By Malcolm Prendeville
When the moon is full and sits high in the night sky, hundreds of like-minded individuals gather in an arty eclectic hall to celebrate their love of first class live original music and foster a vibrant community spirit.
On 4 November we are proud to present the fabulous jazz/reggae act KOOII on their national tour. Following this we have the amazing Darren Percival with his soul group Funkalotamus and then the great sounds of the NZ reggae band PAUA (pronounced pawa – the Maori name for abalone). In addition to this we have an awesome live DJ Favourite Son mixing up the grooves in the outdoor garden area.
This year marks the 30 year anniversary of the Full Moon Dances at Verrierdale Hall. The first dance was kicked off by the fabulous local musician Barry Charles on 14 November, 1987. As a local Verrierdale resident at the time, Barry called the first show “The Lost Lamington Show” and they were soon known as the Lamington Shows, then for a while the Bunya Beat Ball until eventually they were named the Full Moon Dance. These early shows were high energy and possessed the wicked humour and eccentricity of their host Barry. They were instantly iconic in the eyes of many. Eventually Barry wanted to tour more so Steve Tracey stepped in to run them for the next few years presenting mostly local bands. During this time they continued to be the best night out for many.
While I was there operating the sound for all the early Lamington Shows it wasn’t till 2008 that I picked up the mantle to run the events myself. I started with the intention to bring a fresh range of awesome acts to the Coast. I took the stand that if I could build a trust with the patrons, that whatever band is playing, even if people hadn’t heard of them, they would always be quality … then it would succeed. This has proven to be right. It’s a feather right out of Bill Hauritz’s cap (CEO Woodford Folk Festival) for whom I worked for over 20 years as the festival’s technical production manager.
The only thing missing from the old days is the huge bonfire we used to have in the bar garden area, that provided a great atmosphere. However with all the strict insurance regulations this became unsustainable. I haven’t given up on the dream of getting the fire back though. It will come again one day!
The Full Moon Dances held at Verrierdale Hall are regarded by many local residents as being one of the Sunshine Coast’s best kept secrets. It is hard to say these amazing dances are still a secret however, as every event attracts great crowds with patrons flocking in from all over Queensland. Anonymity was actually never going to be sustainable for the Full Moon Dances, with red hot national acts, such as, OKA, King Tide, Tijuana Cartel, The Upsteppers, Dubmarine, Jeff Lang, Band Of Frequencies, Bombino (to name but a few) headlining these events in recent times. As a consequence the Full Moon Dances have gained attention throughout our region and beyond.
