Tassie mudcatters to sing English folk?

Subject: Tassie mudcatters to sing English folk?
From: ooh-aah
Date: 10 Apr 03 - 04:05 AM

I'm very keen to sing English folk songs with a few friends, but have so far only been able to find one person in Tasmania interested (hi Kira!). The folk scene is very small in Tasmania (Australia), and wall-to wall Celtic as far as I can see - ho-hum. Anyone out theeeeere? Can any one hear meeeee? I live in Hobart. Drop me a line!

Subject: RE: Tassie mudcatters to sing English folk?
From: Hrothgar
Date: 10 Apr 03 - 05:28 AM

You're going to have to build that bridge across Bass Strait.

Subject: RE: Tassie mudcatters to sing English folk?
From: ooh-aah
Date: 10 Apr 03 - 06:15 PM

Veery amusing. But we don't want too many north islanders coming and spoiling things - we Tasmanians like to destroy our old growth forests in peace and quiet.

Subject: RE: Tassie mudcatters to sing English folk?
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 10 Apr 03 - 06:56 PM

G'day ooh-aah,

All my (singing) Tassie friends are further south ... down the Huon (mostly clustered round Franklin) - barring a few who are up in the north and, of course, don't even speak to Hobartians.

And of course, those south of the Huon won't even venture t'other side of the river ... !

There seems to be an active scene down the Huon - the Cygnet side seems to be reorganising the Cygnet Folk Festival away from its "World Music" focus of recent years to one that recognises that Tasmania has a strong Australian tradition. As I said to Steve (Grant Mason-)Gadd who is very actively collecting (and working on the Huon Festival):

"... I remember Merro (the late John Meredith, AM - major author of Folk Songs of Australia and the memn and women who sang them) talking about the characteristics of the sort of area he had found to be good collecting territory ... and that general description covers most of Tasmania!. Without stretching the metaphor too far, Tasmania could prove be the 'Appalachians' of Australian folk music!...".

I don't know what the "English" scene is like in Hobart these days. When I lived there in the '60s, it was all ex-pat Poms ... singing American songs with fake Yank accents ... and just a few A.L. Lloyd imitators singing his 're-created' English repertoire. A lot of water has gone under the bridge since than (and a chunk of the bridge gone the other way ... old local reference ...).

Anyway, on a more acceptable Tasmanian scale of distance, I'll sound out an English friend in Lenah Valley about anything active in the current Hobart scene. She has fairly diverse tastes, but I'll see what she can recommend ... maybe get back before I head off to the (Australian) National Folk Festival ... Monday, AM.

If you want emails or 'phone numbers for my contacts down there (I'm back in Sydney, these days), PM me and I'll pass on some details.

BTW: I Canberra, I will be seeing Rob Willis - a Forbes (NSW)-based collector who has had a number of successful collecting trips in Tasmania. Rob will have worked with local contacts (including Steve Gadd) and I'll ask his advice, when I see him at the National Library - next week.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Tassie mudcatters to sing English folk?
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 12 Apr 03 - 06:43 AM

G'day again ooh-aah,

I rang some friends down there on the little green spot at the bottom of the map:

Mary, in Lenah Valley, is a bit out of the scene, with her daughter battling into Year 12 finals. She did suggest some activity up in pubs in the North Hobart area she knows best, but not much that called be called exclusively "English".

Trish, down at Franklin is a lovely singer (she was in Selectors Bush Band with me in the early '80s ... until I persuaded her and Jon to come and play at the Cygnet Folk Festival (1985?). They fell in love with Tassie and moved down there! She is out of touch with the Hobart scene, especially after some personal upheavals, but I'll PM a 'phone number to get in touch - particularly if you go down to your block!

John Bushby, who performs in a more Celtic band with his wife Kate suggests the New Sydney Pub, Bathurst St. on Saturday afternoons ... probably best to ring the pub and check times and details ...? (I can PM a number for the Bushbys, if you wish.)

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Tassie mudcatters to sing English folk?
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 12 Apr 03 - 06:48 AM

Er ... G'day again,

I should also have suggested you PM "Grubby", a Hobart 'Catter' ... but do so smartly, as he and sundry friends are heading north to the (Australian) National Folk Festival - Canberra, ACT, over Easter. (See the ~ "OZ Mudcatters Meet at Canberra" thread).

When I see Grubby / them - I'll check to see if he has heard from you.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Tassie mudcatters to sing English folk?
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 12 Apr 03 - 08:33 AM

Ooops ... I shouldn't try to type up one-handed while balancing a notepad with the other. The note about John Bushby should have said:

" ... with his wife Caroline in a more Celtic band" Tintallon ..."

Regards,

Bob Bolton