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Festival of Bluegrass & Old Time Music
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2021 08 16

August 2021 newsletter

Helen Ludellen News

Mountaingrass Newsletter  –  August 2021
Hello everyone, needless to say we are becoming increasingly nervous about whether or not we can actually run Mountaingrass this year given that Melbourne, Sydney and the rest of NSW and the ACT are now in lockdown.

The festival organising committee will meet on August 31 to decide whether we can confidently go ahead with the festival this year or not.  Everyone needs certainty in order for the event to proceed.
We will announce our decision September 1.

In the meantime, please everyone stay safe and help stop the spread.  

In other news for August we have: 

  • More acts for Mountaingrass 2021
  • What’s On (and What’s Not on): Upcoming events and regular picks and sessions.
If we can go ahead with Mountaingrass this year, we will be joined by the following great acts:  

Cherry Pickers (S.A)

The Cherry Pickers’ are a contemporary bluegrass band playing your favourite tunes from today and back in the day.  Coupled with their love of traditional tunes and their original songs, the Cherry Pickers make for an exciting and refreshing bluegrass experience. The Cherry Pickers are: Mark Bandick – Guitar, vocals
Paul Cooper – Banjo, vocals, Rob Cooper – Dobro, vocals, Lou Evangelistis – Mandolin, vocals, Mae Napier-Traeger – Fiddle, vocals, Gage Stead – Bass, vocals

Burning Bridges (Vic.)

The Burning Bridges are a Melbourne band formed by Peter Somerville and Fran Martin that plays old-time, bluegrass, country blues, and a few reworked modern classics, drawing material from the Carter family, the Stanley brothers, the Louvin brothers, Gillian Welch and pre-war American folk tradition. Peter and Fran play with many great local musos. This year at Mountaingrass they will be joined by Mark Wardle, Graeme Fletcher, Tom Somerville and Pete Denahy.

Dave Diprose & Hillbilly Radio (Vic.)

Award winning songwriter Dave Diprose and his band Hillbilly Radio perform original tunes drawing heavily on Bluegrass traditions and Australian rural themes. A founding member of Nine Mile Creek, Dave’s driving guitar contributed to the band’s popular sound. With a growing catalogue of original tunes Dave formed Hillbilly Radio, featuring the sounds of Dobro (Pete Fidler) and Fiddle (Greg Hunt).

Paul Wookey and Monroes Mill

Paul Wookey’s first class flat picking and Gold Guitar winning vocal, Dave Hellens hard driving banjo,  Aron Mclean’s double bass, Josh Grundy’s mandolin and Gold Guitar winning fiddler/ singer song-writer Pete Denahy’s fiddlin’ come together as Monroe’s Mill, Beechworth’s very own world-class bluegrass band

Pete Denahy, Montz Matsumoto, and Aron McLean

Three incredible musicians will be coming together to give you some red hot bluegrass!

What’s on and, (sadly), what is no longer on
Note: Covid related restrictions on gatherings can occur anywhere and at any time.  Please check before you attend!

Upcoming events:

Katoomba Oldtimey Folk Festival  CANCELLED
15-17 October, 2021.

Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival  CANCELLED
22-24th of October, 2021. Dorrigo, NSW

Melbourne and Victoria: 
Beechworth, Vic
Kelly Country Pick Bluegrass and Old-Timey music festival – CANCELLED. 
August 20-2, 2021. Old Priory, Beechworth.

Picks and sessions: 

Victoria:
Belgrave Heights: 
Mountain pickers monthly pick
Second Sunday of the month. Next one: 12th September. The Birdsland Environmental Education Centre, 271 Morton Rd, Belgrave Heights.

Yackandandah, Vic: Session every Wed Night 7:30 Star Hotel Yackandandah (Top Pub) Songs, Tunes and Irish

Melbourne: Jells Park, Wheeler’s Hill. Session every 2nd Saturday of the month at 12pm. Acoustic jams for fun. The Guide to Traditional Jamming available on the Jammalong in Melbourne  facebook page is a great resource.

Sale: Wellington Bluegrass Jammers
Meet monthly and welcome audience members. Currently taking a break. Go to their facebook page for details and to check whether it is on or not.

Chewton: Old time jam 6-8pm last Friday of the month at the Red Hill Hotel.

Canberra area:
Note: Currently Covid restriction apply to the ACT
Canberra:
 Old Time session every Wednesday afternoon from 4pm at Smith’s Alternative, Alinga St, City. Currently suspended due to the lockdown, but go to the Smith’s calendar to check whether it is on or not.

Jammalong in Canberra: 2nd Saturday of each month from 12 noon outdoors under the pergolas near Questacon. Beginners and emerging players are very welcome!.

Sydney and surrounding region:
Note: Currently Covid restriction apply to the Greater Sydney region. Go to https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19 for the most recent information. 

Annandale: 

Sydney Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Get-together. Annandale Community Centre, 79 Johnston St, Annandale, NSW. First Saturday of the month.

St Peters. Pick in the Pub Old Time jam: Town & Country Hotel, 2 Unwin Bridge Rd: Every second Sunday of the month 12-7pm.

Katoomba. Oldtimey music Jam Thursdays at Plantbased Wholefoods cafe/restaurant, 97 Katoomba St, Katoomba.  From 630pm.

The BTCMSA’s Sydney Bluegrass & Old Time music facebook site is a great site for details of picks jams, and events in Sydney and surrounds.

If you organise or attend a pick, session, blackboard in a public place, or any upcoming events, and want others to know about it, please send us the details to info@abotma.org.au
Well folks, that’s all for now. We will be back in touch on September 1 regarding the future of Mountaingrass 2021.
Stay safe everyone.  
From the team here at Mountaingrass.  

ABOTMA Executive committee for 2021
President: Helen Ludellen, Vice President: Dave Diprose, Secretary: Susan Boothroyd, Treasurer: Karita Brokenshire.

Many thanks to our sponsors and supporters: 
The George Kerferd Hotel; The Mayday Hills Art Society; Wangaratta Sound and Lighting and the Mayday Escape Rooms; Alexander Bell Studios; Evan Webb, John Boothroyd, George Fendyk; Cole Clark Guitars for supporting our raffle; Jan Dale and the Southern Style program on PBS 106.7FM in Melbourne; Grundy banjos; Gerald Pink picks; Chip Bragg leather straps; Madam PC and Comedy Hypnotist Gerard V for technical services; and  the Australian Bluegrass (dot) com for the best bluegrass blog in Australia!
Contact us at:
Email: info@abotma.org.au

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