Country music fans enjoyed a day of live acts, food trucks, beverages, camping chairs, changing weather conditions and countless akubras and boots on the first Sale Country Music Festival on Saturday.
Back left to right: Charley and Cheryl. Photo: Stefan Bradley.
Early afternoon saw Laurel and Phoebe kick things off as the show openers.
Photo: Country Rock Shotz.
Stratford’s own Mick Harrington played a mix of covers and originals.
Mr Harrington wasn’t the only talent from The Voice Australia, with South Australian teenagers Ella & Sienna showcasing an exciting mix of pop, country and folk songs just as the rain hit.
Still reeling from her ARIA nomination for Best Country Album, Amber Lawrence was ready to party and brought the performance off the stage.
Travis Collins, supporting his latest single ‘Just the Way’, said he could truly hear and feel the crowd.
Casey Barnes from the Gold Coast, who treasured any chance to play in Victoria, came down to Sale to show fans a great time and delivered.
Adam Brand was the final act to take the stage at the Sale Turf Club, but thunder and lightning decided it was not to be, with the headliner unfortunately having to cut his set slightly short for safety reasons.
Fans can thankfully listen to his new record All or Nothing for as long as they please.
It hadn’t been all smooth sailing for the festival, with singer-songwriter Gretta Ziller pulling out after contracting COVID.
A Friday night session of the festival was cancelled, and Shannon Noll had originally been on the line-up, but large crowds came out to support Gippsland events and farmers, with the festival raising money for Rural Aid to assist farmers.
It won’t be the last Sale Country Music Festival, with the team committed to bringing it back next year, hopefully with a bigger line-up, bigger crowds and a bigger selection of food trucks.
