Little town flexes its musical muscle

SHE built it, and the punters did come.

Musician Lou Bradley’s vision of resurrecting a quality music festival in Mullumbimby came to life at the weekend, as thousands of music lovers hit the town for the inaugural Mullum Roots Festival.

From the get-go, the omens were good. The sun came out between sets, the stars came out to play, and the only challenge for the audience was choosing who to watch across the four local venues.

In the Civic Centre on Saturday, many opted to stay put.

Wild Thyme opened the day with a genre-bending set of country and Middle Eastern influences, combining warmth and virtuosity.

Emily Lubitz followed with a showcase of her country-soaked new album, Two Black Horses, while Robert Forster brought a touch of big-city polish with decades of songwriting craft.

By the time Dog Trumpet finished their quirky set, lifted by Reg Mombassa’s spacy slide guitar and a swirling, swampy cover of JJ Cale’s Crazy Mama with guest artist Blak Douglas on didge, minds were officially blown.

Tamam Shud followed with deep bass and a throwback to the Morning of the Earth soundtrack.

Shane Howard added something sacred to the mix.

The Waifs closed out both nights with harmony, heartbreak and harmonica.

Vikki Thorn’s soaring vocals and blues playing brought the crowd to its feet with Lighthouse, Freight Train and a sneering spin on Dylan’s Subterranean Homesick Blues.

Across the road, crowds packed the Ex-Services Club to see the Versace Boys, while JB’s Blues Breakers brought the foot-stomping energy down on the corner.

Hootenanny Sunday kept the sunny, smiley vibe going, with regional country queen Clelia Adams leading singalongs and yodelling through Hank and John Prine.

For Bradley, who organised and directed the event, the response from the crowd was overwhelming.

“My goal was to make it all about the music, and seeing the venues filled with appreciative audiences, I couldn’t be more proud,” she said.

“There’s a big demand out there for a smaller, locally based community event.”

Artist Karena Wynn-Moylan called the festival a courageous gamble.

“The arts community is under pressure. Rising costs, venue closures, shrinking support,” she said.

“So to bring a new festival into a small town like Mullumbimby was not only long overdue, it was clearly embraced.”

Bradley is already planning for 2026. “It’ll be a hard act to follow,” she said. “Kind of like a second album.”

BY DIGBY HILDRETH