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- Buy the programme as soon as you arrive.
It's a bit overwhelming, but it's essential reading,
and all 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.
The introduction by Anna Rose (who knows everything) says
you should go to Tamworth at least once in your life.
- What else is on. Try to get a programme for Wests,
for The Pub Group of hotels, the Capitol Theatre, the Central Hotel,
the Oasis Hotel and the Balladeers Homestead.
- Previews. Buy the latest issues of Cap News and Country Update
to read the preview articles about Tamworth. When you find artists you like,
check out their web pages or MySpace sites,
and also check out pictures on Flickr and videos on youtube.
Often very general searches will lead to a treasure trove of stuff,
for example try "rockabilly 1956"
- 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 fitted 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 a programme of the events for the day.
Look carefully for any small print or gossip columns.
There are red hot tips tucked away in the paper.
- 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 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.
- 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. 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.
- 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.
- 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 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 KMart Plaza arcade
that does "curried mince on toast"
so a return visit 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.
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.
- Internet Access. Civilisation is not very far away.
There are Internet terminals at the city library,
at a shop in the Regent Theatre building (Kable/Brisbane)
and in a coffee shop just next door to the Fitzroy Tavern.
This last one is my favourite -
a toasted sannie and a cappuccino while checking my email every second day.
Some places have free Wi-Fi if you bring your own laptop.
The Good Companions Hotel is one in Tamworth;
and Maccas of course, almost all their shops in NSW now have free WiFi.
- 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 avalilable elsewhere.
Or it might be terrible.
Worth a mention is
Yesterday and Today records.
Steve Reid now operates on-line, but sometimes he has a stall in Tamworth.
He specialises in quality American country music on CD and DVD
and has 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.
Firstly - A few vital points. The flat fare is $4.
And you can "hail and ride" - the bus will pick you up anywhere,
even if you are not at a bus stop.
All buses leave and return from Kable Avenue,
which is parallel to Peel street and runs alongside the river.
Secondly - The bus routes and timetables are impossible for visitors
to understand. You will need to ask the locals.
I still haven't figured it out.
- 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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