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| ARCHIVE : Capital News April 2003 Vol.28 No.4 |
AROUND THE CAPITAL - News from Country Music Capital with Cheryl Byrnes
Tamworth publican Joan Douglas has been involved with the organisation for the past six years and for the past three years multi-instrumentalist LAWRIE MINSON has co-ordinated a regular monthly songwriters' night at the pub called 'The Pub" in Tamworth.
Songsalive! is a non-profit organization that supports and promotes songwriters. Through Songsalive! songs and songwriters can be accessed by the whole world.
The new all-genre LAWRIE MINSON's Open Mic Songwriters' Night is held on the third Thursday of each month. Find out more by visiting www.songsalive.org/tamworth
I received an epic email recently informing me of the wonderful adventures of the extraordinary ANDREW CLERMONT. Andrew has been "instrumental" in bringing together a number of musicians forming a number of different bands throughout the country, including DYA SINGH in Adelaide, TOTALLY GOURDGEOUS in Melbourne and the FIDDLERS FESTIVAL in Sydney.
During the 2003 Tamworth Country Music Festival, the Supper Club had over eighty unique performers from blues to jazz, baroque to bluegrass, and as Andrew describes "all nestled in a country spice". Two years ago at the Frances Folk Gathering, on the border of South Australia and Victoria,
Andrew and JOHN FRANCIS won dual first and this, the fourth year, Andrew and PAUL WOOKEY took out equal second.
To find out everything that Andrew and Pauline have been doing in recent months, including loads of pictures and information, visit their website www.andrewclermont.com.au. Don’t miss the upcoming Supper Club tour on the Mothers Day weekend in Armidale.
Tourism Tamworth Ltd announced last month that they have appointed the local newspaper company The Northern Daily Leader to manage the sales, design and print of 90,000 tourism guides. The new brochures will feature updated photographs as well as new motels and B&Bs. Whilst there has been a huge growth in web-based information in recent years, travelers and holiday makers still enjoy the practicality and portability of quality tourism guides. Bookings for the guide closed on March 21 with distribution to commence in early May.
It seems that after every Tamworth country music festival, Tamworth gains a number of new residents, usually country music artists wishing to make their next big hopeful move, only to find out that Tamworth is not a festival all year round.
However, some artists have found that, if they are prepared and focused, the local network will inspire, encourage and support them just as it has for twenty year old GEMMA LUXTON who has made the move from Wanneroo, Western Australia. Gemma is a singer/songwriter/musician with a passion for country music. Gemma acknowledges that the turning point in her career was when, at sixteen, she was placed first in the Quairrading Country Music Festival – West Australia’s most prestigious festival at that time. Gemma teamed up with producer, MAGNIFICENT SEVEN's MARK DONOHOE to record her album Real Love which contains all her own material. She has a natural ear for harmonies making her a sought-after backing vocalist and session singer. Gemma is proud to have been a finalist in the 2003 Tamworth Independent Artist Recognition Awards (TIARA’s) for Female Vocalist Of The Year and Overall Winner of the Country Music Section in the 2003 Australian Songwriters Association Songwriting contest. If you are ever passing through Tamworth, you may be lucky to find Gemma at one of the great country music venues in town.
Twenty year old ADAM ECKERSLEY also re-located to Tamworth with his family during recent times. Adam is a graduate of the 1998 CMAA Australian College Of Country Music and a member of the Grafton-based band OUT OF THE BLUE.
Adam is a singer/guitarist and was runner-up in the 2003 Artistocrat Entertainer Of The Year and we’re thrilled to include him in our list of "local talent". I promise you’ll be hearing more about him in the future.
Currabubula born and bred PETER "FLASH" SHEEDY recently spoke to reporter Simon Chamberlain about the development of the Hot Mamma and Big Daddy guitar pedals that use valve technology. "Flash" had his first guitar at the age of the; his first band at sixteen; spent some years with Tamworth’s JOHN DAVIS FOUR playing bass and guitar; and even built his own studio.
Big Daddy – with its two valves conformed in the shape of an "eager" man – and Hot Mamma are 12Ax7 Family true valve distortion pedals. They connect between the guitar and the amplifiers. The base of the pedals are chrome semi-trailer hubcaps while a light-bulb safety cage provides protection for the valve mechanism from a misplaced foot.
Flash prefers the valve technology over hi-tech digital electronics producing a sound reminiscent of pre 1965 – warm and gutsy! These days Peter plays with JOHNNY GREEN & THE BLUES COWBOYS.
This month at West Tamworth League Club you’ll find HEARTLAND, STEVE FORDE & THE FLANGE, THOSE GALS, three sensational nights of SOUTHBOUND, DAVE CRAZ DUO, SALLY-ANNE WHITTEN and at West Diggers Club – ROUTE 66, HEARTLAND, CHRIS STAFF & BAND, SALLY-ANNE WHITTEN, DAVE CRAZ DUO, THOSE GALS and KEY LARGO. Friday April 4 The Pub Management presents their Artists In Development featuring THE BAILEYS, ALEYCE SIMMONDS and AARON BOLTON at The Pub commencing at 8.00pm. Don’t forget you can catch BRIAN "HOWDY" HOWARD once a month as he presents good country music at the South Tamworth Bowling Club. The comforting voice of TOM MAXWELL can be heard at The Pub on Friday, April 11.
Every month the Australian Country Music Foundation celebrates Australian country music star birthdays at our Birthday Bash.
The monthly Birthday Bash gets under way at 7pm on the fourth Monday of every month at the Foundation's headquarters in Tamworth, Australia's Country Music Capital, and members of the public are invited. Admission is by gold coin donation. Country music stars are invited to attend or send greetings to those in attendance.
Members of the Capital Country Music Association (CCMA) put on a great show featuring the talents of some wonderful young (and not so young) performers.
Everyone's then invited to stay for a cuppa and refreshments including... a very special birthday cake!
Due to the Easter Long Weekend the monthly CCMA Showcase and Jam will be on Sunday, April 6th commencing at 5.30pm - everyone is welcome!
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