A Nice Twang
Sun Herald
Sunday January 20, 2002
They are toe-tapping in Tamworth this weekend Rob Woodburn reports on the annual festival.
IT was 30 years ago today those golden guitars began to play.
It's an extra special year for Tamworth, home of Australia's biggest hoedown, the annual Carlton Country Music Festival.
Initiated by a few dedicated locals in 1972, the festival now annually attracts more than 40,000 visitors, a gathering that transforms a generally languid town into Australia's biggest and liveliest country party.
The festival is also the first major event of 2002 Australia's Year of the Outback. As festival spokeswoman June Smythe points out: ``There may be no red dirt in our streets but there's a lot of outback in the town."
Tamworth's days of song, dance and theatre kicked off on Friday, with a free concert in Bicentennial Park. Lauded as ``a celebration of the Australian identity", it was said to have put an extra twang into the step of all who participate in the 10-day event.
While it's certainly about duelling guitars and plaintive, lovelorn songs, anyone arriving in town this week convinced that country music all sounds the same is in for a surprise.
Visitors are faced with a bewildering array of events showcasing ``country's" many styles. These include the five Bs bush ballads, bluegrass, bootscooting, busking and bush poetry alongside acoustic, gospel, contemporary, country rock, comedy and a touch of Cajun. Add to that impressive selection a flock of new talent, with new sounds, who each year take to the stage and often include stars of the future.
Busking has always been an integral element of the festival. Kasey Chambers and Troy Cassar-Daley are two international stars who first shone their musical light on Peel Street. The biggest buzz around town for the past week has been the news that Chambers is to give a free concert in Bicentennial Park next Friday.
That's an occasion certain to be packed out, as will the free Australia Day concert the following day, also in Bicentennial Park, featuring many artists and a fireworks show.
Tamworth's festival is not only a massive musical experience, there's that certain country style to consider. It happens to be Australia's biggest hat convention; so huge in fact that books have been produced on the subject.
One such publication is Beneath The Brim, a collection of photographs by Jake Lindsay that documents visitors to the festival's silver jubilee in 1997 and includes comments from each hat owner. It's a delight for anyone who has ever hankered after an Akubra.
Of true global significance is the Bootscooting Stampede. Last year 6,698 suitably shod bootscooters again danced their way into Guinness World Records, breaking their previous year's record and eclipsing the record originally set in Nashville six years ago. The largest country line dance in the world gets under way in Peel Street at 9.30am next Saturday. Participants may warm up from 8.30am.
Further proof of the festival's broad scope are the Golden Gumleafs, otherwise known as the Australian Bush Laureate Awards. They'll be held in Tamworth Town Hall on Tuesday and will feature Jimmy Little, Sara Storer, Ted Egan and Melinda Schneider. Also on the program is Jim Haynes's popular Best Of The Bush tribute to The Outback. The official highlight is the 30th Anniversary Toyota Golden Guitar Awards next Saturday night, at Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre.
This is the industry's ``Oscars" night. Among the Golden Guitars awarded are for song of the year, best male and best female vocal, best vocal group or duo, album of the year, top selling album, best new talent and best country instrumental. There's also a bush ballad and a heritage award.
In addition to the Golden Guitars there are the Tiaras, or Tamworth Independent Artists Recognition Awards. These are for independent artists who have paid to produce their own CDs. The Tiaras will be presented on Tuesday night at West Tamworth Leagues Club. All the winners will perform that night.
Any festival worth its salt must have a street parade. The Cavalcade of Stars, a procession of colourful floats and live bands, takes place next Saturday.
FESTIVAL FACTS
* Details: Throughout the festival the Tamworth Visitor Information Centre is open from 8am to 6pm every day. Phone 02 6755 4300 or e-mail tourism@tamworth.nsw.gov.au. The official Carlton Tamworth Country Music Festival program is available from newsagents for$3.60.
* Accommodation: The festival devours all forms of accommodation in and around the town. For 2003, be sure to book as early as possible. That said, you may still find an odd room or camping site available for this week's event. Your best bet at this late stage is to visit the Tamworth Direct accommodation directory at www.tamworthdirect.com.au/traveldirect, which still had a few options available at the time of going to press.
* Home hosting: In recent years, there has been an upsurge in local residents opening their homes to festival visitors. Details of home hosting and all other sorts of accommodation in Tamworth and the surrounding district can be found on the festival website at www.tamworth.nsw.gov.au/tcc/cmf. Note that the Tamworth Visitors Information Centre does not deal with accommodation queries.
* Packages: Several coach companies offered travel and accommodation packages for this year's festival and are likely to do the same next year.
© 2002 Sun Herald
