45th Top Half Review by Gareth Evans
Review of the 45th Top Half Folk Festival written by Gareth Evans and published in The Centralian Advocate Friday June 12 2015. Folk Festival hits right note The Queen’s Birthday long weekend once again saw the Territory’s favourite boutique musical event, the Top Half Folk Festival, take over Glen Helen for two days of amazing music. Now in its 45th year, the Top Half Folk Festival attracted more than 250 people from around Australia to catch the likes of Ted Egan, Edan Baxter, Colin Lillie, Timber & Steel, Margaret Walters, Sally Balfour, and headliners Fanny Lumsden &...
Read MoreYoutube clip of Bloodwood Progeny
Kirsty Robinson (nee Evans) Gareth Evans & Sally Balfour performing as Bloodwood Progeny with their “tribute” to their parent’s band Bloodwood Video courtesy of Sarah Evans Photo by Jude Mapleson...
Read More43rd Top Half Folk Festival by Hugh McDonald
A Small Festival in the Top Half of Australia. I flew into Alice Springs from Melbourne to perform at the Top Half Folk festival with my two guitars, an overnight bag and my usual mixture of anticipation and apprehension. I was excited to be the “headline” act for the first time in my solo career. I’d experienced this many times previously as a member of Redgum, both in the ’80’s and more recently with our new band, the “Vagabond Crew”, but this was different, I was on my own and felt considerable pressure to deliver the goods. No sooner than I had touched down...
Read More43rd Top Half Review by Jeff Corfield
Review of the 43rd Top Half Folk Festival by Jeff Corfield 18/6/2013 Pictures by Gordon Young Just like good old Cooper’s Sparkling Ale it was cloudy but fine when we pulled into Glen Helen for our first ever Top Half Folk Festival in the spectacular McDonnell Ranges west of Alice Springs. It’s been a long time between Top Half drinks for me – 9 years in fact – and the last time Mary River 2004 I supplied the bloody drinks, at my Wort’s and All home brew workshop that year. Since then distance, work and commitments to our own local Palm Creek Folk Festival (held the same weekend) have...
Read More42nd Top Half Review by David Evans
The 42nd Top Half Folk Festival Mary River June 2012 “Tell me Dad, what is a Top Half Folk Festival? “Well son, it’s like this: a group of like minded musicians and friends from all over the Territory get together with another group of musicians and friends from all over Australia and they play music, and they drink, and they talk, and they recite poetry, and they play music, and they drink, and they talk, and they recite poetry, and occasionally they eat and sleep.” “And they have been doing this for 42 years!?!?!?!?” “They have, and I suspect that, livers willing, they might be doing it...
Read More