Captivating duo, Noel Gardner and Alex Bridge from Maleny on The Sunshine Coast will perform at Folk Redlands on Sunday May 19.
With songs that engage the hearts and minds of audiences wherever they perform, Gardner and Bridge have entertained festival audiences across the country for many years, including a recent gig at the National Folk Festival, Canberra in Easter 2019.
With three independently released C.D's and a string of Songwriting Awards under his belt, Gardner's music has been described by Australian Songwriters Association as presenting, "strong messages in a velvet glove of music."
He paints images with lyrics and colours them with sensitive guitar and emotive vocals to create music that is soaked in the natural elements and landscape of Australia as well as the tapestry of life. His ability to pen songs of beauty and injustice invite the audience to contemplate on the beauty of our natural environment as well as political/social issues.
Gardner is a long time environmental activist and was awarded life membership of the Sunshine Coast Environment Council for his contribution to the environment through music. His song Refugee won second place in the 2004 Australian Songwriters Awards- Acoustic category, and lyrics of his song Stolen Children took out first place in the 2005 awards in the lyrics category. He also sang the song to 5000 people on Brisbane's Sorry Day concert in 1998.
Gardner's songs come to life with duo partner Alex Bridges adding vocal harmonies, blending delicately with Gardner's guitar style and Bridge's sensitive bass guitar.
Whilst the music is predominately folk, it borrows from a variety of genres.
The afternoon will open with a two-hour blackboard. Walk-in performers are on a first-in basis from 1pm. As Indigiscapes is undergoing renovations, this event will be held at Folk Redlands' temporary venue at the Redlands Modern Country Music Club at Pinklands from 1pm to 4pm on May 19.
Entry is $3 for Folk Redlands members and $5 for non-members. Membership is $5 for the year.