Alt-country, blues and roots event the Semaphore Music Festival has weathered some serious challenges over the years so it will be an extra-special occasion when it celebrates its 20th anniversary this October long weekend.
The festival was first launched as a free community event alongside the International Kite Festival on the Semaphore Foreshore Reserve in 2005. Initially, bands played in a handful of Semaphore venues around the foreshore and it was held on the Anzac Day long weekend.
However, over the years, changes were needed to guarantee the sustainability of the festival. These included moving the date to the October long weekend, involving more venues and introducing entry fees.
A pivotal challenge occurred in 2016 when severe storms forced the festival to move indoors to Hart Mill’s Flour Shed in Port Adelaide.
Semaphore Music Festival is a labour of love for Deb Thorsen. Photo: Ben Searcy
Founder and director Deb Thorsen, who has been at the helm since 2005, admits it has been difficult to keep the festival going.
“It has been challenging at times because the SMF is more a community arts development/cultural event rather than a commercial model,” she says. “It started as a free event on the Foreshore Reserve, which is difficult to sustain financially, but great for audience and artist development.
“But because the model started out as a community event it has been difficult to turn that around and ask attendees to pay. Some locals resent paying to attend an event on the Foreshore Reserve, even though it is a not-for-profit model that benefits local businesses and intends to impact positively on the wellbeing and mental health of residents, participants and attendees.
“There have been ups and downs but what started as a dozen bands playing in four venues over the Anzac long weekend in 2005 has evolved and this year we have 37 acts playing at 10 venues over the October long weekend.”
It seems fitting, then, that the 2024 Semaphore Music Festival, from October 4-7, will be headlined by iconic Adelaide band The Audreys, who performed at the first festival.
Lead singer Taasha Coates remembers that first Semaphore gig, playing songs that ended up on the band’s debut album.
The Audreys return to the SMF, having played at the first festival in 2005.
“I remember we played ‘Oh Honey’ for the first time,” she says. “We were a really young band and we were very excited to be booked on a festival. We thought it was a great time.”
Despite the shock passing in 2022 of Audreys’ guitarist and founding member Tristan Goodall, the band has remained busy. As well as playing live, they have recently recorded a new album, Ruin & Repair, produced by engineer Ryan Martin John. Many of the new songs on the album are in honour of Goodall’s legacy and will be performed by the band at this year’s Semaphore Music Festival.
“The album has a lot of songs about Tristan on it, so it was actually quite an emotional record to make – I went through some tough times making it,” Coates says. “I’m glad I did it but I’m also glad it’s done.
“Tristan’s brother Cam and I co-wrote some tunes about Tristan. There’s one called ‘Sober’, and one called ‘You’re in a Dream’. I think the first single from the record is going to be a song I wrote, this one not about Tristan, called ‘Second Hand Boots’.”
Joining Coates in the line-up will be Tom Kneebone on guitar, Flik Freeman on bass and Beej Barker on drums.
Other performers at this year’s festival include the legendary Bunna Lawrie & Coloured Stone (recently inducted into the SA Music Hall of Fame), the energetic Lachy Doley Group, Dusty Lee’s Blues Jam, Stefan Hauk, Courtney Robb and Snooks La Vie, Hana & Jessie-Lee’s Bad Habits, Kelly Menhennett, Nancy Bates, Axe and the Ivory, Don Morrison, My Cherie and more.
Courtney Robb and Snooks La Vie.
As she reflects on the past 20 years, Thorsen says while the challenges loom large, there have also been many high points in the history of this iconic seaside event.
“We’ve had some amazing innovative moments over the years, notably the Semaphore Songs Project, which saw a CD produced, but we could have made 10 albums over the years with all the amazing songs that have been written,” she says.
“We presented a First Nations show called Mixed in Black back in 2010, which was amazing. Down by the River evolved from a concept that celebrated UNESCO Year of Indigenous Languages to River Songs at Hart’s Mill, which was presented over several years and embraced reconciliation themes and included SA First Nations singer-songwriters and local non-Indigenous talent. River Songs saved us during COVID.
“The SMF survived the pandemic by presenting smaller events, including The Big Backyard at the Cumby Hotel, and a series of Beach Blanket Picnics near the Semaphore Carousel.”
The festival is clearly a labour of love for Thorsen, who has a background in event management and worked as a coordinator and booking agent in New York from 1979-81, as well as managing bands at iconic Sydney pubs the Hopetoun Hotel and the Harold Park Hotel.
The idea for the Semaphore Music Festival was first sparked when Thorsen moved from Sydney to Adelaide in 2000 and met Jane Marr, who lived in the area and worked at the City of Port Adelaide Enfield Council.
“We were sitting around the kitchen table at my place with our mutual friend, Gail Kovatseff, who worked for Arts SA at the time, talking about the opportunity to create an alternative music festival in the Port area,” she explains. “The organisations they worked for became sponsors, and Jane and Gail championed the cause.”
Lachy Doley Group will take to the stage for this year’s Semaphore Music Festival.
Thorsen says the festival had a loyal team for the first 10 years, adding that many volunteer hours – including from her own family and friends – have kept it going. The Semaphore Workers Club has also been a consistent supporter.
Some of her most memorable festival moments have included Broderick Smith performing on the Foreshore Reserve with Matt Walker in 2011, Dave Graney and the Coral Snakes playing at Hart Mills in 2016, and Archie Roach playing at St Bede’s Church (also in 2016) with Thorsen’s friend, SA singer-songwriter Nancy Bates.
In the early days, the event would attract crowds of up to 5000 on the foreshore, with venues packed to capacity, but numbers have dropped off since COVID.
Nancy Bates returns to this year’s Semaphore Music Festival.
“We are doing our best to rebuild and develop again after the pandemic. It’s amazing that we survived it,” Thorsen says.
“But this is such an important festival. It offers the community an opportunity to get together and celebrate our culture.
“It’s offered many First Nations and non-Indigenous artists the opportunity to perform in a mainstream setting, which we like to think breaks down barriers that are present in our communities. For years, bands played at the Federal Hotel after the first time the SMF presented shows there. It has changed the music landscape in this area for the better, I’d like to think.”
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As for her future with the festival, Thorsen says she’s planning a gap year in 2025.
“I am approaching retirement age,” she says. “It would be great if someone else would like to take the event organiser/creative producer/artistic director role on. I need to be thinking about a succession plan.”
Semaphore Music Festival will take place from October 4-7.
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