Down to earth music showcase

Take a walk around Rupanyup on Sunday and you might hear music coming from the Memorial Hall… and the bowling green…. and the nursing home.

Rupanyup’s annual Dirt Music Festival is back for its ninth year and will again celebrate the simplicity of good music, good people and good community atmosphere.

Organising member Unmani said the free oneday event was inspired by Tim Winton’s quote: ‘Anything you can play on a verandah or porch, without electricity’.

She said the festival gave Rupanyup an intimate and unique atmosphere, providing musicians the opportunity and freedom to be themselves.

“You can just walk around town and hear all this music. It is music of the people,” she said.

“You will find Irish music, traditional blues, ukulele groups and original piano compositions.

“We have performers from Melbourne and state-wide. We are pretty proud of our variety.

“The other unique facet of this festival is that musicians perform for free.

“We don’t have a headline act and everyone is equal on the billing.

“And in my opinion, because they are not constrained from being paid, it really makes it, because they can play their ownz songs – there is no pressure.

“We keep hearing from people that they love the vibe and just want to keep coming back.”

Unmani said the event was particularly special because of its ability to pull together the community.

“There are local businesses right behind us,” she said.

“There is something special about the town, how the people co-operate and come together.

“We want to continue this atmosphere because it is just golden. We want to maintain full billings too, people leaving and new people coming in, it is part of a philosophy we have where we like to see musicians come out of the woodwork.

“We are encouraging people to come and play and experience it.”

Unmani said this year’s festival would feature two new ukulele groups, including ‘Marmadukes’, a group from Murtoa.

“We also have a young woman from Horsham, Sarah Membrey, who is probably the youngest solo performer we have had,” she said.

“She will perform her own material for the first time.

“We have local Ray Kingston, who will perform with his wife Whitney, and he will launch his political campaign for the federal seat of Mallee in the evening.”

The events starts at 11am and includes a barbeque lunch and afternoon tea, raising money for Childhood Cancer Foundation and Cancer Council.

“The other unique facet of this festival is that musicians perform for free. We don’t have a headline act and everyone is equal on the billing” – Unmani