GIRL POWER AT GYMPIE MUSIC MUSTER

Jessica Mauboy

46 female-fronted acts will take centre stage this year’s Gympie Music Muster, representing nearly half of a the festival’s 100-strong line-up. Most anticipated are headliner and pop darling Jessica Mauboy, country golden-girl Fanny Lumsden, rising star Caitlyn Shadbolt and many more. The festival is always proud to support a diverse range of talent in their all-Australian line-up, which will be played out across five stages in the Amamoor State Forest until Sunday 27th August.

Jeff Chandler, Program Director, said, ”We didn’t have to look too far for strong female representation at our event. Programming was made easier by the fact there are many very talented female artists across the country, folk and roots genres. In light of recent discussions about female representation at Aussie music festivals, we at the Gympie Muster are proud to say that our line-up has more than 46 strong and talented women ready to entertain our 30,000 expected punters.”

Golden Guitar winner and Muster favourite Amber Lawrence said, “Australian country music fans base their love of artists on music, not gender, and so I feel very lucky to be part of an industry that likes me and picks me for my music alone, not whether they need to have more females on the lineup!”

Tomorrow’s acts will include an Emerging Artists Showcase with an all female line-up with The Dennis Sisters, Sophia Chesworth and Hayley Marsten. The ladies will also dominate Saturday’s Songwriter Sessions, with Amber Lawrence, Catherine Britt and Fanny Lumsden taking the stage. Amber will also be bringing her Kids Gone Country show to The Grove tomorrow! For the cherry on top, tomorrow night will bring the much-anticipated main stage performance of headliner Jessica Mauboy, sure to draw a massive crowd to the natural amphitheater.

There is plenty more girl power in the line-up, including:

• Golden Guitar winner Lyn Bowtell, who merges a soaring vocal range, commanding stage presence and profound songwriting to draw audiences in – her performances are not to be missed. This year her evocative vocal abilities took her through to the top 24 on The Voice. 
• Current CMC Female Artist of the Year, Chelsea Basham brings a burst of sunshine to the Muster with her feel-good songs. Hers is a stage performance that is upbeat and will take you to the beaches of Western Australia where she grew up, and beyond.
• Anne Kirkpatrick, who hails from the ‘First Family’ of Australian country music, as the daughter of country music legends Slim Dusty and Joy McKean. Anne has won a myriad of accolades, including 6 Golden Guitars and a coveted ARIA award.
• Seleen McAlister, Chelsea Basham, Kaylee Bell, Melanie Dyer, Luella Widt, Emma Beau, Freya Hollick, Alice Benfer and more will also be bringing some girl power to the Muster stages.

Although some keen Muster-goers set up their elaborate camp sites weeks ago, The Gympie Music Muster officially kicked off yesterday, with a flood of excited day-trippers and campers entering the site. All five venues were grooving with live music, dancing and poetry throughout the day, while the Crow Bar was packed late into the night.

Day tickets are still available, so bring the family along to enjoy music from performers young and old, emerging and iconic, male and female, as well as all the other fun and games the Muster has to offer.

The Muster runs from Thursday, August 24 – Sunday, August 27, 2017.

To book tickets visit www.muster.com.au 

or phone: 1300 GET TIX (1300 438 849).