Curated and Presented by ALWAYS LIVE and Chapel Off Chapel, a new three-part concert series entitled Totally Folked is due to be shared with Melbournians in early December.
Showcasing some of the most established and prolific contemporary folk musicians in Australia, the multi-concert series will see the iconic Chapel Theatre as the venue.
Spread out across three days – Thursday, Friday, and Saturday December 1, 2 and 3; each performance will boast a single act and one support – be it a collaborative effort or an individual artist. Shows will run for two hours inclusive of a 20-minute interval. Supported by the Victorian government, concertgoers will also be eligible to receive 25% back for their ticket purchases under the Victorian Government Dining and Entertainment Program.
Keep up with the latest music news, features, festivals, interviews and reviews here.
Thursday December 1 – Bobby Alu supported by Declan Kelly
The concert series will be inaugurally open with the finessed ukulele strumming and songwriting of Bobby Alu. Inspired by his Polynesian lineage, Alu’s velvety harmonies and salient melodies encapsulate the sound of the tropics. Coupled with a percussive aptitude of the most adept standard, Alu has been spreading his paradisial sound to audiences around the globe in prolific fashion
A smooth and soothing treat for a Thursday night, if you find yourself in the audience you will be hard-pressed not to dissolve into a state of absolute relaxation. Feel your body loosen and sway from side to side, all the while smiling your way into nothing short of utter bliss. But don’t be lulled into a false sense of perception, there is nothing fickle about Alu’s music. Rather a visceral response is what can be expected from being an audience member at one of his shows.
Be sure to catch Alu’s live performance if you want to fill up your heart with a potent and satiating sonic elixir. This will undoubtedly be a display of music worth skipping out on any Thursday night plans to attend.
Supporting Bobby Alu on the night will be the crooning and soulful sound of Declan Kelly.
Friday December 2 – Charm Of Finches with support from Pirritu
Donning the stage on night two of the Totally Folked series are Melbourne-based sisters Mabel and Ivy Windred-Wornes who musically make up the duo Charm Of Finches. Representing a folk-baroque sound, the siblings bring effortless finger-picking guitar into an array of strings arrangements that often weave other instrumental sounds into them.
Fused with the gentleness of their vocals, their sound is relatable to the likes of their contemporary counterparts First Aid Kit. The era with which their music could have been created remains opaque, but the captivation abundant throughout their live performances will unquestionably lure audiences into a place of contemplation. Perhaps unsettling at first, Charm Of Finches will incontestably induce a dose of what we all needed but had become disconnected from.
The evocation aforementioned is consistently apparent in their recent release Wonderful Oblivion, the outfit’s third studio album. A release that saw them honoured for their musical folktales of love, anguish and the mysticism of nature. They were the award winners of the 2021 Music Victoria Best Folk Act amongst receiving other accolades.
This performance will expose you to your own experiences of the human condition through a guided constellation of consolation. This concert will have Ngiyampaa man and First Nations singer-songwriter Pirritu as the support act.
Saturday December 3 – Lior & Domini Forster
Closing out the Totally Folked series is the collaborative effort of Lior and Domini Foster. Despite respective prominence in the genre of folk music, this project is an inevitable actualisation following on from many years of Foster touring as a support act and guest vocalist for Lior.
An ode to the rampant folk music scene of the 1960s, Lior and Domini Foster recently compiled an EP – Animal in Hiding that illuminates the influences of the likes of Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, but formulates its own unique take on the genre of folk. Distilled with searing beauty and an iota of invocation the overlayed melodies of Lior and Domini Foster shine brightly, resembling a beacon of light in musical form.
This is your last chance to see Animal in Hiding live in Melbourne so if a stirring and moving experience is what you are seeking, ensuring you attend this gig is a must.
Warming up for Lior and Domini Foster will be renowned and award-winning singer-songwriter, Jess Hitchcock.
Find out more info about the entire Totally Folked series at Chapel Off Chapel here.
