Unfortunately as my friends and I are under 18, we needed a guardian over 25, therefore making it hard enough to go for the day let alone to camp for the entire week.
But luckily my mum offered to get us in and we managed to organise the trip on the Friday afternoon before the day, and Saturday morning we headed off for Woodford.
Out of the festivals I have attended, Woodford is by far my favourite, it has amazing performances and other attractions as well as amazing food and a really warm, homely atmosphere.
At 12pm we headed to the Grande to see Half Moon Run's set. Not going to lie, the main reason we went to Woodford was to see these guys live. I have been a huge fan of Half Moon Run for a while now and I was very keen to see them play. I have to commend them on the performance, they were the best live act I have seen to date and I would recommend if you get the chance - do go see these guys.
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| Connor Molander (front) and Isaac Symonds (back) - Half Moon Run |
They played all of their best songs and had an amazing vibe on stage, they genuinely looked like they were having the time of their life. Coming from the -25 degree weather in Canada to wearing black skinny jeans in 34 degree heat in Woodford didn't stop them for being extremely energetic on stage and really entertaining the audience. To me and the people I talked to, it genuinely felt like a very intimate performance, it didn't feel like they were just performing their music to a crowd, they were really interacting with the audience and the whole vibe was very accepting.
Devon Portielje was extremely charismatic on stage; his performance, vocals, and instrumentals all added to a really intense and engaging performance. Connor Molander, Isaac Symonds and Dylan Phillips all added their own magic to the performance and together the band was extremely enegertic and made one of the best live performances I have experienced.
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| Devon Portielje (lead singer) Half Moon Run (photo taken by my friend Keeley Young) |
It was a sad time when Half Moon Run's set came to a close, but the excitement for Thelma Plum's 2pm show got us through.
I saw Thelma Plum live at the 2012 Woodford Folk Festival, it being the first time I had heard her. Since then I have been a huge fan of Thelma Plum and her music so it was great to be able to see her again. We bumped into Thelma Plum earlier in the day walking through the festival but she was already talking to some people so we didn't really want to interrupt that, although I did meet her last year and she is very down to earth and warm - so if you do ever get the chance to say hello, I recommend doing so.
Thelma's set was very intimate at the Bazaar tent. Thelma, despite having a stunning performance last year, has come along way since then.
She interacted with the audience very well and she made me (and I'm sure many others) feel as if they were the only ones in the room. With instrumentalist and back up vocalist Andrew, they managed to be funny, sincere, heartfelt and joyful throughout the set. She was truly amazing, making people laugh out loud during her jokes about her "dickhead ex-boyfriends" as well as cry during songs such as 'Apple'. Truly an amazing performance, definitely leaving not only me but a majority of the audience wanting more.
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| Thelma and Andrew on their way to Woodford (not my photo - it's from Thelma's instagram) |
I thought is was very caring and sinsitive when she thanked the audience for listening to her performance despite the sticky 34 degree heat. Which is true, it was extremely hot, but for me personally she made it bearable, taking my mind of the heat as she was all I could focus on in that moment.
The rest of the day was spent eating a lot of festival foods at places like Govindas (my personal favourite), Byron Bay's Organic Donuts, and many many more. A lot of money was spent in the stalls around the festivals which sold a huge variety of things ranging from bohemian blankets and wallhangings, to clothes and jewellery, to artwork and sculptures.
What I haven't mentioned as of yet which truly deserves recognition is the amazing bamboo tunnel entrance to the Amphitheatre. A joint project between master sculptor Wang Wen-Chih, Cave Urban and architect Nici Long (as well as a team of 30 people), the 100 metre bamboo tunnel and tower lead the way to the largest stage at Woodford. I took some photos of the tower and tunnel, but honestly it looks even more spectacular in real life. Absolutely amazing.
It's a big statement but I can honestly say that Woodford Folk Festival is my favourite music and cultural festival, and this comes down to the vibe and atmosphere. It's a very warm and inclusive festival where everyone seems to get along and just love the moment that they're in.
Unfortunately at the end of the night I realised I didn't have my phone, in a panic we searched the cafes and tents we had been at, and luckily at the Schnitzel tent we found it. A festival filled with very genuine, trusting, and good hearted people.
An amazing festival spent with amazing people, so thank you Woodford, see you next year!
- Stella Grace xxx
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Woodford Folk Festival: http://www.woodfordfolkfestival.com
Half Moon Run:
Website: http://halfmoonrun.indica.mu/en/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/halfmoonrun
Instagram: @halfmoonrun
Bandcamp: http://halfmoonrun.bandcamp.com
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/halfmoonrunning?feature=watch
Thelma Plum:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelmaplum
Triple J Unearthed: http://www.triplejunearthed.com.au/ThelmaPlum
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thelmaplum
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/thelmaplum?feature=watch
Wang Wen-Chih: http://www.caveurban.com/art/wang-wen-chih/
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