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- Previews. Buy the latest issues of Cap News and Country Update
in advance
to read the preview articles about Tamworth. When you find artists you like,
check out their web pages or Facebook sites,
and also check out pictures via Google Images,
and watch the short videos on Youtube.
On Youtube, often very general searches will lead to a treasure trove of stuff,
for example try "rockabilly 1956" or "tamworth 2011"
or just search for the artist by name with the word "tamworth" added.
- Consider buying the programme as soon as you arrive.
It's a bit overwhelming, but most of the major venues have display advertisements.
There is a map of Tamworth, a map of the shopping centre,
all the bus timetables, the history of the festival and lots of info.
Once again the programme is full of annoying errors, this time
all the "am" times are shown as "pm"
but only in the artists section of the programme.
In this age of tweeting, the programme is marred by lengthy "blurb" articles
which are dead-boring to read.
The mayor could have modelled his message of welcome
on the Gettysburg Address which contains only 272 words.
- What else is on. Try to get a programme for Wests Leagues Club,
for The Pub Group of hotels and the Capitol Theatre.
Also get sheets for the Central Hotel,
the Post Office Hotel, The Albert, The Courthouse, Joe Maguires,
the Oasis Hotel and the Balladeers Homestead.
It's important to pickup up programme sheets from the pubs
and pay attention to all the posters in Peel Street.
- Wendy's Choice Picks. If you see a tall woman with glasses
handing out a sheet in the hotels, make sure you get one.
It's the best of the programme crammed onto one A4 sheet.
- Buy the local paper.
Each day The Northern Daily Leader
has extensive coverage of the festival,
with pictures from the day before,
and an up-to-date programme for the day.
Look carefully for any small print or gossip columns.
There are red hot tips tucked away in the paper.
The latest programme as published in the paper is more likely to be correct.
Last year the Leader ran out of things to publish and instead wrote stories
critising over-charging at the festival. This was totally a beat-up;
if you can't find a cheap pie and a cheap can of drink,
then you are really are a dill.
- Photos. On the last Saturday the Leader
publishes a "Souvenir Edition"
which is a collection of pictures for the week.
Most of the pictures have not been published in the paper
during the week.
- Relax. Don't try to do too much.
Just pick some things you really want to see,
enjoy your food and relax. After all, you are on holidays.
- Trial and Error. Go to a few different things
that are a little outside your comfort zone.
It might be a real surprise or a complete disaster for you,
but that's the only way to discover something new.
Perhaps even let your friends pick things for you to go to.
Don't be afraid to make a mistake.
- Enjoy.
The reverse of trial and error is don't waste
your time on something you simply won't enjoy.
There is so much on that it's not worth the bother.
If you don't like "world music" or "country memories" or whatever,
then don't go to it.
Save time when reading the programme
- cross off stuff that is way outside your field of interest.
If you don't like processions and floats, then don't go to the cavalcade, etc.
- Rubbish.
Leave immediately if it's absolutely not your taste
or too loud or sounds like "doof-doof" or "hip-hop" music.
Sad to report, but Tamworth is being invaded by incompetent sound technicians
who know their job much better than you ever could,
even when the sound is crap.
Poor sound is a problem at the Blues Festivals too.
There are plenty of other hotels and clubs in Tamworth
that will make you welcome, so just leave as soon as you can.
- Peel Street.
At festival time, Peel Street is famous for huge crowds and the buskers.
Every spare wall is papered with posters of what's on.
It's all good fun, so allocate
at least $10 in spare change to put in the buskers' hats.
Otherwise they don't eat. Give extra points for effort and potential.
Always remember that about 17 years ago a little girl called Kasey Chambers
was busking in Peel Street with her mum and dad, and her brother.
- Daydreaming and Pottering.
Limit the amount of time you spend walking up and down Peel Street
looking at the buskers. They deserve your attention but only up to a point.
The mainstream music is on at the big events,
and the interesting and different stuff is on at the smaller pubs and clubs.
When it comes to music, the buskers are not the festival.
- Shopping. Like any regional centre, Tamworth has a huge array of shops
and all the usual chains. Plenty of bargains and discounts.
The new Capitol shopping centre opened in 2008,
including a 6 in 1 cinema complex.
Buy some souvenirs, coffee mugs and postcards.
Stock up on groceries, underpants, pet food, toilet paper etc.
A huge Bi-Lo shares the car park with the Southgate Inn,
so catch some music and put the groceries in the boot without moving the car.
- Food.
The main street is full of cafes and coffee shops.
Every club and pub has some sort of bistro.
Oddly, each place seems to stay much the same year after year.
Some are really bad, others terrific.
My favourite is the meatballs at Joe Maguires,
and plenty of places do a good "roast of the day".
In 2008 I found a cafe in the K-Mart Plaza arcade
that does "curried mince on toast"
so an annual pilgrimage is essential.
And make sure you get fed by 8pm or 8:30pm at the latest.
Wherever you are, check what time the bistro closes just in case.
Remember Tamworth is a country town, not the inner suburbs of Sydney
where you can order anything almost anytime.
After 9pm, you might have to make do with chips or a hot dog,
although the snack bar at Wests has good light meals until about 10:30pm.
- Internet Access. Civilisation is not very far away.
There are Internet terminals at the city library
and in the coffee shop just next door to the Post Office Hotel.
This last one is my favourite -
a toasted sannie and a cappuccino every second day.
Many places including the motels now have free Wi-Fi
if you bring your own laptop.
Maccas have free Wi-Fi too, but unfortunately it has slowed
to a crawl all over NSW in the past 12 months.
- Buying Music.
A lot of country music CDs and DVDs are for sale in Tamworth.
Even big shops like K-Mart stock up with country stuff for the festival.
If you enjoy an artist, buy their CD on the spot and they will sign it for you.
Also if you find shops selling discount CDs,
it might be rare or old-stock country music that is not available elsewhere.
Or it might be terrible.
Worth a mention is
Yesterday and Today records.
Steve Reid from Sydney now operates on-line, specialising in quality American
country music on CD and DVD with loyal customers from all over Australia.
- Bus Services.
Normally there are four regular bus routes serving the suburbs
of Tamworth but during the festival there are four more
to help you travel between venues.
- Fares. Normal fares apply. Pensioner tickets $2.50.
A $10 wrist-band ticket for the whole festival is available this year.
- Bus stops and timetables.
You can "hail and ride" - the bus will pick you up anywhere,
even if you are not at a bus stop.
As far as I can tell, no bus runs better than once every half hour,
which is awkward.
- Bus routes.
All buses leave and return from Kable Avenue,
which is parallel to Peel Street and runs alongside the river.
But the routes are impossible for visitors
to understand. You will need to ask the locals;
I have never figured it out.
- The Pub shuttle. This group of hotels runs a regular shuttle bus
between their five hotels.
One of the bus drivers seems to be a local identity who can
answer all sorts of questions about country music.
- More Tips. Brad Holve from the Central Coast has a
page of tips and a great list of artists to see too.
It's the goldmine for the information that I have not covered.
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