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Welcome to Nymagee! Spectacular Wongaibon Country!
If you haven't come here yet, then the Outback Music Festival is a great way to expand your mind-map of Western NSW.
Roughly 12 hours drive from Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide, Nymagee is a tiny ghost town in the middle of spectacular surroundings. Native pines, grasses and big old gums provide a true bush experience, while the amazing 'Bald Hills' - granite mountains who sit like old men around the festival - dominate the Northern horizon.
The town once boasted over 5000 miners and their families, indeed, many nearby communities in the area had many 1000s of people working the rich seams of gold, copper and silver. Remnants of their incredibly hard life abound, including some fantastic examples of old miners cottages, Butcher, Community Hall, Picture Theatre and in-tact Bakery.
The World Wars, dust storms, Rabbit plagues, drop in mineral prices and drought decimated the area's population. In recent memory, the old families who maintained a rural existence on once rich but now barren lands have gone. The school was lost when the last remaining young couple with children could no longer survive the harsh conditions and left for greener lands.
Today a skeleton crew maintain a pub, police station, a honey producer, wild goat and sheep farmers and give directions to the occasional lost traveler.
The Nymagee Outback Music Festival was started in 1999 by Jay Dunn and family to rejuvenate the town and bring some form of economy. Originally erected on private land, a stage and festival infrastructure still stand a few ks to the west. It will be great to return to the original site, but for now we are situated in the main street, near the pub and Community Hall.
Current Co-director Andrew Hull pays credit to the hard work the Dunn family and locals have put in to creating a festival 'vibe' like no other: "When Jay mentioned to us last year that the festival might not go ahead, we immediately knew that there would be 15 or 20 professional musicians and bands, and a growing local music loving public who would be terribly disappointed. It simply took a few phone calls to some of the biggest names in Australian Alt-Country rock and roll, promising a great experience but no money, to be able to officially announce the '08 festival a goer".
Andrew's band "The Lonely Horse Band" had made an album and a 6 part radio series with an ABC producer of the living history of the town in recent years. He and colleagues knew that the Nymagee story had spread far and wide at most of the leading Folk and Music festivals around Australia and local ABC, and that the musician and music lover grapevine had spread the Festival experience to the far corners of the country. The result astounded everyone concerned!
"We turned the town into a sea of smiling faces!", he laughs, "Over $5000 was raised by selling T-shirts and CD's to enable the musicians to cover their travel costs. This year we are inundated by musicians wanting to come again, and new ones that have heard of the excellent time we had!"
So again the festival will 'appear' in 2009, not from any fancy marketing or expensive advertising, but from something that gives you a great reason to smile about: goodwill.
It is a fantastic family day, featuring some the best songwriters and musicians you will find, face-painting, jumping castle, and acoustic chalk board stage, a massive sound system supplied by Victorian festival specialist Tony Hammon, and food, lots of food. This year we have musicians coming from every state and territory of Australia, all for the love of it!
"Recently we visited Nymagee to talk to the Nymagee Progress Association about whether we could come again in 2009", Hully explained, "They were so appreciative of the efforts of musicians to bring some entertainment back to their historic town. The local Flower Show will happen again on the day, and the local Gymkhana committee which looked likely to fold for lack of funding are over-joyed to be able to provide a BBQ lunch and dinner to bands and punters, and rescue their annual Horse event thats been going since year dot."
Please help us support this little community by telling your friends and sending the good news along your grapevine.. Nymagee Outback Music Festival is ON!
NYMAGEE 08 – FOR THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE ! !
Organisers of the one day alternative country music extravaganza ‘Nymagee 08 – A Day in The Dirt’ say that the little festival is all about community spirit. Artists and locals alike are gearing up to support the inaugural ‘trial’ new format of the iconic bush festival on Saturday the 1st of November.
“The response has been overwhelming from people in the area who want to get involved and are looking forward to attending” Said festival organiser, Tonchi McIntosh. “The support from the community is being matched by the support from artists who are all travelling to Nymagee to perform for free. It’s a festival that the artists really support, not because of any financial return, but just because it has that strong sense of community spirit”
The Nymagee festival has been running bi-annually since 2000 with an ever-growing audience and group of devoted artists. The spin offs are beginning to show, with Nymagee winning a tourism NSW award in 2006 as well as a listing in NSW high school text books as an example of the way in which small remote communities can re-invent themselves. Earlier this year a sister festival ‘Blue Surf, Red Dust’ sprung up in Newcastle to raise awareness of the bush and to attract people to Nymagee. Artists from that festival will be making the long trip out to lend support to the 1 day bush event.
“Nymagee is a festival that means a lot to all of us” says Blue Surf, Red Dust organiser, Mango-The Warrior Poet. “ There are many of us who have been coming to Nymagee for years, sometimes you play to a lot of people, sometimes just a few, it doesn’t matter, if one person has a good time there then its all been worthwhile”
In 2006 Nymagee took a step further, immortalised in poetry and song by the Lonely Horse Band, who travelled to the town to write the local stories into songs and to update the ledger in the folk tradition for the area. The album ‘Pomegranates and Peppercorn trees was a festival favourite in 2006 and their performance is eagerly anticipated for this year. The Band have since toured the region several times and recently written an album about White Cliffs along with a series of radio documentaries that went to air earlier this year.
“Its all about being involved” says Tonchi “This year we will have artists who appear on Television, have won ARIA awards, are regulars on Triple J and who tour internationally, but they still see the support they can offer Nymagee as important. In addition we are receiving wonderfully generous support form local business, Arts Councils, local volunteers and even government agencies. That’s a great thing for the bush and a fantastic reason to come along and support the festival”
Nymagee 08 – A Day in The Dirt is on Saturday the 1st of November in Nymagee. Entry is free. Camping is available but facilities are few, so bring all that you need. There will be a shuttle bus running regularly from Cobar all day.
For further information contact Andrew Hull 0427 919 964
www.myspace.com/nymagee08
MORE TRACKS UPLOADED @ HERE and HERE. PRAY FOR THE DEVIL HERE
pray for the devil cry for the devil hold hands for the devil he's fading away unite for the devil talk about the devil raise money for the devil he's fading away dream about the devil tell your kids about the devil pray for the devil he's fading away
Influences
Please help save the precious Kimberley, WA CLICKHERE
First Australians and other indigenous minded souls: their outlook on Family, Country and the universe in general.....
Get this myspace layouts
CLICKHERE
for some info about Australia
~~~~~ The Nymagee Outback Music Festival is on this year 2008!! Heres an old promo I made for Prime TV CLICKHERE ~~~~~
If you would like to enquire about gigs or workshops please CLICKHERE
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and also CLICKHERE
~~~~~ If you would like listen to my first record "Bridges" you can CLICKHERE
~~~~~ CLICKHERE
to read **** review by Warwick McFadyen ~~~~~
~~~~~ CLICKHERE
for ABC radio projects ~~~~~ CLICKHERE for Album Review by Martin Flanagan (The Age) ~~~~~ CLICKHERE for a review by Green Left Weekly.
CLICKHERE to guess the Secret Thing! A health message by students from Saint Ignatius Primary, Bourke, NSW.
CLICKHERE for the Gulf Country kids of Normanton QLD
CLICKHERE to buy my first Album produced by Shane Howard
How fab are these two DJs?
Live we are Tonchi: vocal /guitar, FME Matt Earl from The Band Who Knew Too Much: drums, MCJaezed: beat box/ vocal scratch/ freestyle.... a mish mash! "Rarest of things, an original" Martin Flanagan, sports writer The Age. www.theage.com.au "An originality that, in Australia, is something to savour" Warwick McFadyen. "Impossible to classify" Green Weekly... "it does lift your spirits to hear new, younger, voices and songwriters that capture your imagination. He’s a brave, clear, fresh voice for our times. He writes with intelligence and soul., " Shane Howard.... "Holding the Torch" Neil Murray... "Listen" Michelle Shocked... "Contribute to the real music of Australia" Kev Carmody...
Tonchi: Melbourne based singer/songwriter.
Recently supporting Michelle Shocked (US), Dick Goughan (SCO), Rory McLeod (UK), Bruce Cockburn (CAN), Chris Smithers (US) and performed at the Woodford, Canberra National Folk Festival, Port Fairy Folk Festival, Apollo Bay Music Festival, Blue Mountains Roots and Blues Festival, Fairbridge (WA) and Brunswick Music Festivals.
Tonchi’s studio contributions includes work with; Shane Howard (Goanna Band), Kerrianne Cox, Neil Murray (Warumpi Band), Kev Carmody, Cyndi Boste, Joe Geia, The Screaming Jets, The Band Who Knew Too Much and the famed Pigram Brothers of Broome, W.A.
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Tonchi has been writing and recording songs with young people, capturing and encouraging their own perspective, dreams and experiences. They inform the whole process. The end result features their own lyrics and voice in their chosen style, produced usually in a tight timeframe. Tonchi is working with Don Spencer's Australian Childrens Music Foundation, taking the joy of music to many remote communities around Australia. He has recently produced health messages, working with community health workers and doctors and designed and performed by youth for their local radio. This unique initiative uses young people to inform their community on health topics including diabetes and alcohol/drugs, written after hearing a presentation from a health professional. Successful trials in the North QLD town of Normanton, funded by Aust Arts Council and Normanton Council and in the West NSW towns of Bourke, Brewarrina and Enngonia can be heard here: A Health message to you from Kinda Purple + Yr 2 Bourke Primary School Students.
triple j review Caz Tran 2008.
Friday October 23rd – Lee Rosser + TH3, live @ The Pub, Bendigo VIC
This will be one of THE VERY LAST SHOWS to be staged in the famed Band Room of The Pub (173 Hargreaves Street Bendigo), as it will be closing it's doors on Oct 31st.
Sadly, the well-sized band room, which has seen some fantastic nights for live music in Bendigo, will be closed due to lack of punter support over recent times.
Show Gav and the rest of the gang at The Pub that the live music scene in Bendigo is alive and kicking... come along and check out a brilliant night of blues & roots music besides, as the mighty Lee Rosser makes a long-awaited return to Bendigo!
Don't miss this opportunity to see some of the finest blues/roots/rock music Victoria has to offer!
There's a couple of preview tracks from StoopNES on our profile at the moment. Let us know what u think if u get a chance. Launch will be happening late Novemeber. Cheers, Stoops
My mixtape "SPITS AND PIECES" is now available and it's FREE! Click on the picture to download it. Please take the time to check it out, I think you'll dig it.
I make my music for you guys so I hope you enjoy it.
If you like it please let others know where they can download it.
If you'd like a FREE physical copy send me a message and I'll let you know what stores you can get it at or if you'd like I can send you a copy directly.
If you've disabled html code you can download it from prophetrayza.com
Look out Tonchi, the countdown has begun, and its getting closer to your trip up to the Kimberley again, I have taken out a week from work and I am looking forward to catching up, we should have enough time to have a good look around the Fitzroy Valley, spend some time with the Mother of us all, Mrs NATURE.
