To slightly reword Michael Nesmith, we were standing in the lovely light of the silver moon, looking over maps of memories for the road.
Stereo Stories thoroughly enjoyed its first road trip, when it performed under a full moon at the Newstead Racecourse on Saturday evening 2 May.
We were part of Fire Stories, which was part of the 2015 Newstead Short Story Tattoo.
The setting was gorgeous: a crisp winter’s night in central Victoria; the audience warmed by fires in drums, plus a larger bonfire; a hot food caravan; the performers reading and playing via a terrific PA.
The Stereo Stories Band this time around was (left to right): Jack Gramski (vocals, guitar), Vin Maskell (writer, MC), Rijn Collins (writer), Zoe Krupka (writer, vocals), and Stephen Andrew (writer, vocals, guitar).We did a half-hour set: State Trooper, Poor Places, Senses Working Overtime, Jackson.
Fellow guests over the weekend included Joe Dolce, MTC Cronin, Kirsten Krauth, Gary Foley, Christos Tsiolkas and Clementine Ford.
The Newstead Short Story Tattoo is a bi-annual event run by writer Neil Boyack and family and friends.
Together they presented a stimulating weekend of stories, poems, music and ideas. That takes a lot of work: programming, publicity, sponsorship, catering, sound and PA, ticketing, firewood, pop-up bookshop, lost property…
Thank you Neil, and Newstead, for a fine weekend.
Thanks to Tony Proudfoot for wonderful photography. Visit Tony’s Facebook page for many more Newstead photos, of Fire Stories and of the township itself.
Stereo Stories’ next gig is a 90 minute set (with a cast of thousands – well, more than a dozen writers and musicians) at the Williamstown Literary Festival on Saturday evening, 13 June. Early bird tickets available til May 24.
Congrats to all involved – looks like a terrific event.
Congrats everyone involved – sounds like a wonderful evening.