Kelly Gang hits town to help muso mate

Muster crowds coming from far and wide as Kelly Gang arrives

NED'S BAR: The new Kelly Gang, Shane Rowland, Stephen Bailey, Thor Wutzke and Mark Hopkinson at their Paulsens Flat Muster hideout. Picture: Arthur Gorrie

NO-ONE expected the Kelly Gang, but maybe we should have known they would turn up at the Muster sooner or later.

They were out at Muster Central yesterday, on their way to Helltown Hotrods for the launch of a new country music single, Ned Kelly Said, by their mate Lance Friend, who will also be hanging out at Ned's Bar later in the Muster season.

They are among hundreds of music fans already set up on the Amamoor site.

The bar is one of many mad Muster mansions now springing up in the area as Muster fans rope off their sites and get in the party mood.

Gate and ticket co-ordinator Andrew Brook said ticket sales were going strong.

"The weather's perfect, warm days and cool nights,” he said as he checked the fans in at the front gate.

Gympie Regional Council was helping keep the otherwise favourable conditions from turning the site into a dust bowl, with regular water truck visits.

"Obviously the dry weather makes things a bit dusty in between visits, but we're in the country after all.

"We're watering within the site and the council is doing the main access road,” he said.

Asher Neville from EVENTelec was putting on an electrifying performance as he helped turn on the lights at the King Brown Camp Oven Kitchen.

It is a job he and team mates are doing all over the Muster site, installing all the electricity needed for Muster buildings, from food stalls and performance tents to toilets and showers.

"Anything that needs electricity to run,” he said.

The temporary electrical infrastructure firm will be running about 30 generators at the site, "from 20 up to 500 kVA”.

But all this is just the tip of an iceberg of preparation, which has been going on for months already.

Stages are already set up and increasing numbers of campsites claimed by an expected 20,000 music fans.

Muster town residents can expect some frosty mornings, giving way to warm or even hot days as winds drop and sometimes frosty air begins to settle overnight. So early morning campfires are part of the Muster too.