Bluegrass enthusiasts from Newcastle, The Hunter Valley and Sydney came together at the Croatian Wickham Sports Club for what turned out to be an inspiring launch of a new Bluegrass Society in Australia.

The most pleasing aspect of the night was that the sit around in a circle jam session consisted of every type of musician from virtuoso to novice and everyone in between.

We kicked off the night with a rendition of Letter From My Darling by Bill Munroe and The Bluegrass Boys and the night unfolded from there.

It was particularly special to have experienced and well-travelled guidance from the fabulous banjo player Dave Helens and guitarist Daniel Watkins. They epitomised the open and sharing nature of Bluegrass music by offering tips about the language of Bluegrass jamming and many other gems.

Novice players were given the opportunity to play along with fabulous musicians such as national bluegrass flatpick guitar champ, Robbie Long and local legends Sue Carson (fiddle), David Carter (banjo) and Mark Salter aka Merewether Fats (harmonica).

All it takes to be a member of the First Monday Bluegrass Club is an interest in bluegrass and a willingness to participate in the evening. We encourage each member to bring a few song suggestions with them and ask that they show the rest of us how the songs go before launching into them.

The next meet is on Monday 1st June 7pm – 9pm.