bulli.
Other international acts include English duo, Dave Wilson and Kip Winter performing as Winter Wilson, celebrated Scottish/Irish quartet, Dallahan, and Ken Field’s Hoot Band from the US.
Popular Melbourne based Irishman Enda Kenny will also be performing.
Among the Australian performers, acclaimed Indigenous songwriter and storyteller, Jessie Lloyd, best known for leading The Mission Songs Project, will return from performing overseas to perform at Bulli for the first time since 2016.
This time she is promising very different material from the Mission Songs show.
National Living Treasure, Ted “The Drover’s Boy” Egan, now 91-years-old, is returning to the Illawarra Folk Festival where he has performed numerous times, the most recent in 2015, when he launched his THE ANZACS: 100 YEARS ON, which combined stories and songs about Australian forces in World War 1.
Emerging Northern Rivers’ singer-songwriter Alana Wilkinson, who is part of the Festival of Small Halls tour with Ryan Young, Jordan Ireland from Queensland Indie band, The Middle East, and Indigenous performers, the Stiff Gins and Pirritu, head a diverse line-up of national performers, while the festival will again feature the best of Illawarra folk performers, including festival Co-director, Kay Proudlove, and Kiama based band, The Water Runners.
Proudlove has been touring her one-woman show: Dear Diary: A Play With Songs, while The Water Runners have performed across the country, from the National Folk Festival in Canberra to the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
Festival brings world of music to Bulli
by Nick Hartgerink
TN159
Illawarra Folk Festival organisers have announced a quality line-up of 87 international, national and local acts for the 2024 festival at Bulli Showground, NSW, on January 19-21.
Acclaimed Irish singer-songwriters, Wallis Bird and Andy Irvine, young Scottish fiddle maestro, Ryan Young and his countrymen, celebrated Celtic band, Tannahill Weavers and the Scottish/Irish quartet, Dallahan, head a strong international lineup.
National acts range from National Living Treasure, Ted “The Drover’s Boy” Egan to singer-songwriter Alana Wilkinson, Jordan Ireland from Queensland Indie band The Middle East, and Indigenous performers the Stiff Gins, Jessie Lloyd and Pirritu.
The annual festival, staged by the Illawarra Folk Club, will run from Friday evening to Sunday with six stages featuring its traditional mix of folk, indie, world, roots, Celtic, Balkan and bluegrass music, poetry, dance and comedy, as well as the one-day Festival Folk School.
Long-time festival Artistic Director, David De Santi, who is sharing the festival programming with Festival Director, Cody Munro Moore and Co-Artistic Director, Illawarra singer-songwriter, Kay Proudlove, urged patrons to get in early for tickets after many were left disappointed when the 2023 festival was sold out.
“Last January we were returning after a COVID-enforced two-year break.
“We restricted attendance to 2,000 tickets, which sold out before the festival started,” Mr De Santi said.
“We have extended the 2024 festival to 2300 tickets, but with the amazing diversity of the line-up we expect to sell out again.”
Ms Proudlove said the Illawarra Folk Festival had once again booked a number of the international acts who come to Australia in December-January to perform at the annual Woodford Folk Festival in Queensland, as well as booking Ryan Young and Alana Wilkinson as part of their involvement in the National Festival of Small Halls tour.
Wallis Bird is on her fourth tour Down Under and will introduce Australian audiences to her latest album, HANDS, the title of which reflects her life changing childhood accident.
Wallis strums an upside down, right handed guitar, and explains it simply: “As a child I fell under a lawnmower and cut all my fingers off.
“Four were reconnected.
“One was lost.
“This led me to relearn how to hold things, and, when the time came, to play the guitar differently”.
Ted Egan is one of Australia’s most highly regarded folk singers, after an extraordinary life which included a period as Governor of the Northern Territory.
He is now aged 91, and he is returning to the Illawarra Fiolk festival for the first time since 2015.
David De Santi said he was excited by the wide range of international and national acts to complement the local acts.
“I’m particularly looking forward to the return of folk legends Andy Irvine and Ted Egan, and traditional music sensations Dallahan, Ryan Young and The Tannahill Weavers,” he said.
“And I am pleased that we have such quality female artists with Alana Wilkinson, Charm of Finches, Fiona Ross, Jessie Lloyd, Kerryn Fields, the Stiff Gins, Sue Ferrer Trio, Tuck Shop Ladies and Vardos.
“And I am also really excited to have the amazing Darren Hanlon, Jarabi Band, Haystack Mountain Hermits, The Inadequates, and the Coomba All-Stars at their first Illawarra Folk Festival.”
Cody Munro Moore said he expected young audiences would be interested to see Jordan Ireland, who wrote many of The Middle East’s songs, including the band’s signature track, Blood.
Early Bird Three-day Passes are $135 – a saving of $40.
They will be available on the festival website www.illawarrafolkfestival.com.au until December 23.
