INTERSTATE ARTISTS

 The Cartwheels

                                                                                                                               

 

The Cartwheels play original country and a mixture great country covers and draw from a wide variety of influences.

Dave and Wendy from the Cartwheels met in the early nineties, she was in a band called the Sparnetts (soon to be golden guitar winners) and he in the ARIA nominated, golden guitar, triple MO Award winning band The Happening Thang. Fast forward a couple of years and they had a son called Charley whom at a young age was drawn to the drums. In true Carter/Chambers Family style they started playing at home and local venues eventually recording their debut C.D. when Charley was eight. The past eight years as seen the band play at major festivals in Australia and most recently recorded their second C.D. 'Pretty Little Town'

Live Wendy's vocals range from gutsy to heartbreaking and her songs tell of everyday life, usually from a small town angle.

Charley is a 2010 graduate of the Australian Academy of Country Music. Guitarist Jeff Mercer is best known for playing with Slim Dusty in the Travelling Country Band for eight years and completes the Cartwheels as one of the hottest country bands in Australia.  

 

The Cartwheels are:

 

Wendy Phypers- Lead vocals, guitar

Charley Phypers- Drums

Dave Patterson- Bass, backing vocals

Jeff Mercer- Electric guitar, backing vocals

 

 Chris Staff

  

                                                   

                                                                               

 Born in Wollongong, 22 April 1980, raised in Grafton, into a family of Classic Cars and Music. His music career began when he started learning guitar at the age of 10, then playing and singing  to crowds at 12..

Chris fronted his own show at the Grafton country Music Club at 13, and from then on his parents  started taking him to Country Music Festivals.

During this time Chris was invited on stage by Troy Cassar-Daley at shows in Grafton.

Chris moved on to being a session and lead guitar player in the Australian country music Scene,to uring with people such as Col Finley, Travis Sinclair, Brooke Mclymont,Sam Mclymont, Luke Austen, Paul  Costa, The Sunny Cowgirls, Carter & Carter, Tom Curtain and fronting the Australian Eagles Experience.

Chris has played at major Australian Festivals such as Tamworth CMF, Hats off to Country , Gympie  Muster, Adelaide International Guitar Festival.

Now Endorsed by Fender Guitars Australia, Chris has taken a huge step forward to move out from  behind the guitar to become a solo artist, supporting music greats such as Wendy Mathews, Paul Kelly & Richard Clapton.

Chris has just comeback from Nashville, song writing and recording with some of the Industry  finest and has released his debut record on the 22nd Jan 2013 at the Tamworth Country Music Festival. The debut record produced by Aussie Producer Michael Flanders.

  

 

 

 

 

 

Two new albums, two tours of the USA and countless gigs and festivals around Australia have cemented Gleny Rae Virus and her Playboys as one of Australia’s most versatile and entertaining country trios. With a rapidly expanding repertoire of western swing, hillbilly, gypsy jazz, bluegrass and blues, the trio can make any classic their own, or any of their originals sound like classics!

The secret to their versatility lies with the multi instrumental nature of Gleny Rae Virus who swaps between fiddle, squeezebox and guitar, and the guitar and lapsteel maestro Roy Payne. Dougie Bull is an entire rhythm section unto himself, slapping away on the upright bass with unrelenting regularity.

Their band new release Whojigadandy  is brimming with genre defying songs, clearly influenced by their recent tour of the Midwest and southern states of the USA. Recorded in Lawrence Kansas and Newcastle Australia with US producer and musician Mike West (Truckstop Honeymoon) and Newcastle musical legend Robbie Long, their second album clearly demonstrates a willingness to subvert the dominant paradigm.

Live shows also follow this path, as Gleny Rae Virus deftly leads her Playboys into a musical fun park, lit up with stories, quips, ballads, hot club styled jazz, tunes, and general musical mayhem! You never know quite what to expect with a Gleny Rae Virus and her Playboys show, but it is guaranteed to be full of fun, delightful music and irreverent brilliance.

 

 

LOCAL ARTISTS

 

 

Katie Oliver

Born in Townsville, Kate move to the Territory in 1985.Kate has been influenced by the legendary Patsy Cline, With strong support from her parents

and friends Kate not only sings but pens her own Kate loves to support our town and is seen at most community events either performing or volunteering songs.

 

 

 

 

 

Lee Hubble 'aka' The General

Lee Hubble started playing to a crowd in the 1980’s with the Darwin Country Music Association beside his step father Graham Butterworth a well known performer in the Australian Country Music Lee comes from a family of who most are involved in the Country Music Industry at one level or another and he is greatly influenced by the legends of scene. Country music i.e. Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and Slim Dusty so Lee puts his own spin on some of Country’s greatest songs.

 

Entry Fee:

Adults = $25 (18 years and over)

Family = $50

Aged Pension and Students (13-17 years) = $15 (Aged Pensioner and Student Card Required)

Children aged 12 years and under (accompained by an adult) = Free 

Throughout the event

Food Stalls

Bar Facilities available

# No eskies please as it contravenes our license.