The best folk singers in Melbourne
The word folk does at least three jobs in this city, and picking the wrong one is how people end up with a fiddle and a bodhran at a quiet gallery opening. Celtic and traditional material, Australian bush song and contemporary acoustic writing are separate bookings played by separate people. Name the one you mean in your first message and the shortlist halves itself.
Weather does the other half of the planning here. Melbourne can hand you a cold snap in November and a warm evening in May, and a singer playing an outdoor ceremony has to survive whichever turns up. None of the performers on this list carries a written review here, so watch the footage and ask what they do when the wind gets into a microphone.
Top picks in Melbourne
Top picks are the acts in this category in Melbourne, without a review, rating or premium ranking: all these sort keys are tied.
Questions people ask about folk singers in Melbourne
How much does a folk singer cost in Melbourne?
One player with a guitar is the base, and the number climbs as instruments and people are added, since a fiddle or an accordion often means a second musician to pay. Hours, travel out past the suburbs and whether they bring a speaker do the rest. The from-prices on these Melbourne listings are the current figures worth comparing.
What does a folk singer play at a Melbourne wedding?
Usually a short processional and a recessional, then a stretch of quiet playing through the photographs and the drinks. The material tends to be a mix of the performer's own repertoire and two or three songs you have asked for. Send those requests weeks out rather than on the day, because a folk player will arrange a song properly instead of reading a chart cold.
Can a folk singer play outdoors in Melbourne?
Constantly, and the whole plan hangs on wind and cold rather than heat. A gusty afternoon in a park gets into an open microphone and a cold night stiffens fingers and puts a guitar out of tune between songs. Agree a sheltered spot and a wet weather position before the day, because this city will use both.
Is a folk singer right for a funeral or a memorial?
It is one of the things this trade does best, because the format is small enough to sit inside a service without taking it over. Ask whether the singer is comfortable leading a room in singing, since that is a specific skill and it changes a gathering completely. Send the pieces you want early and tell them how long you need.
Booking tips
Ask whether they can play with no power at all
A voice and a guitar genuinely work unamplified for a small group on a lawn, which is why folk keeps getting booked for park ceremonies around Melbourne where there is no outlet for a kilometre. Past about fifty guests, or in any breeze, you need a battery speaker, so ask whether they carry one.
Check the dancing question early
If anybody in your family is picturing a bush dance, you need dance tunes and somebody calling them, not a singer with a song list. They are different performers and the gap only becomes obvious when a hall full of people is standing up with nothing to do.
Give them the room's hard surfaces
A lot of Melbourne's small function spaces are converted shops and warehouses with concrete floors and tin ceilings, and an acoustic act in one of them sounds boomy without a bit of planning. Photos of the space let the singer decide what to bring.