Mareeba set to eclipse Tamworth as nation’s country music capital
The Far North is set to rival Tamworth as the nation’s country music capital as 40 high profile Australian artists prepare to head for the tropics for the Savannah in the Round music festival. See the full line up.
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FAR North Queensland is set to rival Tamworth as the nation’s country music capital as the Savannah in the Round music and camping festival continues to gain momentum.
Savannah in the Round will be held from October 1 to 3 at Mareeba, less than an hour from Cairns on the Tablelands, and has more than 40 artists ready to rock.
Performers are universally itching to get back on stage after enduring prolonged lockdowns throughout 2020 – although many used the time to produce new music that will be showcased at Savannah.
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Multiple Golden Guitar winner Lee Kernaghan, who has just released his 15th album, Backroad Nation, can’t wait to head to the Far North again.
“It has been a long time between drinks,” he said with a laugh.
“I love Far North Queensland – I asked my wife Robyn to marry me up there. The cream always rises to the top in FNQ,” he said.
“It’s great to see people coming out to party again.
“I’m taking a tour group to Darwin, across to Cairns, Port Douglas and then to Mareeba – I think a lot of people are looking ahead and planning holidays around a music festival in one of the most beautiful places in Australia,” Mr Kernaghan said.
“Mareeba is going to be Queensland’s country music capital, no doubt about that – and Queensland has always been the beating heart of country music, it has inspired so much of my music over the years.
“I really think Savannah is going to be one of biggest music festivals in Australia, it is an awesome locations and a great line up,” Mr Kernaghan said.
The idea of a Far North music festival germinated with Mareeba local Nipper Brown visited the CMC Rocks Queensland event at Ipswich in 2019.
“Sitting there, watching the crowds, not even being able to buy a pair of gumboots at the shops because they were sold out, it made me wonder why we could hold something like that up here,” he said.
“When I came home, I started talking to people about it and ended up getting in touch with James Dein from Sound Australia.
“He told me to come up with $40,000 to kickstart it, which I managed.”
The McCymonts band member Molly McClymont said while it was difficult to compare Savannah to Tamworth’s 10-day country music festival, there was much excitement around it.
“It is going to be absolutely rocking, it is biggest festival in couple of years and none of us have been working,” she said.
“I think fans will go off at Savannah – it is an absolutely stunning area. I love Port Douglas, there is just so much to do, especially with the kids.”
Shannon Noll reckons North Queensland is where the real cowboys are found.
“I definitely think it can compete with Tamworth, there’s a lot of country there with the cattle stations, North Queensland is a lot more cowboy, which I think is fantastic, it doesn’t surprise me at all – you got the cowboys up there, that’s for sure,” he enthused.
“I love spending time in North Queensland, it is just so different to where I grew up near Condobolin, there’s the rainforest and the tropical weather, the rain and big storms and the countryside is magnificent.
“In places, it’s a little bit wild west, it looks much more untouched and more like real wilderness,” Mr Noll said.
“I’m really looking forward to being part of it, the best of the best going up, it’s a real chance for North Queensland to show its colours and show what makes it special.”
Gavin Dear of local band The Roadtrippers, who will join the line-up, said the show had the potential to compete with the Byron Bay Bluesfest.
A surprise addition is pop rock band Lime Cordiale.
Oli Leimbach of Lime Cordiale is looking forward to waterfall hopping when the multiple ARIA award nominated band heads to the Far North.
“It is great fun, I love getting to North Queensland,” Mr Leimbach said.
“Previously, we drove from Townsville to Cairns and stopped off at three or four waterfalls – this time around, we are open to tips on where to go, we will hopefully tack on a few extra days.
“You guys get teased so much because you have stunning beaches you can’t swim in for the crocodiles and stingers, and for us, growing up at the beach, driving past an empty beach – it looks like paradise.
“The waterfalls are amazing, the cool relief, that is a favourite thing to do, to find swim spots to wash off the night before,” he said.
He said performing outside capital cities could be more fun because destinations were more interesting.
“As soon as you get off the plane, you feel the tropical heat and it feels like you are somewhere really different – apart from being stunning, it feels like real Australia,” Mr Leimbach said.
He said Lime Cordiale jumped at the offer to participate in Savannah in the Round.
“If we get a gig offer right now, we take it – especially festivals, there’s not enough festivals going around,” Mr Leimbach said.
The Covid experience was challenging for Lime Cordiale as the band was gearing to perform for arena size audiences – but Covid restrictions meant they were suddenly back performing for small groups.
“For us, it felt like we started again during Covid, we were back in cafe scenarios which we hadn’t done for years and it was a bit scary, being able to see everyone rather than hiding behind a sea of people.
“When we are offered something now, we get giddy we get excited, like it is our first big gig.”
Organiser James Dein said his goal was for the event to eclipse Tamworth.
“Cairns is the gateway to so many things to see and do, and one of the best music festival sites is Kerribee Park at Mareeba,” he said.
“You can be on site from Port Douglas in just over an hour, the same from Cairns.
“It is a beautiful area on the Savannah Way, it is a prosperous agricultural area, and what we are offering as a festival experience is unlike anywhere else in Australia, because of the diversity of natural attractions with the rainforest and reef,” Mr Dein said.
The Savannah Way, from which the festival gets its name, is a 3700km route linking the historic pearling town of Broome in Western Australia’s Kimberley with Cairns.
“Mareeba has 300 days of sunshine a year, the likelihood of being washed out with wet weather is highly unlikely at the end of September,” Mr Dein said.
He said coaches would run from Port Douglas and Cairns to Mareeba.
“So you can stay in five star luxury and catch a coach to and from the event – nowhere else in Australia is that offered. I’m really passionate about this. Ticket sales indicate the event is holding up to its promise to bring tourists and visitors to the region.
The full line up includes John Williamson, Lee Kernaghan, Brad Cox, Tex Perkins, Shannon Noll, Troy Cassar-Daley, The McClymonts, Fanny Lumsden, The Wolfe Brothers, The Buckleys, Busby Marou, Graeme Connors, Southbound, Casey Barnes, Felicity Urquhart, James Blundell, Darlinghurst, Rachael Fahim, Christie Lamb, Raechel Whitchurch, Missy Lancaster, Kirsty Lee Akers, David Hudson, Sammy White, Jetty Road, Blake O’Connor, Camille Trail, Jeremy Fletcher, Abbie Ferris, Chelsea Berman, Jack Davey, The Roadtrippers, Tony Q Band, Route 33, Murphy’s Pigs, Cameron Cusack, the Pamagirri Dancers, Dee Jaye Bux – and Lime Cordiale.
Visit savannahintheround.com.au.
Originally published as Mareeba set to eclipse Tamworth as nation’s country music capital
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