Music festival returns, at long last
Astar-studded line-up is ready to take the stage at Lake Charlegrark Country Music Marathon this weekend.
Australian country music icon Kasey Chambers will headline the event.
“My dad, Bill Chambers, told me all about Lake Charlegrark Country Music Marathon and it’s a bonus that it’s so close to my hometown area of south-east South Australia — so I have lots of family coming over for the gig,” she said.
“We can’t wait. We missed playing gigs so much during COVID-19, of course, so it’s been great to slowly get live music back in Australia over the past year.
“I always enjoy writing and recording as well, but playing live is such a big part of who I am.
“I’ve grown up on stage and I feel like it’s one of the places that I feel most at home.”
Chambers said she loved the combination of having the festival close to her hometown and the camping aspect of the festival.
“We love camping and caravanning, so we’ll be there camping for the weekend and enjoying the other artists as well,” she said.
“It sounds like it will be a great weekend.
“I’ll be playing lots of my old songs from ‘The Captain’ and ‘Barricades and Brickwalls’ albums and also some new ones and favourite covers.”
The event begins on Friday and concludes on Sunday at Lake Charlegrark, Minimay.
Lake Charlegrark Country Music Marathon committee member Lesley
Naylor said she expected the festival would be ‘as big as ever’.
“Our numbers were stuck around 1200 and then we had Lee Kernaghan perform and people who hadn’t been before came along, and they kept coming back — so it’s been around the 1600 people mark since,” she said.
“Everyone is looking forward to it and the lake and surrounds look beautiful. The caretakers are doing a great
job keeping it green and manicured.
“The event also brings money to all the surrounding towns, which is great.
“I have been on the committee for 17 years and it’s so rewarding when people thank you and tell you how much they enjoyed it.”
Committee member Rosemary Nolan said the committee had to make difficult decisions across the past two years in light of COVID-19 restrictions.
“Because we had to make hard decisions, especially last year, it feels even better to be back,” she said.
“Every year the venue and the event improves. Kasey is going to be great.
“You can’t believe how far people travel to go to the festival.”
Ms Nolan said a large portion of the money raised from the festival went back into the community
“We have about 12 people on the committee and we get a lot of volunteers over the weekend to help,” she said. “There’s lots of effort the organisers put in and by the end, you are exhausted — but it is so worth it.”
Jayne Denham, Bill Chambers, Sandra Humphries, Danny Stain, Steve Bartel Band, Graeme Hugo, Heartland, Gavin Chandler, Rodney Vincent, Jarrod Stevenson and Brett Gray join Chambers on the bill.
Gray is an Adelaide-based acoustic rock and alternative country music artist who became interested in the music marathon when he attended with friends several years ago.
“I wrote to the organisers expressing my interest in performing as I have been in a band since 1996 and produced an album, ‘Eleven Days and Then Some’ in 2021,” he said.
“Due to cancellations, it has been a two-year process to be able to perform, but I am excited to be able to showcase my music.”
Gray will perform solo with a backing band at Lake Charlegrark and said he was looking forward to performing in front of a larger crowd than normal.
“I will be performing on both Friday and Saturday, so I might get a chance to throw in some originals that are not on the album,” he said.
“When you have the ability and the opportunity to play at festivals, you have to do it.
“It’s amazing to be able to get people listening to live music again and I think festivals are more and more appealing with people able to witness multiple artists at one event.”
Tickets can be purchased at tickets. oztix.com.au/outlet/event/2412fdae1456-4043-b3a4-efed96dbcc70