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Otago Daily Times
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Music festival one of many stops on working holiday
Country music enthusiasts, musicians and other festival-goers have rolled into Gore for its country music festival, and so too have its volunteers. Working holidaymakers Sally Laws and Kevin Jackson are two of those volunteers and have parked their 7m retro house bus at Gore's A&P Showgrounds to help out at the 11-day Tussock Country music festival. Mr Jackson, originally from South Africa, has a background in engineering and is translating those skills into helping festival trustee and sound engineer Jeff Rea with sound. Ms Laws, from the United Kingdom, has been on the doors of events and working at the festival's merchandise stand inside the St James Theatre. The couple both have working-holiday visas and have been travelling the country and working seasonally. Over summer, they ran a small family campsite at Lake Benmore, which was in a beautiful part of the country that they really enjoyed, Ms Laws said. The pair also picked hops in Wai-iti, near Nelson, and after the festival they are going back up to the top of the South Island to Richmond, to work in a tree nursery. The pair had heard good things about that area in the winter and were looking forward to less rain, as that could be a problem for a house bus. The damp was more of a problem in their Nissan Civilian, she said. "Cold is fine, damp is less fine." Ms Laws said they both worked the Country Music Honours event that kicked off the whole festival and the Late Night event on Saturday and were looking forward to the busking competition and Gold Guitar Awards in the coming days. Her favourite of what she had seen was the honours event as they had no idea what they were getting into when they signed up and the show gave some good history and background to the festival. She also really loved seeing Tami Neilson, getting to know volunteers, hearing the different types of songwriting that New Zealand had to offer and trying the St James' ice cream. There were quite a few festival-goers at the showgrounds where they were staying, she said, as well as rugby practices and children doing cross-country, an amusing snapshot of Gore life. They had been well looked after by the grounds caretaker, Dawn Ross, who had given them a nice camping spot and was checking on them, and they had even bumped into each other at the festival.
Otago Daily Times
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Neilson awarded Country Music Honour
Performing at the Country Music Honours last night in Gore are (from left) Maia Fletcher, Nicola Mitchell and Liv Cochrane. PHOTOS: ELLA SCOTT-FLEMING A piece of country royalty was beamed into Gore last night. Willie Nelson was on screen at the St James Theatre via video to end a touching six-minute tribute to Tami Neilson. She received the inaugural Country Music Honour for contribution to country music in New Zealand. Top country music artists from across the country gathered for the Country Music Honours event, beginning the 10-day Tussock Country festival. During the proceedings, two songwriting awards were announced. South Island songwriter Holly Arrowsmith was presented with the Apra Best Country Music Song Award for the title track from her 2024 album Blue Dreams. The new mother, whose album delved into life as a first-time parent, was thrilled to win. The Country Music Honour for the MLT Songwriting Award, which is for unreleased originals from New Zealand, went to Gore's own Nicola Mitchell, alongside her fellow wāhine Māori Byllie-Jean Zeta and Em-Hayley, for the song Wā/Time. Returning from a full-immersion te reo course in Ōtaki in the Kapiti Coast, Ms Mitchell is teaching a Folk Waiata-writing workshop during the festival with her twin sister Maegan on Tuesday. Nominees for the Apra Best Country Music Song award (from left) Holly Arrowsmith, Tami Neilson and Mel Parsons. The twins, their older sister Jenny and father Ron will be taking over the Saint James today for their first official eponymous show. She will also be hosting a waiata-writing workshop for children under her persona Niccolo Piccolo on Wednesday. Catlins-based songwriter Lachie Hayes was the runner-up for the MLT Award with his song A Short Time. A video celebrating Ms Neilson's career was played including tributes from fellow artists the Topp Twins, RNZ's Jesse Mulligan and 92-year-old Nelson. Nelson, in a brief appearance right at the end of the video, congratulated Ms Neilson and said "those who lead give light to those who follow". New Zealand artist and producer Delaney Davidson said Ms Neilson came into his life "like a bolt of lightning, out of nowhere" while he and fellow artist Marlon Williams were working on a country sound in Lyttelton. She "kicked off his production career" by asking him to produce her song Dynamite. Much was made during the ceremony of the opportunities Ms Neilson had created for the emerging artists around her.
Otago Daily Times
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Yodelling, line dancing back in vogue
With Gore's country music fest back next week bigger than ever, some of its surrounding arts like yodelling and line-dancing are feeling the ripple effect of a global boom in the genre. The Tussock Country music festival kicks off on Friday and its boost in ticket sales has reflected the rapid rise of the music genre in popular culture, internationally. In its 50th year, famed Gore country competition the New Zealand Gold Guitar Awards received a record number of 829 musical entries last month, 100 more than 12 months previously. Now, just a week out from the 11-day extravaganza, several of its events have sold out or are near selling out in anticipation for the festival. Music teacher Peter Cairns said tickets to his yodelling workshop had sold out for the first time since starting four years ago. He said the increase in takers was due to the overall festival doing so well alongside a tour group coming through this year, helping to boost numbers. He learned to yodel in his 20s, he said, while hanging out with one of the NZ's "top dalliers" Southlander Max McCauley. He said his workshops had not created any "yodelling monsters" yet, but he was coaching a few budding singers who were entering in the Gold Guitars this year. His student Briar Sharp will be returning in the Intermediate section of the competition, having won the Junior category overall last time. "I've taught something like 13 or 14 overall Gold Guitar winners," he said. The workshop was a "bit of fun" he said, where he taught punters the basics of "breaking", meaning finding the break in a voice where it can flip between the higher and lower register that yodelling is known for. In another expression of the genre, Dianne Perkins will be teaching a beginners' line dance workshop at the festival, and said the country-flavoured steps are having a comeback with a younger audience. She said once given a "bad rap" and thought to be old fashioned, line dancing was having a resurgence because it was being applied to all kinds of popular music, not just country. Her students now moved to the music of fast-paced and contemporary hits from the likes of Ed Sheeran and successful new country singer, Luke Combs. She also takes her line dancing to the rest-homes of Gore and said the dance style has been medically proven to reduce the risk of memory loss and dementia. "It's a great way of exercising and ... because the music's fantastic and you have to remember the steps; it's very, very good for your mind," she said. She said both a 91-year-old and a 13-year-old dance with her in Gore. Another good thing about line dancing was that you did not need a partner, she said, which was good for the many people who were on their own but loved to dance. Line dancing was also a great social activity, she said, which she had come to expect from Gore. "It's a fantastic community to live in ... and it's just one way that we can give a little bit back to the community," she said.
Otago Daily Times
21-05-2025
- Automotive
- Otago Daily Times
Muster makes its return with more awards
A sample of last year's selection of utes at the Tussock Country Ute Muster 2024. PHOTOS: SUPPLIED Ute-proud Southlanders take note, the Bayleys Tussock Country ute muster is returning this year with prizes for the best decorated deck, most kilometres and a bonus for best mullet. The competition is run by GWD Toyota Gore and branch manager Michelle McMaster said after the success of last year, they have brought the competition back with two new categories. The updated chances to win are best decorated deck, which gives competitors a chance to put their exterior design skills to the test, as well as best SUV. Ms McMaster said she is particularly excited for the best SUV category, to see more of what motor-mad Gore has to offer such as kitted-out and hunting SUVs and "mum" cars. The best mullet category is a serious business, Ms McMaster said, with both a junior and senior category. "It's cool to get the kids involved," she said. "Because there are some very out there mullets on some kids." When asked what makes a winning mullet, she said it just has to be something "unique" that stands out from the crowd. Of the 10 categories in last year's muster, the most kilometres went to Matt Tinker's 1990 Hilux, with 867,103km. A well-behaved canine in the back of a ute at last year's muster. Ms McMaster said in the past they have had some old classic vehicles that are done up to show condition, like last year's GWD Choice of the day winner Greg Elder with his 1948 Ford Bonus F1. She said she had also seen some really old rusty ones, where she wondered how they even made it to the competition. The muster also has its annual "bark up" section for a dog that can bark on command and if the furry friend does not do what it is told, the owner must bark instead. There is also best dog in ute category for the best looking canine on a ute tray. The competition will be held at the Field Days site, with a horizontal bungy for entertainment and a convoy at 1.45pm through town to the Croydon Lodge. At the lodge Southern country outfit the Possum Pickers will be playing and a prizegiving held. The Ute Muster is on Sunday, May 25. Utes can be registered online for $10 or on the day for $15, spectators are a gold coin donation. More information can be found on the Tussock Country website.
Otago Daily Times
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Hands of Fame now steel-clad, ready for festival
The refurbished Hands of Fame statue arrived in Gore just in time for Bayleys Tussock Country music festival this weekend. PHOTO: ELLA SCOTT-FLEMING Gore's country music honouring Hands of Fame statue has had a makeover and is back looking shiny and new, just in time for Bayleys Tussock Country music festival this weekend. The 7.5m Hands of Fame statue, erected by the Gore Country Music Club, was re-installed on Tuesday morning, much to the relief of club president Julie Mitchell. She said the new, improved statue was supposed to be done by the end of April and as the Tussock Country music festival crept closer and closer she was beginning to get nervous. The new, steel-clad statue was worth the wait, she said, and she hoped it would now stand tall for another 20 years. When the statue was removed for refurbishment back in March, Gold Guitar Awards convener Phillip Geary said the grouting on tile-covered statue was cracking, letting in water that was freezing during the Southland winter. This process caused quite a few of the tiles to become dislodged, he said. The tiles were removed by Custom Build and replaced with a metal facade. The paint work on the steel was done by Beatties Collision Repair Centre in Gore. Mrs Mitchell said the makeover cost of about $30,000 was paid for by the club in anticipation of this years' festival and the Gold Guitars. It is anticipated that the awards and the festival this year will attract more visitors to Gore than any previous year. The statue was erected by the club in 2004, to honour those who have made significant contribution to New Zealand country music.
