LIVE/ FOLK CLUB

There are some strange folk hiding in the bush of Brisbane's Alexander Hills.

The Redlands Folk Club meets at Indigiscapes on the first and third Sunday of every month, but the line-up is never that consistent. There are some regulars and always a main act, but the best feature is a blackboard on which anyone can put down their name and perform.

Most regulars have been playing Folk for decades. The Wayfarers have played there since the 60s, and claim to be Brisbane's oldest Folk group (anyone, feel free to correct this statement). The audience was clearly familiar with them, and joined in with most of their songs. I may have been severely out of the loop, but the choruses were easy to pick up on and towards the end I could sing along. The Wayfarers chatted easily with the audience between their pieces, answering questions about their instruments (guitar, banjo, and flat-back octave mandolin) and joking about how Anne Infante's posters managed to get into the male's toilets.



Anne Infante, the next act, is a regular fixture in the club. She doesn't play boisterous sing-a-longs like the Wayfarers, but beautiful ballads like 'The Streets of Forbes' in a sensitive, husky voice accompanied by guitar. Unfortunately, she fell victim to the club's rough equipment, and her voice often died with the mike. At the end of her set, she played tracks that the audience could join in on. She finished with her funny ditty inspired by Jenny Craig ads, with the chorus "I have lost a kilo, a kilo a kilo / I have lost a kilo, I know I will be slim".

John Williams, the banjo player of the Wayfarers, played solo on his guitar and continued his dialogue with the crowd. He played more modern pieces, like 'Cat in the Cradle' and 'If you could read my mind', which was an odd deviation of style. He finished with a song he wrote and Infante added to, with the title and chorus of 'Being a pirate is all fun and games, 'til somebody loses a…' Bill Ellison was next - surprise - another singer with guitar. Like during Infante's set, the mike didn't co-operate. He had a country twang in his singing, and used his guitar as an instrument rather than an accompaniment.

The final act was the duo April Maze: April (AKA Sivan) Agam on cello, guitar and vocals, and Todd Mayhew on guitar and vocal. April was skilled at the cello, and this, plus her smoky voice gave a lounge/bar quality to the songs. Mayhew was just as talented at the guitar, but he faded into the background next to the bizarre sight of a cello doing pop. It's easy to imagine hearing their songs on the radio one day. After some dark songs with the haunting cello, April put down her instrument and she and Mayhew sang the upbeat 'I Love This Life'. April scatted and encouraged the audience to sing "whatever". The eager audience shouted for an encore song, which was the beautiful and relaxed 'Jervis Bay', ending a very diverse Folk Club.

Upside: The main acts are always special and surprising

Downside: How many singers hauling guitars are there?

Crowd: Long-time fans—I was easily the youngest.



Have any readers experienced the wonder and tradition of the Redland's Folk Club? Go, on, we dare you to!