7.00 p.m. Saturday 26 October 2024, Everglades Club
Mimosa Duo, one of Australia’s most exciting and accomplished acts, make a much anticipated and very welcome return to the Troubadour.
Phoebe O’Shea (violin and vocals) and Morgan Haselden (guitar), are brilliant, internationally accomplished musicians from the Central Coast. Their music is a unique and colourful collage of gypsy jazz with classy servings of French parlour, Argentinian tango, Celtic rhythms, Cuban son and classical music – all served with truly creative originality and very healthy dose of humour.
Since they first teamed up while training at the Sydney Conservatorium in classical music they have lived and performed in France, embraced in the heart of Gypsy Jazz. They have toured all over Australia and New Zealand and beyond as entertainers on luxury cruise lines, at the Opera House main stage, at numerous festivals and for literally hundreds of events.
Great music that breaks down all the borders! Don’t miss this.
Double Treat: Jack n Jel n Mac n Wal AND RareTreats in one enchanted night of great musical harmony. Troubadour Folk presents two of the most inspiring bands to have emerged from the fringe folk scene in Australia, on one night.
Jack n Jel n Mac n Wal are a four part harmony band full of rich vocals, originals songs and covers that are a bit country, jazzy and prog rock. from Newcastle and the Hunter. Mark Jackson and Jane Jelbart with Mac and Wal are a rare commodity: performers who can teach, teachers who can perform; multi-instrumentalists (guitar, bass, banjo, and trumpet) but particularly ukulele. Their original song writing is tender, toe-tapping and often silly!
RareTreats, from the Central Coast is a four piece, multi-instrumental band with four part harmonies. Instruments include keyboard, guitar, mandolin, ukulele, suitcase percussion. Presenting original material from their CD, “On the Streets” and other uncovered great music as a rare treat for listeners.
JAC n JEL n MAC n WAL
Jack, Jel, Mac and Wal are a four part harmony band full of rich vocals, originals songs and covers that are a bit country, jazzy and prog rock. Based in the Newcastle and Hunter region, they are a rare commodity: performers who can teach, teachers who can perform; multi-instrumentalists (guitar, bass, banjo, and trumpet) but particularly ukulele. Their original song writing is tender, toe-tapping and often silly! At home Mark and Jane (their real names) run 9 weekly ukestra/choir sessions (i.e. post covid), and they also have built an international reputation for ukestration workshops.
Check them out here:
RARE TREATS
RareTreats is a four piece multi vocal, multi instrumental band from the Central Coast. With Cec Bucello (founding Troubadour member and publisher of Trad and Now Magazine), Trudy van Laar (Troubadour Committee), Greg Frohlich and Terry Carlan (both retired teachers) and Dave Rowe (Blues Ranglers), they are a joyful and talented group who enjoy performing close to the audience as well as on stage. Together they combine intricate four-part singing harmonies with accompaniments on an amazing range of instruments that include keyboard, guitars, mandolin, ukulele, suitcase percussion, and a classic old banjo mandolin that never needs tuning and still plays like new!
RareTreats are experienced musicians who have won awards at the National Folk Festival and are loved just about everywhere they have played. With experience from various other bands, they bring a range of zany skills and talent together to present original songs from their recently released CD, “On the Streets”. This album is currently featured on Facebook, YouTube, Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, Bandcamp and other streaming and download sites. They also introduce a few other rarer, often not so well-known musical treats they have found to please listeners who like that sort of thing.
Here they are! Press the link and watch them in performance.
They’ll have your feet tapping, and get people dancing. Most of all however, audiences will enjoy themselves!. Troubadour regulars will know them from their great performances at the Everglades and Club Performance NIghts. If you don’t, come along and hear what you’ve been missing.
One Night| Two incredible string bands with some of Australia’s finger style guitarists and harmonists! Everglades Club Saturday 24 August 2024. Book here: https://www.trybooking.com/CSEZB
Cap in Hand
Cap in Hand are Nigel ‘Muddy’ Walters and Dave ‘Fingers’ Spira – a duo who share a common love of the subtle tones and contrasting dynamics of a wide variety of acoustic instruments, which they blend together to produce a refreshing and enchanting mix of songs and tunes…..both old and new.
Nigel sings, plays cello mandolin, dulcimer, guitar, harmonica, spoons and more….and is well known to Australian music lovers through his work over more than a decade with the iconic Wheeze and Suck Band (subsequently reincarnated as Traditional Graffiti).
Dave plays exquisite finger style acoustic guitar in a range of different tunings.
Nigel and Dave both write their own material as well as drawing on a treasure-chest of traditional and contemporary acoustic music from around the World.
A Cap In Hand gig is typically replete with songs that tell stories and includes a mix of delicately rendered songs and instrumentals, as well as up tempo tunes, singalongs and ‘classics’.
With a repertoire that spans at least six centuries be prepared for an emotional roller-coaster ride that will take you from the ‘deep and meaningful’ to the ‘light and whimsical.’
Craig Sinclair and Friends
Craig Sinclair – with Lara Norman from the Peppercorns
Craig Sinclair was born and bred in the open expanses of Western Australia, and has been delighting audiences across the state for years with his homespun songs, beautifully delivered harmonies and acoustic textures. Craig is also known for his work with the Peppercorns which features Craig Sinclair’s guitar and Lara Norman’s fiddle and mandolin. Whether he plays alone or with friends, audiences across the country have been delighted when Craig brings his beautiful finger style guitar and his rich voice to the stage.
Venue: The Everglades. 7 .00 p.m. Saturday 24 August Tickets just $20 members/ $25 non-members.
One family – One show – One afternoon to remember!
Be part of the musical magic that is Highly Strung Rock Orchestra.
Back by popular demand, join P & O Australia’s favourite musical family, Highly Strung Rock Orchestra at the Troubadour!
On their previous two performances Highly Strung have proven to have immense appeal, filling a large hall at each appearance. And no wonder. With ‘our Mary’, Mary O’Mahony centre stage with her magic fiddle she is surrounded by her peerless peers, her family. Together they present the best and most polished performance you’re ever liklely to see.
They play folk and acoustic music beautifully. Add to the incredible interpreations of traditional jigs, reels some of the great folk rock classics, theynail it with rock musical versions of some of the greatest popular songs of the past 60 years or more. Ther more you see, the more there is to enjoy. You start to understand why everyone wants to see them, again and again.
Back in 80s they were known as HATRICK and were incredibly popular in NSW and across Australia. They’re even better now – Their known by all the best international luxury liner travellers, and they’ve got more experience. And that’s not all, now there’s more of them. They’ve been reproducing and now have an amazing new generation which they’re been quietly adding to the lineup.
Come and see for yourself. Be amazed at their ability to retain the essence of your favourite hits with their unique lineup of guitar, woodwind, strings and vocals. Experience how orchestral instruments blended with guitar, presented by a family, can fill a room with magic!
Lineup;
Mary O’Mahony (McCoy), violin/vocals/recorder
Bernadette McCoy, violin/vocals
Stella McCoy, lead vocal/flute/whistle
Justin McCoy, lead vocal/guitar
Guest musicians; (yes, these are family, too!)
Molly McCoy, violin/vocals
Joey McCoy, guitar
Minnie McCoy, vocals
Tickets: A wonderful winter’s afternoon of the music and companionship for only $30 General Admission; and just $25 for Troubadour members. Book now, while there are still tickets: https://www.trybooking.com/CSEYS
Mic Conway and Robbie Long 7.00 p.m. Saturday 22 June
at the Everglades
TroubadourFolk is proud to bring you the circus of comedy, music and magic that we’ve all been waiting! Mic Conway and Robbie Long present an hilarious array of idiosyncratic songs that will make your jaw drop, toes tap and sides split.
Audiences who know Mic from his days with “Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band” and Circus Oz will be delighted by this incarnation: Mic as storyteller of tall tales and true. There are new songs and some oldies close to Conway’s heart. Together with the gifted Robbie they croon and play heart-breaking versions great songs, dispense good advice on how to “Never Bite a Married Woman on the Thigh” and revisit Captain Matchbox classics such as “My Canary Has Circles Under His Eyes” And then there’s “Masochism Tango”. There’s magic, juggling, cavorting and that trademark tongue-in-cheek sense of humour. Stripped back, irreverent, and shameless… it’s surreal vaudeville for crooning and swooning.
Troubadour Folk at Pearl Beach: Sunday 9 June, 2.30 p.m.
The Troubadour Folk Club is brimming with talented musicians and poetry reciters who gather each month to perform for each other at a performers night in Empire Bay. You may have seen some of them opening concerts at the Troubadour for some of the famed visiting musicians who come to grace our stage.
On Sunday afternoon, 9 June, the long weekend, we’ll be heading to Pearl Beach where they’ll be presenting a fabulous afternoon of Folk and Acoustic Music, Rhythm and Blues in a fund raiser for Pearl Beach hall and for the Troubadour Club.
The program includes performances from:
Aubrey & Purton
The Night Owls
The Melelukers
Arch Bishop
Michael Fine & Mary O’Mahony
Phil & Lynnette Rich
Bill Young
Rare Treats (Trudy Hurley and Cec Bucello)
So came and spend a delightful Sunday afternoon with some of the best live folk and acoustic music you’re likely to see. This is Rhythm & Blues Concert with heart and soul. Old songs, new songs and some great spoken word. Real Live Music and good old bush poetry like it should be.
You’ll enjoy the café style performance with tea, coffee available. This is the real thing – a folk cafe!
Tickets are just $25, and $15 for members of the Troubadour.Spend a fabulous afternoon with some of the best folk and acoustic music performers you’re seen in years. A Rhythm & Blues Concert with heart and soul. Old songs, new songs and some great spoken word. Real Live Music and good old bush poetry like it should be. This is the real thing!
Forceful, funny, powerful and poetic, Ami Williamson is a Folk Singer/Songwriter like no other!
Ami is one of those rare female singers. While her roots are firmly in the tradition of singer/songwriter, her richly diverse upbringing had Ami taking the stage not only in opera and classical, but also touring with her father, legendary country music artist John Williamson.
Both her grandparents were classical singers and sang duets (Soprano and Tenor) for ABC Radio in the 1930-60s. Ami grew up listening to her grandparents sing at home and on stage in musicals and classical oratorio. But it was John Williamson her father/their son who began to write songs and brought a creativity to the vocal tradition of the Williamson’s.
A classically trained singer/multi-instrumentalist & graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and Ensemble Acting Studios; Ami brings audiences to their feet with her unique combination of music and theatre. Ami has performed for the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and toured nationally with folk icon, Eric Bogle.
As a much loved and well respected artist on the Australian music scene, Ami has enjoyed regular headline engagements at all the major festivals including Port Fairy Folk Festival, Woodford Folk Festival and the National Folk Festival as well completing several national tours and regular cruises.
“Ami Williamson is a genius, she’s just so musical and my favorite act at the Port Fairy Folk Music Festival” – International folk icon Judy Collins
“Nothing scares her, she’s fearless on stage!” – Joan Baez
“I cried, I laughed- then both at the same time – one woman show at it’s best”– The Sydney Morning Herald
“What do you get when you mix an entertainer with a songwriter? An ex-opera singer with a comedian? A folk singer with a set of drums? A show girl with a poet?….. Ami Williamson!” – The Canberra Times
“Ami is my newest most favorite performer! She is brilliant. I don’tknow where to start…..her songs, her voice, her musicianship, herHUMOUR, her frock, her hair or just everything!!!”– Todd McKenney
Nerida Cuddy is a singer songwriter from Central West NSW. Capturing stories in finely crafted lyrics and emotive melodies, she sings from the heart with both a social conscience and a sense of humour. s an evocative writer whose songs reflect emotional depth, breathing the landscape of rural Australia. Described as “a central west Mary Black”, her story-based concerts create space for connection and reflection, humour and fun.
She has been in increasing demand as a performer over the past few years, with gigs, folk club and festival performances in NSW and Victoria, as well as shared songwriter concerts with the likes of Enda Kenny, Bruce Watson, Fred Smith, Snez and Craig Sinclair. Her audience grew significantly during the COVID years with online zooms and performances in the UK, USA and NZ which continue to this day. Last year she toured some of those clubs and festivals in the UK. She also recently completed a tour in outback NSW.
For over 25 years, Nerida’s songs have connected her with people from all walks of life. Her stories-in-song are a well-balanced mix of bittersweet tales of life with tasty lashings of humour, generous and fun. Detailed guitar accompanies her warm & passionate voice.
“A composer & musician with not only an ear for music, but a social conscience and a sense of humour.” — ABC Central West
“Nerida lives and breathes the landscape of central western New South Wales – as Australian as fencing wire – but the themes are universal. Nerida’s songs are enriched by her warm tones and clear diction and are complemented on her album by tasteful accompaniments and harmonies.” – Margaret Walters, NSW Folk Federation
Presidents Report 26 October 2023, Everglades Club, Woy Woy
Michael Fine, President
Another successful year for the Troubadour, and that brings us to another AGM. It’s an opportunity to reflect on what we achieved and to thank all of those who have contributed. It’s also a time think about our shortcomings and limitations and to prepare for the challenges we face as we plan for the coming year and those beyond.
When I look back at our program over the past year, it brings many great memories to mind. It is tempting to just relive the memories of so many fabulously memorable concerts and brought together so many wonderful people. I recall the joy, pleasure and the warmth of friends and success, the excitement of the special performances, the sense of satisfaction and relief that it all came off well after another night of the Troubadour applies is magnified when I look back over another whole year. Behind it all, of course, lies a mountain of unpaid work and a tangle of people and connections that enable it all to happen. That’s what I’d like to turn to next.
In financial terms, we can see that the club is doing reasonably well. It not just a small group of music lovers, but it has become quite a significant non-profit enterprise. Turnover this year exceeded $20,000, with the great bulk of that going to pay musicians who performed. Most of the significant remainder was needed to pay for the venues we hired.
As in the previous two years, in the wake of the Covid19 crisis, almost all the performers at the grand concerts in the Everglades were from Australia. But for the first time since 2020 we have also hosted performances from a few intrepid troubadours from overseas, many slotting into a house concert spot. George Mann from USA performed at the Everglades with the Solidarity Choir, while Steve Turner, Alistair Brown and the grand veteran, Martyn Wyndam-Read, each from a different part of the UK, gave us a house concert. In the past year, we’ve also enjoyed some of the most popular and best attended events in our club’s recent history, with the concerts from (ex-Seeker) Keith Potger drawing over 160 paid attendees, while those from Enda Kenny was close to 100. Details of all our monthly grand concerts and other paid performances are set out in the Treasurer’s report.
A feature of the club’s program of concerts in 2022-23 has been the need to draw a sizeable audience in order to pay for relatively high costs of the halls we hire at the Everglades Club. This also provides an opportunity for other artists, as increasingly we have sought to engage a support artist or group for the larger concerts. This year, we also put on a night of shanty singing as part of the Central Coast Music Festival. This memorable and well attended event, for which we engaged Margaret Walters, Forty Degrees South and the Redfern Shanty Crew, was supported by a grant of $1,000 from the Central Coast Council, as part of the Festival.
Another successful development has been the continuation of the Club Performers Nights, held monthly at Empire Bay community Hall. These have provided an opportunity for club members and other local artists to perform a short set with a live audience in a café-like setting. There is also a blackboard listing opportunity for anyone attending to perform a single song. The variety of newcomers from the Central Coast and beyond, some established musicians, others trying out the experience of performing for the first or second time, has been particularly pleasing.
The club has also continued with two sessions a month – one now held on the first Friday night of each month at the Anglican Church in Woy Woy, the other in Kariong Eco-Garden on the third Sunday afternoon. Convened by Hugh Worrall, these have been well attended throughout the year.
To publicise the events, the club has also commenced a subscription for a fortnightly notice to be published in each edition of the Peninsula News. We have also continued and extended our community partnership with Radio 50+, 93.3FM, who assist with regular on-air notifications of many of our concerts. Other publicity comes from press-releases that lead to published articles in the our local Central Coast newspapers – Coast Community News (occasionally) and Peninsula News (monthly), as well as from distribution of publicity handouts by email, at concerts and wherever possible.
We have much to be proud of, as a local non-profit community based club. Our links with the NSW Folk Federation, too, are significant. But there are also challenges. While the move to the Everglades and Empire Bay Hall have been beneficial, accommodation remains a major cost and uncertainty and we will need to take steps in the coming years to put it on a more affordable and secure basis. Others challenges include the need for ongoing renewal of our club’s undoubted vitality. Attracting a good audience across a range of age groups and ensuring our profile is recognised across the Central Coast region and beyond continues to be important. We also need to continue to enhance opportunities for creative and engaged lives for those in the community, no matter what age group.
Supporting the club’s activities this year has been a vigorous and accomplished team. I’d like to finish by acknowledging them. MaryAnne Howland, is our intrepid secretary and manages the monthly club performers nights along with Hugh Worrall, Mike Madden and Jeff Wille. Mike and Jeff are also our sound technicians for our grand concerts and are the envy of every other folk club in NSW. Hugh Worrall, our Vice-President, is inspiring in so many ways, but especially with the sessions, the Performance Nights and with lighting, brightening up all major performances. And Ina Fine, our treasurer and behind the scenes club manager, is indispensable, booking venues, placing advertisements, contacting artists and doing so much more. I can not thank her, or all others on our committee who contribute in so many ways, enough. Finally, I would like to thank our members and audiences for their support and contributions in so many different ways throughout this year.
It leaves us well prepared for this and coming years.
Signed __________Michael Fine
Dated __________26 October, 2023
Report on the Sessions, 2022-23
Hugh Worrall: Session Convenor
We had a great year for sessions. We still have two sessions per month. We started the 1st Friday night of the month sessions at the Anglican Church (where we used to have concerts) and these have been a lot of fun and very popular. We’ve also kept the 3rd Sunday afternoon session each month in the Eco-Garden going and we appear to have broken even financially overall.
The sessions have built on the work of everybody over the years contributing songs to the books. Several people, Jeff, Suraya, Mick and Kaye have done the hard yards of compiling them and putting them in order in five separate books. For the 2023-24 years Jeff has scanned all the music and is creating a downloadable, alphabetical collection to use at the sessions on your tablet and enable you to practice the songs at home. That will be a big step forward.
The unintended benefit of the sessions is that all the $4 or $5 donations people put into the pot each session go to the Kariong Eco-Garden and the Anglican Church Hall, helping these local organisations.
Thanks to everyone for sharing your talent, encouraging each other and bringing snacks to share. It makes the sessions a great place to enjoy the music and each other’s company and improve your playing.
Income $902
Expenditure
Kariong Eco Garden $522
Kariong Hall $40
Anglican Church Hall $300
Total Expenditure $862
Surplus $40
Troubadour Concerts 2022-23
Date
Performers
Venue
Attendance
27-08-22
Hippy Trippy Band
Everglades
67
17-09-22
Central Coast Music Festival: Sea Shanty night
Gosford C.C Leagues
44
24-09-22
Bathtub Gin Orch.
Everglades
79
29-10-22
George Mann + Solidarity choir
Everglades
50
26-11-22
Waterrunners + Docters Wife
Everglades
80
17-12-22
Xmas Concert
Everglades
79
18-01-23
Steve Turner (UK)
House Concert
32
24-02-23
Enda Kenny
Everglades
94
3/05/2023
Alistair Brown (UK)
House Concert
16
18-03-23
Martyn Wyndham Read (UK)
House Concert
24
26-03-23
Keith Potger + Rachel Collis
Everglades
161
18-04-23
Bruce Watson
House Concert
21
27-05-23
Traditional Graffiti
Everglades
76
24-06-23
Corn Nut Creek
Everglades
43
CLUB PERFORMERS NIGHTS: Empire Bay Community HallSecond Saturday each month
Date
Attendance
7/09/2022
27
13/08/2022
27
9/10/2022
33
10/08/2022
19
11/12/2022
27
2/11/2023
23
3/11/2023
25
13/5/2023
33
6/10/2023
31
Troubadour Central Coast Incorporated
Committee 2022-23
President: Michael Fine (MC, Bookings Manager, Website, Facebook page)
Secretary: MaryAnne Howland (Minutes, records, Performers’ Night Mgt, Door manager)
Treasurer: Ina Fine (Accounts and finances; Door manager)
General: Jeff Wille (Sound team)
General: Mike Madden (Sound team)
General: Mary O’Mahony
General: Cally Chambers
General: Michael O’Mahony (Public Officer)
Although it is not necessary for all committee members to be at every event, it is desirable that they attend most events where possible to help keep everyone’s work load to an enjoyable level. A minimum of 3 committee members is required to form a committee.
It is not necessary to be on the committee to take on a role within the club, other than the executive roles of the club. Elected Committee members should be sought initially from members who take on duties of the club.
Roles and Positions in the committee – a brief outline.
President – Chairs meetings, organizes or steps into help others where needed. Organizes MC’s for concerts and events. Organizes the running of functions.
Vice President – Backs up the President and steps in when the President is absent.
Secretary – Keeps records of meetings, membership, and deals with all correspondence. Send out renewals and notices. Ensures that the required number of committee meetings are held throughout the year and liases with committee with date, time and location of meetings.
Treasurer – keeps a record of the financials of the club and pay the bills.
ROLES
Bookings – Books venues, organizes keys for venue, books and liaises with performers. Give information to the publicity and website coordinator.
Catering – organizes supper and cleans the kitchen at the end of the event.
Hospitality – meets & greets visitors at functions. Helps with catering as required.
Infrastructure – Organises to set up and put away chairs & sound equipment at meetings. Helps tidy venue at end of event.
Publicity – Sends out publicity and emails to members, guests, papers, email list distributors. Prepares and distributes flyers. Organizes the taking of photos at each event.
Sound and Lighting teams – Responsible for sound equipment (amps, mikes, other inputs, mixers, speakers) or for lighting at venues.
Website – Maintains the website and keeps information updated.
At times, some roles are filled outside the committee where there is insufficient committee members to fill all the roles. Committee members can also hold multiple roles (or roles can be split between 2 or more people) where there is not sufficient people to take responsibility of all the roles.
