Big Weekend - Ben & Sime, The Waifs, The Wilson Pickers

The Blonde and I were on a roll - Port Fairy Folk Festival, Icehouse over the last few weekend and this was to be another great weekend of Arts Patronage.  Ben Salter and Sime Nugent on Friday night, The Waifs on Saturday night and then The Wilson Pickers at the Spiegeltent on Sunday night. Whoever says that nothing ever happens in Hobart is just not looking hard enough.

Ben Salter & Sime Nugent @ Neika
Just when I think that I am surely an Arts Patron of note I am reminded that there are some whose dedication to supporting musicians is on a whole other plane.  Such is true of Neika Phil.  Neika Phil has a farm in the foothills of the magnificent kunanyi (Mt Wellington) just outside Hobart.  Neika is only 15 minutes from the Hobart's CBD but is a world away from the fierce struggle for power and wealth so prevalent in so many of the world's cities.  Neika Phil has made the most of his country idyll by installing a musician's stage in a magical clearing in the bush by a burbling creek.  It makes you feel as though you are miles from civilisation, away from politics, away from a government that is hell bent on changing the law to allow hate speech, away from knife-wielding terrorists.  Here the world still feels safe, happy and hopeful.  Here, you can leave everything behind.  Here, music is king.

Sime Nugent and Ben Salter (two of the five Wilson Pickers) were playing here on a still Friday evening.  The audience consisted mostly of young families and there was an abundance of wool garments and more polar fleece than you could poke a stick at.  I think I even heard one person saying they didn't actually own television.  If I was in any doubt that this is not my usual sort of crowd, comparing their picnic food of vegetarian pizza with freshly ripped basil on top to my box of barbecue shapes was the clincher.  Along with many families with young children picnicking on the grass and the occasional pademelon joined the fray.

It was a very relaxed atmosphere and the music only added to the mood.  There were two highlights.  First was Ben's new songs.  I can't wait for is new album especially his river song which made me feel that he had looked into my heart and all put my feeling about Hobart in to a melody.  The other was Sime and Ben singing Jolene which was just magnificent.

Thanks to Phil for letting us share in his little slice of paradise.

The Waifs @ The Odeon
If ever you want to see the difference between an act at a festival or the same act in a venue suited to their show and an audience full of dedicated fans, seeing The Waifs at the Odeon was it.  The Waifs were good at the Port Fairy Folk Festival but they played all their well known songs rather than their good ones.  This show at the Odeon was one for the fans.  The stage banter was different too.  At the Odeon it felt like the band were talking to their close friends whereas at the PFFF it was more like when you take your new boyfriend home to meet your parents for the first time - a little reticent and not wanting to do anything that might cause offence.  At the Odeon the band was relaxed and comfortable in the knowledge that the people were here because they wanted to see them and only them and nothing they could do would turn their dedicated fans off.  The relationship could only be strengthened.

The warm up act was OK but really nothing to write home about but this served to highlight the skills and talents of the Waifs.

They have some great songs most with folk country roots but some with gospel influences.  They have a great new song called 'Syria' that any anti-refugee activist should listen to.  My favourites though are the ever famous 'Lighthouse', the nostalgic 'Black Dirt Track' and the emotional 'Bridal Train'.  Perhaps the highlight of the night was Josh playing a little of Pink Floyd's 'Wish you were here', that was until Donna came out for a second encore and had a chat and sang 'Haircut'.  If you have ever been dumped then this is worth a listen.

The Waifs song that probably resonated with me the most is 'Take it in'.  It is a song about living in the moment and learning to recognise and appreciate the great phases of your life before they are gone.

"Take it in, take it all in
Now is the time that will not come again
Take it in, take it all in
This is the day and it's here for the living."

Now that is a sentiment to live by.

The Wilson Pickers @ The Spiegeltent
In case you haven't picked it yet, I really like these boys and their music.  I love the full five part harmonies.  The guitars, fiddle, banjo, mandolin and tambourine combine with their brilliant bluegrass songs to fill my heart with joy.  Too much?

My fourth time seeing the band in two weeks was the best of the lot.  The Blonde, His Grumpiness and I went to see them as part of the Ten Days on the Island Festival in the Spiegeltent.  This was an extremely atmospheric and intimate venue and the small size of the venue with its wooden floors made for great acoustics.  We were really close to the stage in the second row.  The concert only went for about an hour but it was jampacked full of great songs
They played their brilliant version of 'Jolene' again but it was when the band played a personal favourite of mine, 'Half a Man', that The Blonde and I couldn't contain ourselves any longer, we had to get up and dance, much to the amusement of the band.  It wasn't really a dancing venue but we did it anyway much to the chagrin of His Grumpiness.  As The Blonde often says, "Much Fun."