The N(S)FF - Music

It is pleasing to report that there was some good music to be had at the Festival. Here follow some comments on the various acts that we saw.
  • The Fagans: Judging by the number of times members of this family appeared on the program it is possible to hypothesise that the first 'F' in NFF stands for Fagan. All excellent musicians but very, very earnest.
  • Old Man Luedecke: A Canadian banjo player. Good player, good singer and a nice line in chat.
  • Alan Kelly Band. A 4 piece outfit from Ireland . Rather good: we saw their act twice and Frances bought three CDs!

  • Bluestone Junction: A bluegrass band of the single Microphone persuasion, and quite good at their work. I saw them in the ABC concert (and we tried to get into a workshop but it was already full).





Charlie McMahon and the Rhythm Organism: Charlie is a one armed (note the metalwork holding the didgeribone) white didgeridoo player, and was accompanied by a cellist and a violin player. very different and rather good.



  • Nano Stern: a Chilean guitarist who was very good at his work, but we left to go elsewhere for reasons which escape me now.



  • Aindrias de Staic: an Irish/Gypsy stand up comedian and fiddle player. Rather like Billy Connolly but with more emphasis on the word pronounced Phuc. That was a tad boring, but his general act - Around the world on Eighty quid - was very funny.





  • Pierre Bensusan: Frances only saw him and thought him good but very quiet.
  • The Jews Brothers band: Again only Frances saw them, but reckoned they were very good. Bought a CD!
  • Warren Fahey and the Larrikins: Historic folk songs from the bush. Quite good but a little earnest despite Warrens jokes and one liners.
  • The Spooky Men's Chorale: the usual humour. A little later Fred Smith, inthe Urban Sea Shanties session,described them as a) the folk scene's answer to the Village People and b) the folk scene's answer to Manpower. The spookies looked affronted but didn't deny the charge. See section on humour!
  • Akoustic Odyssey They write their own songs.
  • The Borderers: Basically 2 Irish persons who seemed to have modelled their act on Annie Lennox and Angus Young (of AC/DC). Hardly folk music and I didn't think they had the talent to pull off the imitation. Write their own songs.
  • The Hot Club of Cowtown: A trio from Austin Texas who were extremely good. Played a very wide range of music, played it very well and seemed to be enjoying themselves: not all earnest. Did a good job on the Hot Club (de Paris - Mr Rheinhart's band) and an eve better number of the Cowtown stuff.

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