The Badges should arrive in Apollo Bay about 30 minutes behind us.
We had a good run until coming over the mountains where we encountered a close fog. Still made good time. Ironically the Badges came around the coast on the Great Ocean Road and had made good time too. We had expected that way to be a lot busier.
 |
| Sietta, electronic soul duo from Darwin on the Main Stage [Photo: Og Bear] |
We went into to town to pickup our passes.
We had been not quite sure what to expect. A lot people said they weren't going because of the change to the compound format.
But on arrival even we were still shocked. A tiny compound with one oversized marquee blaring out middle of the road pop charts rock and roll.
The compound felt like a downsized version of the Queenscliff that we didn't like.
So few venues.
So little variety.
Where were the intimate little venues with the interesting acts that you see no where else that this Festival is known for?
Most people I spoke to through the evening were just as shocked and disappointed.
 |
| They started by trying to scan our wrist bands every time we went in and out off the Festival compound! |
If we had known it was "Little Day Out" we all would not have come.
I was starting to wonder at what point I would call it a day and do something else with our weekend.
 |
| The Apollo Bay Hotel is chock-a-block for local band Vasco Era [Photo: Og Bear] |
As we went to leave the car wouldn't start. To see what we were doing I had left the car lights and air conditioning running. I thought engine was running but it wasn't.
The Badges had arrived and came to rescue us. Having had a bit of a rest I thought I would try the car before loading all our stuff into the Badges car and calling for help from the road service in the morning. Viola, it started!.
We all made our way back to the shack where Beata, her son Pana, and myself dropped our gear off at last.
All settled at last, we walked into town with Badges.
They had also been shocked by the changes.
 |
| With all the changes this year I was glad to see Jerry's Vegi Burgers still here [Photo: Og Bear] |
You could say that if you hadn't been to Apollo Bay before that this festival was OK, but if you had been then you were really missing what was there before. The intimacy of the venues and bands.
Seeking some relief, we made our way up to the Great Ocean Hotel. Beata shouted me a locally produced ice cream on the way.
Not an official venue this year, but popular with the drinking fraternity, the Great Ocean Hotel, had their own with band Howlin' Steam Train
playing.At last a place where we could relax and socialise and enjoy some music at an easy pace. The day had been a bit frantic, it was an opportunity to come down a bit. But by the time we headed back Dallas Frasca
was at the end of her set.We had seen Massey Ferguson
and Grey Ghost earlier while getting something to eat, but they were a bit mainstream and listening to others they had not done much for them either.Festival perennial Vasco Era
were now on at in the Apollo Bay Hotel and we made our way over to see Sietta on the Main Stage.It all got a bit vague from here. Beata was really tired and had crashed out on a couch in the kids tent.
So with all this in hand we all walked back to the shack to turn in. At least Beata and I did!
Jan invited Campbell
to stay so just before I turned in he turned up. Festival legend swaggie, Campbell, and I worked out he had been doing the circuit for 25 years. People look after him where ever he goes, he is a guest and a gentleman of the road. In the old Maldon days he once stayed in our bus.Beata was so tired, after double shifts etc in the lead up to the Festival, I left her to sleep as long as she liked. (How kind of you: BEATA).
 |
| All through the Festival members of Rapskallion meet at the corner of the Food Court tent [Photo: Og Bear] |
Lunch, dumplings with dumpling sauce with a spattering of chili sauce, Wow!
 |
| Root and blues artist Kurtis Gentle was popular busking on the Street [Photo: Og Bear] |
Further along was another busker, Kurtis Gentle
from Healesville, an amazing blues and roots guitarist who was pulling notes rather than coins in his case.There didn't seem to be a formal busking competition this year, but a few were still there.
Seats! Lots of them around the compound and in the Main Stage, fantastic!
Back on the Main Stage the blues band Miserable Little Bastards
started off well, but as they went on the got a little too cheerful for me. |
| Rapskallion was the the band that really filled up the Main Stage tent and got the Festival we had come to expect up and running [Photo: Og Bear] |
, a gypsy band, by far the best so far. Really dynamic on stage. Great costumes. Had everybody moving. One of the very few bands to fill the Main Stage tent.Nice lunch of Thai Pie from the local bakery stall.
Last night the Main Stage tent, a big circus marquee was half empty, almost superfluous, but today it is filling up and the lineup is more what you would expect from Apollo Bay.
 |
| Festival perennial Edward Badge with Beata. Despite being a Festival novice under his bad influence she was soon in the swing of things. Security guard #29 please! [Photo: Og Bear] |
 |
| At last the atmosphere was picking up on the main street after a very quiet showing the night before [Photo: Og Bear] |
At the end of the stalls was a gypsy caravan where you could even get your palm read!
Enjoyed Sal Kimber
from a distance while Beata's son Pana, a typical 14yo boy, despite the cool temperature and extra cold Bay water decided to have a swim. He had a quick dip and got out because it was so cold. We chastised him so he went back in, enjoying it so much we had an effort getting him to come out again! |
| Pana overcomes the chilly Bay water to quite enjoy his dip [Photo: Og Bear] |
 |
| A pleasant picnic atmosphere in the Festival compound as the weather is kinder that previous years [Photo: Og Bear] |
. Would have been happy to have heard more but had to head off to the Star of the Sea Church to see Nicky Bomba in Busta Mento. We enjoyed it a lot, especially a bit joviality from Nicky about how this would probably be the closest he was going to become to fulfilling his parents hope of his ascendency to the priesthood. But after 4 or 5 songs the Mexicali style got a bit monotonous. |
| Another Festival perennial Nicky Bomba with Busta Mento in Our Lady Star of the Sea [Photo: Og Bear] |
 |
| Festival hilight, folk group Crooked Fiddle Band on Main Stage [Photo: Og Bear] |
. Wow! Did this guys blow us away. As soon as I saw the Hammond I knew we were in for a treat. Great drummer too. Blues with a lot if soul.Tea time and it was back to the Badges' shack for some of Edward's vegetarian lasagne and a nap for Beata.
Campbell arrives so we have ours, heading back, to leave Beata to nap some more.
Folk group, the Crooked Fiddle Band
was a highlight on the Main Stage. |
| High energy side kick, Dallas's Gentleman, Jeff Curran [Photo: Og Bear] |
 |
| The bad bad boys of the Festival, Snowdroppers, on the Main Stage [Photo: Og Bear] |
, Snowdroppers , then Brothers Grimm , all in 90 minutes!Started with the last half of Dallas with her Gentleman at the Apollo Bay Hotel. She was her usual high energy self keeping the crowd happy.
She was followed immediately by the sounds of rock band, Nat Cole and the Kings.
Over at the Main Stage it was the bad bad boys, The Snowdroppers with their obligatory in your face performance.
Then it was down to the Great Ocean Hotel for the Brothers Grimm on. They were good but not as dynamic as when I saw them at Queenscliff last year.
On the way back to the compound, ice cream again.
Big thank you to Mr Merl's friend Hywel for noticing I had inadvertently left my Canon 500D on the table at the Great Ocean Hotel. It would not only been the grief of losing the camera, but the 400 or so Festival images on it. I had realized at the compound and was heading back in panic when I met him coming the other way holding it over his head.
 |
| Nicky Bomba leading Festival high light, the Melbourne Ska Orchestra on the Main Stage [Photo: Og Bear] |
 |
| The Melbourne Ska Orchestra quite literally lead the Saturday night out at the Festival [Photo: Og Bear] |
in the Main Stage. A full stage affair vibrant and full of energy that blew us away. They had our tired old bodies up and moving again. Then to top if off they ended by leaving the stage, walking out through the audience, leading us out of the tent, out of the compound and onto the street where they formed a circle and continued their performance. Then to cap it all off they marched, playing towards, and into the Festival buses and were driven away.Slept in then we jumped out of bed to race down get the last half of the Festival of Dead, took Campbell down too. This was like the Sunday morning church service of the Festival held in the Main tent where musicians of the last 20 years of the Festival who had passed on were remembered by playing songs of artists who had passed away.
We arrived to find we had just missed the Apollo Bay Community Choir. You got the feeling they had really been something. They were followed by Austin Busch, Matt Kelly (Ghost Orchid), Jimmy Stewart (The Miserable Little Bastards) finishing with the Simon Wright Band
. |
| Surprise appearance, Men in Suits, moving through the audience towards the stage [Photo: Og Bear] |
 |
| The Men in Suits delivering us from tyranny with renditions attempting to explain the order we live under [Photo: Og Bear] |
, a choir from Melbourne with their humourous songs of cynicism, Metro, Beards and a classic Teddy Bear's Picnic.Beata and shared some Dutch pancakes, plus a pie for me for breakfast. Drizzle turned into rain. Then we went back to the shack and did our ablutions properly.
Back at the Festival it was The Beards
in full swing at the Apollo Bay Hotel. The place was chocas and everyone was in with the spirit of their songs about men and their beards. It was a shame Beata was back at the shack as she needed some converting on beards. |
| Luke Legs and the Midnight Specials in non Festival venue, Great Ocean Hotel [Photo: Og Bear] |
while we ate. The vocalist Luke Legs was an amazing performer and fully engaged the audience. Sometimes you just have to find a corner, relax and enjoy yourself. Again the price was missing Marshall Okell at the Apollo Bay Hotel. |
| Indigenous electronica band OKA at Apollo Bay Hotel [Photo: Og Bear] |
 |
| Queensland indigenous band OKA at Apollo Bay Hotel [Photo: Og Bear] |
. I had missed them the day before and promised Fergie, the didge player, that I would catch them today. More of an Australian indigenous sound using electronica than electronica. I liked the fact that his plumber's didge had been decorated. Great drummer and flute player also. |
| The young members of the Bearded Gypsy Band gave an energetic and talented performance in the Apollo Bay Hotel [Photo: Og Bear] |
. Really young guys lead by amazing electric violinist Tom Boehm. Beata and Badges arrived to catch the last few tunes.It was late afternoon and the Festival was winding down with Nicky Bomba's and his brothers' original band, Truth
on the Main Stage.Beata took Pana and went off to find some tea. She caught up with Mr Merls and myself again at the Great Ocean Hotel. We decided that it was time to head home. We met the Badges on the way to the car and made our goodbyes to them as well.
It was a hard drive home. Beata and Pana went their own way in Geelong. I got home so tired I almost couldn't function. In retrospect we all should have stayed another night and come back in the morning.
 |
| Saturdays crowd and atmosphere was a huge improvement on the Friday night before [Photo: Og Bear] |
After several hours the scanning system was starting to fail and as it was causing so much angst for volunteers and those attending it was abandoned.
We had decided at the end of Friday night that we were all here to relax and enjoy ourselves as friends no matter what the Festival gave us.
There was still the Star of the Sea, the Mechanics Institute, and you could pick and choose at the Apollo Bay Hotel and the Main Stage. In essence, the old Apollo Bay Music Festival was still there, you just had to look under the surface.
Looking around were people from all walks of life. This what it is all about it, the Festival gets them together and loosens people up.
I must really compliment the timing on the program and change overs were really tight after fiascos, especially on the Main Stage and the Apollo Bay Hotel of the previous two years.
Wow, what an improvement on the lighting from last year. Also, far more appropriate, unlike last year's Queenscliff video backdrops.
The change in layout and repositioning of the stage in the Apollo Bay Hotel was a huge improvement.
The circus marquee had far more character than the sterile convention style tents of previous years and access in and out worked far better.
I suppose rather than being criticized, Festival Director Lee Rosser should be congratulated for basically picking up a festival that was a goner, dead in the water, breathing new life into it with very limited time and resources and making a show of it.
[Og Bear, assisted by Beata Bear and Pana Bear]
 |
| Beata and Og at the end of their first Festival together are ready to go home [Photo: Pana Bear] |
Og Bear http://www.facebook.com/ogbearFor more photos go to:
Beata Bear http://www.facebook.com/beatafadzwa
Pana Bear http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000231608046
https://picasaweb.google.com/OgBear/ApolloBayMusicFestival2012#
For a slideshow go to:
https://picasaweb.google.com/OgBear/ApolloBayMusicFestival2012#slideshow/
