The DMF Songwriting Award Grand Final
21.9.09 - I was supposed to do this last year, but there was a bit of a mix up with the dates, so I had to withdraw at the last minute. Wendy Ealey made sure I had the right info this year and arranged for me to be sent cabcharge vouchers as well, so I arrived in, you've guessed it, plenty o' time. Enough time, in fact, to buy an exceptionally crappy Mexican burrito for lunch and take in Brian Pieper's nostalgic photo exhibition (pic 2) at the Synergy gallery, conveniently located right next door to the Uniting Church (pic 1) where the Songwriting Grand Final was being held. I was one of three judges on the panel, the other two being Sophie Koh, (pic 6) whom I hadn't met before, and Peter Farnan, (pic 8) whom I'd met at Eltham when we and Boom Crash Opera played at a bushfire benefit together - well, on the same stage.
Wendy made sure we understood our Judging Kits and then introduced proceedings entertainingly and the competetition was underway, led off by a 'guest' performance by the only junior entrant, Celia Dowling, (who Sophie thought was the best thing all day).
As it is with all these kind of things, there wasn't universal agreement with all the judges' decisions, (pic 7) but happily there was absolutely no dissension between the judges and we had a fun afternoon all told. I thought the standard was pretty high and there was noticeably more variety than at the CHS Battle of the Bands for instance. There weren't songwriting competitions 'in my day', but a song is a song, and the really good ones are no easier to find for the more people having a crack at it.
I was still feeling a little queasy as a result of my Mexican standoff, so after the obligatory group photo for the local paper I elected to wander down to the Westgarth cab rank far from the madding crowds and the disorienting cacophony of sounds blasting from every nook and cranny and head for the safety of home back in Camberwell.