Kiama musician Joe Mungovan enjoys the “home ground feeling” of performing at the Folk By The Sea festival.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
“It’s great playing where you grew up, in a park (Hindmarsh Park) you used to walk past on the way to school,” he said.
“You’d never think back then you would end up playing there.
“There’s so much great music right at your doorstep (at the festival), so get out and experience it.”
Gerringong solo artist Dane Overton played the festival in 2015, and said it was “great fun to see all your friends and family who live in the area who sometimes you don’t get to see that much”.
“I like that it brings a lot of other people to Kiama,” he said. “(There’s) lots of artists from a long way away and it brings lots of people from Sydney to the area.
“It’s great for tourism.”
Folk By The Sea organisers have announced that Kiama singer/songwriter Penny Hartgerink would be a late addition to the festival line-up to replace Jan Preston, who recently broke both her wrists in a motor accident.
The Kiama songstress will take over Preston’s two spots in the main program for the festival, which will be held at Kiama Showground Pavilion on September 23-24.
There will also be free concerts in Hindmarsh Park and the Kiama Bowling Club on September 25.
Festival co-coordinator Rod Cork said while it was disappointing to lose a performer of boogie piano player Preston’s calibre and national profile, Hartgerink was an ideal replacement.
“Penny was a big hit at our first Folk By The Sea with her band Penny and the Mystics, and in 2014 with the Penny Hartgerink Trio,” Mr Cork said. “This time she will be performing solo, with a mix of original songs and her favourite covers.”
Hartgerink will be performing at 12.30pm and 5pm on the Saturday program.
In another change, Jane Saunders will be replaced by Yamba-based singer/songwriter Lisa Couper.
An acclaimed Simon and Garfunkel tribute show and one of England’s leading folk singers, Jez Lowe, head the lineup of artists from Australia, Britain, Japan and the US at the fourth annual festival.
Lowe will be performing solo on both Friday and Saturday night.
Simon & Garfunkel – The Concert is a main attraction at 8pm on Saturday.
The Sunday will feature local acts performing at free concerts in Kiama’s Hindmarsh Park from 9.30am-4pm, and the Kiama Bowling Club from 4pm-10pm.
The local acts performing at the Sunday free concerts include Mungovan, Overton, Lizzie Bennet and John Littrich and the Water Runners.
Folk By The Sea is run by the Illawarra Folk Club.