As an inner North resident it can be hard to admit, but when it comes to arts and culture in Melbourne, the West side really is the best side. Maribyrnong Council, and Footscray Community Arts Centre in particular, are the city’s leading lights when it comes to supporting artistic ventures with a community bent, and the sixth edition of the Wominjeka Festival celebrating indigenous culture is a prime example. Day three of the festival program included Terrain, featuring music from three rising indigenous acts Brett Lee, Tigerlilly, and Briggs.
Brett Lee kick started the sunny afternoon with just under an hour of acoustic folk tunes. Honestly, I am not sure if anyone knew what to expect from Lee. If you’re searching for his work online, you’re more likely to come across the assault to the senses that is his cricketing namesake’s attempt to break into Bollywood. However, I’d advise you to battle through until you find some of his work. This guy is a treat to watch and a rare songwriting talent. Every song is loaded with personal stories from the past and present, giving his music a real depth.
With the crowd now starting to grow, it was time for Queensland folk act Tigerlilly to bring their wistful harmonies to the stage. Lydia Fairhall and Kali Blunt complement one another perfectly, and their relaxed, positive folk songs were a great addition to the Terrain program. Perhaps the most noticeable thing about their set was the spontaneous junior fan club that formed in front of them, with hordes of new young fans jumping around in front of the lazing adult crowd on the hill.
The final act on the bill was one of Australia’s strongest hip hop talents, Yorta Yorta man Briggs. Fresh from recent sets at Meredith and Woodford Folk Festival, Briggs took the stage with a band including the musical talents of Darwin’s Sietta and Frenzal Rhomb guitarist Lindsay ‘The Doctor’ McDougall. The full band backing added to the energy and power of the lyrics, and although this was far from your typical hip hop crowd, the words in each track clearly resonated. Bookending the set with his two Gurrumul collaborations (The Hunt and the reimagining of Archie Roach’s The Children Came Back) was a nice touch. The latter track in particular was very moving, bringing festival MC Pauline Whyman, a member of the stolen generation, almost to tears as she told her own story of being taken from her family and just what songs like this mean to her.
Wominjeka is a Yorta Yorta word meaning welcome, and there was certainly a very welcoming, family friendly vibe at FCAC on Sunday. Being a community festival, the musicians had a few technical issues to contend with, and the patter between sets from the MC was pretty daggy at times. But this is all part and parcel of events such as these. Wominjeka is an incredibly important feature of Melbourne’s cultural landscape, and the fact they were able to assemble such a high calibre lineup for Terrain is another reason why you should mark down the dates for the 2017 festival in your diary now.
BY EBEN ROJTER
Loved: The mosh pit of under-10s that formed during Briggs’ set.
Hated: Forgetting sunscreen to an outdoor gig.
Drank: The sauce surrounding my vegie burger from Jerry’s.
