Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival Kangaroo Valley – 14th to 16th October 2022

review by Tony Smythe

For the briefest of moments the clouds dispersed and the sun shone through on Kangaroo Valley. The heaviest of rain, following on from COVID, had pretty much decimated the circuit all year. However this October there was just enough dry to allow the crews to bump in and set up one of the few folk festivals for 2023. The result made for a sight we’d not seen for a few years: The Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival!

Having slowly made our way down the mountain from the Southern Highlands we arrived mid morning, several hours after opening acts for the Saturday and made our way to the Marquee. The Bushwackers were in full force and still very much led by the longstanding Roger Corbett and Dobe Newton. A perennial crowd favourite, their stories evoke an era long gone and yet strangely still present due to the timelessness of their songs. Hearing Dobe regale the origins of I Am Australian in an inner city kitchen in Melbourne reminds us of the strong connections between our country and the city.

It’s a wonderful festival to navigate with all stages visible from one another yet spaced enough to not create any sound clash. From the distance we could see crowds converging on La Petite Grande, a very cute and carnival like rotunda that best resembled a travelling folk stage. Inside local South Coast band We Mavericks were peacefully serenading everyone with their quiet folk funk and ambient soul. It was relaxing and the perfect accompaniment to the craft beer I was holding in my hand.

Just as they were wrapping up and people starting moving to another act on another stage, I overheard the stage manager mention to someone that the next act was from the “Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia!” With that I motioned to the family to stay seated as we weren’t going anywhere, or maybe it was more like “after you get those donuts make sure you come right back!” Kids and music festivals can often be counter intuitive but so long as there’s a steady stream of sweet things, as a parent you can still enjoy sweet music. The Whitetop Mountaineers is made up of the duo, Martha Spencer and Jackson Cunningham and they are the real deal. Very much the kind of Appalachian act you’d imagine given the area’s rich folk tapestry. A sprawling cry of southern vocals mixed with finger picking melodies, it was easy to be swept up in the mountains, feeling the dirt between your toes.

In addition to rolling bush jams at the outdoor cafeteria to didgeridoo workshops amongst the trees and Macedonian dancing we found our way to Pavilion for Melanie Horsnell who we’ve followed since she first played live on the radio. Her softly unique and diverse range of vocal accompanied by a more complex guitar sound than most folk performers makes for a special performance. Horsnell is the kind of artist who performs equally in a band or on her own and her solo songs in French conjure up the image of a late night chanteuse on the streets of Paris.

The folks at Kangaroo Valley have been under siege since the bushfires of 2019 with a never-ending barrage of challenging conditions, the likes of which would leave most to simply pack up and go home. But the Valley is their home and for a weekend in October it becomes our home. After all that musicians and fans have endured since 2020, the Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival reminded each other of the power of music and community, leaving only one thing more to say. It’s good to be home.