HE Festival of King Island is known for a wide variety of different styles of music.
Besides performers from all over Australia, the festival also provides a stage for local performers.
One of them is The Rick Munday Band. Singer Jess Boyes and guitarist Sam Woolley got together almost two years ago and performed at FOKI 2023 – for the first time on a bigger stage.
“I started singing when I was really young”, said Jess. “I really loved it, but I have no grandiose illusions of my talent, but it’s just something I really do for myself.
“I’m a single mum, and my whole life seems to live for everyone else all the time.
“This is just the one thing that I do for myself for fun. When I was young, I used to love to sing. And then I got heavily involved in the music scene.
“But I just became a roadie. When I came to King Island, I just called out, is there anyone who wants a terrible vocalist? Can you just tell him to hit me up? I then became part of a new band Yentl As Anything, who unfortunately no longer exist”.
Sam Woolley came to King Island three years ago to stay for a week. Like many visitors, he hasn’t left.
“I played music for many years on the mainland of Tasmania, but I lost interest. When I came to King Island, I focused on improving my golfing skills, not on pursuing a music career.
Then Jess came up to me one day and asked if I would play the guitar for her. The rest is history”.
The name of the band, after a local golf player on the island, is a story in itself.
“Rick Munday was a bit of an idol of mine before I moved to King Island,” Sam said.
“He and his brother David certainly took an interest in my golf and my music”, said Woolley. “We couldn’t find a name for our band, and Rick was helping us to try and find a name.
“He would come to our gigs at the Grassy Club and then one night, I think I just said, ‘This is Sam and Jess, and we’re the Rick Munday Band.’
“I loved the sound of it. It was a joke for a long time, but it absolutely stuck.”
FOKI 2023 was the first time the band played on a bigger stage, performing a range of great cover songs.
“We can’t wait,” Jess said.
“I love the Festival of King Island. I’ve been in the Green Room a couple of times, and I’ve been in that kind of environment, and I’m just so excited to be on the stage. I can’t quite explain it, because I know the vibe that’s down there – there’s nothing quite like it.
“Everyone’s sitting on the hill and the kids and the families and the way it progresses through the day is awesome. It’s just one of my favourite weekends on King Island.”
“King Island is a special place and the people are phenomenal … and that all is on show during the first weekend in February,” Sam said.