Wednesday, 12 January 2022

Folk-us Nights - Informal nights of Australian songs & recitations focusing on a particular theme

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Mulga Wire no. 20, Aug 1980, p.11 - 1st Tuesday Social (theme) nights moved from Burwood to Marrickville on 5th August, using the popular old name Beer & Cheese nights. 



In March 1981 they were renamed FOLK-US nights, & in April 1982 moved to 1st Friday. The other Friday nights were general music sessions.

Dave Cambourne was the first co-ordinator (see extract from MW, June 1981 below) 

Margaret Walters became  co-ordinator in February 1983. The evening started with 30 mins from a booked artist  & continued with contributions from audience members. 
Eventually FOLK-US evenings lost support & Jennie Richards took them in another direction - a night of songs, tunes & dance. Numbers did not improve so artists were booked again for a few months which did not lead to increases on numbers, so the September 1991 Committee meeting decided to discontinue FOLKUS nights. Henceforth, every Friday night would be a general session where all members (musicians, singers, reciters, dancers) could participate. 

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1981 -

Mulga Wire, Jun 81, p.11


April- Gold & Currency songs
May - Anzac & Songs of War
June - Songs of Early Australian Musicals
July - Songs of the Shearers
August - Songs of the Sea & Rivers
September - Convicts & Penal Settlements
October - Grog & Australian Drinking Songs
November - Beer & Cheese night - theme Ned Kelly
December - Beer & Cheese night - Eureka & Songs of Rebellion

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1982

February - Droving
March - Tucker
April - The Wool Industry 
May - Bushrangers
June to December - Friday workshops only

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1983 

February - Family Life in Australian Songs
March -  Full as a Goog - Songs of food & drink
April - We'll all be rooned - seasons & weather
May - What are they fighting for? - songs about war
June - Make mine music, mister - Songs of local songwriters - Phyl Lobl, Kempstr, Dengate, Kevans, Small, Tritton 
July - Jumbucks, prads & paddymelons - Songs about animals
August - Lily on a dustbin - Songs about romance
September - Eureka & other rebellions
October - 'Ard Tac - Earning & bludging
November - Bookies & other bushrangers
December -  Australian Christmas songs & carols

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1984


March - Free as a breeze, with John Broomhall
April - Drink to the country
May - Towards an Australian singing style
June - Working songs (with Sticky's Mob)
July - Immigration songs with Declan Affley
August - Songs from Reedy River
September - no information available
October -  30th Anniversary Beer & Cheese night,
November - Mining Songs & the Goldrush era with Bob & Margaret Fagan
December - Folkus night no topic 



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1985

February - Workers in the Field - Penny & Roger & many others on the record

March  - Ethnic Influences with Mary Jane Field 
May - Peter Kearney - Folk music in the Christian tradition
June - Penny Davis & Roger Ilott - Bush Baroque
July - Folkus featuring Gordon McIntyre & Kate Delaney
August - Folkus featuring John Dengate
September - Folkus with John Broomhall - Free as a Breeze
October - Folkus with Gill Rees - Women's songs
November - Snake juice swill - Songs about grog with Keith Hollingshead & friends
December - The Australian Wilderness - Jill Stevens & others, including films





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1986 

March -  The State of Australia - selected songs of life in the Australian states with Dave Alexander 
April - Mary Jane Field on Songs in Latin America - Recent concert in Argentina.
May - Hundrefolk, an evening of Australian songs, stories and music
June - Songs from New Zealand, an evening of songs from across the Tasman
July - For seven long years to be a convict maid - songs of transportation 
August - Jill Stevens - Slaves vs. Convicts, Cowboys vs. Drovers
September -  Alan Scott, -The Overseas connection
October -  Dave Johnson - Bush favourites
November - Songs for peace - songs of the 60s
December - Keith Hollingshead - Dryblown Dreamers


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1987 

February - Song writers special - entries from 1986 festival
April - none
May -  John Dengate - Australian Political leaders
June - Folkus with The Selectors Bush Band - selection x 3
July - Keith Hollingshead - Sydney Push Beyond - Skeleton flats
August - Currency Folk Kevin Baker et al from Wollongong Songs from a Smoky Steel City
September -  John Quiggin - The brutal art of parody
October -  Craig Edmondson - Eastern Suburbs Special
November- none
Dec 87 - Homeless - Mary Jane Field, Mark Gregory & others also Christmas Carols.
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1988 

February - "Culture conflict" Margaret Bradford
March -  Epic Nigh Out - Paul Hemphill.
April  - none
May - Mike Harding & Cath Woodman visiting from New Zealand
June - Alan Scott - Australian Nautical Songs
July - John Quiggin - The rich cultural heritage of Erskineville
August - Dale Dengate & friends - Harmony & Discord in Australian Family Life
September - Bob & Margaret Fagan - Songs of the Coal Industry
October - Trevor Shearston -  'Rad Trad' also Dave de Hugard
November  - Band - Outback Women who made Australia
December - Denis Kevans, Sonia Bennett, Chris Kempster - Peace on Earth.



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1989 

March - Margaret Bradford & Margaret Walters - "Colonial Eve"
April - John Dengate - "It's still his shout"
May -  Mike Blanch - "An Irish Emigrant's view of Australia"
June - Jill Stevens, Gill Rees  -"Troubles on the land"  Folkus contact Margaret
July- Folkus - Full frontal with Pete McMahon & the Friday night workshop 
August - Folkus - Mary-Jane Field & the Australian/Paraguay connections.
September - Folkus with Jacqui Roberts - Celtic Songs of Rebellion 
October - Folkus at The Festival - Singalong revisited with Southern Cross - contact Jennifer
November - Folkus with Alan Scott, Songs of the Weather
December -  Folkus with Chris Kempster, Songs of Henry Lawson.


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1990

February - Margaret Bradford "Frontier Women & Women up (?) front"
March - Roaring Forties "Hazard, hardship & still not much pay"
April - Folkus Social night, contact Jenny
May - Wine Tasting songs & music
June - Folkus Social night - Songs on "The demon drink - come along and sing!
July - Folkus - "Exploring Explorers - come along and sing!
August - "Songs of the City - come along and sing!
September - Toe Tappers' - come along and play your favourite dance music!
October - Folkus "Anything Goes" Come along, play and sing - anything!
November - Folkus - "Good & Bad Luck" Come along, play and sing!
December - Folkus - A Christmas Celebration - Come along and sing or play! Contact Jenny 


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1991 

February - Folkus - Come all Ye -
March - Folkus practice for Jamberoo (jennie) 
April - Folkus on Travelling 
May - Folkus with Alan Scott & Keith McKenry 
June - Folkus - Royalty Shock
July - Folkus - Kevin Baker on "Love or Leaving", replaced almost at the last minute by Mike Ahearn
August - Folkus with Concert Party "Bush Concert"
September - Folkus with Margaret Walters "Colonial Eve" songs & stories of women 1788-1914
October Folkus deferred to Festival - contact Jenny

After October Folkus is no longer mentioned in Mulga Wire & all Fridays are workshop nights.
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