By Margaret Maccoll
A musician all his life Carl Beck turned judge last weekend at the Noosa Busking Championship and marvelled at the talent on show at the event.
“This is far superior to anything we’ve had before,“ he said. “The first year we were feeling our way. This year it’s gone to another level.“
Organisers Anne and Tony Oxley said the championship, now in its fourth year, had also attracted a larger field of entertainers and a greater diversity. She agreed the performers were top rate but it would be hard to beat their greatest success to date, Tones and I, who performed in Noosa in 2018 and has gone on to achieve international acclaim.
There were 63 buskers performing along Gympie Terrace, Noosaville, on Saturday, including a dance troupe and balancing act along with singers and musicians. Crowds filled Gympie Terrace on a weekend of spectacular winter weather to listen and cheer on the performers.
Anne said four judges roamed the street, each selecting their top three choices to perform at the finals on Sunday with the winners invited to the national busking championships in Cooma in November.
Jack Raymond was very excited to take out first place in the open category and an invitation to perform at the national finals against other regional finalists. Having moved to Noosa two years ago from Victoria Jack has been “gigging around Noosa“ outside work hours, often busking at Noosa Junction on a Friday night.
“I started playing guitar as a kid and started taking it up seriously four years ago,“ he said. Jack describes his sound as “blues with a smile“.
First place winners in the Secondary category was FrankandLouis and it wasn’t the first win for the young brothers. Having only begun busking two years ago the boys in 2020 won first place in the Australian Busking Championship in the secondary school category in its online competition and in 2019 placed second in the primary school category. “It’s fun,“ the boys said. “We love it.“
The boys busk regularly in Caloundra and at the Eumundi markets but it isn’t the coin that drives them. “It’s more about the passion than the money,“ they said.
The brothers also won third place in the People’s Choice Award and received the Gympie Music Muster Award providing them an invitation to perform on the main stage at the festival.
First place in the Primary category went to guitarist extraordinaire Jake Parkes and the People’s Choice Award was won by Ruby & Jarrod.
The weekend buskers ranged in age from teens to seniors and everyone had a story that led them to music.
The Shoplifters started playing together about six years ago, raising $5000-$6000 a year for children’s charities.
“We’re just a whole lot of people from a lot of different places,“ band member Robert Swales said. The band used to play at the shops at Coolum where they “lifted the spirits of shop goers“, hence the name. They can now be seen playing from 7-9am Wednesday and Friday at Tickle Park, Coolum Beach.
Jimmy O’Dea, 72, was the youngest of 10 children. All of them were musical, his wife, Christie, said. Jimmy played 178 games for St Kilda in the VFL before moving the Noosa. This was Jimmy’s fourth entry in the busking championship. “He enjoys it, rather than playing in the garage,“ Christie said.
The Flying Buskers travelled from the Redlands to play in the event. A member of several ukulele groups Jane Milward began travelling across western Queensland about seven years ago to busk and raise money for The Flying Doctors Service. A year later she was joined by group members who, as The Flying Buskers, have together played and raised about $12,000 for the organisation.
Backpacker Gigi from Israel had been working on farms to support himself until nine months ago a surfing accident on Noosa’s Main Beach left him with a couple of fractured bones and ended his farming activities. Having never sung before but unable to do physical about Gigi picked up a guitar and started busking. “I believe everything happens for a reason,“ he said.
Ten-year-old twins Fiona and Viena travelled from Brisbane with their father Jonathan to perform in the busking championships. The girls have been busking for the past three years, Jonathan said. “They just want to share their music with everyone,“ he said.
Naming his act after his favourite animal, the Bluebone Groper, the barefoot musician, Bluebone, moved to Noosa about three weeks ago from the Kimberleys.
“I always wanted to come here,“ he said.
His arrival having coincided with the busking championship Bluebone was happy to join in and hopes to support himself in Noosa through his music.
Noosa Busking Championship winners were:
Open Category
1st Place Champion – Jack Raymond
2nd Place – Andrew Healey
3rd Place – Jessey Jackson
Secondary Category1st Place Champion – Frank and Louis
2nd Place – Kiani Jazz Music
3rd Place – Isabella Semmler
Primary Category1st Place Champion – Jake Parkes
2nd Place – Amy Ryan Music
3rd Place – Jacob Turner
People’s Choice Awards
1st Place – Ruby & Jarrod
2nd Place – Addison Muir
3rd Place – Frank and Louis
Best BandSkyver Trio
Non-Music Street PerformanceStephen Robertson
Special Encouragement AwardFrank & LouisSpecial Judges Awards for Buskers who did not receive a major award:
Morgan Smith, Isabella Turner, Dennis Comino Music, Josh Crawford, Indi Walsh, Kaitlin Brown, Cora and Lochie, Twinko NaNa, Jeremiah Montgomery, Julian & Bakani and Bluebone
