Folk + Prog = FROG. And why not? This simple equation is the recipe for many other sub genres in today’s musical soup. Back in ‘the day’, I used to promote shows under the ‘Frog’ banner to showcase “funk-prog” bands like Upfunk Creek, Alamode and GangAwry. But with that niche firmly in the past, Dave Carr (of his Fabulous Contraption) has put together a stellar lineup of folk-prog groups and turned it into a travelling festival.
Dave is himself a Frog musician and his band, Dave Carr’s Fabulous Contraption, will be performing at many of the festival dates. “It’s so inspiring to see bands doing new things and experimenting artistically, and nowhere is this more evident musically than in the prog genre. Then consider a style as tried and true as folk, with its inherent accessibility. When you combine these two concepts and end up with a result that is both groundbreaking and harkens to something quite ancient, it’s pretty exciting.”
If there’s one thing you can count on, all these groups can really play their instruments. Their seamless genre-blending and often unorthodox instrumentation actually makes them a lot more progressive than many of the other groups who decide to wear the label prog as a badge. At the same time, if you’re into Jethro Tull, you should probably check this out.
Watch: The Crooked Fiddle Band’s “Rom Rebellion”
So without further ado, here’s all the dates and details you’ll need to check out this wonderful event:
CANBERRA
4 May – The White Eagle Club The Woohoo Revue, Mr Fibby, BOB (featuring Ben Hauptmann), Dave Carr’s Fabulous Contraption, Cracked Actor. 6pm, $15 presale, $20 at the door. Bookings: www.moshtix.com.au
KATOOMBA
5 May – Katoomba RSL The Woohoo Revue, The Crooked Fiddle Band, Dave Carr’s Fabulous Contraption, BOB (featuring Ben Hauptmann), Mr Fibby. 6pm, $15 presale, $20 at the door. Bookings: www.moshtix.com.au
CENTRAL COAST
6 May – Kantara House The Rhythm Hunters, BOB (featuring Ben Hauptmann), Chaika, Dave Carr’s Fabulous Contraption. 1pm, $12 presale, $15 at the door. Bookings: (02) 4369 1528 or www.moshtix.com.au
CRONULLA
9 May – Brass Monkey BOB (featuring Ben Hauptmann), Dave Bova Band, Richard Calabro’s Alpha-Omega Guitar Trio. 7pm, $10 presale, $12 at the door. Bookings: www.brassmonkey.com.au
NEWCASTLE
11 May – The Cambridge The Crooked Fiddle Band, Mr Fibby, BOB (featuring Ben Hauptmann), Dave Carr’s Fabulous Contraption, James Kemp. 6:30pm, $12 presale, $15 at the door. Bookings: www.moshtix.com.au
SYDNEY
12 May – Red Rattler Brian Campeau, BOB (featuring Ben Hauptmann), Dave Carr’s Fabulous Contraption, Chaika, Cracked Actor. 6:30pm, $12 presale, $15 at the door. Bookings: www.moshtix.com.au
MELBOURNE
18 May – Gertrude’s Brown Couch BOB (featuring Ben Hauptmann), Mr Fibby, Dave Carr’s Fabulous Contraption 8:30, $8 presale, $10 at the door. Bookings: www.moshtix.com.au
Visit the official FrogFest website at http://www.frogfest.net
