Happy to report - after last month's post about new music - that I found some little gems recently in the most unlikeliest of places.
Here in Newy (Newcastle NSW for the non local readers) another new pop-up venue has been drawing interest this year. Housed in a disused factory with a bit of rustic charm, one Sunday afternoon a month, local artists perform for guests who bring their own shared afternoon tea, and sit on old, recycled recovered, or restored chairs, lounges, ottomans and soak it all up. It's quaint, it's quirky, a bit like its offerings, you never know what you're going to get, and midst it all there are some absolute gems! And if you don't know about it, you'll never know about it! Oh, and did I mention that it's free? (or now and then, a gold coin donation)
All over the country there are little undiscovered jewels like this happening, where undercovered live music is creating it's own underground scene. This month, along with a small group of my 'tribe', I enjoyed an afternoon of laugh-out-loud and 'wow' moments, with artists ranging from a couple of uni students through to some over-the-hill-ers. All with a common thread - a passion for their music and a willingness to share it with an appreciative - and sober - audience.
Mixed among some great original music, were some highly original takes on other covers.
And no, I'm not going to tell you where it is. Some things shouldn't be just handed over on a plate for others to pick and choose. Little gems like this deserve to be ferreted out - a lot of the fun is in the searching, and the discovery. But I will give you a hint: start with your local folk clubs. You might be astounded at how SOME clubs have evolved over a couple of generations. And you might also be astounded at just how many of the biggest stars today, got their first start in their local supportive folk scene.
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| Pre-show setup - decor: shabby chic, recycled, restored, recovered, rescued |
