Nannup Festival was our next destination, we had been given 3 shows on different stages over the 2 days and wanted to get in to town by Friday night when it all kicked off to get into the festival spirit and catch up with some friends. We had coffee at Caves House and spoke to the staff about maybe playing a show there on our next trip and then we were Nannup bound. Rosie Burgess from Melbourne was also on the line up and we planned to meet up for some pre-festival drinks and a jam at our campsite. Luckily we’d stopped on the drive down at a local sheep cheese farm and picked up some of the most divine cheese we’d ever tasted so we were planning yet another cheese and wine session. Unluckily for Rosie she doesn’t eat cheese, and so it was up to me, Julz and Rosie’s violin player Sophie to devour all of the yummy gourmet goodness.
It didn’t take long until other musos started wandering by and before too long we had a nice little circle of new friends and a great jam going on. The wine ran out, a whisky bottle appeared and at some stage the distant sound of music from the main stage opening concert disappeared. We eventually ran out of steam and called it a night, ready for a big weekend of more of the same! The festival was a wonderful event with a great line-up of acts, some very colourful carnival folk selling very colourful wares, vibrant street performers and a really great atmosphere. Nannup is a gorgeous little town surrounded by vineyards and farmlets and apparently full of music lovers because they really knew how to put on a show. Our mates Double Entendre from Freo were headlining the festival (along with Ben Lee) and they were definitely a highlight for me. A friend we met up north in Broome last year named Peter Brandy, a really talented indigenous singer/songwriter was also on the bill and we caught his set of songs and story telling. Our shows were great fun, the first one was a chilled lunchtime set and then we played in the evening at the Nannup Hotel stage. Rosie Burgess played the slot after us and we jumped up and had a bit of a jam on her tunes as well. By this stage all the festival excitement was getting a bit much for little ole me so we caught a bit of the Double Entendre show on the main stage and then hit the hay, missing out on a camp jam that apparently went into the wee hours of the morning. Sunday was another big day of gigs, we’d booked in an afternoon show in Margaret River at Settlers Tavern and then had to shoot back to Nannup to play the closing gig at the Hotel stage. Our drive from Nannup to Margs was about 100kms longer than it should’ve been with me having my first real shocker as designated navigator and sending us down the wrong road… Oopsie!
Blew Drew came along to help us out with the PA, blow some harp and be an all round superstar and the gig was great fun. Settlers Tavern is a definate stop for anyone who finds themselves in Margaret River, particularly on a sunday arvo!
We made it back to Nannup (this time taking the direct route) and went to see Double Entendre at the Town Hall. Wow, what a show, it was almost like one of those cartoons you see where there is a rocking band inside a house and the entire building is grooving back and forward. Amazing vibes from both the band and the crowd. We were lucky enough to get the last set of the festival at the hotel just as Ben Lee finished his show at main stage so we belted out a pretty rockin 45mins with Charlie from Double Entendre sitting in for most of the set and really finishing the festival on a high note.
Now we had the marathon mission of getting to Broome in two and a half days. Who booked this tour anyway?! Oh, yeah… that was us. We’ll keep you posted on our progress as we undertake the drive with Zeph the cowboy as our road crew.
