The Brewery. Pic: Jay Black
Honey & Knives at No. 5 Church Street. Pic: Jay Black
River environment. Pic: Megz Noel
The Insider’s guide to Bello Winter Music Anyone who’s visited Bellingen before will know there’s a lot more to the idyllic coastal town than meets the eye. We asked Jacquie Gill and Toke Brunnekreef, frontwomen for Bellingen-based band Honey & Knives, to take us Bello the surface.
Local flavour
Gig guide
The fest’s best
Coffee
Hot pop-up
Workshops
Jac: Bello knows how to do great coffee everywhere but my faves are Hyde and Amelia Franklin’s Fairtrade Coffee in the old petrol station. Toke: Follow Jac’s guide to coffee as I don’t drink the stuff. Caffeine tablets on the other hand do the trick when you need a little pick me up (every cafe in Bello is gonna hate me for that).
Jac: Definitely catching Miel and Tyler Nakoa at the Gelato Bar, such a tasty and intimate venue! And I have musical crushes on the violinists in The Twoks and Hello Tut Tut, so I’ll be strolling to the Showground on the Sunday arvo to watch those amazing ladies shred it.
Festival must-sees
Jac: So many great workshops this year! I’m planning to head to the Primitive Fire Making workshop on Friday, the Yoga on Saturday morning at St Margaret’s and the Empower Yourself To Be Plastic Neutral at The Stables on Sunday. Toke: Singing and songwriting with Z-Star at Diggers on Saturday, Edible & Medicinal Weeds at Maam Gaduying Park on Saturday, Live Looping With Burger Joint at the Youth Hub on Saturday, Dustyesky’s singing workshop Sunday at the Golf Club and Make Your Own Plastic Free Personal Products at The Stables on Sunday.
Jac: Eep! I don’t drink beer! But I love The Brewery’s organic, preservative-free wines because they’re basically a health elixir. Toke: The Brewery has some delish beers and The Bellingen Brewing Company ginger beer, which is just right.
Toke: Ok, I have to put this in alphabetical order so I’m not accused of favouritism because I really like them all so much. Ash Bell & Sara Tindley, Brian Campeau, Dan Parsons, Diamond Duck, Dustyesky, High Lonesome, Mandy Nolan, Miel, Perch Creek, The Morrisons, Tyler Nakoa, William Crighton, Z-Star Trinity and all the rest!
Whiskey
Favourite venues
Jac: Love playing at No.5, St Margaret’s Hall and Cedar Bar. And super looking forward to playing outside in the park at the Festival Market Place on Sunday. Toke: St Margaret’s Hall was special last time and I’m really looking forward to playing the Cedar Bar this festival.
Jac: I see lots of my violin students’ families hanging out at the Festival Market Place and jumping on The Magic Bus! Toke: I think the Bugs Of Bellingen workshop at The Stables on Friday would be fun for the squids. The Magic Bus for sure and Roundabout Theatre are a great laugh for all ages. And for those times when the ferals need to let off steam, hit the skate park down by the river — see you there, bring an instrument so we can jam.
Dinner
Artist mash-ups
Don’t miss...
Craft beer
Jac: Can’t go past The Brewery for the best wines and whiskey. And the ‘Hot Lips’ is a smokin’ cocktail. Toke: Wow, I’m coming out the gates real good here — I don’t drink this stuff either! Haha. But Paul at the Cedar Bar is a whiskey connoisseur so I’d place my bets there I reckon. Jac: Qudo, the Japanese is sensational, and I love the share entrees at Cedar Bar (best polenta chips with truffle parmesan — yum). Toke: Oooh I took Jac on a date to Qudo earlier this year to thank her for the mattress she handed down to me. So good and the food is wonderful! Also seriously enjoy the vego thali plate at No.5 — SPICY..
Jac: I like going to the opening night at the Memorial Hall on the Thursday — a really great tasting platter of the acts for the weekend — and Mandy Nolan is really funny. Toke: The opening night is a top way to get everyone excited about what’s to come. Then the Bread & Butter sessions at the Cedar are really, really cool — singers/musos from the festival pair up for duets and everything’s outside the box.
THE MUSIC
•
44
•
BELLO WINTER MUSIC
For the kids
Jac: As a music teacher, I just love the Youth Mentorship Program the festival has each year. At the first Bello Winter Fest back in 2015, we were youth mentors to Rosie Stephen, a 14-year-old with the most incredible vocal talent. It was a really rewarding mentorship and we have watched Rosie grow into a powerful musician who is now singing in vocal trio act Miel. They are an act not to be missed — their harmonies are so beautiful and haunting. So I would definitely recommend seeing them!
