I have to stop doing this!

God I feel crook!

I have to stop doing this.

Two years ago I came to Maldon and went home early with food poisoning (self induced).

Last year I made a break at the last minute from St Vincents to get here.

And this year I was feeling green before I even got here.

I had been deciding whether to camp again this year after not doing so last year. Kel and Rob, Kel and Deb were doing so, so I was really tempted to give it a go again.

But in the end I realized it was going to be a big enough effort just to get here.

Had offers from the Badges to stay, but had already arranged at Lady Bear's. A double bed, electricity, a working toilet and almost running hot water was just too much to resist.

I headed up Thursday afternoon and got all settled in to go to Maryborough for dialysis the next morning.

Alarm went off at 6:30am Friday morning and off I went. The weather had been very humid, my blood pressure was low and I was feeling greener. I had an ominous feeling about this.

Og at Dialysis Maryborough
[Photo: Jill]

I was right. The more the morning went on the sicker I felt.

When I had finished dialysis I had to wait around till I felt well enough to leave to drive back to Maldon.

Back at Lady Bear's I lay down for an hour or two. The humidity was really getting to me.

I realized that it would be better to keep hydrated than worry about the fluid intake before Monday's dialysis. This was to turn out to be the wisest decision of the weekend.

Later in the afternoon I made my way to the Festival Office and picked up my ticket. Then I made my way up to "The Butts" to see who was there and get the feel of the oncoming Festival.

The Blues Club camp at the Butts
[Photo: Og Bear]

Kel, Deb and others had set up camp, but were still waiting for the Plumbs to arrive, Kel and Rob.

Nearby Patrick had set up with his usual high accord and was going into Castlemaine Station to pick up Jeanette, his partner from the train.

I headed back down to the township to see if the Badges had arrived, but no one seemed to be at home. It seems that we have crossed paths as they had gone straight to the Kangaroo, which seemed to be their preferred haunt for the weekend.

So,I went and had a rest and tea at Lady Bear's.

After this I went to see if the Badges were home, and on the way spotted them coming through the darkness behind an old black dog which they denied any association with.

They jumped in and we parked down the street.

The main street of Maldon all lit up for the Festival
[Photo: Og Bear]

Sessions were in full force at the Kangaroo and outside the Grand which seemed to have the hugest session I have ever seen at Maldon.

As always, there was lots of street atmosphere. One of the features I love about this festival is it's generosity, especially compared to other festivals which are often gated and have an attitude that without a ticket you aren't going to get anything.

The Badges went their seperate ways and I caught the bus back up to The Butts which was alive with activity. Two stages were running, there were lights and more food stalls than in previous years. That's another real plus about Maldon, the variety and quality of the food and all at reasonable prices.

A band I hadn't heard before, The Bostocks where playing in the Guinness Tent. They are a young family band from Queensland with a real synergy between the players.

Over at the Wine Tent Tiffany Eckhardt and Dave Steel were singing there songs about the life the have found together, love, dogs, horse and children.

Also through the day and evening I had been catching up with old acquaintances, but despite the excitment and activity I was unwell and very tired so it was time for a early night.

Next morning I was up for a tour around town. The weather was warm, but clearer than the two humid prior days that had knocked me around so much. Again, there was lots of atmosphere with buskers, morris dancers, Celtic dancers, sessions etc.

Outside Kerry's cafe I ran into an old school friend, Doozer, just as Lady Bear happened upon us. It was good to catch up and exchanged mobile numbers so we could keep in contact over the Festival.

At the point of time we sprung Viv and Robyn having a wonderful time in the shop next to us.

Lady Bear with Odds and Sods Practicing on street
[Photo: Og Bear]

Shortly after I came across Lady Bear With Odds and Sods practicing on the street in front of Argyle House where our candle shop used to be many years ago.

Martin the drum master in the rotundra with Maldon Brass Band
[Photo: Og Bear]

The Maldon Brass Band was putting on an excellent performance in the recently re-established Rotunda in the park. Martin, my son Geordie's old drum master, and scout master was there as always. Maldon has one of the oldest brass bands in Australia (est 1863) and over the years has done well at national band competitions.

Buskers on the road to the School Market
[Photo: Og Bear]

Then it was up to the Primary School Market, which is considered by many to be one of the highlights of the weekend. Again a lot of movement of people and along the way some more buskers.

Local band in "Maldons Got Talent"
[Photo: Og Bear]

Though there was a big range of stalls, the market itself seemed a little quiet. There was a tent with entertainment including "Maldons Got Talent" with some really good up and coming local acts.

I couldn't help myself, I spotted some hats, two fedoras, one cane with a nice band, a bit hispanic looking, plus a black one with a nice silk band.

Clown tossing skittles at the School Market
[Photo: Og Bear]

Reacquaintance was made with more old friends and a stilted clown made merry with a song made up from my utterance that I didn't know what I wanted him to play followed by a juggling show.

Cautious about lunching still being green I had a beef and burgundy pie from the school parents stall.

Campbell the swaggie, a perennial Maldon visitor, was there, and as in previous years seemed to have the ability to end up in the foreground of many of my photos through the weekend.

On the way back I stumbled across the Rubans who had only come up for the Saturday afternoon and had to return to baby sit the recently arrived grandchild that night.

The Penny School was next to see Brent Parlane, a real stalwart of the Festival from Fatty's days.

Kristin at Penny School watching Brent Parlane
[Photo: Og Bear]

Afterwards it was good to see Kristin there and catch up with Danny Spooner and Brent while waiting for Bruce Watson, another old stalwart to setup then come on.

Bruce Watson with Peter at the Penny School
[Photo: Og Bear]

The Bostocks were back in the Guinness Tent. These guys seemed to pop up every where and were the flavour of the moment with the crowd.

On the way over to the wine tent some buskers were staging their own little concert in the soup tent.

But it was The Pardoners I wanted to see. I do get a little suspicious of groups made up of old rock stars from the 80's, but these old Dingoes members proved to be the exception and played to the crowds delight, resorting only once to a golden oldie.

The Wine Tent was a new arrangement this year, much improved stage and layout for the bar, making better access for everybody.

The only real issue was the lack of buffering between the Guinness Tent and the Wine Tent with a lot of bleeding of sound in both directions.

Also the changeover of acts was a bit painful. Far too long and too much mucking around. 40 minutes in one case!

Punters enjoying Kim Churchill outside Wine Tent
[Photo: Og Bear]

Next on was a young guy called Kim Churchill who seemed like he was Merrimbula's answer to Ash Grunwald. Despite his youth he was very skilful and very professional. Heaps lined up for his CDs afterwards. It would be great to see him doing his roots and blues back down our way some time.

Lothlorien in the Guinness Tent were a real surprise. Generally not one of my favourite folk bands, I was really impressed. This is a whole new line up and I liked it.

The audience was made up of a huge mix of ages with even the youngest ones sitting and dancing down the front of the stage. Again, this is what I love about Maldon, so relaxed, enjoyable and cruisy.

Last year I ran into Ron who had been coming to the Festival for as long as I had, 28 years, this year I caught up with Gordon who also has been coming as long as I can remember.

Eric Bogle & John Munro in the Guinness Tent
[Photo: Og Bear]

I missed Eric Bogle with John Munro the night before so it was good to catch them in the Guinness tent, back at Maldon after a 7 or 8 years break.

Ken White remonstrating in the Wine Tent
[Photo: Og Bear]

Another real surprise was Angie Browning in the Wine Tent. More of a country act, her voice and the band were so good you couldn't hold it against them. Ken White, from the Maldon Blues Club, and myself hung around for the whole session.

Kamerunga's Peter Ella chat's with a punter near Wine Tent
[Photo: Og Bear]

The other thing that is really nice about Maldon is that the performers mingle and interact with the punters. Everyone is so laid back and cruisy, you can just strike up a conversation.

The Badges arrived with some friends and we all decided we would go to the Blues Concert at the Football Club Rooms. We were disappointed though, that it had started really early (6pm) and we had missed some of the acts.

Kim Churchill at Blues Concert at Football Club
[Photo: Og Bear]

Kim Churchill from the South East Coast of New South Wales was on again and gave a fine performance for the blues and roots enthusiasts including Kinga, a few of the other local Maldon Blues Club members and other friends who were in attendance.

What is good about this venue is you have a lot of the locals that do not necessarily feel comfortable in the other Festival venues.

The Pardoners in the Blues Concert at the Football Club
[Photo: Og Bear]

Next on was a reappearance of the Pardoners after which we had a quick break down at the Kangaroo for dinner. I managed a lemon tart with ice cream.

Patrick and friend at Kangaroo Hotel
[Photo: Og Bear]

Caught up with Patrick and Jeanette again then headed back up to the Blues Concert for the end of the Detonators where Rockbottom James and the band were in fine form with their unique blend of rock-a-billy, r'n'b and country.
I was all a bit tired so headed off early for a good night's sleep.

Sunday started with Yggdrasil (pronounced "ig-DRA-sil) in the Main Stage at the Butts. I had heard them before in the Guinness Tent without realizing who they were. Some really fine musicians especially the fiddle player. They have and Eastern European and Middle Eastern influence that is hard to define.

Two Roses Black at the Penny School
[Photo: Og Bear]

Another outstanding act was Two Rose Black playing at the Penny School. They are a father and daughter combination, Garry and Georgia, whose roots are in the folk tradition of East Gippsland. A lot a original material ending with a moving song written by Georgia about her Ukrainian grandfather who migrated to Australia.

The backdrop for theirs and other performances at the Penny School was an amazing exhibition of Australian landscapes by Bill Delecca.

The street atmosphere continued as I head to what I considered the main event for the day, The Gospel Concert at the Anglican Church. When I speak to people about Maldon they often say this is their favourite venue and I tend to agree.

Danny Spooner singing unaccompanied in his famous North of England voice
[Photo: Og Bear]

The concert was lead by Jeanette Gillespie, supported by partner Duncan Brown and their good friend Danny Spooner. Their renditions of songs of the North of England reflect the hardships of their forebears.

The Blenders at the Gospel Concert in the Anglican Church
[Photo: Og Bear]

The Castlemaine choir, The Blenders, returned after their earlier performance at the morning church service and proved what truly local talent the region carries.

Shirley Power upped the ante with some spirited numbers that gave a bit of relief from some of the earlier more sombre incantations.

The Blenders at the Gospel Concert in the Anglican Church
[Photo: Og Bear]

Lady Bear's group, Occasional Harmony, made a splendid entrance with Lady Bear entering from the rear of the building with recorder and bodhrán, the rest entering from opposite side doors.

The band was made up of a collection of local groups formed especially for the concert and sung traditional Eastern European hymns plus some in Latin.

Bluegrass Parkway gave a short performance and at the end Jeanette made an extra request of a song she had heard them perform once before which turned out to be the real highlight.

A big session was happening at the Kangaroo so I checked that out then headed back up to The Butts to catch Synergy Blue with John Luke Shelley in the Wine Tent.

Sam, from Synergy Blue's, voice was the best I have ever heard it
[Photo: Og Bear]

They were outstanding, the best I have ever heard this band. Maybe it was the inclusion of the younger Shelley, I don't know.

What was also good this year was to see a lot more blues in other venues beside the Football Club Rooms. I don't disagree that having a dedicated Blues Concert is a good idea, but we should see all those acts at least once in other venues like this.

It was also good to see Kinga and other Maldon and Sleepy Hollow Blues Club members here as well.

Synergy Blue drew a big crowd in the Wine Tent
[Photo: Og Bear]

A brief encounter with The Bostocks back on the Main Stage was followed by a move over to the Guinness Tent for another dose of Shirley Power, this time with Colin Mockett, who insisted on telling his jokes. They must have been good because Leary was there listening to them.

Kristin put in an appearance here too, and without saying a word, inferred that I was up to no good.

Headed back to the Main Stage to catch a bit of Eric Bogle and John Munro before heading back to the Wine Tent for a top up on Danny Spooner and Duncan Brown.

Most of the Sleepy Hollows Blues Club members had retreated back to the campsite so I joined them for a few relaxed moments.

Young buskers create an atmosphere which is what Maldon is all about
[Photo: Og Bear]

Sunday kept running away with Bluegrass Parkway on again at the Main Stage, Lothlorien in the Wine Tent and more friends to catch up with along the way.

I passed by Greg Chandler who signalled he wished to speak to me, but I was in a hurry and let him know I would catch up with him. Sadly I didn't and a few days later I was shocked to learn of his passing. Of over 30 years, the longest acquaintence I had know in Maldon! Rest well old friend.

The bus took me back down the street from where I made my way back to Lady Bear's for a short recovery nap.

I can't remember what happened for tea, I think it was one a Jerry's famous vegi burgers. I was actually feeling well enough to eat again.

The evening started with another appearance of the Detonators, this time at the Maldon Hotel.

Next I found myself in the Guinness Tent with Kamerunga, an amazing original folk band from just out of Cairns in Queensland.

I was really great to see a big improvement in the quality of the music for a second year running. Hardly a hint of the monotone pub folk bands that haunted this venue in the past, and the punters seemed to be responding to it.

If you haven't been to Maldon for a while, at last it seems to be heading in the right direction, so perhaps you should give it another chance.

The crowd sitting amongst the rocks and the gum trees listening to the concert on the Main Stage 
[Photo: Og Bear]

Caught Tulca Mor in the Wine Tent who were followed by Rhythm Antics, an interesting percussion band that started as a school project. This apparently was their first performance in this format. Halfway through they invited the Kashmir Belly Dancers to take the floor and perform while they played, making it a highlight of the evening.

Another early night and it was back to dialysis at Maryborough on Monday morning.

I had a lot better run and was feeling a lot better again than the days before.

After lunch I was back at Maldon and once I had checked into Lady Bear's I headed down to the Maldon Hotel where the recovery concert was in progress.

By now I was very tired and I think the off switch or reset button had been pressed in my brain because it was starting to run in un-active mode.

I think I should have realized that the Festival was over for me but I battled on not really enjoying the afternoon at all with one or two exceptions.

In reflection I think this was compounded by a few of the acts who felt the same way.

Miles To Go sounded like they had miles to go to get back to their native West Australia.

In search of the Badges I headed over to the Kangaroo and found Jan with her own private session running.

Edward skulking back, hamburger in hand
[Photo: Og Bear]

Edward being banished by Jan for sneaking off to get the hamburger
[Photo: Og Bear]

After a few minutes Edward sheepishly skulked along hamburger in hand. Jan respond by ordering chips from the bar and waved them around menacingly.

The session was lead by Sarah, a recent arrival from Ireland and was accompanied by Daniel (who was born with rhythm in his feet) plus a few others.

This was to be the highlight of the afternoon, indeed the day, as they danced, joined by the Badges, and played away.

The amazing young Richard Perso. You had to look twice to see it was only him on the stage
[Photo: Og Bear]

I had failed to see Richard Perso and my last opportunity was back at the Maldon Hotel so off I went with Jan leaving Edward to his own devices.

This was the other highlight of the day.

This young guy from Yackandandah actually came down and jammed at Sleepy Hollows a few years back and made a real impression then.

His is like the next Xavier Rudd and I think we should have him back to the club before the world snaps him up like they have with Xavier.

The real shock came when he sang. Where did such a big mature voice come from such a small young body!

And, he had no trouble getting the crowd on it's feet.

Ado Barker and Kate Burke made a pleasant interlude, but were nothing special, but I think the end came with Jeanette Geri.

The sound was terrible on the vocals and I had to move around the room to find them.

But to make matters worse, it seemed like she really didn't even want to be there either. The performance was much saved by Martin the Harmonica Player. Thanks Martin.

I think at this point I finally accepted that for me the 2009 Maldon Folk Festival was over. It was only 9:30, but it was time.

Back to Lady Bear's for a quiet bit of telly and an early night.

[Lord Og Bear Ozlander OOC]

For more photos go to:
http://picasaweb.google.com/OgBear/MaldonFolkFestival2009#

For a slideshow go to:
https://picasaweb.google.com/OgBear/MaldonFolkFestival2009#slideshow/