Dan Kelly has nothing but positive memories of performing at the first ever Between the Bays Music Festival, held last year. ‘Yeah, it was a good day, a beautiful day and it gave us the chance to get out of Melbourne. There were kids rushing the stage, practically controlling the show, demanding lollies and saying “Show us your guitar”...even when we had to load the drum kit onto the stage, the kids wanted to do it so we got the school kids to carry Chris’ drum kit!’
His recollection of the festival also highlights the main feature that distinguishes Between the Bays from the multitude of other festivals on offer: fun for the kids! Between the Bays is Australia’s only primary school-run music festival, organized by and held at Penbank School, Moorooduc on Melbourne’s Mornington Peninsula on Saturday 24th March. It is an event where a variety of bands are teamed with local gourmet food and wine, a picturesque scenery and fun activities for kids, such as spray tattoos, roving performers and face painting, to provide entertainment for all ages.
This year, the line up again covers a broad scope of artists and tastes: Mental As Anything, Dan Kelly & the Alpha Males, Nick Barker & the Backyard Six, Lisa Miller, The Dukes of Windsor, The Inches, The Distance and Combo La Revelacion. Dan is full of praise for the organizers for their clearly thought out line up that caters for the sparse age groups of the attendees. ‘There’s a real variety of people there. A lot of young people go but there is also the 40 year old demographic from the 80’s who’ll remember the Mentals. There’s a bit of old and a bit of new. We consider ourselves the Mentals of the 00’s….’ he drifts off, then continues. ‘But I think the organizers are realistic about what they can do in their early years. The festival is in its infancy, its second year, but they’ll gradually build over the years.’
His praise can’t be taken lightly either. Dan Kelly & the Alpha Males are no strangers to the festival arena, having played two Falls Festivals, three Big Days Out and the recent Laneway festivals. Dan admits there was once a time when nerves and discomfort crept in at the thought of performing on these large stages but time has significantly built the band’s confidence nowadays to the level of simply enjoying the ‘powerful and cool’ experience of being on stage.
While every festival, and gig, has its benefits, I wondered what makes Between the Bays a special experience for Dan. ‘Because it’s down at Mornington Peninsula. It’s like a spiritual place for me. It’s the spiritual home for some of my songs like Fire and Theft. A lot of my songs are set there. Also, the festival sits somewhere between the rock world and a family festival. It’s not a daggy festival; the bands are credible but not too big. They’re not aiming for a certain genre of music, just good time bands.’
Without directly stating it, there may also be a sentimental reason lurking beneath Dan’s partiality to this festival: it will be Dan Kelly & the Alpha Males’ final gig as this line up. After more than three years as a band and with several highly acclaimed EPs and albums, Dan and his Alpha Males are going their separate ways. He cites the creative person’s innate urge to explore new grounds as the main reason behind this decision. ‘It’s important for me to keep moving, for the person who writes the songs to keep moving and to challenge myself. I’m just doing something different. Also, Aaron’s moving to the UK…. I don’t want to be stuck in the same role. It is sad, but it’s the right time.’
