The 37th annual Gympie Music Muster closed in fine fashion last night, after over 1700 volunteers, working around 15,000 hours, built a once in a lifetime Muster experience. Wrapping up with over $153,000 raised for charity and community groups, the Muster’s grass-roots passion for giving back to regional Australia has only grown stronger.
Early reports suggest around $25,000 was raised for this year’s official charity partner Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia across the four days, with the Muster’s own Biggest Ever Bloke’s Lunch event a sellout. A further $128,000 was donated to over 30 local community groups.
“The PCFA have been overwhelmed by the support and success of this year’s Muster,” said Peter Duffy, PCFA spokesperson. “The Muster board, staff, Apex, volunteers and entertainers have been fantastic. In addition, to the broader Muster community and crowd who have been so generous, we say thank you. Men in regional Australia are disproportionately affected by prostate cancer, so the opportunity to raise awareness in this community has been invaluable.
The funds raised will help PCFA to continue to provide research, awareness and support to the men and families affected by prostate cancer.”
The 2018 festival also saw increased sales of 4-day passes, with an aggregate audience of 22,000 patrons. Muster-goers enjoyed three days of warmth and sunny skies, with light rain on the Sunday a welcome break to the dry spell.
A mix of iconic crowd favourites and brand new program elements kept audiences happy, with The Wolfe Brothers, John Williamson, Travis Collins and Lee Kernaghan bringing record crowds to the Muster hill on Friday. Crowds packed into the festival’s new workshops and panels, as well as rocking out to the newly expanded Blues program.
“With a program that we tried to pack with variety, it’s difficult to pick just a few highlights…” said Program Director Jeff Chandler. “However, some were just so outstanding that they were simply the talk of the festival.
Undoubtedly Lee Kernaghan’s main stage performance to a massive crowd on the hill will go down as one of the most memorable of his career, while the highly entertaining Melbourne Ska Orchestra had the audience dancing like never before seen at the Muster.
The Vox Guitar Jam set a high bar for all future jams with unforgettable performances by Albert Lee, Tim Gaze, Ian Moss, Troy Cassar-Daley, Minnie Marks and Lloyd Speigel, who in my opinion was one of the real ‘finds’ of the festival for many patrons.
Despite a wet start to the last day of the festival, the finale, which featured some of the biggest stars on the line-up performing ‘Songs I Wish I’d Written’, was definitely one of the most memorable ends to the event patrons have witnessed.”
Lee Kernaghan had the Muster crowd in the palm of his hand.
The Vox Guitar Jam had the Jim Beam Blues Bar packed to the rafters on Saturday, highlighting some of the best guitarists in the scene with two hours of pure shredding… including rock legends Ian Moss, Tim Gaze, Albert Lee (UK) and many more.
Ian Moss shared the stage with fellow guitar legends at the Blues Bar.
Saturday night also saw long time member of the Muster family Troy Cassar-Daley take to the main stage, with a special guest appearance from his wife Laurel, whom he met at the Muster 25 years ago. His performance also saw him dust off some of his iconic hits, previewing exclusively at the Muster his greatest hits album to be released later this year.
Troy Cassar-Daley and his wife, Laurel, are an institution in the Muster community.
A Gympie Music Muster is always something special, but there was something extra special about this one,” said headliner Beccy Cole. “There is nothing like taking the stage and entertaining a Gympie crowd; they are already feeling fantastic just by being here. What a privilege it was to present our songs, old and new, to this wonderful audience.”
With this year’s festival done and dusted, patrons can look forward to plenty more Muster spirit in 2019.
Held in the Amamoor Creek State Forest in the beautiful Sunshine Coast Hinterland, two hours north of Brisbane and 40 minutes from Noosa, the Muster is the perfect way to kick back and enjoy some of the country’s best talent. An unmissable and uniquely Australian event, one ticket price gives Muster goers free camping and multi-venue access to all performances, to experience everything Australia’s biggest country music celebration has to offer.
It also gives a multi-million dollar boost to Queensland’s tourism sector every year, providing an economic boom for the region.
The Muster ran from Thursday, August 23 – Sunday, August 26, 2018.
To book tickets for next year visit www.muster.com.au
.jpg){kind=tracking}
