The Spooky Men’s Chorale v Dustyesky
Mullumbimby Civic Hall | Saturday 11 August | 8pm | $15-35
The country’s two weirdest men’s choirs, The Spooky Men’s Chorale and Mullum’s own Dustyesky, are going beard to beard. It’s battle of the baritones. Harmonies of the Hombres! The Spookys – as thunderous as a herd of wildebeest, as sly as a wagonload of Spike Milligans, and as sonorous as a cloister of monks, the Spooky Men’s Chorale are the gift that keeps on giving. They emerged blithering and blinking-eyed from the Blue Mountains of NSW seventeen years ago and armed with no more than their voices, a nice line in deadpan, and an ill-matched set of hats, and have been gleefully disturbing audiences throughout Australia, NZ and the UK ever since.
As we all know, the secret of Dustyesky is lost in the misty undergrowth of famous Mullumgrad hinterland. Like the recipe for gherkin liqueur, the magic of their music lies in the heart of all of us but never one man alone. Come listen and believe. Your heart will soar. You will smile and cry. For sure. As rough as a sawmiller’s beard, as gentle as his touch, Dustyesky is elusive yet eternal. Like the wind of the Siberian steppes, they will blow within you forever. Featuring a full set from each choir and some battling hi-jinx to delight the new and the diehard fans. A never-to-be-repeated event. Until the next time.
Musicians party at Marty’s at Cabba
Marty’s at Cabba, Cabarita Beach | Sunday 5 August | 11am–9pm
Singer/songwriter Stephen Lovelight has pulled a group of his musician friends together to play a gig at one of their favourite little venues on the coast: Marty’s at Caba, a pizza and tapas restaurant in Cabarita Beach. The proprietors, Wendy and Marty Waters, have operated in the area for more than thirty years and have always offered live music for their patrons. Venues like Martys – intimate and cosy – are an opportunity for musicians to ply their craft and hone their skills. If you are relying on music alone to pay your way in this world you have to have a few strings to your guitar, so to speak.
‘I have a particular passion for Mississippi Delta blues – that just doesn’t work in some venues, but in a restaurant atmosphere it goes down really well. I am grateful for a restaurant that dares to brave the expense of adding live music to what they offer so I can play what really moves me – play with my heart, quietly crafting a soothing ambience in the background for diners. Running a restaurant is fraught with so many obstacles – just staying afloat is success in hospitality. Wendy and Marty work so hard; they barely take time for themselves. Their day off is spent ordering and prepping for the next six days they operate, on five of which they offer live music. It’s impressive and Dave Murray, a local legend of a musician, and I got together and thought we’d put together a gesture of gratitude. Every musician approached about playing free didn’t hesitate. Everyone is grateful for what Marty and Wendy have cultivated over the years,’ says Stephen
‘The lineup is very exciting: we have Square Hillock Boys headlining; you might be able to unravel a well-loved local act out of this geometrically, geographically and gender-confused pseudonym (Round Mountain Girls – they didn’t want to offend other local venues who pay top dollar for them to appear on their stage). Dan Hannaford is going to stomp the rafters down as well as the mighty Matty Rogers and a whole day’s worth of other local identities. The celebration starts at 11am and patiently crafts an unforgettable day of fine food and music and community-building goodness through till 9pm; the day after is a public holiday so people can kick up their heels without care for consequences. People should expect to encounter a whole lot of passion and joy: a glimpse of the artist stomping on this Earth with frenzied unbridled joy.’
Little Birdy Youth Dance
Mullum Golf Club | Friday 3 August | 7.30pm | $20 | 12–17 years
Friday 3 August will see the first (of what hopes to be many more) event for Little Birdy with the Mullumbimby Golf Club being transformed into a nightclub just for those aged 12–17 years. This is strictly drug and alcohol free, with licensed security and volunteers throughout the evening. Karla hopes the event is one that can be embraced and respected by those attending to ensure they can continue with future events.
She says, ‘Along with the chance to dance like no-one is watching, I’d like to see more events created just for this age group. Barefoot Bowls with a live DJ, old-school film showing under the stars and touring bands performing gigs just for our youth.’
All tickets are $20 and pre-purchase only. There is a limited number and there will be no door sales available on the night. Refreshments, snacks and hot food will be available to purchase. To ensure this is a safe event, there will be no pass-outs available.
The DJ will be rolling out his last track at 11pm. Any volunteers with a current NSW WWCC are required. [email protected].
Tickets available for pre-purchsae only at www.trybooking.com/XAOF
I Love Uke
Club Mullum | Thursday | 6.30pm | Entry $15, kids under 16 $2.50 (under five free)
Miss Amber and Stukulele are the darlings of the uke scene. This Uke Mullum marks seven years the husband-and-wife team have created a unique ukulele-playing community that brings people together once a month to enjoy big songs on little instruments. Every month the two put their heads together to come up with a theme to dress and play to. This month the theme is Lucky 7 – 7th birthday, 7th month! To celebrate their birthday the crew will be joined by special guests Joel Salom with another ukulele-juggling world-record attempt and everyone’s favourite soul singer the amazing Jo Jo Smith. Plus Ash Bell, Sara Tindley, Shelly Brown and more.
Songbook available at www.ukemullum.com
If you can’t make it to Club Mullum you can tune in and watch the night streamed online. To help that happen, you can pledge as little as one dollar at www.patreon.com/ukemullum
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
