Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: Bugsy
Date: 13 Mar 07 - 04:52 PM

DaveA,m I met andrew many years ago at a music quiz night with the Triptich boys (Cliff Ellery, Brian Norris & Gunter Stoper) and a few times since over the years. Yes he has more than "paid his dues" and I hope that the Troubadour will be packed out for the whole festival.

Cheers


BUgsy

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: JennyO
Date: 13 Mar 07 - 08:34 PM

The Troubadour usually IS packed out. I have often been one of those huddling on the edges on a frosty night, watching for somebody to leave so I can get a seat further in. They hardly ever do. People tend to settle in there, with some of the best acts and the jaffles and wine and mulled wine. Why would you leave?

I have fond memories from last year of a concert there one night that George Papavgeris was in, along with Cloudstreet. George and Vanessa had discovered the joys of the Italian chocolate. Vanessa and I went in early enough to get good seats and we sat there sipping the Italian chocolate from the stall which was just nearby. Even managed to grab a couple of seats for other friends who came along too.

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 08:13 AM

Hello, Dave

it will be good to see you again.

the cast grows -

Bugsy & Mrs B
Rowan
Sandra in Sydney
JennyO
freda underhill
Bob Bolton
Chris Maltby
JennieG
Hrothgar
Canberra Chris & a couple of other Shiny Bums whose Mudcat names I've just found -
idp-qbn
Clownfish
Jack Halyard
DaveA
Notferjo

with guests Kenny & Gerry & Branno

but we still need an exact meeting spot!! Those who need badges can look for for a photographer named Bob Bolton, recognisable cos he's the one who always wears short-sleeved shirts!
sandra

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 08:18 AM

Think of us, won't you now...I'll be missing you double.

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: JennyO
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 08:23 AM

I'll be thinking of you and Vanessa, George, and missing you double too. I guess I'll just have to have a couple of extra Italian chocolate drinks in your honour ;-)

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 06:45 PM

George, I'll just play one of your CDs today!

see ya next year?
or the following?

or whenever

sandra

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: JennyO
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 07:51 PM

Wot, only today Sandra? Don't you play them every day?

I know mine get a lot of airing - 'specially since last week when my Foxtel box was zapped by a thunderstorm.

Nah, only kidding - I love playing George's music. I don't watch TV all the time!

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: Andrez
Date: 15 Mar 07 - 06:41 AM

Yo Branno, as I said yesterday I'll look forward to seeing you and Mags there! Remember that National and the Yarralumla woolshed in '71?

Cheers,

Andrez

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 15 Mar 07 - 07:21 AM

have you changed your mind, Andrez? Will you be braving canberra's weather, if so we need to add you to the Mudbadge list!

Bob sent me a draft & there is currently no badge for you.

sandra

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 15 Mar 07 - 07:26 AM

oops, I also left SqueezeMe off the lastest list (& also the earlier lists)

sandra

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: Andrez
Date: 15 Mar 07 - 03:18 PM

Hi Sandra,

Yes, I didnt mean to suggest that I would look a gift ticket in the mouth. Just that I would look at an alternative to the camping option. All those years in Broome spoilt me rotten and it might just be a coincidence since I dont get to Canberra that often but it has been miserable almost every time I have been there. I'm not paranoid but..............!   Anyway the point of the exercise is the music not the bleedin weather.

Cheers,

Andrez

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: Rowan
Date: 15 Mar 07 - 05:10 PM

Perhaps my memory is more faulty that I had realised but the only National I can recall that had "bleedin weather" was the one at the CAE south of Sydney in ?1980. That rain was really something (unless you're used to the tropics) but I've always found Canberra to be rather mild at Easter. A very late Easter (like a couple of years ago) can get a bit frosty at night, with no clouds to act as a blanket and stop the earth radiating its heat out into the infinite heat sink above the sky, but that also means the days are brilliantly sunny.

Perhaps I've lived on the New England too long.

Cheers, Rowan
And I'll see you there

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 15 Mar 07 - 05:57 PM

when the sun is shining = summer dress, shady hat & sunglasses + the wonderful icy lemonade from the lemonade stall (freshly squeezed lemon juice, water & a tad of sugar - yum!!)

when the sun sinks = several layers of warmer clothing, woolly beanie, jacket & woolly shawl/scarf + freshly squeezed hot spicy orange juice!

day & night = good company & good music

sandra

for Bob - short sleeved shirt & summer trousers day & night!

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 15 Mar 07 - 07:57 PM

1st National I went to was in Sutherland, southern suburbs of Sydney, very, very wet. This may be the one Rowan is referring to, but it was 1987 or 1988.

I've also been to one or two that were very wet in Canberra, but usually the only weather problem is the temperature difference between 1 pm and 11 pm. However you dress you'll be uncomfortable part of the day, or you'll be lugging warm clothing around, or you'll have to go back to the car/tent/whatever to dump or pick up stuff.

It's a small price to pay for a terrific festival.

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: Rowan
Date: 15 Mar 07 - 08:22 PM

Your date(s) are better than mine Gerry. And as one who played lagerphone at the Woolshed one May (it didn't get to the Albert Hall until June, that year) and who had to peel his fingers off it one by one, despite the jet heater going flat out, I can reassure newcomers that Canberra can get rather nippy over winter. But not usually at Easter.

And Sandra, you've got to be fair to Bob!

He might be in short-sleeved shirts but I rarely se him not wearing that photographers' fishing jacket thingy with all its useful pockets. For a man with so much energy it's probably all the insulation he needs!

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: JennyO
Date: 15 Mar 07 - 08:30 PM

The standard thing is that late in the afternoon as the sun sets, there is a mass scurrying to the campsite of people going to get their extra layers. The only thing I find inconvenient about it is that at night when you walk into the session bar with all those extra layers, you have to start peeling them off and either hold them or put them somewhere. I've often found the change in temperature so dramatic that my glasses fogged up as I walked in!

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: Rowan
Date: 15 Mar 07 - 08:55 PM

And all these years I thought it was the nostalgia and the drinks that fogged my vision.

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: JennyO
Date: 15 Mar 07 - 09:11 PM

And all these years I thought it was the nostalgia and the drinks that fogged my vision.

Yes well, that happens later too, and sometimes it isn't just your vision that gets fogged.

I wonder if they will put that silly pot plant in front of the stairwell again this year? I think it was a vain attempt last year to discourage us from having impromptu singing sessions up there where the acoustics are good. Yeah, I know there are singing sessions upstairs in the Restaurant - I even ran some of them in previous years - but they lack a bit in atmosphere. The stairwell sessions are a tradition, and it will take more than one little steenkin' potplant to stop us. I did notice the diddlies had beaten us to it one night tho :-(

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: JennyO
Date: 15 Mar 07 - 10:10 PM

I wonder if they will put that silly pot plant in front of the stairwell again this year?

...or was it a chair? Or both?

Oh dear, maybe the brain fog hasn't worn off from last year!

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 15 Mar 07 - 11:31 PM

G'day (A)NFFers,

I ran off a couple of sheets of Mudcat tags for the list Sandra included. I'll run off another sheet: including Andrez, this time ... and anybody else I might have missed. The tags are 6 x 9 cm and have a small punch-hole suitable for a bit of string or a safety pin.

Rowan: I've found the fisherman's jacket too warm in recent years ... and when I bought a new one, the material was heavier (or less worn?) and it's too hot by far. I think your New England climate would suit me better than Sydney's ... and I've had some bloody uncomfortably hot days in Melbourne ... and Hobart ... over the years - and all that was before we paid any attention to Greenhouse warming!

Regards,

Bob

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 15 Mar 07 - 11:39 PM

According to my records (casettes) the National was held in 1988 at Sutherland!

Not that I went, or anything like that. I was living in the years between Folk-As-Top-40 & Rediscovering-Live-Music-In-1995, I just happen to have in my hand (well it was till I resumed typing) a copy of a workshop from that 1988 NFF.

I have a few such tapes copied from reel-to-reels made at that Festival.

sandra

since you asked - Bolan/Miles "A Study of Risibility in FolkMusic" & I might just play it again after my new Alistair Hulett CD finishes!

And I also have a pic from the icy 2000 NFF of Bob wearing a (light) jacket! I assume it is the only pic ever taken of him wearing a jacket, so it must be valuable.

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: GUEST,squeezeme
Date: 16 Mar 07 - 02:49 AM

Quoting Sandra "oops, I also left SqueezeMe off the lastest list (& also the earlier lists)"

Thought you might have ignored me for saying beastly things about Alison's accordion. Don't worry, it's an on-going topic of consternation; but we have a sort of understanding.... :-)

MC

(should have signed in, sorry)

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 16 Mar 07 - 05:57 AM

you guessed correctly, I left you & Andrez off cos you both said 'orrible things!

Fancy you picking on Alison, & Andrez picking on Canberra's lovely weather.

sandra

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: Hrothgar
Date: 16 Mar 07 - 06:30 AM

Hymn singing is 10.00 am Sunday

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 16 Mar 07 - 07:04 AM

wouldn't miss it for quids, mate

sandra

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: JennyO
Date: 16 Mar 07 - 07:07 AM

You forgot to mention where, Hrothgar. It's in the Singing Room, which I know as the Restaurant. It's above the session bar. There is a separate entrance to the left of the session bar entrance.

The Roaring Forties are on three times:

Friday 2.10pm, Trocadero: CD launch of Yarri of Wiradjuri

Saturday 2pm, Singing Room: Shellback Sheilas (songs of Cicely Fox-Smith)

Sunday 2pm, Troubadour: another CD launch of Yarri, in case you missed the first one.

I've been looking at the program online, and I don't like the colours they've used. The blue writing on a yellow background is terrible - very hard to read. By the time you've enlarged it enough to be readable, you can only see parts of it at a time, so you are scrolling up and down and side to side and can't easily get an overview of what is on in a particular place or at a particular time. Very annoying! The full program in spreadsheet form is no better.

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: SqueezeMe
Date: 16 Mar 07 - 07:14 AM

No, I wasn't picking on Alison!

Only her wonderful, beautiful, fantastic, marvelous accordion. She knows how much I love it really....

(Hang on, my nose is growing!)

MC

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 16 Mar 07 - 08:55 PM

Jenny, I took one look at that program & went back to a wonderful, readable site - MUDCAT!

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: JennyO
Date: 16 Mar 07 - 10:29 PM

Yes, it's really BAD, isn't it. I hope the printed program is more readable than that. For one thing if all the events have a yellow background, how are we going to highlight the things we want to see - even if we use a different colour highlighter pen? At the moment, they look like they are ALL highlighted.

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: Rowan
Date: 16 Mar 07 - 10:41 PM

The triumph of form over function?

In a different life I was discussing presentations to Cabinet with someone who had had to prepare one. He was instructed (he said) to present the final draft of the graphics (very multicoloured) to someone known to be colour blind; apparentlyabout a third of cabinet members at that time were colourblind. He did so, and received valuable advice that he's used ever since.

CHeers, Rowan

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: JennyO
Date: 16 Mar 07 - 10:58 PM

Pity someone couldn't predict what they were going to do with this program in time to stop them. I suppose it's too late now. They were pretty late putting the program online this year, and some pages of the website are still last year's pages - for instance the camping page with the map from last year.

I was interested to see this year's map of the site, because last year for the first time they didn't have a performer's camping area but I'd heard there was going to be one this year. There is no information on the website that mentions anything about this.

I also heard (but can't confirm) that performers' families won't be able to camp with them in that area, which will mean in many cases that performers will have to choose to camp in the general area so as not to leave their families and partners to fend for themselves - can you imagine splitting a campervan or a tent in two? Then the organisers will look at the half-empty performers' area and say "See? hardly anyone is using it. We won't have one next year".

Wot, me a cynic? Nah!

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: Andrez
Date: 18 Mar 07 - 05:25 AM

Not quite willing to let this one go. "Canberra's lovely weather" is an oxymoron like political integrity or military intelligence or morris dancing or bodhran playing!

:-)

Cheers,

Andrez

PS: Could the "meeting" place/venue/time be condensed into one simple paragraph instead of over several posts? Thats for the less erudite Ozcatters.

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 18 Mar 07 - 07:04 AM

1. EVERY NIGHT - late night singing sessions in The Singing Room (Restaurant, above the Session Bar) AND/OR the Stairwell between said Restaurant & Session Bar

2. Hrothgar's Hymn Singing Session Sunday.
2 years back it was invaded by folks from the Church service who thpought it was a continuation of that event. But it's not - it's a great singing session. The first year I went my Jewish friend knew more hymns than me, but then I had left sunday school when I was 12 & he had been going to festivals for decades!

3. Bugsy's apperance @ the Troubador (times, please Bugsy!)

4. any performance of the Shiny Bum Singers.

5. any performance of the Roaring Forties

Friday 2.10pm, Trocadero: CD launch of Yarri of Wiradjuri

Saturday 2pm, Singing Room: Shellback Sheilas (songs of Cicely Fox-Smith)

Sunday 2pm, Troubadour: another CD launch of Yarri, in case you missed the first one.

6. lunchtimes somewhere in the Session Bar 12ish?? (coupla' years back we sometimes met in the area near the door that leads to the Arena)

7. ?????


sandra

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: JennyO
Date: 18 Mar 07 - 07:59 AM

My memory of those lunchtime meetings is that we used to make it around 1pm in the Session Bar. It's really just a loose standing arrangement that any 'catters who find themselves not otherwise occupied around lunchtime on any of the days, can take their lunch into the Session Bar and meet up with other 'catters. Be sure to wear your Mudcat Badge!

We could make it earlier if you like - doesn't have to be very exact anyway. With the Forties on around 2 almost every day, it might be a good idea to say any time between midday and 1.30?

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 18 Mar 07 - 08:15 AM

"a loose standing arrangement "

Don't they have chairs?

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: JennyO
Date: 18 Mar 07 - 09:00 AM

:-)

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: Rowan
Date: 18 Mar 07 - 04:18 PM

Behaviour in a chair can be very loose!

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: JennyO
Date: 18 Mar 07 - 08:38 PM

Does anyone in Oz remember the skit on The Comedy Company with Col'n Carpenter (Kim Gyngell) about chairs? In it he was being asked questions about shares, but he misunderstood and all his answers were about chairs. It was very funny.

I see it's available on DVD along with a whole lot of other Col'n skits - The Comedy Company: The Very Best of Colin Carpenter (2004)

And who could forget Con the Fruiterer "Coupla days - beeee-utiful!" and Kylie Mole "she goes, she goes, she just GOES!" You can actually get a set of 4 with all of them.

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Mar 07 - 08:48 PM

"Behaviour in a chair can be very loose!"

Stools can be very loose, too.

Sorry.

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: JennyO
Date: 18 Mar 07 - 10:23 PM

BAD Guest! You felt MOVED to say that, did you? Go sit on your stool in the corner!

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 19 Mar 07 - 09:48 AM

In Toowoomba, there is a business called Mr Stool.



I'm not making this up you know...


BTW, Mr Stools was a character in a Monty Python sketch...

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: JennyO
Date: 19 Mar 07 - 11:21 AM

Robin, you bananabenders don't have a monopoly on stools. We here in Sydney - in Drummoyne, just down the road from my folk club, have The Stool Shop , where you can get all sizes, shapes and colours of stools, to suit every kind of bum.

Speaking of bums, here is a video of one of the most popular and entertaining acts ever to hit the National - The Shiny Bum Singers. They do terrible things to computer keyboards in the Ten Meg Morris!

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: Bugsy
Date: 19 Mar 07 - 05:41 PM

Sandra, I don't know when my spot at the Troubadour is yet. Andrew asked me to contact him as soon as I arrive in Canberra (Thursday 6am)

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 19 Mar 07 - 07:09 PM

tell/ask him to add (Bugsy) to your name so we recognise you!

Maybe we need a Thurs night meeting to distribute badges to those who need 'em. Or do you want one of us to post your badges? If so, pls PM me

By any chance are you going to the Folklore conference at the National Library - Bob & I will be there.

sandra

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: Rowan
Date: 19 Mar 07 - 09:58 PM

I haven't yet got my Comms Roster but I expect I'll be around the Comms Centre for at least part of Thursday evening, so I'll pick mine up from there or the Festival Office next door.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: Notferjo
Date: 20 Mar 07 - 06:48 AM

I'm off to a singing masterclass on Tuesday to Thursday. Anyone else doing masterclasses?

Getting excited.........

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 20 Mar 07 - 07:47 AM

Bob will be there taking photos! You can ask him for your Mudcat badge.

Canberra Chris normally attends the singing msterclass, but not this year.

Rowan, were you referring to your Mudcat badge or your volunteer's nametag?

sandra

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: JennyO
Date: 20 Mar 07 - 08:23 AM

I'll be getting there on the Thursday afternoon or night (the first night of the festival), and it's all been arranged now that I'll be camping with Black Joak Morris, more or less in the same place as last year - round near Building K (the Bike lockup) and a bit past the Mallee. There was a huge truck of portable toilets just near us last year. Duncan and co. in the Morris are even going to put my tent up for me same as last year - cool!

Freda, I asked Duncan if you can camp there too and he said yes, and he'll put your tent up as well. He's going down about a week early, so he'll have plenty of time. I have some of your camping gear in the garage. I haven't looked at it for a while, but I'm assuming your tent is one of the things in there? I'll take the tents over to his place one evening next week.

Just over two weeks till the festival starts - less for those going to the Masterclasses. I'm looking forward to this - it will be the first time I've camped at a festival since Coastfest last October. Then two weeks later it's Snalbans. Hooray! It's festival season!

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: JennyO
Date: 20 Mar 07 - 10:34 AM

Oh, by the way Sandra - it looks like I'll be getting a new tent this weekend, so if all goes well I won't need to take you up on the kind offer of your tent.

I've picked out the one I want already - it's just a matter of going and getting it. We had to wait a while and see if the finances would stretch. They barely do, but it will be worth it I think. The main space in this tent has about the same floor area as my previous tent, but there's an extra bit out the front - like an extra little room with doorways in the side. So it will look like quite a big dome tent. Since tentmakers have been getting more creative with dome tents, it seems you can get more tent for your money than before. It has other interesting features, where you can open the flies out in all directions and join them up, making extra covered areas all around.

Sandra, I know this might come as a shock to you, knowing my camping habits, but I might not bother with a tarp at the National this year! Snalbans is a different matter. We always have the Giant Tarp there for all our friends to camp and gather under. Last year we travelled in convoy with Ricarda and Nick, and put our two big setups side by side. That was the Tarp Mahal extraordinaire! Since they have moved out to Woop Woop, it might be a little harder to coordinate this year - but not impossible.

Subject: RE: Ozcatters meet at 2007 National?
From: JennyO
Date: 20 Mar 07 - 10:34 AM

Oh, and since all the other Ozcats seem to have gone to bed and left it for me -

100!!!