Woodford Folk Festival 2007

(27 December 2007 - 1 January 2008)

The annual Woodford Folk Festival may have endured some rain, but that did not stop the pouring of enthusiasm that emanated from the attendees.  And it was not only the spectators, but the entertainers and general participants who were having a good time.
 

First timers and upcoming Brisbane band The Quills really got into the spirit of the festival.  “We’ve been here since Boxing Day so we’ve been soaking it up, soaking up the rain and everything else,” laughs bass player, Will Feeney. “It’s been really fun”.

The Quills stayed for the whole duration of the festival which lasted seven days.  Feeney spent a fair chunk playing around in the Circus tent.  “I think its fantastic, brilliant so far,” he says. 

Lead vocalist and guitarist, Dave Butler commented how he liked the variety that the festival provided.  “You go to other festivals and its pretty much music, which is cool, but this is so different.”

Butler continues:  “People here are at different elements like the art, dancing, and the ‘Klownsville’, I love ‘Klownsville!’   But the weather?   “It wasn’t too bad …and they had some great classes on so I was getting amongst that.”

“And all the different food, you don’t find Dagwood Dogs anywhere, it’s all really nice, really good food,” adds fellow band member Andrew Stone, the keyboards and vocal backup of the band.

Woodford Folk Festival has been known to promote unknown performers that have now paved their way successfully in the Australian Music Industry.  Many ARIA nominees and winners such as Lior, The Audreys, Kate Miller-Heidke were past guests who have made their mark and who knows, The Quills may be the next celebrities on that list.

“We have to thank Bill [Hauritz] [Director of the Festival] and Katie [James] [Co-Director] who picked us out of obscurity to let us play here, so we are eternally indebted to them for all their hard work in getting us here,” says Butler.
 

Harry Angus has been attending the Woodford Folk Festival even before he was part of the successful Australian band The Cat Empire, and his additional band Jackson Jackson.  Both bands played at the festival.  “I didn’t really go to concerts until I started in a band, and my first ever concert I attended would have been at Woodford,” states Angus. 

Angus continues:  “It’s a good festival, I like the fact that bands that might play to thirty people when in their home town every Monday night, come here and play to ten thousand people.  I love how it’s not about how famous you are, and that’s great!  I also like how all the artists and participants seem to be a lot less segregated than at other festivals, which is good too.”
 

ARIA winners, musical comedy trio, Tripod have played at the festival a few times.  Member Gatesy (Steven Gates) feels that one of the biggest buzz for him as an entertainer has been playing at ‘The Grande’ at the Woodford Folk Festival.  “There was a huge amount of people all the way up to the little mountain; they were all listening to us. That was just great, that’s awesome,” he says enthusiastically. 

Does the trio feel that the festival should continue?  Tripod member Yon (Simon Hall) jokingly says, “It’s got to stop, it’s got to stop, it’s a kind of plague!”
 

Jokes aside, if that is possible with this threesome, as performers what do Tripod really think of the Woodford Folk Festival?   “Woodford is awesome, that is the short version.  We have fun,” says Scad.   “It’s a very broad kind of people that come here; it’s a very kind of generally accepting vibe.  So you’ve kind of have a bit of a license to do whatever you want to do and people come to it on your terms, which is really very cool”.
 

Rain or shine, this festival always maintains an energized crowd.  This includes the multi-talented international and home grown performers, both celebrities and upcoming entertainers, but most of all the team that makes Woodford Folk Festival work: the organisers and volunteers.  Yet again, these are just some of the reasons that make Woodford Folk Festival so special for all those who are touched by the Woodford experience.