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- Sandra Humphries at the Central. Not to be missed.
This is as good as it gets and the inner Sydney crowd
have been turning out in force for the last three years.
Listen to the sample track on the CD that comes with the programme
if you don't believe me. First free gig Saturday 21st at 4pm at the Central.
The front line is always Sandra, Henry and Fiona,
but some very whizzy bass players and drummers also appear.
Also, this year Sandra Humphries appears as Tammy Wynette
in a series of four "Queens of Country Music" paid concerts,
so get some $23 tickets as soon as you arrive.
- Travis List will be back again at Wests and Diggers,
but no late night Travis gigs this year.
Travis is an Australian who lives in Nashville,
sings with a twang you would not believe, and is just terrific.
Great material, great delivery, great band, great to dance to,
great guests.
Various timeslots at Wests and Diggers, so get their programme.
- Wanita and Her Honky Tonk Bar Dwellers.
This is full-on honky-tonk stuff,
and Wanita is an undisputed name not to be trifled with,
and a live CD from last year will be available.
Great brass section of jazz musos from Brisbane.
Several gigs, including the Southgate in the evenings.
- The Gina Timms' Ladies of Country Show
One show only at Wests on the very first Friday 20th at 8:15pm
with eight guests and it's free.
- Tomkins Guitar Showcase.
In many ways this is the best gig of the festival.
It goes for hours and hours but is never boring.
It's in Blazes on Thursday 26th .
- Stewie's Pickers Night.
This is the best guitar pickers night of the whole festival,
but it's usually so jam-packed that you can hardly get in the door.
- Bill Chambers Sessions.
Good band and interesting special guests.
What can I say - an inspiration that lasts all year.
Bill is an absolute master at the concept "less is more".
A DVD from last year is available.
- Lesley Avril
This is her 22nd Tamworth and she's still knocking them down.
You can't go past song lyrics like "I want a cowboy in my bed"
and "There's a guy works down the chipshop swears he's Elvis."
- Alby Pool and Melody Pool
and the No City Limits Band.
Fairly traditional and
full-on honky tonk played boldly, you'll either love it or hate it.
The last gig is Friday 20th at Wests at 2pm
so you might have to make a special effort to be there.
- Cash Only.
This Sydney band plays nothing but Johnny Cash songs.
All paying gigs but Mark and Wendy deliver on vocals and
the band has practised that Johnny Cash sound to perfection.
- Graham Rodger and his wife Deidre at the Community Centre.
A nice bloke and a top songwriter with a great turn of phrase.
Nashville enthusiasts should stay right away,
as this is Aussie music, with Aussie themes,
pretty much in the spirit of Slim Dusty.
- Doug Bruce and the Tailgaters.
Up from Victoria, this band gets better every year and is worth a look,
with 11 gigs, alternating between the Central and the Post Office Hotel.
Yes, there is pedal steel guitar. He's a really good drummer too
but you won't see that.
- The Ashleigh Dallas Band
If the clips on Youtube are anything to go by,
this will be the surprise hit of the festival.
Don't say you were not warned. Two gigs only at The Pub, Mon 23rd 8pm and Wed 25 at noon..
- Flash Sheedy and the Instro-Matics.
Flash's new band takes to the stage.
Six shows at the Albert and one at the Imperial.
For certain this will be idiosyncratic and retro,
but I promise it will be lots of fun too.
You won't see this anywhere else in Australia - surfin' music
and Shadows instrumentals from the 1960s. It's pretty loud.
- Melissa Bajric (pronounced badge-rick) is by far
the best of the Aussie Bush Balladeers
and has her own show at the Capitol Theatre on Tuesday 18th at 10am
with special guests including Bob Easter and Lindsay Waddington.
I'll be there. Also appears at the Oasis Hotel where the highlight of
the week will occur at 2:55pm on Sunday 22nd
when she does a duet with Bob Easter.
- Kirsty Lee Akers.
She's great fronting a band and she churns out the Dolly Parton stuff
with no effort. Worth a look.
The best gig will be 4pm Wed 25th at The Family, but it's a paying gig.
- Chris E Thomas.
After years and years of being the best back-up vocals chick in the rock business,
now we get the real Chris E Thomas. She was terrific last year at Diggers.
One paid show only at Wests, Wed 25th
and also appearing briefly in the Gina Timms "Ladies of Country" show.
- Hired Hands Reunion.
Pretty much a Tamworth institution, at the Golf Club, Sunday 16th at 8pm.
I like the venue.
- Darren Carr. He's a comedy ventriloquist, not a country artist.
Mainly appearing at Diggers Bluegrass Breakfasts, from 8am daily.
- Some New Faces.
All the acts listed above I have seen before,
but here are some bands and artists I hope to catch.
Kevin Bennett,
Waz E James, Brewin, the Leapin Lizards and the Mentally Illbillies.
- More Artists.
Brad Holve from the Central Coast has
a list of artists to see too.
One year he even suggested where to buy a good hamburger.
This page was last updated on Tuesday 10th January, 2012.
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