Australian Bluegrass
Festival to focus on younger musicians BY PETER BATSON
HUNDREDS of bluegrass performers and fans from around Australia are flocking to Beechworth for the eighth annual Kelly Country Pick Festival.This year’s event has attracted the cream of Australia’s bluegrass and old-time musicians and plenty of aspiring performers.
Melbourne fiddle player and festival organiser Will Manovel said the event would focus on young musicians.“We’ve basically changed it this year into a young person’s festival, encouraging young people to play stringed instruments,” he said.Tonight’s welcome dinner and concert at festival headquarters, Beechworth’s historic Old Priory building, will feature Appalachian Heaven, Coolgrass, Dogwater, The Somervilles and the Safe-T-In-Nos Band.
Beechworth newcomers Shaky Hannah and the Bluegrass Nannies, comprising three students and a music teacher from Beechworth Secondary College, will also debut.
Musicians are welcome to attend fiddle, banjo, double bass, Dobro, mandolin or flat-picking guitar playing workshops or learn more about guitar making, Cajun dance and singing.Concerts will also be held tomorrow night at Tanswell’s Commercial Hotel and at the Old Priory tomorrow afternoon and on Sunday afternoon.One of the many bands performing is Melbourne-based Hardrive Bluegrass Band which won a Tamworth Golden Guitar award in 2005.
Beechworth organiser Elizabeth Gill said bluegrass music had become increasingly popular.
“There’s been more interest in bluegrass since the movie O Brother Where Art Thou a couple of years ago which brought bluegrass more into the public arena,” she said.“Paul Kelly is now playing some bluegrass and anybody who grew up listening to the Carter Family or Johnny Cash would be familiar with it.“The fun about bluegrass is that it’s a very old form of country music; it has very accomplished musicians and very complex vocal harmonies.
“Sometimes people say to you that bluegrass is very much American country music without an appreciation that there really is a strong and distinctive Australian country bluegrass as well.”