Tales of 101 Nights : FOLK in MALENY ***
a List of Themes for ABOFOTS (A Bit of FOLK on the Side)
2001 - 2011 ~ hosted monthly by PAUL LAWLER (with Richenda Bridge) ~
2001 October (inaugural)
No Theme
November
POLITICAL
December
LOVE, LUST, or the LACK of …..
(+ “Come All Ye” session)
Jenny Fitzgibbon = Guest MC
2002 January
NEW BEGINNINGS + special guests from Darwin: BILGE RATZ
February
Songs of MAGIC, MYSTERY and RITUAL
March
LARRIKINS and LARKS + special guests from Brisbane : DON & JUNE NICHOLS
April
No Folk Night
May
No Theme
June
Songs of SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE
July
WINTER WARMERS
(+ “Come All Ye” session)
***
August
No Theme Richenda Bridge = Guest MC + special guests from Maleny : RAW SILK
September (11th night)
No Theme
October (1st birthday)
BIRTHDAY (with cake!) Richenda Bridge = Guest MC special guests from the SunCoast : TREVOR & LYN DAND special guests from Brisbane : DON & JUNE NICHOLS “Come All Ye” session : Trevor Dand
November
No Theme
December
No Theme
2003 January
No Theme
February
No Theme
March
No Theme
April
NUMBERS
May
COLOURS
June
ANIMALS (+ “Come All Ye” session) + special guest from Melbourne : John McAuslan
July
FOOD
(+ “Come All Ye” session)
(+ “Come All Ye” session)
August (22nd night)
EARTH, AIR, FIRE, WATER ~ and Horses!
September
FRENCH POLISHING (+ “Come All Ye” session)
October (2nd birthday)
BIRTHDAY (with cake!) special guests from Conondale : Angela FOX & Gordon HALIDAY special guests from Brisbane : SILENCE OF THE AMPS “Come All Ye” session : Shez Wright
November
TRANSPORT
December
THINGS with WINGS Richenda Bridge = Guest MC
2004 January
No Folk Night
February
POLITICS, PARTIES and PORPOISE
March
MOONS, STARS ….. and HEAVENLY BODIES
April
DECEIT, DISGUISE and DEVILRY + special guests from Hervey Bay : FABULOUS WOMEN’S CHOIR
May
The DANCE of LIFE, MAYDAY … and DOWNTRODDEN MEN! + Special Surprise Guests from Sydney and Canberra : John & Dale DENGATE / Seamus GILL & Kate SCOTT
June
PARODIES and PARADOXES
July
FIRE and BRIMSTONE
August (33rd night)
ABBREVIATED FOLKSONGS : the Short and Sweet of it all
September
THINGS TERRITORIAL + special guests from Darwin and Townsville : Paul STEWART and Jeff CORFIELD
October (3rd birthday)
BIRTHDAY (with cake!) special guests from Maleny : Tommy LEONARD special guests from Brisbane : Helen ROWE & Friends The Fabulous Folk Quiz : Roger Holmes “Come All Ye” session : Paul Lawler
November
TONGUE TWISTERS and other TORTUOUS TRAVAILS Phil Beck = Guest MC + special guest from Perth : Phil BECK (+ “Come All Ye” session)
December
EUREKA! and other STOCKADED FREEDOM FIGHTS / and / SEASONAL Songs of SOLSTICE, SUMMER, SANTA and SILLINESS Ian Clarke & Anne Infante = Guest MCs + special guests from Rosemount/Maleny : Steve COOK & Jenny FITZGIBBON
2005 January
No Folk Night
February
SPICY Songs to TITILATE the TASTEBUDS + special guests from Maleny : SWEET CHILLI (IN A FROCK)
March
FINGS WOT ARE ROUND (or Go Round)
April
UNITED WE STAND
May
THOROUGHFARES : the Access and Egress Thereof / + JOH BJELKE + special guests from Brisbane : Helen ROWE and Friends
June
WARPING and WEFTING Through the FABRIC of LIFE + special guests from Maleny : TAPESTRY
July
DESERT ISLAND DISCS : Your Favourite Things
August (44th night)
KID STUFF : from Rug-Ratz to Goats
September
FOOD! GLORIOUS FOOD : Fads and Fancies
October (4th birthday)
BIRTHDAY (with cake!) special guests from SunCoast : THE SHEEPDOGS “Rigs & Jigs” funtime (a la “Spicks & Specks”) “Come All Ye” session : Jenny Fitzgibbon
November
YA GOTCHA GOOD NEWS ….. and YA GOTCHA BAD NEWS Ian Clarke & Anne Infante = Guest MCs
December
OUT with the OLD and IN with the NEW / and / Has Xmas Gone to the Dogs? Ian Clarke & Anne Infante = Guest MCs
2006 January
No Folk Night
February
TYRANTS? (or Teachers)
March
FOR or AGAINST ….. and the Gentle Art of Fence Sitting
April
FOOLING with LOVE in APRIL
May
MAYbe ….. and MAYbe NOT
June
ONE YOU LOVE ….. and One That Should Never Have Been Written : held at The Celtic Tearooms, due to Up Front Club renovations …
July
MONEY MATTERS : from Fiscal Fings to the State of Your Piggy Bank
August (55th night)
The inaugural AUGUST OFFENSIVE : Songs or Poems That MAY Offend
September
SPRING is SPRUNG ….. so Remember September
October (5th birthday)
BIRTHDAY (with cake!) Special Guests from Maleny : CLOUDSTREET “Rigs & Jigs” funtime (a la “Spicks & Specks”) : also with Paul dressed as a Gnome ….. The Fabulous Folk Quiz : Roger Holmes “Come All Ye” session : Jenny Fitzgibbon
November
JUST HORSIN’ AROUND : the Cup, the GeeGees, and other Equine Pursuits Ian Clarke & Anne Infante = Guest MCs
December
DEMAND YOUR RIGHTS! Noel Gardner & Tommy Leonard = Guest MCs
2007 January
No Folk Night
February
NEW REVOLUTIONS for OLD RESOLUTIONS
March
THIS is the CHORUS …..
April
JAZZY-BLUESY-FOLKIE STUFF
May
It’s the IRISH in ME!! + Special Guests from Sydney / Canberra : John & Dale DENGATE /and / Seamus GILL & Kate SCOTT
June
PARODIES and PISS-TAKES + Special Guest from Meldale : Evan MATHIESON
July
AND NOW, A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR!
August (66th night)
The 2nd annual AUGUST OFFENSIVE : Songs or Poems That MAY Offend
September
DANCE to LIFE!
October (6th birthday)
BIRTHDAY (with cake!) Special Guest from Brisbane : Amanda GILMOUR “Rigs & Jigs” funtime = Richenda Bridge’s Fabulous Folk Quiz, and the Folk-a-Lot Wheel “Come All Ye” session : Jenny Fitzgibbon
November
The CIRCUS of LIFE (the Games People Play) Joe Lynch & Tommy Leonard = Guest MCs
December
WILLIE SONGS : Commoners & Kings Ian Clarke & Anne Infante = Guest MCs
2008 January
No Folk Night
February
DON’T MENTION the DROUGHT!
March
something OLD, something NEW, something BORROWED, something BLUE
April
GOLDEN OLDIES ..… from Music Hall to The Twenties
May
MOTHERS, WIVES – and other Necessary Females!
June
with ya GUNS ‘n’ DRUMS ~ and Roses!
July
IMMORTALISED! (your Name in Song)
August (77th night)
The 3rd annual AUGUST OFFENSIVE : Songs or Poems That MAY Offend
September
SPRING is SPRUNG (revisited)
October (7th birthday)
BIRTHDAY (with cake!) NO special guests “Rigs & Jigs” funtime = impromptu 60s/70s songs (in disguise!) Mummers Skit “Come All Ye” session : Evan Mathieson
November
ONE YOU LOVE ….. and One That Should Never Have Been Written (revisited) Joe Lynch = Guest MC
December
FOOD for THOUGHT Ian Clarke & Anne Infante = Guest MCs
2009 January
No Folk Night
February
WHAT the DICKENS was DARWIN up to? (celebrating Charleys!)
March
TRADES and CRAFTS (Life before the I.T. Specialists)
April
STONE the CROWS! It’s OZ Night!!
May
For Pete’s Sake, SING! (Pete Seeger : 90th Birthday Tribute) + Special Guests from Sydney / Canberra : John & Dale DENGATE /and / Seamus GILL & Kate SCOTT
June
THE OLD LIE? (dulce et decorum est, pro patria mori)
July
OUR ENZED NEIGHBOURS : offerings from across the Tasman
August
(88th night)
September
The 4th annual AUGUST OFFENSIVE : Songs or Poems That MAY Offend FAREWELLS and FORGET-ME-NOTS (or, Cheers & Tears!) Ian Clarke = Guest MC
October (8th birthday)
BIRTHDAY (with cake!) Special Guest from Perth / Maleny : Andy COPEMAN Evan Mathieson with selections from his new Harry Robertson CD “Rigs & Jigs” folkie funtime (a la Spicks & Specks) Paul Lawler’s Folkie Crossword Puzzles “Come All Ye” session : Tommy Leonard
November
MURDER and MAYHEM! Joe Lynch = Guest MC
December
LAUGHTER ~ the Best Medicine Ian Clarke & Anne Infante = Guest MCs
2010 January
No Folk Night
February
HEROINES (OK, and HEROES!)
March
CRIKEY! I Didn’t Think He’d Sing THAT!
April
ABERRANT ACRONYMS : alternative meanings for A.B.O.F.O.T.S.
May
MAY – MAYS – MAIZE – MAZE + Special Guests from Sydney / Canberra : John & Dale DENGATE /and / Seamus GILL & Kate SCOTT
June
WHAT COLOUR ARE YOUR BLUES?
July
MYTHICAL BEASTS and ENDANGERED SPECIES
August (99th night)
The 5th annual AUGUST OFFENSIVE : Songs or Poems That MAY Offend
September
FOLKPOP : Fusion or Fission! Ian Clarke & Anne Infante = Guest MCs
October (9th birthday) our 101st night – and our last
FINAL BIRTHDAY ( with cake! er .… which was forgotten! ) Special Guest: We were ALL Special! (our last “Blackboard” of Performers and Friends, with much Audience participation) our “Rigs & Jigs” folkie funtime (a la Spicks & Specks) was a Shadow Puppet play, with pertinent political, folk music, and local identity content! Steve Swayne prepared a slideshow featuring pics from our last 100 nights! plus, there were numerous Raffle draws.
“ VALE A. B. O. F. O. T. S. ”
