By Erin Cross
To kick 2021 off with a bang, country music comes to Canberra with the Country Roadshow. Starting in Queensland in February, the multi-artist show is making its way around Australia, travelling to the Royal Theatre Canberra on February 12.
Fans can expect an amazing event that showcases Australia’s talent for country music. With names all country music fans will recognise, the line up includes Adam Brand, one of Australia’s most popular and successful recording artists, Travis Collins, The Wolfe Brothers, Jasmine Rae and The Buckleys.
Joining the line-up as a special guest headliner at the Brisbane show only will be Australian country music royalty, Lee Kernaghan. Kernaghan has achieved a staggering 39 number one albums Australian Country Music chart hits over his career and has been awarded 36 Golden Guitars. He has been named Hit Maker of the Decade, twice, in 2001 and 2011, in recognition of having more chart hits in Australia than any other country music artist in the world.
Jasmine Rae has an extensive list of achievements to her name, including three ARIA nominations and ten number one country singles. She is also the only female artist to win the prestigious fan-voted CMC Female Oz Artist of the Year award and is a nine-time Golden Guitar finalist. Rae is very excited to perform alongside other talented country music artists while on the road.
‘I pinch myself whenever I think about the fact I get to do this alongside people I admire and adore,’ Rae says. ‘They're incredible artists.’
Having toured with several of the artists previously, Rae is excited to celebrate a live music come-back with old friends and old fans while welcoming the new.
‘I’ve been able to tour with Adam Brand and Lee Kernaghan earlier in my career...I've grown to admire these people and to be coming back to do this show with these exact artists, Australian artists, who have so much love, it’s really cool after being locked away so long. It feels like a reunion.’
Lion Side, Rae’s new number one country album, is out now but due to the unusual times she will be performing most of the songs for the first time while touring with Country Roadshow.
‘The week that I released Lion Side was the one week that the borders were open between New South Wales and Queensland,’ she says.
‘We did get to do a small sit down show which was just myself and a piano player. I've been able to do a small handful of shows performing these songs but apart from that I haven't performed my new album yet. It’s a whole new show. It’s going to be, hopefully, the best thing I’ve ever done.’
Lion Side is a culmination of several years of soul searching, rigorous and often tortuous self-assessment, indecision and the need to find greater inner-purpose and direction. Lion Side has been nominated for an ARIA Award which is testament to Rae’s talent for touching hearts and breaking barriers in music.
‘There was a little bit of time between this album and the previous album. I've been writing and making music since then but some things happened where I wasn't sure whether I had the strength or the guts to show the new songs to the world. I wondered if people actually cared. I felt like I had to go through all of the emotions to find the brave side, the lion side to show it.’
While the future looks bright, Country Roadshow will be held with a commitment to a COVID Safe environment with both the artists and the community. Organisers TEG LIVE will work closely with and comply with all requirements of the public health authorities in respect of these shows.
TEG Live Managing Director Tim McGregor said “We are incredibly proud to get live music back on the road again with the inaugural Country Roadshow! This new annual tour will feature the cream of Australian country music playing shows across the eastern seaboard in 2021 and hopefully across the nation in years to come. After the forced hiatus in 2020, we are confident that live music will be back on its feet next year and there's no better way to celebrate than with this stunning line-up of Australian artists.”
Saturday 6 February 2021 Eatons Hill Hotel, Brisbane
Friday 12 February 2021 Royal Theatre, Canberra
Saturday 20 February 2021 Townsville Entertainment & Convention Centre
Friday 26 February 2021 Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
Saturday 27 February 2021 TRECC, Tamworth
All tickets on sale NOW and available from Ticketek
