Read the Illawarra Mercury article on us and the Acoustic Cafe
Sep 13, 2012 • Nick Payne
We’re super pleased to be featured in the Good Life section of today’s Illawarra Mercury.
Thanks to Ivy Fleming for her kind words and Andy Zakeli for the photo! We've reprinted the article here so other folks can read it.
All words and images belong to the Illawarra Mercury.
Nick & Lyn
Full details for the gig are as follows.
Dear Orphans + Rebecca Moore + Mem Davis & The Kindred Spirits @ Acoustic Cafe
7pm Saturday September 15
Wollongong Town Hall
Cnr Crown and Kembla Streets
Wollongong NSW
Tickets available at the Wollongong Town Hall box office or online here
http://sa2.seatadvisor.com/sabo/servlets/TicketRequest?presenter=AUPVMPL&event=ACAFE
Acoustic Cafe Sessions
An intimate setting with dim lights, cafe tables, bean bags, candles, wall art installations, a fully licensed bar, coffees and cakes... just add music.
These are the ingredients that make for Wollongong Town Hall’s first Acoustic Cafe.
An idea born from discussion between town hall centre manager Claire Roberts and musician Mem Davis, the Acoustic Cafe will come to life on Saturday, September 15.
The Acoustic Cafe will transform the multi-purpose room of the town hall into a space to showcase musicians and local artists.
“We like playing in rooms and environments where everyone’s together
The first gig will feature Sydney act Dear Orphans and locals Rebecca Moore and Mem Davis & The Kindred Spirits.
Dear Orphans’ Lyn Taylor and Nick Payne say they are looking forward to performing at the Acoustic Cafe.
“We like playing in rooms and environments where everyone’s together,” Payne says.
“I can have a conversation with the audience and talk to people in the front rows.”
“And that way they’re more likely to listen,” Taylor adds with a laugh.
The Sydney songwriting couple teams up with three others to deliver a blend of bluegrass that, as Nick describes it, is about “cowboys and road trips.”
“And Lyn writes the love songs and sad songs,” he adds.
Payne, a former Woonona lad, agrees that intimate acoustic settings are far and few between in the Illawarra.
Depending on the turn-out to this gig, more Acoustic Cafe performances may be held.
“Wollongong has many musicians, it’s great to create space for acoustic music,” Roberts, a musician herself, says.
“We are fortunate to have some wonderful musicians and artists in the Illawarra and this is the ideal venue to combine both concepts.”
The line-up of music offers great variety, from the bluegrass of Dear Orphans, to Rebecca Moore’s ancient folk music traditions combined with powerful rock instrumentation and Mem Davis’ sounds of alt-country, folk, blues, bluegrass and indie.
A portion of the proceeds from the Acoustic Cafe event will be donated to Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia, which offers care for women who suffer obstetric fistula, caused by prolonged obstructed labour.
These women also endure shame and marginalisation as a result of their condition.
Roberts says the plan is for different local and overseas acts to gain from future performances at the Acoustic Cafe.
Courtesy Illawarra Mercury