Newstead is a tiny, one pub hamlet just west of Castlemaine - basically a main street with one cross road and a few houses surrounded by a flood levy to protect it from the Loddon River. The main venues were the community centre, the Troubadour tent and the Uniting church as well as a couple of smaller venues. It was my first music festival (except for Tamworth last year where i didn't really hear any music) and the artists were all unknown to me - which was good because I went without any expectations and was blown away by what I heard.
There was plenty of variety in music styles and something for everyone: a band that might be considered rock, another that was country (but not too country); a spoon player; poetry performances; an instrument made from a huge gourd with strings made of fishing line - except one which was a whipper snipper line, and you should have heard the sweet music that mysterious African instrument made. There was a singer who could imitate a trombone - and I swear you'd think it was a trombone - geez she was good; a harmonica played like you've never heard before; music inspired by Africa, the Middle East, Ireland and South America; a young man who sang a protest song that you'd swear Bob Dylan wrote - and on it went.
What struck me the most was probably the youth of the majority of the performers and the incredible pool of talent there is - particularly amongst the women singers. The harmonies at times were breathtaking.
The event was well organised, the weather was simply perfect (cold at night though!) and the word of the day was definintely "entertainment". The atmosphere was low key, relaxed, friendly and most definitely FUN and being 1 hour 50 minutes drive away it was just a tad closer than Tamworth!
Heather
