A Telstra Road to Tamworth story
Filed under: corporate, entertainment, lifestyle, music, trends
Michael Buble leaves me flat, Lady Gaga leaves me cold… give me a country song any day.
But my Stand by Your Man routine is wearing thin and my repertoire of country anthems to murder After Midnight is sorely limited.
My musical development was arrested around 1974 when I was traumatised by a Deep Purple concert in Christchurch and a love gone wrong that sent me careering into country music for melody & solace.
I’ll be forever grateful to Patsy Cline, Emmylou Harris, and The Judds for singing me through some tough times, but am I doing myself and country music a dis-service by not being more in the now? Could Keith Urban and The McClymonts be better suited to my current headspace?
Just when it’s time for a musical makeover along came the PR assignment of my musical dreams – 3 days at the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
Alongside promoting the Telstra Road to Tamworth I figure this is it – a once in a lifetime opportunity to finally to extract myself out of the 70s and listen to some new country music.
Tamworth Day 1
Tamworth is Australia’s Country Music Capital, and 2009 NSW tidy town state winner. Five hour’s drive or 459ks northwest from Sydney, since 1973, the town’s 36,000 or so inhabitants welcome an estimated 50,000 country music fans from around the country for a week-long festival of song. City cynics can stay home.
Day one in green and prosperous looking Tamworth, and on the advice of the cab driver from the airport, I head down to Peel Street to take in the atmosphere.
It’s a laidback carnival, as the town’s streets, parks, camping grounds, homestays, motels, hotels and venues turn themselves to a warm celebration of wearing your heart on your sleave and giving it a go.
Tamworth’s leafy main street, Peel Street and those surrounding it are closed off, and every 50 meters, 30 or so country buskers serenade the wandering crowds, who vote for their favourite warbler.
Buskers come in all ages, genders, solo and groups, and of variable talent – each has their support buddy behind a table of CDs for sale, and dreams of making it big. The crowds listen appreciatively and respectfully – no hecklers here.
Street stalls sell Stetsons, bush art, flashy belt buckles with embossed images of rearing horses and raging bulls, and Only Emu skin products. Bars are open to the street with bands playing country rock to the occasional dancer, adding to the festive atmosphere.
But there’s nothing frantic here, it is vibrant, good humoured and relaxed. And everyone seems to be having a good time. They tell me it heats up towards the end of the week, literally, as it’s set to rise to 35° and the crowds really start coming in for the CMAA final on Saturday night. Today it is a comfortable 27°and I Fall to Pieces seems unlikely.
Tomorrow, I’ll introduce you to some of the country music fans, and find out why so many of them come back year after year. Tonight I’ll get to hear some of the best new country talent at the Telstra Road to Tamworth final. Sweet Dreams.
Song sheet
- Stand by Your Man – Tammy Wynette
- Walking After Midnight – Patsy Cline
- I Fall to Pieces – Patsy Cline
- Sweet Dreams (Of You) – Patsy Cline
Gallery
-
- Pub band performer
-
- The Huntsmen
-
- Emily Malkham
-
- Street stall bush art
-
- Alec Beckett
-
- Tom Maxwell
-
- Stetsons on sale in street stall
-
- Beryl Ryan
-
- Gavin Chatelier
-
- Louise Egan
-
- The Camerons
-
- Trevor Keilor
-
- Shirley from Only Emu
-
- Bryan Browne
-
- Crowd watching a busker
-
- Street stall
Linda – I was so excited when I saw a link to YouTube promising a link to your take on Stind By Your Man…and was equally shattered when it turned out there was a link to Tammy instead. Sounds like you’re having a blast.
Sorry Linda. Deep purple new how to blast out the rock. When i,m ready for my grave and feeling horribly sick THEN I will listen to country music. It will speed my journey up!!!
Cheers.
Linda, where is teh picture of you in all this with your ‘boot scooting’ outfit on?
Hiya Linda! Can’t wait for tomorrow’s instalment!
Hi Linda, I thoroughly enjoyed your episode one and look forward to the next. I meant to attend the festival but did not have the time this time around.
By the way, I spent lots of time viewing and reading (all 657 daily comments!) pertaining to the adventure of a very brave young lady, alone in the high seas with not a whisper by our fourth estate or our media. Perhaps it’s a case of out of sight, out of mind.
Maybe Telstra can afford her some very deserving exposure, which could also be useful to our energetic youngsters vying for some constructive action.
Enjoy Tamworth.
Regards
http://youngestround.blogspot.com/
http://www.jessicawatson.com.au/videos
Linda have a great night at the final with Sam and the team – loving the blog and the gallery!! Look forward to hearing more from you tomorrow!
\My musical development was arrested around 1974 when I was traumatised by a Deep Purple concert in Christchurch and a love gone wrong\ – You could write a country music song about that!
Congratulations on \getting with the times\. I hope you enjoy it.
Hi Linda, I feel like I’ve had a mini trip to the Country Music Festival. Looks like you’re having a boot scootin’ time in Tamworth, look forward to further updates!
Linda, I am sorry to hear that you were ‘traumatised’ during on of our concerts. Deep Purple held the world record for many years for the loudest concert ever, however, I can assure you that concert did not take place in Christchurch. Are you sure it was one of our gigs that caused you to turn to Country and Western? Perhaps you should give us another chance. The hundreds of millions of albums we’ve sold around the world indicate that Deep Purple is worth the trouble. I’ll take your ‘walking after midnight’ and raise you a ‘smoke on the water.’
Linda I had a fabulous (once in a lifetime) experience in 2003 when I went to the Tamworth festival and have enjoyed re-living it in your story and photos. Enjoy!
Great report Linda and it’s super to see Telstra supporting the backbone of the Nation. Looking forward to your next report. Yes Vasso it would be nice if when Jessica rolls into Sydney Harbour that other great Aussie, Telstra, presents her with something to celebrate the occasion.
Ritchie … is it really you
… wish i had been traumatised at a deep purple concert, best trauma ever!!
Country music cowboys and Telstra shareholders = a perfect match.
The cowboy lost his hat, lost his dog and lost his lil’ lady…
Telstra shareholders lost their shirts.
I’m sure corporate sponsordhip deserves to be applauded.
Not all music appeals to everybody; it would be a boring old world if all music was of one genre.
Country music is lucky in the fact it is so diverse.
Hi Ritchie the concert in Christchurch in the mid 70′s did take place because i was there. I might have been stoned on acid but i still remember that concert and you guys played to a huge audience and were awesome. Didnt traumatise me in the slightest had all your albums and far as i was concerned the louder the better. Thanks for a great concert.