Paul and Richenda - ABOFOTS Hosts - Photo by Gay

Travellers to Eastern Australia may like to consider visiting Brisbane, capital city of the SUNNY state of Queensland and where there has been a continuous, thriving Folk scene since Forever.  The brilliant annual Woodford Folk Festival is also located nearby. 

Now about an hour and a half’s drive NW of Brisbane, in the dairy country (green rolling hills, with Bunya Nut Pines from the former rainforest) , is the Sunshine Coast Hinterland town of MALENY, home to a thriving Arts community, numerous Co-Operatives (second only to Mondragon in Spain) AND the home of :

ABOFOTS (as it is affectionately known!) is a monthly gathering of singers, musicians, poets and storytellers who come together from a wide-ranging area to share their love of both contemporary and traditional Folk ~ including the wide-ranging fields of Folk-Blues, Gospel, Country-Folk, Bluegrass, World Music, and, Spoken Word ~ for Performance with :

This is our credo, and Visitors – whether performing or listening – are most welcome!

Banner by Alex Bridge

ABOFOTS evenings of monthly ACOUSTIC FOLK performances, have been held at The Club’s Maple Street premises since October 2001.  Only January misses out, due to the traditional Holiday season and the nearby fantabulous Woodford Folk Festival !!!

Paul Lawler, former Darwin and Sydney singer/songwriter, is your Folk Host, along with partner and singer Richenda Bridge, whom he met whilst living in the Northern Territory and singing at Darwin’s Top End Folk Club.  Paul was a founding member in 1971 of this famous (still-running) Folk Club, which used to meet in a WWII gun turret – surely unique as venues go!!!

So if Folk is your Fancy, make that trip up The Range to Maleny and enjoy the acoustic experience.