Wollongong's free festival celebrating street musicians, brass bands and community jam sessions has been resurrected for a winter edition.
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Honk! Oz will bring together professional and amateur musicians from far and wide for a mix of free performances and workshops from Wednesday July 13 untill Saturday.
Artistic director David Rooney said the free, non-commercial music festival has about 50 dedicated volunteers who bring it together, while no band is paid - they come at their own expense, inspired to connect with other like minded musicians.
"What makes the festival are the bands who make the effort and take the time to come and visit here," he said
"We've hot a band that live in New Zealand and they're just coming here just for this, to me that's amazing. It's like that ripple effect, it's a small thing but it spreads far."
In previous years the multi-day celebration has run in summer months, but COVID-19 has pushed it back again and again with the last one being two-and-a-half years ago.
Workshops are another key element for the event, suited to emerging or seasoned performers down to children keen to test their jam skills.
"One of my most favourite parts of the festival is seeing 50 or 60 kids learning tunes ... and really enjpoying music," Rooney Said.
"They're thinking of themselves in that moment as a musician, which is what Honk's all about - just revelling in the movement."
Some of the musical acts on the 2022 lineupe include the Beatmeisters, Bundeena Ramshackle Orchestra, Crash Bandihoot, The Con Artists, Mama Wailer, Hot Potato Band, Riff Raff Radical Marching Band, The Swingaleles and the Vic Janko Orkestar.
The Servo in Port Kembla will host the opening party (and fundraise for the NSW Floods Appeal) on Thursday from 6pm with performances by the Con Artsis, the Junkadelic Brass Band, plus Creative Dialogues and Lotte Latukefu.
On Friday music lovers can catch concerts at lunchtime at the Wollongong Conservatorium of Music before finding more tunes from mid-afternoon in the Wollongong Arts Precinct plus in and around the Town Hall.
At 7pm Friday, bring your own lantern and join in the Lantern Parade through the CBD - starting at the Arts Precinct in front of the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre.
Saturday will see the stalwart event of the festival, the Grand Parade, with a symphony of sound produced by musicians from all walks of life down the Crown Street Mall and Globe Lane, with concerts to continue throughout the day in the Wollongong Arts Precinct plus in and around the Town Hall.
For the full details, visit: www.honkfest.org.au
WORKSHOPS
Kids HONK! Band
Students will learn four tunes across two workshops - on Thursday and Friday. They will then be part of two performances, one in the evening on Friday for the festival opening and again on Saturday evening (both in the Arts Precinct near IPAC).
Zany hats and crazy, multicoloured pants, shoes and accessories welcome. Cost is $30.
HOOT Pickup Band
Musicians from the general public are invited to pariticpate in the free "pickup band", performing with the Junkadelic Brass Band.
It's for intermediate level players and up, with any instrument acceptable.
Workshops will run on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Performances will be on Friday and Saturday.
Femme Fatales
An immersive performance experience bringing creative spirit together.
Open to all female, female-identifying and non-binary people over the age of 16 (though 12-16-year-olds may participate with an accompanying adult).
Workshops to be held on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, with a performance on Saturday in the Wollongong mall.
Queens of Honk!
Chicago's Tracy Camille is inviting everyone - especially "minority and underrepresented populations" - and their favourite instrument to collaborate.
Register via the HonkOz website for full details.
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