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This website brings you the latest Australian country music news. News releases can be sent to news@countrymusicbulletin.com.au |
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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2017 Heath and Blake tops at Gympie Heath Milner (pictured at left) and Blake O'Connor (right) were talent search winners at this year's Gympie Muster.
Health performed along with last year's Muster Talent Search winners Sophia Chesworth (Junior) and Main Hope in a special showcase of emerging artists on Sunday afternoon. Blake performed a solo spot before the All Star Newgrass Showcase at on Sunday night. Many will remember Heath from when he performed in the Blind Auditions on season 2017 of The Voice Australia and gained attention from Boy George. Although he didn't go any further in the relevision talent search, Boy George offered to buy him a ticket to Nashville to pursue his career. Both Blake and Heath joined the "all star" lineup – Kirsty Lee Akers, Lyn Bowtell, Catherine Britt, Travis Collins, Pete Denahy, Faceless Men, The Hillbilly Goats, Troy Kemp, Fanny Lumsden and Brendan Radford – for the Muster closing song. TUESDAY, AUGUST 29, 2017 Muster success A special report from Muster organisers Perfect weather drew close to 30,000 patrons to this year’s Gympie Music Muster which concluded on Sunday.
The Amamoor Creek campgrounds were at capacity by Saturday and, true to the Muster’s family friendly atmosphere, security faced next to no trouble both in camping and on site. In the festival precinct itself, patrons enjoyed a host of exciting performances, with some unexpected surprises as well! Friday night created Muster history, with a meaningful Paint This Land sing-along on the natural amphitheatre hill, led by Busby Marou. The crowd joined together and raised their voices in celebration of music, mateship and making a difference. Young rising star Caitlyn Shadbolt got the audiences going on Saturday and even brought her friend and duet partner Reece Mastin up on stage as a special surprise. The two performed their song Me Without You from Caitlyn’s new album to an enthusiastic main stage crowd. What makes the Muster so special is its emphasis on collaboration which saw many acts making surprise guest appearances in one another’s sets. As well as Reece and Caitlyn, Brooke McClymont jumped on stage with hubby Adam Eckersley, Dean Ray and Melanie Dyer surprised fans with a sweet duet, Adam Brand and Travis Collins shared the stage for a rendition of I Fought the Law and Jessica Mauboy invited friend from Tamworth Loren Ryan to join her highly anticipated set on the main stage. Line-dancing and bush poetry kicked off each day at 8:30am, and the fun didn’t stop until the last act at the Crow Bar at 2am. The kids were catered for, with Amber Lawrence getting tiny toes tapping Friday and Saturday in The Grove, and plenty of fun around the site for the little ones. A well-received new element of the program was The Electric 80’s Show in the Crow Bar. Decked out in tutus, tights, headbands and fluro, patrons danced until the wee hours, before wandering down the Muster’s lantern-lit forest paths to their tents. Also popular in the Crow Bar were rising talent Hurricane Fall who played Friday, Saturday and Sunday to a packed tent. The Fender Jam highlighted some of the country’s best guitarists in a night of pure shredding, featuring big names Travis Collins, Adam Eckersley, Joe Robinson, Matt Smith of Thirsty Merc as well as surprise crowd-favourite Reece Mastin. The Gympie Music Muster, made famous as the biggest not-for-profit camping and music festival in Australia, has raised over $15 million for various charities over its 36 years. This year’s charity partner Mates4Mates is an organisation which assists ex-servicemen and women when they return from duty. The Mates4Mates team at the Muster this year collected patrons’ kind donations across all four days, highlighting the true giving spirit of the festival. Overall, the Muster showcased some of the best Australian music talent – the diverse line-up highlighted acts young and old, male and female, across a range of blues, roots, country and folk genres, making sure there was something for everyone. With huge numbers of patrons, perfect weather and a killer line-up, the 36th Gympie Music Muster will be hard to beat. Weblink – www.muster.com.au. MONDAY, AUGUST 28, 2017 Lizzie announces national tour dates Brisbane based Lizzie Flynn has announced an extensive tour to support the release of her new album You And The Open Sky through to the end of the year.
One of the songs on the album – Prisoner In My Own Town – was shortlisted in the 2016 Vanda & Young Songwriter Awards. Lizzie has produced several independent albums including Hush which received an Arts Queensland Grant, the title track described as "stunning" by The Courier Mail's Noel Mengel. Highlights of 2016 and 2017 so far include performing live on ABC radio and being interviewed by Christine Anu, composing songs for the theatre production of "Two Weeks with the Queen" and performing at the Bellingen Turtle Festival, Gold Coast Music Festival and this year's Illawarra Folk Festival with her band. You And The Open Sky is set for digital release on September 1 and physically from September 2 at the Maleny Music Festival. SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, 2017 Tim is a country Wheatley Tim Wheatley is one of the guest artists at this year's Gympie Muster and if his surname sounds familiar, that's because he is the son of John Farnham's manager and Masters Apprentices bass player Glenn Wheatley.
Dubbed an alternative folk/country troubadour, Tim was set to play two shows at the Muster. His new album is titled Pillar To Post. "It was a calculated effort to come back here in time,” Tim was quoted as saying. "We set up the dates so I would be at the Muster. It's going to be one of the first shows I have played all these new songs since recording them. "I'm looking forward to gauging the reactions. One of the most important things as an artist is when you're standing up there, you can sense what songs the audience likes." This is the Melbourne native's third Muster – his only Queensland shows before he travels to Nashville for AmericanaFest. "I was always worried I wasn't country enough for the Muster and Tamworth, but then when I got there, they just embraced me," he said. "It's a vibe like none other. "My songwriting and my lyrics - they may not be as conventionally country or folk as others, but when it comes down to me playing the guitar and harmonica and being Australian, it comes across as country. "Sonically, they are the sounds I love: steel guitars and real drums. I'm a bit old-fashioned in that sense." Tim's family ties haven't guaranteed a smooth ride in the music industry. After playing in several bands, he nearly gave up music for good when he signed a modelling contract and moved to Los Angeles. But he decided to give a solo career a go, releasing his critically acclaimed debut album Cast Of Yesterday in 2015. Weblink – timwheatley.net. FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017 Gympie proud to support female artists Forty-six female-fronted acts are taking centre stage at this year’s Gympie Music Muster, representing nearly half of the event's 100-strong line-up. The Muster got underway yesterday and runs through to and including Sunday with thousands of fans trekking into the Amamoor State Forest site just south of Gympie. Muster Program Director Jeff Chandler said, "We didn’t have to look too far for strong female representation at our event. Programming was made easier by the fact there are many very talented female artists across the country, folk and roots genres.
"In light of recent discussions about female representation at Aussie music festivals, we at the Gympie Muster are proud to say that our line-up has more than 46 strong and talented women ready to entertain our 30,000 expected punters." Golden Guitar winner and Muster favourite Amber Lawrence said, "Australian country music fans base their love of artists on music, not gender, and so I feel very lucky to be part of an industry that likes me and picks me for my music alone, not whether they need to have more females on the lineup!" Acts will include an Emerging Artists Showcase with an all female line-up and the ladies will also dominate Saturday’s Songwriter Sessions, with Amber Lawrence, Catherine Britt and Fanny Lumsden taking the stage. Amber will also be bringing her "Kids Gone Country" show to The Grove. Tomorrow night, Jessica Mauboy, who got her start in the entertainment business via country music, will be the headline act on the main stage. "And there is plenty more girl power in the line-up," Jeff said, including Kaylee Bell, current Country Music Channel Female Artist of the Year Chelsea Basham, Golden Guitar winner Lyn Bowtell, Melanie Dyer, Anne Kirkpatrick, Seleen McAlister and Luella Widt. Weblink – www.muster.com.au. THURSDAY, AUGUST 24, 2017 Roo to perform at US festival Roo Arcus is a featured act for the second time at this year's Western Legends Roundup at Kanab near the Utah/Arizona state border north east of Las Vegas tomorrow (Saturday our time).
Roo was a 2016 Golden Guitar Awards finalist for Male Artist of the Year and has been nominated for Heritage Song of the Year. After a break from performing, he returned to the music scene in 2012 with a comeback album titled This Here Cowboy. Roo's success continued with the release of a follow-up album, Cowboys & Sunsets. "We are so excited to have Roo coming back to Western Legends this year," said Camille Johnson, Director of Tourism in Kane County. "The Office of Tourism invested in him as a performer because he’ll captivate the next generation of Western Legends attendees. His modern, yet traditional country music will appeal to the young and young at heart." The Western Legends line-up also includes The Bellamy Brothers. Weblinks – www.rooacrew.com, www.westernlegendsroundup.com. And Jayne stars at GATS A little further west, meanwhile, Aussie country rocker Jayne Denham will star at the Great American Trucking Show (GATS) in Dallas, also tomorrow (and Saturday, our time). Though Jane has never worked as a truck driver, her music makes it quite clear how she feels about truckers and the industry.
With her recently released single Stacks, Jayne will be performing along with OOIDA (US Owner, Operator, Independent Drivers Association) members Tony Justice and Bill Weaver. The concert will be stahed at Eddie Deen’s Ranch in downtown Dallas. Stacks is also the name of Jayne's next album which is scheduled for release early next year. The album will include such other "trucker-centric" songs as Highway Rock Star and Black Coffee And White Lines. Jayne grew up around family and friends who operated big rigs. "While writing for my next record... my producer Brian White and I were brainstorming ideas about trucking songs," Jayne said. "He mentioned the title, Stacks, which immediately took me back to my childhood. "I remember as a kid going to truck races and seeing all those blinged-up rigs screaming around the track. One of my favorite parts of the day was when the drivers would put the pedal to the metal and you would hear this loud roar and smoke came from those 11 feet of galvanized chrome stacks." Jayne's country rock style has achieved quite a bit of success in Australia. She won the Australian Independent Country Music Awards Best Rising Star Award in 2008 and her song Addicted To The Diesel reached number one on Australian country singles charts in 2014. Shake This Town, Trucker Chicks, Farmers’ Wife and Shelter are a few of Jayne's other hit songs. She works to make her songs authentic. "I like to do my research," she said. "I want to make sure my lyrics are accurate. Truck drivers tell me the songs resonate." Jayne's popularity is increasing among truck drivers in the United States as well as Australia. She performed at GATS in 2016 and in March was on the Red Eye Radio stage at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Kentucky. At GATS, she played songs for the Women in Trucking organisation. "That was an incredible experience to get to meet all of those women truck drivers," Jayne said. "Many of them had been driving for a long time." Weblink – www.jaynedenham.com. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2017 The Littles in Bathurst The daughter and grandson of music legend Jimmy Little will be in Bathurst next month to perform at the annual Jimmy Little Gathering.
The Jimmy Little Gathering was developed by local elder Kalmadyne Goombridge as a healing event for the Aboriginal and broader community. "Kalmadyne Goombrydge approached the Jimmy Little Foundation about setting the event as a way to acknowledge Jimmy Little as Australia’s first successful recording artist and for his long-time humanitarian work," Frances said. The performance will be at Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre on Saturday, September 23. During the afternoon there will be public workshops in areas of Aboriginal culture such as language, weaving, beading, tool making and dance. Jimmy Little was a Yorta Yorta man, hailed as one of Australia's founding and premier country music stars. His career spanned six decades from the 1950s and he topped the charts and became a household name with Royal Telephone in 1963. Jimmy is also remembered for his advocacy and education work. He was elevated to Australia's Country Music Roll of Renown in 1994 and inducted into the ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) Hall of Fame in 1999. He died in 2012. The event will also promote the Jimmy Little Foundation which focusses on excellence in health care for Indigenous Australians with a special focus on renal health. Donations will be taken towards their nursing scholarships at Charles Sturt University. Produced by regional arts development organisation Arts OutWest, the event is supported by funding from the Australian Government’s Aboriginal Regional Arts Fund and by the Bathurst Aboriginal Lands Council, and with the support of the Jimmy Little Foundation and Black Theatre. Weblink – www.jlf.org.au. MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 2017 Beccy heads to Trundle Beccy Cole will headline at this year's Trundle Bush Tucker Day next month. Saturday September 2 is the day for the 2017 Bush Tucker Day at the Trundle (NSW) Showground, the 31st annual event and the only camp oven/bush cooking festival in the region.
"The TBTD committee is hard at work to make this year bigger and better than ever with their ever popular bush tucker cooking competition, camp oven cooking demos with Ranger Nick, junior bush chef cooking competition and free bush tucker taste testing. "There will be live entertainment on stage throughout the day and evening as well as a free kid’s corner, full of lots of fun activities to keep the little ones entertained for hours. "Whip cracker and sheep shearing demos are a favorite as are the dog jumping competition, bushman’s relay and billy boiling race. Market and food stalls will also be available. "Come for the day or book a camp site and make a weekend of it." Weblink – www.trundlebushtuckerday.com. FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017 Lee swaps his hat for a helmet and promotes safety Lee Kernaghan is swapping his hat for a helmet in his role as Yamaha ambassador. The country music legend and winner of 36 Golden Guitars is a passionate supporter of safe All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) and Side by Side Vehicle (SSV) use.
ATV safety is an important agricultural issue. ATVs were accounted the highest cause of death and injuries on farm in 2016. Mark Collins, ATV safety expert and representative for the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), said there were some key learnings from recent coronial inquests into ATV fatalities. "Twenty percent were children who should have not have been on the bike in the first place," he said, speaking to journalists at a Yamaha event where he also spoke to the statistic that in 30 percent of cases the fatality could have been avoided by wearing a helmet. Ten percent of fatalities were attributed to riding with extra passengers and another 10 percent related to alcohol use, he said. Combined, this indicates that 70 percent of ATV fatalities are directly preventable with control measures. The remaining 30 percent could be reduced through training and advice. The statistics are that one in five quad bike fatalities are children under the age of 16 on adult sized bikes, according to the FCAI. Lee said that when the family travel to their property in Pottsville there are some rules in place to ensure safety. "Number one safety rule on our property, we don’t let kids under 16 on adult size ATVs, I've looked at the statistics," he said. Lee also recommends training, encouraging his sons Jet and Rock to do the training, both online and face to face. The online training is an initiative of the FCAI and targets remote users. The training is available at atvsafety.snaplearn.com.au at no charge. Lee is a believer in helmet use. "I never want to see my boys or anyone really riding around without a helmet on. I want to encourage everyone to wear a helmet, they are not only doing themselves a favour they are doing it for their family." Weblink – www.leekernaghan.com.au. Photo: Lee pictured with Fiona O’Sullivan, Manager Agriculture Strategy Unit at Workplace Health & Safety Queensland, and Mark Collins from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries. THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 2017 Muster showcases emerging talent As well as its extensive list of well-known artists, the Gympie Music Muster has a 36 year history of showing off the best of Australian new music talent. At this year's Muster – next week – an Emerging Talent Showcase will be staged.
"It is the aim of the Muster to give a platform to some of Australia’s finest aspiring talent and where possible, support them into the future," he said. To be held each of the four days of the Muster (Thursday August 24 to Sunday Augist 27) the Showcase will feature 20 new artists selected by the Muster Programming Team from online applications. Each artist will have the opportunity to perform for 20-minutes, in performances scheduled at the various venues throughout the event including The Crowbar, the Muster Club and the Grove stages. There is no requirement for an artist to perform in any particular genre or to do only covers. Artists are free to perform 100 percent original material if they choose.
After the 2016 Gympie Muster, Sophia recorded her Talent Search winning song Shine On Me which debuted at number one on the iTunes Country Music Charts and has had airplay on a number of country music radio stations. After the Muster launched her career, Sophia has won a host of awards, including the 2016 Youth Section of the Australian Songwriters Association (ASA) National Songwriting Contest, 2017 Capital Country Music Association Junior Songwriter at Tamworth and top five in the Youth Section at the 2016/2017 National Country Songwriting Contest. "I'm really excited and grateful to have been chosen to perform... at the Gympie Music Muster," Sophia said, "and to be included in a lineup of so many great artists." In addition to Sophia, the list of "emerging stars" at Gympie this year includes... Anais Campbell, Brook Chivell, Alex & Bec Crook, the Dennis Sisters, Jamie-Lee Griffiths, Cassi Hilbers, Izack Hunt, Finnian Johnson, Liam Kennedy-Clark, Gemma Kirby, Tyson Lucas, Hayley Marsten, Heath Milner, Jen Mize, Wal Neilsen, Blake O'Connor, Sista Lee (Natalya and Kiarnah Lee), Bek Thornton and Hayley Wilson. Held in the Amamoor Creek State Forest in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, the 2017 Muster will feature more than 100 artists in more than 300 performances across multiple stages. The artists cover a range of genres including country, bluegrass, folk, blues and rockabilly. "An unmissable event for music lovers," said a spokesman. "One ticket price gives Muster goers free camping and multi-venue access to all performances to experience everything Australia’s biggest country music celebration has to offer." Weblink – www.muster.com.au. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017 Dusty Doo Our Dusty Doo – a celebration of songs by Slim Dusty – will be held at Malanda on Queensland's Atherton Tablelands next month.
Friday evening kicks off festivities weith a meet 'n' greet concert, Saturday features a bush poets' breakfast, a stock whip display, "Slim's Songs Syung By You & Me" from midday, the official opening at 3pm, Tableland International Singers from 3:30, Australiana Kids Around The Campfire and Albina's Talent Time and a Slim Dusty hat raffle at 7:30. Guest artists during the weekend will include Keith Bagley, Col Edmonds (pictured, left), John Kilcullen (pictured centre), Dave Kirk (pictured) and Albina Niceforo and Bill Smith. Further information can be obtained from Marie Kirk on 0438 177 711. TUESDAY, AUGUST 15, 2017 Southern Stars finalists Finalists have ben announced for the 2017 Australian Independent Country Music Awards Finalists (or Southern Stars).
For Album of the Year... 50 Years In Oz by Allan Caswell (right), More Than Meets The Eye by Aleyce Simmonds, Walk In Circles by Sandra Humphries (below left) and The Wide Horizon by Darren Coggan. For Heritage Track of the Year, Traditional... InAsMuch by Darren Coggan, In Like Flynn by Pat Drummond, Lefty O’Reilly by Allan Caswell and We Still Sing Three Rivers Hotel by Ian Quinn.
For the Rising Star Female award... Rhiannon Cooke with Don’t Call Me A City Girl, Hayley Marsten with Until You, Kora Naughton with Wrong and Hayley Wilson with Somnus. For Male Vocalist of the Year... Casey Barnes with The Way We Ride, James Blundell with Rain On The Scarecrow, Allan Caswell with Hero Just The Same and Darren Coggan with The Wide Horizon. For Female Vocalist of the Year... Sandra Humphries with Still Going Strong, Tania Kernaghan with Light In The Window, Seleen McAlister with Even God Must Get The Blues For Group/Duo of the Year... Michael Carpenter & The Cuban Heels with Ain’t Nothing Left To Say, Carter & Carter with Stand Tall, The Long & Short Of It with Kangaroo Rodeo Award winners will be announced on Saturday October 7 at the 21st Southern Stars awards presentation concert, 5.30pm in the Mercy Theatre, St Joseph’s College, Mildura, during the annual Mildura Country Music Festival. The Festival will run from Friday September 29 to Sunday October 8 with more than 70 artists performing over the 10 days at 27 separate venues. A festival program, with a full list of 2017 artists and further information, can be obtained from the Festival website www.milduracountrymusic.com.au. The awards evening, co-hosted by Aleyce Simmonds and Dave Prior will feature an impressive list of performers including Allan Caswell, Stephen R Cheney, Pat Drummond, Toyota Star Maker Rachael Fahim, Paul Gibbs, The Long & Short Of It, Hayley Marsten, Taylor Pfeiffer, Reg Poole, Kim Ritchie and Bryen Willems. Enquiries for Awards tickets, programs and accommodation can be directed to the Mildura Visitor Information Centre on 1800 039 043. Tickets for the Awards can also be obtained from the Festival website. MONDAY, AUGUST 14, 2017 Troy picks up two NIMAs
He also won Album of the Year for Things I Carry Around. "Things I Carry Around is one of the most personal things I’ve ever made and talking about my family in depth like that and my culture as well was vitally important to what the album meant," Troy said. "I just want to say thanks to everyone who voted." The National Indigenous Music Awards recognised excellence across all genres of Indigenous talent. Briggs and Trails side-project A.B. Original also picked up two awards. FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2017 Central Coast Festival kicks off todayThe 2017 Central Coast Country Music Festival kicks off today at The Entrance running through to and including Sunday. Now in its 17th year, the Festival takes place over a number of local venues on the Coast, with the free main event at Memorial Park, on Sunday.
"It's great to see the Festival embraced by the whole region with local venues getting on board with the theme and hosting country artists," she said. "This is one event Council is excited to be hosting and is sure to be a weekend of great music and entertainment. This year we have a great line up of artists..." The headline act on Sunday at The Entrance will be Australian country music legends, Beccy Cole and Adam Harvey (pictured) who are stopping off at The Entrance as part of their "Great Country Songbook Volume 2" tour. Adam, who has numerous awards to his name, lives on the Central Coast. Memorial Park’s main stage will also have a line up of local and interstate country music artists including Tori Darke, 2017 Toyota Star Maker Rachael Fahim, Hurricane Fall and award-winning trio The Wolverines. The live music will start from 10am with buskers, amusement rides, food and market stalls. A signing tent will be set up so fans can meet artists with after their performances and festival-goers will be able to buy artist merchandise. Council Administrator Ian Reynolds said the Festival is anticipated to draw in country music fans from near and far, providing a great tourism boost for our region. "The Entrance is already a popular tourist destination, and it’s free events like this that really make our region even more attractive to residents and tourists alike," he said. "So bring along your chair or blanket to listen to some of Australia’s best country musicians in one of the best outdoor entertainment venues the Coast has to offer." In conjunction with the free Country Music Festival on Sunday, the weekend will be filled with entertainment in nine local licensed venues across the region featuring 24 local performers which is sure to appeal to all country music fans. A full festival program can be viewed via the website – theentrance.org.au. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2017 Vale – Glen CampbellCountry music legend Glen Campbell has died at age 81 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
His first, Blue Grass Special (with Green River Boys) was released in 1962. Glen was already in his late 20s at the time. His first platinum release was his sixth album Gentle On My Mind. It was the next album, however – By The Time Get To Phoenix – that saw Glen gain worldwide fame as a country superstar. The album started a long association with songwriter Jimmy Webb who would go on to craft many Glen Campbell hits. In the 1970s, Glen's albums were guaranteed number one releases for his record label Capitol Records so they kept him in the studio as much as possible. Over a three year period from 1967 to 1969 Glen Campbell recorded an incredible 10 studio albums. Most will know of his hit songs, including classics like Bonaparte’s Retreat, I Knew Jesus (Before He Was A Superstar), Rhinestone Cowboy, Southern Nights and The Wichita Lineman. In 2011, Glen was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. He managed to record three more albums since he was diagnosed and continued to tour. Glen died in Nashville yesterday. FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 2017 New from Amber and Travis
The two, who are prominent artists in their own right, released the recording today (August 4). According to Country Music Capital's Northern Daily Leader, the title single has been met with rave reviews and has been gaining momentum on country music charts nation wide. When speaking to The Leader last month, Amber said the idea of a joint album between the two friends had been on the cards for some time – but the songs had to be original. The duo met in 2014 when they were both students at the Country Music Association of Australia Senior Academy of Country Music. Award-winning producer Matt Fell produced the new work. Billed as "brimming with classics that tell quintessentially Australian stories", the music and lyrics on Our Backyard "reflect the true Australian experience across life, love and friendship." Apart from the title album, tracks are Boxes, Drink, Here I Stand, How Good You Got It, In Reverse and Millionaire. The duo kicked off an Our Backyard tour yesterday in Goulburn which, so far, has gigs scheduled for Albion Park, D’Aguilar, Dalby, Forbes, Hamilton, Lithgow, Merimbula, Warwick, Windsor and Young. Weblinks – www.amberlawrence.com.au • www.traviscollins.com.au. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2017 TSA entries open Entries have opened for the Tamworth Songwriters' Association (TSA) awards and competitions.
Entry for all close on Saturday September 30. Winners will be announced during the Tamworth Country Music Festival in January. The National Country Songwriting Contest is for unreleased material in the following categories... Novice (all styles), Open (contemporary/modern), Open (traditional), Open (blues, roots & bluegrass), the John P Toomey Commemorative Award (for youth songwriting, under 18 years) and Lyrics Only. Entries in the National Country Songwriting Contest should be made online via www.songcentral.biz/tsa. The New Songwriter Award, which carries a prize of $1000, is open for material released by an Australasian country music artist between October 1, 2016, and September 29, 2017, by any person who has had their first commercial release after October 1, 2012. Entry is online via www.songcentral.net/salute. The Songwriters Salute Awards of Australia are for commercially released songs in the following categories... the Bev Daniel Commemorative Award for Traditional Bush Ballad, Contemporary Country Song, the Geoff Mack Commemorative Award for Comedy/Novelty Song, Gospel Song, Contemporary Ballad, Alt Blues &Bluegrass Song of the Year and Country Song of the Year (a song which achieves the highest winning scores from all the competitions). Entry is online via www.songcentral.net/salute. The Anzac section, sponsored by the Australian War Memorial, is for songs with the main subject/theme "Anzac". Both released and unreleased songs can be entered into this category with half of all entry fees being donated to Legacy. Entry for this special category is also online via www.songcentral.net/salute. Weblink – www.tsaonline.com.au. TUESDAY, AUGUST 1, 2017 TCB reunites for "Travellin’ Still – the Songs of Slim Dusty" When Slim Dusty’s Travelling Country Band played their last full show with Slim in 2002, the band members all went their separate ways.
One comment from an audience member, "This show has to go on the road!" got them all thinking, why not? There aren’t many bands around where all the members were part of the Slim Dusty Show! So, Rod Coe, Peter Denahy (pictured at right), Mike Kerin and Jeff Mercer have decided to take the show on the road. And with Joy and the family’s approval, the show is now touring... Fve musicians who will be sharing stories, some of their own music and, of course, the songs of Slim Dusty which will sound pretty darn genuine because they’ll be played by his own original band. Front man Pete Denahy said he was very much looking forward to getting back on stage with the band. "This will be like putting on an old comfortable pair of boots. (I) can’t wait to be playing the boss's great old songs again," he said. "I never thought we'd be playing these songs again in these venues!" Fans on the NSW North Coast will be able to catch the show this month in Grafton, Casino and Macksville.
A little more on the show members (Rod, Doug, Mike, Jeff from left above)... Rod Coe on bass; Slim’s long-time producer and a man who has seen more of Slim inside a studio than anyone. Pete Denahy on guitar and vocals; Slim’s last band member who played as a musician and support artist. Doug Gallacher on drums; did a number of shows with Slim and also the long-time drummer with the Midday Show Band on Channel 9. Mike Kerin on fiddle; Slim’s longest serving fiddle player, more than 25 years in the band. Jeff Mercer on lead guitar; Slim’s right hand man on stage, keeping "the sound" alive. Tour dates announced to date (tickets available from the venues)... Thursday August 17, Grafton District Services Club www.gdsc.com.au Friday August 18, Casino RSM Club www.casinorsm.com.au Saturday August 19, Macksville Services Club www.macksvilleexservices.com.au |  |
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Blake, who was judged Overall Junior Champion at this year's CCMA National Talent Quest in Tamworth, won the Muster's "people's choice" accolade; Heath was the judges choice for a spot on the Gympie Main Stage.
The tour will various venues and festivals in towns across Queensland, NSW and Victoria starting at the Maleny (Qld) Music Festival on Saturday September 2 and currently set to conclude at Bellingen (NSW) on Saturday December 8. 
Queensland's Sunshine Coast Daily reported Tim was to launch his new album at the Muster last night.
The annual festival celebrates the town’s starring role as the backdrop for movies in the Western genre.
"I just love writing trucking songs to cheer on the truck drivers and an industry that we certainly can’t do without," Jayne said.
The Western Advocate reported that Frances Peters-Little and James Henry Little would lead a talented line-up that includes acclaimed soul, rap and spoken word artist Radical Son alongside local acts Smith & Jones, Jade Flynn and other guests.
"The Adelaide-born star's glowing warmth, honeyed voice, bawdy sense of humor and perpetual smile have helped make Beccy one of the nation's best and most celebrated artists," said a spokesman for the event organisers.
Muster Program Director Jeff Chandler said: “As an artist manager and now as a festival programmer I know just how important it is for new and emerging talent to receive opportunities along the path to what will hopefully be a professional career.
"One of the most exciting new acts to be appearing at this year's Emerging Talent Showcase," Jeff said, "is 16-year-old Sydney-sider Sophia Chesworth (pictured), winner of last year's Junior Muster Talent Search."
The venue is the Malanda Show Pavilion, dates are Friday and Sunday, September 8 and 9.
For Single of the Year, the finalists are Defeated by Aleyce Simmonds (pictured below right), It’s Good To Know by Jeff Gibson, That’s A Tradie by Tania Kernaghan and The Wide Horizon by Darren Coggan (far right).
For the Rising Star Male award... Will Day with Seasons, Jeff Gibson with It’s Good To Know, Chris Staff with Storm’s A-Comin’ and Chris Williams with Speed Of Light.
Troy Cassar-Daley has picked up the Artist of the Year award at the National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMAs).
Central Coast Council Connected Communities Group Leader Julie Vaughan said the Festival continues to impress visitors each and every year.
Glenn recorded more than 70 albums during his career, up to four in one year during his peak in the late 1960s.
Amber Lawrence and Travis Collins have released a duet EP titled Our Backyard.
The TSA recognises songwriting in the National Songwriting Contest, the New Songwriter Award and the Songwriters Salute Awards (including the Anzac Song Competition).
Fast-forward to 2016, at the Slim Dusty Music Festival in Kempsey, NSW, they found themselves on-stage together for the first time in years. And it felt like only yesterday as the old songs, friendships and memories came flooding back. 