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Derick Winterbottom |
in the “Bunyip” Gawler area local paper
HE’S quite possibly the only banjo-picking plumber in Willaston, and this weekend, Derick Winterbottom will strut his musical talents at the Kelly Country Pick in
The winter Bluegrass and Old Time Country Music convention, in its 11th year, boasts three days of concerts, music and dance workshops, jam sessions and instrument displays, attracting up to 500 people from around the country.
Describing himself as a “closet performer”, Derick will participate in the event for the first time, joining some of
“We’ll be playing music at the Kelly Country Pick at the historic town of
“It’s in the old priory, where the monks used to live – a religious order come function place… my mate reckons it’s fantastic.”
The traditional bluegrass band consists of acoustic instruments one ‘picks’ to play, including the upright double bass, acoustic guitar, mandolin, fiddle, five-string banjo and the dobro – a resonator guitar.
“It’s mainly acoustic, you don’t plug into the amplifiers like rock-and-roll,” Derick said.
“Where it came from originally was the Scottish-Irish music taken across to
“Before TVs and radios they would play for their own enjoyment and dance on a Saturday night.
“Bill Munroe – they call him the father of bluegrass – his band was called the bluegrass boys, and created the name, ‘blue-grass’.”
Derick bought his Gibson Mastertone banjo 20 years ago from fellow player Jeff Bridgland, whose woodcarving skills are displayed on the banjo’s resonator in a unique American eagle.
Since then, Derick has been playing to a small circle of family and friends, and jams with other musicians at the Prospect RSL the last Sunday of every month.
“There are some really good players here in
“I’ve got a couple of mates who are in a band in
“If you’re good enough, they’ll call you up to come back and play again.”
Aside from the opportunity to perform in front of a crowd, Derick said he’s looking forward to networking with other players and fans, and learning from the pros.
“You meet people you’ve seen at festivals, fans from interstate… you join in and jam and meet real experts that give you a few clues on how to play better,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to going – number one it’s a break from work, and number two, it’s a unique experience.”
