Bards, Ballads and Bulldust Festival

Easter weekend 10 - 12 April 2009
The beautiful high country town of Naseby is presenting the 4th Bards Ballads & Bulldust Festival at Easter 2009.
       www.kiwifolk.org.nz/festivals/BBB/index.htm
The weekend activities will be presented by 'Tui Award' winning high country balladeer, Phil Garland and based around the historic Ancient Briton Pub, which is hosting the event. Festival goers will be treated to some top quality Kiwi Country / Folk music and bush poetry relevant to the New Zealand High Country. As well as being home to Ross 'Blue Jeans' McMillan, one of the finest bush poets in the country, the Naseby festival will also play host to a trio of bush balladeers from across the Ditch.

The Bards, Ballads & Bulldust festival is the only one of its kind in the country, where the emphasis is on the spoken word in the form of bush poetry, which has a huge following throughout Australia. Bush balladry has been an integral part of our national heritage since the 1890s, but its profile has remained small, going largely un-noticed and un-recognised until the birth of Bards Ballads & Bulldust. Our bush poets are finally getting some of the accolades they richly deserve thanks to Naseby and the Bards, Ballads & Bulldust Festival.

Naseby (2000 feet above worry level) is the historic capital of the High Country and home to curling. Where better to experience high country life at its exhilerating best. Visitors can see a town changed little from the earliest beginnings of the Otago goldrush, whilst at the same time visit wonderfully preserved and historic buildings set amidst some of the oldest gold diggings in Central Otago.

2009 featured guests include:-

• Milton Taylor     - Highly entertaining award winning bush balladeer from Australia returns by popular demand.
  
• Melanie Hall     - Acclaimed bush poetry reciter from Australia
  
• Suzie Carcary   - 2008 champion prize winning bush poet from NSW. Originally of Scottish ancestry & respected singer of Scottish songs.
  
• Marcus Turner  - Mere words cannot describe this brilliant singer/songwriter & multi instrumentalist from Dunedin
  
• Martin Curtis    - Highly acclaimed and popular Kiwi reciter & balladeer from Cardrona
  
• Keith Scott       - Expat Maniototo oral historian and playright from Sydney.
  
• Ross McMillan  - Famed local poet & High Country balladeer.
  
• Des Styles        - Local goldfields poet from Naseby
  
• Roger Lusby     - Popular Kiwi balladeer and bush poet from Nelson.
  
• Dusty Spittle     - Legendary Kiwi story teller and country balladeer, who has just been inducted into the American old-time Country Music Hall of Fame.
  
• Basil Fitzpatrick - Popular performance poet from Chch
  
• Bush Telegraph  - Renowned Kiwiana bush band and barn dance specialists from Canterbury.
  
• Phil Garland      - Multi award winning folklorist, singer / songwriter and backblocks balladeer from Culverden.
  

Programme:-

• Good Friday - Welcome and informal gathering in the Ancient Briton Pub, Naseby with music session from Phil Garland & Bush Telegraph - a chance to join in!
  
• Saturday - Live performances throughout the day from invited poets and musicians in the Ancient Briton Pub.
  
• Saturday Night - Miners & Musterers Ball with Bush Telegraph in the Naseby Town Hall. Admission $20 - supper included.
  
• Sunday Morning - High Country breakfast with live poetry, songs & yarns from invited guests and local Syndicate farmers.
  
• Sunday - Live performances continue throughout the day from invited poets and musicians in the Ancient Briton.
  
• Sunday Night - Open poets night at the Ancient Briton, when invited guests will share the stage with all comers.
  
• Busking throughout the weekend in the Main street and outside the local cafe - hosted by Basil Fitzpatrick.
  

Admission free to most events.
Tickets to the Miners & Musterers Ball are $20 incl supper.
Well priced meals & snacks available from the town hotels and local Cafe throughout the weekend.
Accommodation should still be available at the two local hotels, two motels and the camping ground. Further accommodation can be found at Ranfurly only 20 minutes away. However early bookings are advised!

For further information contact the programme oganiser Phil Garland  pgarland@xtra.co.nz  or view the frestival webpage www.kiwifolk.org.nz/festivals/BBB/index.htm

ANCIENT BRITON HOTEL & MOTEL
Leven St, Naseby, Central Otago, New Zealand.
Phone 03 444 9992, Fax 03 444 8232,  E-Mail

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HE WAHI RA
Naseby, Central Otago, New Zealand.
Phone 03 482 2553, Fax 03 482 2553, Mobile 021 460 284,  E-Mail

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LARCHVIEW HOLIDAY PARK
Swimming Dam Rd, Naseby, Central Otago, New Zealand.
Phone/Fax 03 444 9904,  E-Mail

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MOUNTAIN VIEW ACCOMMODATION
13A Channel Road, Naseby, Central Otago, New Zealand.
Phone 03 444 9972, Fax 03 444 9972,  E-Mail

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ROYAL HOTEL
1 Earne St, Naseby, Central Otago, New Zealand.
Phone 03 444 9990, Fax 03 444 9704,  E-Mail

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THE OLD DOCTOR'S RESIDENCE LUXURY BED AND BREAKFAST
58 Derwent Street, Naseby, Central Otago, New Zealand.

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GLENSHEE PARK HOMESTAY
Tel: (03) 4449624  Fax: (03) 4449624 e-mail: mas.glenshee.park@xtra.co.nz

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SHORTLAND STATION  HOMESTAY.
Glenis & David Crutchley 114 Kyeburn Diggings rd, R.D.2 Ranfurly Ph (03) 444 9621 or 0800 375247. Fax: (03) 444 9610 d&gcrutchley@xtra.co.nz

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WEDDERBURN TAVERN
SH 85, Central Otago, New Zealand. Ph/Fax 03-444 9548 :: Email: wedderburntavern@clear.net.nz

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NASEBY TRAIL LODGE 
Corner Derwent & Oughter Streets, Naseby, New Zealand.
Phone 03 444 8374, Fax 03 444 8222, Reservations 0508 NASEBY (0508 627 329),  E-Mail

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DANSEYS PASS COACH INN
Phone/fax 64 3 4449048   Email: booking@danseyspass.co.nz

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Ranfurly Lion Hotel & Highland Wine Bar & Cafe
www.ranfurlyhotel.co.nz
10 Charlemont Street East, Ranfurly, Otago 9332. (03) 444 9140

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WEDDERBURN LODGE
State Highway 85 , Wedderburn, , New Zealand.
Lorraine- 03 444 9194, or Alison- 03 444 9124

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For cribs available to rent in Naseby contact jan@weddingarranger.co.nz

Phil Garland seeks Kiwi Rhetoric

Phil writes:

Greetings all,
This is a call for any Kiwi sayings, ditties, drinking toasts, farewell toasts, backblocks rhymes and simple ditties. If you know of anything appropriate to this subject would you please contact me either on or off list.

I have collected many such pieces of folklore over the years and should anything of note come to light I would like to feature it in my almost completed book of Kiwi folklore and music. Acknowledgements and sources will be given wherever appropriate. I look forward to hearing from you in due course.
Many thanks.
Phil Garland
pgarland_at_xtra.co.nz
http://www.philgarland.co.nz/

Folk and Country

A while ago, somewhat unintentionally, I chucked a hand-grenade into the nz-folk list. There was a post, mentioned in an earlier blog:

"Folk? The Warratahs? They are listed as a Country band."

To which I somewhat rashly replied,

"Something I notice that we have trouble getting our heads around is that country music is the folk music of this country."

The response was astounding, from those who thought I was joking to those who were indignant and miffed (and those who agreed and told me so quietly in the background).

"Mike, I am guessing that you are teasing when you say that country is the real NZ folk music, but I'll react just for fun... Country has always been a small, but welcome part of our folk music, but is hardly the folk music of New Zealand because it has always so commonly featured American culture: All that fake rolled-r accent emulating Texas, the whiny nasal singing about county jails and horses, the Stetson hats & braided clothes and boots with spurs. Contrast that with our our Swandris, stockmen's hats & oilskins & gumboots."

"I find it rather interesting that Bluegrass music is seen as part of the folk scene, whereas 'whinge and cringe' country isnt."

"There's been no mention of Victorian palour music or classical music which I think has had a huge influence of NZ music from the early days right through to the Verlaines and beyond."

"But to say it's THE main influence? I don't think country is quite a 'national' music here in the same way as in Australia. It's big and been around for a while, but so have brass bands and Highland piping."

"I tend to agree with Mike, Phil and Alan that country music has had a strong influence on 'homemade' songwriting in NZ, ever since it was the latest trendy music back in the 1930s."

"And as far as I´m concerned, country music stemmed from this celtic stuff anyway... don´t believe me?? Go out and rent Songcatcher."

I have no problem with any of this. I was talking somewhat historically. Back in the 50s and 60s as the folk revival burgeoned, folkies started looking at their own rich traditions; Ireland and Scotland had their celtic musics, America had its dust-bowl ballads and blues and appalachan traditions and so forth. New Zealand folkies, NZ being a much younger country, struggled a bit to find a traditional identity in their music. We tended to look straight past characters like Tex Morton and Cole Wilson because they were a bit recent, a bit twee and maybe, a bit naff. Paul Metsers wrote Farewell to the Gold to get the ball rolling in the NZ folk songwriters' camp, Neil Colquhoun collected some songs of a young country. Phil Garland wrote, resurrected and reconstructed contemporary and other material and so did Martin Curtis (these are the most noteable I can think of, there were heaps of others). We looked at our fields of gold and gum for old songs. But meanwhile, perhaps from as early as the 20's, there was a mainstream music that was being played in parlours, theatres, pubs and shanties that was "ordinary" and played with instruments of the day. A lot of formal music was based around the piano, but those songs that were based around more portable stringed instruments were undeniably "country" in sound.

Now whatever you choose as your folk music is absolutely fine by me whether it's based on a tradition or not. But when you're talking about the indigenous music of this country (with a respectful nod to the tangata whenua), it's country music that has been the mainstream music of the dock worker, the stockman, the tramp, the soldier, the miner and the digger.

An Interview with Phil Garland

I shared the stage with Phil at the Hokonui Moonshiner's Festival in Gore last weekend and I took the oportunity to ask him a few questions:

Perhaps more than Neil Colquhoun or any of the other veteran collectors of NZ folk songs and lore, you are the most well known and respected. What do you credit this to?

Stickability is the buzz word! Hopefully it's because I've been steadily collecting, researching, recording and performing for over 40 years now and if one keeps persisting with something you really love, then eventually you must get noticed. I do maintain a high profile and consequently manage to entertain all manner of audiences throughout New Zealand and Australia. Fortunately most of them all seem to like what I do.

Tell us about your recording label, Kiwi Pacific and your relationship with them. How many albums have you recorded?

It's an interesting relationship. I first joined forces with them back in the early 1970s - the original deal was done with the shake of a hand and they've been looking after me for some 35 years or more. They used to pick up the expense tab for all my recordings, but that changed after "How Are You. Mate?" in 1990. Since then I've either had to self finance all my projects or find sponsorship from other sources. Kiwi still take care of cover design, packaging and pressing, so I consider myself quite fortunate in this regard. If the albums didn't turn a profit, then I'm sure I'd have been an indie artist long ago.

I've recorded some 16 albums in all mostly with Kiwi Pacific bar one and been involved with or contributed to a further 6 with other companies over the years.

Your latest CD has a Southland theme. What brought this on? How much of this material is your own?

I was commissioned by Creative Southland to research and write appropriate material related to a tourism package combining arts and heritage trails around Southland. I wrote 8 songs for the Southern Odyssey project, and included a couple of trad songs plus some appropriate material from the likes of Paul Metsers, Dusty Spittle, Helen Henderson and Brendon Fairbairn.
The project isn't finished yet - I understand there are still another seven trails to come on board, which means I may well have to write some more songs in the near future.

You have a fairly simple, no nonsense approach to recording your songs. Do you worry that your recordings may become dated or is that consistency a plus for your audience?

Yes I try keep things as simple as possible in the studio. I normally record my voice and guitar at the same time, which I think helps give it a better feel of "live" performance - it sometimes requires a little more effort in miking up to obtain the best results, but it is the way I work best. I have had some very understanding musicians working alongside me over the years and I'm very grateful for their ongoingsupport.

I do my best to work within the parameters and boundaries of the tradition. I don't want to compromise my ideals too much, although I must admit I have made use of modern techniques when recording my backing artists. My feelings are that if the technology is available then why not use it.

I have never worried about my recordings becoming dated - I'm sure they must do over time, especially given the rate of modern technological advancements. If I started to worry unduly about such things then I'd probably never get anything started or finished. Regarding 'consistency' it's not something I've consciously thought about, but there may well be a stream of consistency lurking within!

I really can't answer for my audiences, although to be fair I have had the occsional person say they preferred an earlier and simpler arrangement of a song, to a more modern up to date treatment of the same piece.

I know you sell albums overseas. Is there a good level of interest in your material outside of New Zealand? What other artists recorded your songs?

There is a good level of interest overseas and in this regard a number of people make contact searching out my recordings of New Zealand songs. This has certainly been helped by the world wide presence of my website,enabling me to sell to people in countries I've never been to. Interestingly, whenever I perform at specialised outdoor events and a queue forms to buy albums afterwards - I can guarantee that over 90% of those purchasers are from overseas - In many ways I feel the cultural cringe is still alive and well in Aotearoa New Zealand.

There are a number of overseas artists, who have either incorporated my songs into their performing reperotires or in some instances even recorded them. A few that immediately come to mind are Gordon Bok and Schooner Fare in the USA - Martyn Wyndham Read and The McCalmans in the UK as well as such artists as Wongawilli Bush Band, Leaping Lizards, The Pioneers, Denis & Lynne Tracey, all of whom are from Australia. Graham Wilson - Mike Harding - The Worsfolds - Shona Lang and The Pog Band [oh yeah, that's right - Ed] all recorded something of mine down the years for which I'm eternally grateful as well.

What is your vision for New Zealand folk music and folklore?

I would like to see New Zealand folklore and music incorporated into the education syllabus and eventually made available as a fully fledged folklore studies unit in the Universities. I long to see more Kiwi songs being sung in schools and more people being exposed to our wonderful musical heritage. Radio NZ is the only network that does lend real support to the music via The National Programme. I'm convinced that if more people were made aware of the music it would start achieving better listening levels Maybe even better use of such music at overseas promotions marketing New Zealand. I live in hopes!

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Thanks Phil. You can see Phil on YouTube here and visit his website here.