Local musicians lead new online festival, Americana on the Bellarine
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Local musicians lead new online festival, Americana on the Bellarine

The shortest lived return to operations in the COVID-19 era.

On Saturday the 20th, Way Out West emailed their supporters to say that they were back in a modified form with a 50 persons limit. That night it was announced that cases had surged with the previous relaxation of restrictions and that it was back to the drawing board. The next day, Sunday, Way Out West sent an email to say that as a result they would not be reopening.

My heart goes out to them for having to deal with that. The only reason our local Sleepy Hollow Blues Club was not in that situation, was that Trades Hall can only take 26 (including bands and committee) and our committee rightly decided that was just ridiculous.

So, in this less than happy and vibrant environment, it’s amazingly good to hear of a new Festival just starting up, right here in our backdoor.

Americana on the Bellarine Online Festival is a bringing together of five gifted performers, story-tellers and songwriters.

We’re talking about a range of performers who encompass the genres of blues, roots, folk, rock, alt-country, even gospel and bluegrass. The end result when woven together is a distinctive roots-oriented sound which often lives a world apart from the pure forms of those very genres.

The artists are from Geelong and the Bellarine: Sarah Carroll, Wayne Jury, Andrea Robertson, Nathan Seeckts and Gretta Ziller.

Sarah Carroll has performed at most of Australia’s high-profile festivals and a good many of its pubs over a 30 year career, and is noted for her work with GIT, The Pirates Of Beer, The Junes and The Cartridge Family. Her songs chime with sincerity and come straight from her big, brave heart.

Wayne Jury is more than blues. Recognised as a multitalented tunesmith. His versatility as a performer sees him at ease with ensembles or solo, delving deep into soul, jazz, and rock to combine these genres with his distinctive voice, style, and performance.

Andrea Robertson’s vocals fuse together blues, roots, folk and country with a dash of rock; all with a highly appealing and slightly vintage vibe. Much like the ebb and flow of the ocean, her music is varying, emotive and thoroughly engaging.

Nathan Seeckts is a powerful singer songwriter who effortlessly fuses the sounds of Americana, folk, country & blues delivered with a commanding voice that is equal parts gravel & passion. His songs feature intricate, heartfelt storytelling that echo loudly and honestly from personal experience.

Gretta Ziller’s sound may bear the hallmarks of classic Americana music but its essence is far more diverse. The Melbourne songstress’ roots span jazz, blues, rock, pop and classical, and that eclectic musical upbringing is reflected in the varied tracks on this new collection.

How much does it cost? Well that’s another sign of the times. It’s a “pay what you can” gig. Pay what you can, think about that. This opens up a range of possibilities. Just imagine! You could charge yourself hundreds for the tickets and complain that the Doritos were stale, and the coffee was instant!

Bookmark the time – Sunday 5 July 2020 at 3pm to 5pm and get a ticket through Trybooking.

You can view the event on Facebook here.

Written by Dr John Lamp