Celebrate a quarter-century of the 4loor this Saturday 25 years, 316 shows, over 1264 performances

Orange’s live music institution 4 on the 4loor celebrates 25 years this Saturday.

Over the 316-show history of the 4loor, the Victoria Hotel stage has hosted more than 1,260 performances of, mostly, local bands playing original music.

It was seeing the need for a venue that gave local bands the opportunity to play their own music that motivated, Jon Carter to found the monthly music showcase back in 1998.

“I was doing the bookings for the Vic at that time, and I did a band competition initially for what was then Apple FM,” Jon recalled.

“I realised that I knew a lot of people who could play, but weren’t going to get a gig because the only places that had music you had to play for four hours and covers mainly too. Back then, that’s pretty much all there was.

“So having come from the original music scene myself, I put two and five together and got 4 on the floor!”

The 4 on the 4loor format has remained largely the same throughout the 25 years. Each month, the 4loor presents what Jon calls a “smorgasbord of music”, with anywhere from three to seven acts playing short sets of original music.

“And mostly local,” Jon said. “But once the word spread other Sydney bands want to come out here now; venues are getting thin on the ground down there, particularly for original music.

“But now the scene in Orange is a lot healthier than it has been in a long while. There were times when pretty much the 4loor was the only place you could play original music. At least now there are some other venues letting it through the doors.”

Head to the Victoria Hotel, the “Home of the 4loor’’ 8.30pm this Saturday, May 6 for 4 on the 4loor’s 25th-anniversary show, featuring: girls on sake, Sam Bucca, Bec, Ado!, Amber, and The Kenny Feather Band.

ECHOES AND ORBITS is an eclectic yet intimate show, featuring funky and fun solos and duos for percussion and cello hailing from Australia and America.

50-YEAR REUNION FOR SYDNEY UNI AG ALUMNI

It was a big weekend for the class of ‘73. Forty-eight graduates of the University of Sydney’s agricultural science program came to Orange to celebrate the 50year milestone since they all graduated in 1973.

Most hadn’t seen each other for 50 years, said Orange local Peter Hedberg, who is one of the 1973 graduating class.

Despite a few last-minute changes due to the weather, it was an enjoyable weekend of catching up with old friends, said Peter.

“Finding our classmates and organising a reunion, and a booklet of profiles and photos of each person involved a lot of detective work,” added 1973 graduate and organising coordinator, Victoria O’Connor.

“We searched for 105 people and were able to track down 88 of them. Amazing after all these years.”

The career paths of the alumni have been varied and include researchers, agronomists, farmers, agri-politicians, agricultural educators, agricultural journalists, religious ministers, microbiologists, climate change and sustainability specialists, aquaculture experts, people who worked in developing countries for aid organisations or government agencies and a large number of viticulturists and oenologists.

Orange City Life caught up with the reunion at Swinging Bridge Wines, the vineyard formerly owned by Peter Hedberg (then named Hedberg Hill).