Recently I had the pleasure of being invited to a friends House Concert and it reinforced the knowledge that this region has such an enormous wealth of unrecognised talent. The quartet - Bushfire - under the leadership of professional musician Kent Daniels produced an outstanding evening of entertainment to a houseful of friends and family.
The music was some of the finest I've heard for a long time. Contemporary Australiana mixed with some traditional airs, irish reels and jigs, original comedy and indies, and beautiful original ballads; delivered in a polished performance from experienced musicians and a trail of varied instruments that would make your head spin, and wrapped in an endless store of yarns and anecdotes.
People bought their own drinks, the hosts provided a yummy supper, the atmosphere was warm and friendly, and while the music played you could have heard a pin drop. A nominal door charge paid the musicians fee for the evening.
For music lovers, a House Concert is the ultimate listening environment. It demonstrates a mutual respect for musicians and audience that you just don't get in a commercial, licensed venue. There's no ugly attention-seeking drunks vying for the limelight. You get to choose the audience you're surrounded by. And you get the opportunity for personal interaction with the performers - to hear the stories behind the music.
There is significant growth in the rise of House Concerts - Australia has lagged behind Europe and the States of course - and whilst they've always been around in the Folk world, it's great to see other genre's getting on the bandwagon too.
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