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Surfing The Coldstream.
Yamba N.S..W. is a sleepy town, situated on the East Coast of Australia. At the top end The Pacific Hotel overlooks the Pacific ocean, The road down to the township is about a 1 in 4 gradient which flattens out to accompany surf shops, real estate agencies a variety of coffee shops and takaways.
A small cricket ground features opposite the bowling club 5 blocks at the end of the CBD.
Dom Ferry a veteran street performer and truck builder has been living there with his partner Jane for the last 5 years or so.
It wasn’t a surprise to get the phone call that he was going to organise a festival in this little sleepy secret paradise.
“ I’m in” I said, relising that if Dom was organising something it was gonna be good.
“Infact it was bigger than big” Dom exclaimed afterwards.describing what started off as a street performing festival, and ended a huge celebration of workshops and a masquarade of performing Arts.
J.P. Priestly, Mr Spin, The Parafinalien and myself were hired as the street performing element of this festival, Surfing the Coldstream. www.surfingthecoldstream.com.au
The logo of a thong/jandal/flip-flop bent into a wave was everywhere. They had a thong totem pole, percussion and music workshops with thongs and plastic pipes.
At the opening party we found ourselve kicking footballs, drinking red wine and eating barbe’d prawns,
It ended up back at the Pacific hotel to watch and dance to the band seeing Jason Campbell the old school breaker jamming footwork with Mr Spin, a former ballerina was a sight in itself.
There were workshops from 8am everyday, some of the people had worked with local schools for weeks beforehand. Viewing an outcome I saw Jason and his crew on the main stage Sunday night when 60 school kids, floor moves and hip hop beats it brought tears to my eyes.
This was just before the The Clarence Valley Conservatorium Sinfonia Orchestra (twenty-six piece) took the stage!
Meanwhile you’d see the LOngyard Side show,
Mortimer and Matt Kelly with thier great big storybook show featuring marionettes and interactive play.
People were bussed up the steep hill to our evening spot a grass ampitheatre with the pacific ocean as a backdrop.
As Mr Spin and I surveyed the site waiting for the people, we noticed the ground was moving, looking closer, we saw 100,000’s of ants. The perfect pitch, on an ant hill !!!
As no-one could sit we moved over to the high ground and played.
There was a stage in the middle of the blocked off street, there you’d see belly dancers shaking, as electro dideridoo music wafted round the corner from OKA.
I looked on and saw a giant ant. Yeh for real ! Dom had hired ERTH to do interactive walk, they had also been working with the schools culminating in a Festival highlight event "Light The Night" a parade down through the township on Saturday night accompanied by The Samba-Blisstas & Carnaval Drummers.
Waiting for Guinness, a gypsy, funk, Irish band had just finished a massive set as Allan Parafinalien took the people on a visual ride with worldclass fire twirling, closing with pyros on sticks.
Walking down the hill carrying a huge meat tray I had just won in the pub raffle I saw the boss.
“Dom can you do something with this?” I asked, showing him the tray.
“Raffle it off or lets have a bbq tomorrow night”
It was put on ice and from this authors view was never seen again. My first meat raffle win, well I’m sure it went to good use.
Sunday morning, the streets and cricket ground were full of market stalls. Organic carrots, original artworks, bells, beads, candles and incense were being sold. It was hot and early, the street shows were sweaty but the crowds were generous.
The wrap party started around 11pm Sunday night with Mortimer on mandaline and Jeremy on TeaChest base playing classic Aussie bush hits.
Compering, I introduced J.P. who juggled and apple ate, after the break Mr Spin came out and smashed ‘em !
Just as we were setting up the muso’s for the Jam off the bar closed, yep that was it, it was 1am. It had been a massive weekend for audiences, organisers and performers alike, everyone was knackered.
A dozen or so of us banged some guitars and drank some wine on the anthill for a few hours, before retiring.
Well done Dom, you’ve started a monster, I have nothing but praise for you and your team.
Fantasic stuff, from the pick-up at the airport to getting me the ocean view room.
thanks, great gig.
p.s. What happened to the meat tray ?
Nickolas
Yamba N.S..W. is a sleepy town, situated on the East Coast of Australia. At the top end The Pacific Hotel overlooks the Pacific ocean, The road down to the township is about a 1 in 4 gradient which flattens out to accompany surf shops, real estate agencies a variety of coffee shops and takaways.
A small cricket ground features opposite the bowling club 5 blocks at the end of the CBD.
Dom Ferry a veteran street performer and truck builder has been living there with his partner Jane for the last 5 years or so.
It wasn’t a surprise to get the phone call that he was going to organise a festival in this little sleepy secret paradise.
“ I’m in” I said, relising that if Dom was organising something it was gonna be good.
“Infact it was bigger than big” Dom exclaimed afterwards.describing what started off as a street performing festival, and ended a huge celebration of workshops and a masquarade of performing Arts.
J.P. Priestly, Mr Spin, The Parafinalien and myself were hired as the street performing element of this festival, Surfing the Coldstream. www.surfingthecoldstream.com.au
The logo of a thong/jandal/flip-flop bent into a wave was everywhere. They had a thong totem pole, percussion and music workshops with thongs and plastic pipes.
At the opening party we found ourselve kicking footballs, drinking red wine and eating barbe’d prawns,
It ended up back at the Pacific hotel to watch and dance to the band seeing Jason Campbell the old school breaker jamming footwork with Mr Spin, a former ballerina was a sight in itself.
There were workshops from 8am everyday, some of the people had worked with local schools for weeks beforehand. Viewing an outcome I saw Jason and his crew on the main stage Sunday night when 60 school kids, floor moves and hip hop beats it brought tears to my eyes.
This was just before the The Clarence Valley Conservatorium Sinfonia Orchestra (twenty-six piece) took the stage!
Meanwhile you’d see the LOngyard Side show,
Mortimer and Matt Kelly with thier great big storybook show featuring marionettes and interactive play.
People were bussed up the steep hill to our evening spot a grass ampitheatre with the pacific ocean as a backdrop.
As Mr Spin and I surveyed the site waiting for the people, we noticed the ground was moving, looking closer, we saw 100,000’s of ants. The perfect pitch, on an ant hill !!!
As no-one could sit we moved over to the high ground and played.
There was a stage in the middle of the blocked off street, there you’d see belly dancers shaking, as electro dideridoo music wafted round the corner from OKA.
I looked on and saw a giant ant. Yeh for real ! Dom had hired ERTH to do interactive walk, they had also been working with the schools culminating in a Festival highlight event "Light The Night" a parade down through the township on Saturday night accompanied by The Samba-Blisstas & Carnaval Drummers.
Waiting for Guinness, a gypsy, funk, Irish band had just finished a massive set as Allan Parafinalien took the people on a visual ride with worldclass fire twirling, closing with pyros on sticks.
Walking down the hill carrying a huge meat tray I had just won in the pub raffle I saw the boss.
“Dom can you do something with this?” I asked, showing him the tray.
“Raffle it off or lets have a bbq tomorrow night”
It was put on ice and from this authors view was never seen again. My first meat raffle win, well I’m sure it went to good use.
Sunday morning, the streets and cricket ground were full of market stalls. Organic carrots, original artworks, bells, beads, candles and incense were being sold. It was hot and early, the street shows were sweaty but the crowds were generous.
The wrap party started around 11pm Sunday night with Mortimer on mandaline and Jeremy on TeaChest base playing classic Aussie bush hits.
Compering, I introduced J.P. who juggled and apple ate, after the break Mr Spin came out and smashed ‘em !
Just as we were setting up the muso’s for the Jam off the bar closed, yep that was it, it was 1am. It had been a massive weekend for audiences, organisers and performers alike, everyone was knackered.
A dozen or so of us banged some guitars and drank some wine on the anthill for a few hours, before retiring.
Well done Dom, you’ve started a monster, I have nothing but praise for you and your team.
Fantasic stuff, from the pick-up at the airport to getting me the ocean view room.
thanks, great gig.
p.s. What happened to the meat tray ?
Nickolas