Interview Transcript from Illawarra Stories Wollongong City Libraries Oral History Project – Martyn Hopkins
Interviewer: Jo Oliver
Interview date: Unknown
Jo: I’m speaking with Martyn Hopkins and so Martyn thank you so much for being willing to have a bit of a chat. Can I ask you what your involvement in the festival is?
Martyn: I’m just a volunteer I come along and do as I’m asked to do to assist. The people around the place when they need a bit of assistance. OK general dogsbody really, happy to do whatever they wish.
Jo: Essential job I imagine, and how long have you been volunteering with the…
Martyn: 10, 10 ten years, 11 years.
Jo: And you have an interest in folk music?
Martyn: Nothing more than the festivals provide. I don’t actively seek it out in other places no but enjoy it while it’s played. Good music is always good music.
Jo: Yes. What do you? What do you like about the music?
Martyn: I think I did think it’s nice to see the community involvement. I think individual music is lovely, but when you get a group of people together, I think it’s much, much better.
Jo: Yes, yeah, so it’s, the it’s the community volunteering aspect of it that sounds that it most important to you.
Martyn: I just like to hear groups of groups of musicians together. Even choirs, sometimes. It’s lovely to hear the collective music.
Jo: And so, what do you? What sort of things do you do when you’re helping out here? What’s involved in that?
Martyn: Well, at the moment I’m assisting the treasurer. So, I’m sitting in a corner counting his money. At other times I’ve worked behind the bar and I think I drove the bus one year as well. So, whatever the requirements are, whatever they happy to help.
Jo: OK? And are there? Do you have any memorable years over the years that you’ve been here or any incidents that?
Martyn: Nothing stands out. Every festival is different, yeah, but every festival is always very enjoyable, but nothing stands out as a particular highlight, no.
Jo: You’ve had a few challenges. I hear this time anyway. With potential first, potential bushfires, and then there’s been heavy rain, but…
Martyn: Ahh sure and this one’s unique or, not unique, perhaps, but the weather does tend to have a big influence. We’ve been flooded a couple of times, or lots of rain on a couple of occasions, very hot and I remember one year, a very bad southerly blew through. Flattened half of the tents in the middle of the Oval so it’s always, always exciting always different.
Jo: Yeah, and how does it work? As far as the bands and the artists are concerned that the number of different bands playing at one time. Or what is…
Martyn: Generally, that I think there’s about 10 venues, maybe more. The acts would play for an hour at a time, but their, their staggered so that as one act finishes, an.., another one is taking place in the second, second venue. You wander in and out as you see fit. You find a band you enjoy, you sit down and enjoy it, if you’re not necessarily enjoying that band, you can get up and go to another one. Or if you care to sit there for an hour or another band will come to you.
Jo: OK.
Martyn: Pleasant thing about it enables people who aren’t quite as able to move around to sit down in one location a good location and see the good bands. Good music.
Jo: Yes. And is there any particular age group that’s interested in folk music? Or how would you describe the people that come?
Martyn: Well, traditionally, you’d say they’ve got Gray hair and a few years under the belt, but no, I think it appeals for an awful lot of people, and the music itself, at this festival. I say it’s not so much a folk music festival anymore, it’s just the music festival. I think there’s a good variety of the music that’s played here, and I think that increases the audience and increases the interest of a lot of people, gains the involvement.
Jo: Well, thank you so much, Martyn for speaking today and for the great volunteering work that you’re doing here. Thank you.