The initiative came out of Mr Harris’s desire to maximise all the resources of the theatre’s sound system, and to spread a little music culture at the same time.

“Never have a conversation with Peter Harris lightly,” theatre manager Harry Bolton told the audience in his opening address.

“This has grown from the Mobile Movie Fest, and has required a fair bit of work on Peter’s part. So it’s big thank you to Peter for his efforts, for tonight and with the kids in town (for the Mobile Movie Fest workshops.)”

A long-term muso himself (a feature of Saturday night’s fest was an early 1974 piece featuring him in very flared trousers), Mr Harris lamented that musicians are having a hard time these days, due to the ease with which music can be pirated.

“Music is a mirror, allowing you to tell your story,” he said.

“Music gives us a chance to reflect.

“Sadly many musicians are leaving music to make a living.”

Mr Harris is hoping events such as this provide musicians with another outlet for their creations, and introduce them to new audiences.

Two artists very appreciative of his efforts were Vladimir Gizatulin and Mariana Batkhan of folk group Ethnodelica from Sydney, who travelled up especially for the screening which included one of their videos.

Ms Batkhan said she’d never seen anything like this on the big screen, and it makes the musician’s message much more powerful.

“Peter did an incredible job,” she said.

There are plans to develop the event into a folk festival spreading out through the town, but in the meantime more music video fests are planned for the theatre.

And, as Mr Harris promised, for each audience member it was just like they’re sitting in the middle of the band.