March 10, 2013
The Maidenwell Hotel was transformed into a musicians’ paradise at the weekend, with small groups of singers and guitarists joining together for spontaneous performances.
The three-day Maidenwell Folk Gathering began on Friday evening, continued all day Saturday and wound down on Sunday.
Musicians came from near and far, with many camping in the pub grounds or stopping at the Maidenwell overnight area.
They played on the pub’s lawns and in various parts of the hotel in informal groups.
At any time there were 30 to 40 musicians in the hotel, all playing totally “unplugged”.
Some players also ventured down to the nearby Coomba Falls to practise in a quiet bush setting.
There was also a maracas workshop, teaching participants how to make the iconic Latin American instrument.
Saturday night culminated in a chalkboard concert with feature act “Sydney or the Bush” who had travelled from NSW to perform.
The weekend was organised by Nanango musician “Bunya Nut Ernie”.
Next year’s Gathering will be held at Maidenwell on February 14-16, to coincide with the bunya nut harvest.
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Video by Dave Stripe from Stripe Music
