12/01/07 - Tamworth Festival Kicks Off Another Year

By Tim Holland
Published in The Music Network, Cover date 22/01/07 #622

Well January is really known for two things in the Australian music business. Big Day Out and Tamworth! Once again I'm taking the drive up the New England Highway for this years festival which is anticipated to be a beauty.

The festival's most anticipated event is of course the CMAA Country Music Awards of Australia which will be held on January 29 at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre. Jayco have come on board for the first time with Lee Kernaghan (6 nominations) and Beccy Cole (5 nominations) leading the nomination charge on the night.

The show will feature 15 performances and CMAA General Manager Cheryl Hayes tells me that this year's awards will feature a notable injection of youth. Travis Collins and The McClymonts have been announced as performers as well as The Baileys, who will perform Swingin' Door in Catherine Britt's absence. The awards were criticized by many last year for focusing too much on established acts and from a label point of view, it's great to see the CMAA taking the initiative to support the future this time around.

Also, for the first time, Steve Forde will present the CMC viewers choice award. Adam Brand, Melinder Schneider are also confirmed in the performance line-up.

For my label, ABC Music, we'll be having a special industry party on Thursday January 25 at The Pub. The night will feature special performances from the ABC country roster headed by Lee Kernaghan as well as some other special guests and suprises. This will be a really funny night and all members of the music business are welcome on the night. But make sure you RSVP!

That event will follow a special concert at Bicentennial Park from Lee Kernaghan supported by The McClymonts and Tania Kerngahan as well as other big shows from Beccy Cole and Sara Storer. Kasey Chambers and Missy Higgins will perform in the same park a night earlier and Adam Brand will perform his annual midnight birthday show at Blazers on January 27.

Telstra will crown it's fourth Road To Tamworth winner - this year at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre on the night of January 23. Former winner and Australian Idol runner-up Jessica Mauboy will be one of the guest performers on the night along with Adam Harvey. This year I've joined the local judging panel which also includes Sony BMG Senior Marketing Manager Andy Jones, CMC Program Director Tim Daley and Country Update Magazine's Gayle Madill. The winner will once again travel to Nashville to record a single which will be released through Sony BMG. The winner of the other major Talent contest, Toyota Starmaker will be determined at the same venue on Sunday January 21.

Like every year, a number of artists will launch new albums during the festival. Most notably, Gina Jefferies will release her first new album in four years, while Nikki Gillis, Carter & Carter and Compass Bros Records emerging act Diana Corcoran are also releasing new albums during the festival.

The celebrity cricket match should also be a highlight, with a couple of people keen to have a bowl at the mayor of Tamworth, James Treloar after the local council's recent decision not to allow a group of Sudanese refugee families of to live in the town.

A rally protesting the town's decision not to allow a group of Sudanese refugee families of to live in the town is likely to be a major talking point of this year's festival but as Tim Daley said last year, lets hope that this year the media focus on the award winners and best performers at festival this time around rather than the other over-publicised up side “attractions” that have seemingly taken up far too much of the media's attention in the past.