Our last feature on the Mullum Music Festival got a lot of love (view here), so we thought we’d delve a little deeper into the smorgasbord of acts and special events on offer.
It’s all about the mix at Mullum Music Festival – one moment you can be checking out internationals like Raul Midon, the next you’re marvelling at the Shire’s homegrown talent like Potato Potato. The beauty of the festival’s democratic approach is that it creates an atmosphere of collaboration – the artists get up on stage together, they help each other out, they create new musical friendships. And punters get to experience magical moments that are never to be repeated.
Here’s how to get a taste of what Mullum Music Festival is all about…
This is the festival’s original ‘taste plate’. Nine awesome acts from the line-up all doing a short performance each. It’s as brilliant as getting to taste a spoon at the ice cream parlour before you get the whole scoop. And who better to stir it all up than the Queen & King of stirrers, local comedians Mandy Nolan and Joel Salom.
Opening Night features performances by Love Over Gold, Teatro Matita, Ray Mann Three, Jo Jo Smith, Elana Stone, Sketch The Rhyme, Perch Creek Family Jug Band, and Aluka. Opening Night sells out quicker than a British backpacker gets sunburn – get your tickets HERE.
Gorgeous flame haired chanteuse Emily Lubitz (she’s the Tangerine Kitty behind Dumb Ways To Die) from Tinpan Orange is bringing together her festival sisters Mama Kin, Lucie Thorne, Elana Stone, Loren Kate and Miles and Simone to cover Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Nicks, Abba and Dolly Parton. That’s a whole lot of wonderful in one room.
Did you know that Mullum Music Festival has a patron saint? The festival said they bestowed the honour on Mama Kin because, like the festival, she’s all about community, passion, creativity and soul. This year Mama Kin (who is also up for an Aria for Best Blues & Roots Album) will perform a concert created exclusively for the festival featuring the beautiful harmonies of a choir of musicians and singers from Cape Byron Rudolph Steiner School. Kindred Singers will join Mama Kin to present some of her favourite original songs. Hallelujah to that!
YOUTH MENTORSHIP PROGRAM WINNERSÂ
Mullum Music Festival is big on nurturing young up-and-coming talent – and this region has it in bucketloads. Often the best way to learn is from experience and those ‘already in the game’, so each year the festival runs a competition to team up young local talent with established artists on the bill. The young musicians get a rehearsal session with their mentor, a 20-minute performance at the festival (with their mentor backstage), the opportunity to watch their mentor perform from backstage and weekend passes to the festival. This year these guys are doing it for the kids in different categories Aluka (vocal), Caitlin Park (singer songwriter), Skipping Girl Vinegar (band), Sketch The Rhyme (hip hop), Mr Cassidy (15 and under).
The winners of the Youth Mentorship Program will be announced this week so we’ll keep you posted. But go along check out their festival performances – then you can say you saw them before they hit it big.
If there’s one thing that sums up the vibe of Mullum Music Festival it’s the all-in New Orleans style street parade on the Sunday morning. Musicians on the line-up all grab drums, trumpets, tubas (!), ukeleles – whatever instrument they can find – and lead a colourful cavalcade of festival freaks, friends, kids and dogs through the streets of Mullumbimby to the Civic Hall where they have a good ol’ hoedown. Anyone can join the parade and they do! Who knows where all these weird and wonderful people come from (Main Arm?!) but it’s impossible not to jump in that noisy rainbow river of humanity with a massive smile on your dial. Get it on, bang a drum!
GET YOUR TICKETS TO MULLUM MUSIC FESTIVAL HERE