NSW: Buskers make street their stage at Tamworth festival
By Stephanie Gardiner19 Jan 2009 1:00 PM
TAMWORTH, AAP Jan 19 - If Tamworth's busking competition proves one thing, it's every aspiring country star can play Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire note for note.
Hundreds of buskers make the main street their stage hoping to be discovered, or at least win cash prizes in this year's Australian Country Music Busking Championships.
But there are plenty of performers who stand out from the crowd during the Tamworth Country Music Festival, with not a note of Johnny Cash to be heard.
Maddison McNamara, 14, from Melbourne, travelled 15 hours in one day, heading north to regional NSW with her dad to spend 11 days performing on Peel St.
Her unique style, influenced by everything from blues, jazz and pop, sets her apart from those around her.
She was attracted by the potential exposure Tamworth offers, with stars like Troy Cassar-Daley and Beccy Cole starting their careers as buskers on the same street.
"Hopefully everyone likes my music and I want to go far in life with it, that's what I want to do," Maddison told AAP.
Mr Inferno, as he likes to be called, from Tasmania, does not play a single note of music in his performance.
The juggler and unicycle rider attracts a crowd by yelling out "free beer" - and it works.
He starts his street performance by demonstrating international forms of juggling.
The New Zealand juggle incorporates the Maori Haka dance, while the Irish juggle is very slow.
He also wows the crowd by juggling fire sticks and riding his unicycle.
Down a few blocks, The EuroBand, who have been busking together for the past 10 festivals, entertain crowds with their Oktoberfest-style performance.
Leo Karnauchow plays accordion and dances, while his wife Rita Williams plays tambourine and sings with bandmate Kevin Commerford.
The trio met in Tamworth in 1999, when Mr Karnauchow asked Mr Commerford to play a song.
"He happened to pick Edelweiss. That's my favourite song from the Sound of Music by Julie Andrews," Mr Karnauchow said.
"I sung that and the rest is history."
