Thursday, December 18, 2008
Crazy Crap Tamworth: The Nashville of Australia, kind of
Posted by Brantley Hargrove on Thu, Dec 18, 2008 at 7:31 AM
Not exactly Dolly Parton (Courtesy of Fairfax Media)
On the other side of the map, in the New South Wales town of Tamworth (pop. 42,000 and some change) Keith Urban may have gotten his start, locals say, plucking and crooning like any other sad-sack in Nashville, desperate for a look at the Tamworth Country Music Festival. It began in 1969, when a local radio station that played country decided to anoint Tamworth the Country Music Capitol. Nearly 40 years later, its 2007 event drew 50,000 enthusiasts, tramping into the small town for a taste of rural America--or at least the Australian perception of it. It has its own version of Broadway--called Peel Street--where shoppers investigate street-side stores and sidewalk crooners croon. It's called "busking" in Australia, too.
Country music in Australia has been something of a struggling art form, subjecting its practitioners to derision even when they don't imitate an American accent--God forbid. Popular acceptance has been grudging. To raise that profile, Australia's version of the CMAs--the Golden Guitars--is now broadcast nationally, with country musicians swaggering down a red carpet.
A rookie reporter at the Tamworth Country Music Festival--a bit new to this whole glitz and glam thing--asked performers over and over, "Who are you wearing." I think the reporter was greeted with roundly nonplussed expressions. But country music in Australia may be on its way up. As the music we all know and love is bastardized into some weird amalgam of pop-country, they're seeing crossovers just like we are, which could mean more transcontinental transplants like Urban.
Locals are concerned that their beloved festival is becoming too commercial--sound familiar? Everyone's out to make a quid. Which, I suppose, isn't that surprising. After all, they have a little problem we aren't quite as sensitive to: Drought. Even though it's the Music Capitol of Australia, they still have livestock to feed.
Comments (2)
Showing 1-2 of 2
We went to Tamworth two years ago, and I've also been to the CMA Music Fest...Fan Fair. They are similar, but Tamworth is more laid back and casual and not nearly as big. I imagine it's more like Fan Fair was in the beginning. They have venues called 'service clubs', Down Under, a combination of bar, venue and gambling club. Afterwards you could go up and meet the artists and purchase their cd. We found all of the artists incredibly talented. (Just think Keith Urban multiplied)
Tamworth has a shortage of hotel rooms, so many people set up 'home stays' with the locals, and go back year after year. My friend has stayed with the same family for 15 years! We were not so fortunate and had to stay in one of the many tent cities. About $50 a night will get you a 6 man tent and two cots, showers in the soccer field locker room and 'brekkie' is included in the fee.
Also, you don't have to buy a ticket to the festival. It's mostly free, except for certain ticketed shows and the Golden Guitars. The last night there is a free concert in the park with a big name artist and people line up early for a good seat.
It's great fun and I'd love to go back!
like
dislike
