Music NT Presents Bush Bands Bash
MUSICNT’S ANNUAL BUSH BANDS Bash returned to Alice Springs in early September, uncovering and showcasing the powerful and varied talent of musicians residing across outback Australia.
By Shauna Upton
A culmination of two of Australia’s top music industry events, Bush Bands Business and Bush Bands Bash, the event allows the public to share in the rich history of Indigenous music and culture, and provides artists from remote locations with the opportunity to connect with the national music industry.
“Bush Bands Bash is a celebration of the incredible, talented musicians in our community. It’s a time where they can let loose on stage and really show what they can do,” says Bush Bands Program Manager Laurie May.
“It’s also an opportunity to show-case those talents for members of the national industry so that our message goes further."
Bush Bands Bash showcased six bands selected from a highly competitive application pool – Mutitjulu Band, Rising Wind Band, Eylandt Band, Docker River Band, Mala Band, and MB Reggae. Rounding out the stacked line-up was two Country Arts WA Sand Tracks bands – Mambali and Barkly Drifters – plus Desert Divas Patsy Coleman, Lena Kellie and Celestine Rowe, and a tribute set from Tjupi Band.
All performers participated in the three-day development camp, Bush Bands Business, with mentoring from world-class industry profes-sionals before the Bash, and their hard work was evident at the Bush Bands Bash concert showcase with all performances captivating the crowd.
Want to see the highlights and learn more about the program? Check out the Bush Bands Bash Facebook page to view the live stream or subscribe to MusicNT on YouTube to see highlights as they’re uploaded.
musicnt.com.au
