Corinbank @ CorinForest Mountain Resort, Canberra (29/02/08)

I’m convinced Canberra has kick started a revolution in recent months. A born and bred Canberran, I like many others have not been blessed with the luxuries of events such as Big Day Out and Falls Festival, of which our larger city counterparts have been privileged with for a number of years. I recall times of indignant protest when finding out artists have avoided our fine territory like the plague when they toured. Hell, even Australian Idol has skipped coming here altogether because apparently, we’re not worth the trip. But times have changed. With the plethora of first time festivals and events we have experienced in the past several months, such as Trackside and Foreshore, it certainly makes Canberra that little bit more exciting a place to live in. This revolution has, in my opinion, been cemented with one festival which stood out from the others.

I’m referring to Corinbank, a locally organised event consisting of an environmentally friendly several days of great music, camping in Corin Forest’s beautiful surroundings. Good weather and a positive energy set the benchmark for the three days, which was jam packed with something for everyone. First and foremost a dope line up of artists, local and interstate, bringing to the festival every style from Latin, rock and folk, through to hip hop, funk and blues. Quite honestly, to mention absolutely everything that Corinbank had in store would require writing a small novel – it is simply impossible to do it justice by cramming it all into one article, so I’ll allude to the highlights.

Friday’s proceedings kicked off early in the day with an introduction by the Green Kulture team and several workshops aimed at the carbon economy and discussions on the sustainability of Canberra. There was a diverse range of food, jewellery and art stalls to browse through, plus crystal and reike healing. A ‘Welcome to Country Dance’ by the Wiradiuri Echo people began the music program for the evening, which was spread across two main stages. The Local group Casual Projects warmed the crowd up for what would be a crisp night, followed by D’Opus & Roshambo and The Herd who played energetic sets, getting the crowd rocking. The Bamboos, Dahahoo, Aston Shuffle and Rideckulous DJs all played and the night wrapped up at around 5.00am that morning. By this time, a lot of people had retired to their campsite for the evening to prepare for the big day ahead.

Saturday presented itself with more activities and events than you could poke a stick at. For the early risers there was yoga down by the banks of the dam, as well as a Falun Gong session and circus workshops for the kids (and a select few adults). Let’s not forget the waterslide which provided relief from the weather for many, and the altered bikes made from recycled materials which were available to anyone willing to have a go. The Green Kulture Tent had a variety of eco-focused workshops, from Indigenous awareness to open mic and poetry sessions and climate change panels. There was an organic metal art workshop and seed collecting, plus a horns workshop with Dahahoo, as well as four separate guided mountain bike rides down to the top of Gibraltar falls. Friendly Yen started at 12.00 at the Square Rock Stage and Elf graced the Billy Billy Stage. Throughout the day I witnessed the soulful vocals of Lucie Thorne, the slap country styles of the Fuelers, Dahahoo’s jazzy rock feel and the bangin’ beats of Koolism and Muph & Plutonic. Late into the evening saw DJ Perplex, JFKK and Jono Fernandez got the crowd moving and grooving well into the wee hours of the morning.

Sunday presented itself as another beautiful day, with bird watching tours and vocal jams and harmonies in the Little Top, as well as more yoga and bike tours. The vibe picked up more and more with the expectation of Xavier Rudd playing later in the day, but there was ample opportunity to relax, from simply kicking it on the grass listening to music, or chilling at the Chai Tent on the bank on one of the numerous couches and cushions. Latin Classics provided a start to the day in the Billy Billy Tent, followed by The Cashews and Jackie Marshall strumming their stuff to the delight of their listeners. Kate Miller Heidke blew everyone’s socks off with her fantastic vocal range and quirky tendencies, and this set the tone nicely for the Andi & George Band, who executed a top shelf funky blues set. This left the one and only Xavier Rudd to wrap up the weekend, which he certainly did in style. His spectacular one-man show got people moving and grooving to what can only be described as a tribal beats extravaganza. He commented on “the beautiful energy” of the crowd, and this essentially described the vibe of the festival.

The purpose of Corinbank, its “raison d’etre” was summed up the best, funnily enough, on the back of one of the eco-friendly toilet doors: “Changing the world from the bottom up”. Slight pun intended I’m sure, but nonetheless the organisers should be stoked that the vibe of the festival consistently revolved around this notion. Most importantly to mention was the fact that there was absolutely no rubbish on the ground; the splendid surroundings remained that way for the whole weekend. And like I said, it is near impossible to fit the entire weekend into anything less than a novel, but these were definitely some of the highlights. Most importantly, it was the dedication of organisers and festival goers alike which contributed to such a special weekend.
The atmosphere can only be described as laidback as all buggery and full of good vibes. It was comical watching the hired security guards with nothing to do. I’m pretty sure their biggest drama was someone swinging colourful balls on the road and obstructing traffic!

Corinbank can only get bigger and better from here. The more exposure it receives in future years the better. The three lads who organised it should be proud of their superb efforts for having organised and executed something so successful, and I advise anyone to come check it out in future years, to check out some fantastic musical talent and gain a better appreciation for beautiful environment in which we live, and how to go about preserving it. Changing the world from the bottom up has never looked better.

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