By ALANA MITCHELSON
Anglesea Music Festival volunteers are hosting a music night next month to raise funds to support their Australia Day weekend all-day event.
Local favourite Chris Wilson will perform at Anglesea Hotel on 4 December, with a string of other musical acts battling it out to secure a place in the AMF line-up at 6.30pm.
The festival itself will kick off on 23 January from 11am at Ellimatta Reserve in Anglesea, with headliners Mick Thomas of Weddings Parties Anything, Jimi Hocking, Geoff Achison, Cleveland Blues as well as Bellarine’s Chris Wilson. His talented sons Fenn Wilson, 19, and George Wilson, 16, will also join him on the main stage.
AMF director Karren Stoneham is a singer and has been a music teacher for 18 years. She used to host open mic nights, known as Anglesea Live, which eventually grew so popular that the concept developed into a festival.
Next year’s event is expected to attract another huge crowd and Ms Stoneham said it could sell out.
“Every year we receive more applications from musicians who want to audition to perform on the day,” she said.
“It becomes tougher each year. There are so many fantastic performers.”
Two main stages will feature the headlining acts, while three other stages will showcase solos and duos, up and coming musicians and buskers.
A community market will feature local community group stalls and locally made arts and crafts.
Musicians will lead a number of instrumental workshops. Andrew Davern, who will take the didgeridoo workshop, moved to North East Arnhem Land in 2000 to live among the Yolngu Indigenous people for two years. Mr Davern was adopted by an elder who taught him how to make didgeridoos and share their tradtional style of playing in a contemporary way.
“The festival is all about community and sharing what’s in our own backyards with tourists and to highlight Anglesea, the Surf Coast and surrounding towns,” Ms Stoneham said.
“We are so proud of the line-up this year. We believe this is one of the strongest and most diverse group of performers to appear in Australia at a one-day community festival.”
Tickets are on sale at moshtix.com.au, with early bird tickets available until the end of November. Entry for children aged 11 and under is free.
To volunteer, visit www.angleseamusicfestival.com.au and click ‘apply’.
