Shiny, happy people at Mullum Music Festival

WE live in a cynical, cynical world and yet every now and again something comes along to remind you we live in happy land.

WE live in a cynical, cynical world and yet every now and again something comes along to remind you we live in happy land.

I'm talking about Mullum Music Festival over the weekend, where people dressed in their usual eclectic way but everyone wore a smile.

Saturday was a sell-out and there was almost as much music, buskers, market stalls and entertainers on the street as there were in the venues.

The music was incredible and hats off to the organisers for jam-packing a schedule that was full of interesting, emerging talent and plenty of 'next big things'.

Matt Andersen, from Canada, was a revelation and by the time he played his final show on Sunday, the word had spread and audiences packed the Civic Hall for his soaring vocals, deft guitar playing and amusing anecdotes.

His version of Ain't No Sunshine by Bill Withers was, dare I say it, better than the original and that's really saying something.

But whether you were on the inside, or outside watching street performers such as The Casettes, or Spaghetti Circus or The Button Collective, everyone (and I mean everyone) had a smile on their face and time for a chat.

And when you experience sunshine, good music, food and company you really do feel that everything will be alright with the world.

Brexits, Trumps and Marine Le Pen seem somehow trivial and unimportant when you are riding on the Magic Bus crammed with other happy, shiny people.