Port Fairy Folk Festival 2006

This years festival had the benefits of beautiful warm and sunny weather and warm and friendly crowds to match. Each years festival trip is an epic adventure of gigantic logistical proportions. Getting it together to spend the long weekend at the festival and performing all day over the three day event takes a lot of pre planning and organisation which most people dont realise. Many of the people we've chatted to think we just jump into the car, and drive the four hours to Port Fairy and play. First of all the most important thing is securing an advantagous spot to perform in: one with maximum exposure and minimum fall out from the elements. The competition is always keen, but Jose always rises to the occasion literally, by arriving at 6 am to stake the bands claim on some prime perfromance territory. This year he left Melbourne at 2am, to secure the place. The rest of us, drove down the night before and spent the night in a pleasant and comfortable bed, in Warnambool, a close 30 minute drive to Port Fairy. There were some disputes over whose snoring was louder in the dorm room we all shared, but that didnt stop us from getting a good nights sleep. Arriving at 8am, we found Jose with all the equipment set up, the sound check done, and the costumes laid out, ready for the band to start work. A quick Cafe latte, and a bacon and egg roll all around, provided the physical sustanence for the day ahead. With our regualr violinist and co wind player Jaime, on vacation, the group invited our dear freind John Kendall to play with us throughout the day. In between sets with other groups, and rapid costume changes, Mr Kendall provided some awesome licks, and some toe tapping solos to complement the Inka tunes. A regualr guest artist with the band, John has mastered the andean rythms of the group and added some of his own Irish and rockabilly style to his solos to provide a distinct sound to the groove. By the end of the first day, everyone was sunburnt and tired, but that didnt stop the entusiasm bubbling away for the next days play. After a quick clean up at the hostel, and a meal at one of Warnambools finest Italian restuarants, and a few glasses of red, we all headed back to the backpackers for an early nights sleep, and to catch up on the Z'zzzzzzzz. Hard to beleive really, life on the road has taken on the timbre of normailty. ..most people expect that musicians like to stay up all night and party......