Buskerville

Busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities. In many countries the rewards are generally in the form of money but other gratuities such as food, drink or gifts may be given. 

The Tamworth Country Music festival is in full swing here.  The event that basically puts Tamworth on the map, festivities last from the 17th to the 26th of January drawing epic crowds that easily double the population of the small town.   

"It is the largest music festival in the southern hemisphere and one of the top 10 in the world.The variety of country music is endless during the festival with over 800 performers and 4,000 shows across 120 different venues. There are over 600 buskers in Peel Street alone, providing a diverse range of entertainment each day – it’s no wonder we attract over 55,000 visitors" www.tcmf.com.au

The festival was the main reason we chose to come when we did.  Lord knows I would not have picked the dead of summer to "ease" my way into relocating from San Diego.  We thought it would be the perfect way to experience Tamworth in all its glory.

One of the most anticipated aspects of the Festival each year  is the Busking Competetion that draws up to 600 buskers who perform on Tamworth’s “Boulevard of Dreams” in Peel Street.  Some of the buskers are here in the hope that they’ll be spotted for their talent and follow in the footsteps of some of country’s biggest stars. Troy Cassar-Daley, Kasey Chambers, Beccy Cole, and of course Keith Urban all started by busking on Peel Street. 

Now. What most of you fine readers do not realize is that Peel Street is quite small, boasting boutique mom and pop stores with charming, quintessential "small town" facades.  600 buskers descending basically equals 1 busker every 10 or 15 feet.  Most of them are out with their instruments, their amps, and their gusto. Instrument cases lie in front of them, their velvet mouths agape to the crowds hoping to replace the rumbling in their proverbial tummies with the clinking of gold or silver coins.  It is absolute cacophony as you stroll the avenue between buskers as all the notes submerge you under the flood of their collective tunes.  The moment of bliss exists in the fold where you get far enough away from the previous performer, yet close enough the the next to where you finally enter only their little "busker bubble", where for just a moment, only they and you exist. 

We will be visiting the festival more in the next few days; more to come...