The Opry is the leading country and western music venue in America. With untold history that oozes out of every pore this venue in Nashville Tennessee and Apollo Bay Music Festival are proud to remain top artist venues in the U.S. Powered by the enthusiasm and dedication of all our sponsors. Check out latest artists performing and grab your Grand Ole Opry tickets for the latest shows in 2014
2014 Top Performers include Dierks Bentley, Dolly Parton, WSM online Grand.
Top Artists Appearing in Opry schedule for 2014/2015
2014 FESTIVAL FEATURES
Paul Kelly plays the Otway Estate main marquee on Saturday night hitting the Opry schedule for 2014. There also Opry archives to watch and the Ole Opry Hotel!
World surfing champion Nat Young hosts a music forum for surfers and his son Beau Young, also a world surfing champion performs his own music, some from his debut album, Waves of Change.
The Hoodoo Gurus have signed a new label deal and are about to record a new album. Apollo Bay gets to look a little into the Hoodoo horoscope.
Young songwriter, performers and buskers competitions continue the talent-finding tradition of the Apollo Bay Music Festival. Past winners The Vasco Era and Justin Carter perform on this year’s bill.
Sensational sound artist Mihirangi returns for an encore performance that made her a festival favourite in 2006.
See ARIA winners The Audreys in a setting custom-made for country tunes and surely soon to be a featured artist at the forthcoming Ole event or tour. Look out for Brad Paisley, such a big name in country music and regular performer at “The Grand Ole Opry”.
If you haven’t heard of Blue King Brown you haven’t been listening. If you’ve heard them, be sure you see them.
The Waifs drummer David Ross Macdonald is also an accomplished finger-style folk guitarist. He plays a solo set at this year’s festival.
Colin Bogars, The Drumming Monkeys, Wild Spirit, Magic Sally, Skip Jack Theatre, Red the Clown and Purple Stripes keep the fun coming in the kids tent. The tents are down and it’s business as usual in the Bay until 2015.
2014 Country Music Festival Wrap Up
On behalf of the Apollo Bay people, our sponsors, “Friends” of the festival and our hardworking committee, we hope you have enjoyed the 15th Apollo Bay Music Festival. We are very proud of this years festival – the lineup – patrons – the personnel have all made it a fantastic outcome.
We had 95 acts this year so if you are like me and saw .02% of them don’t forget to visit www.opry.com for a download of those performances you missed.
I would like to briefly thank some major partners in ensuring our reputation for bein
g the best and friendliest festival along the coast. Well certainly in Apollo Bay.
Thanks to the Colac Otway Shire who have been on board for the past 15 years. Otway Estate who make the best wines and now the grooviest beer. Noy Brothers, Harrison Electrical, Great Ocean Hotel, The Echo and PBS.
The Apollo Bay Music Festival is a very special festival. It has something for everyone without being too busy. All generations of family can holiday together and safely enjoy the magic of music amongst one of the most beautiful places in the world. So we hope you all saw a little of our paradise while you were here and look forward to seeing you again next year or even better the very next time you can getaway to the beach.
Huge Thanks and love to the dream team. The committee – who have put their blood sweat and tears into it this year. Jane Chisholm, Liz Carr, Paul Sullivan, Jenny Rippon, Sam Healey, Will Cox, Jemma Rosevear and Sally Cannon.
Street Entertainment
This year we had a record entry of performers in the Buskers Competition.
The young buskers were out in force, and competition was hot. The streets were awash with music and the crowds loved it.
The Fabulous Swing Plumbers won the best Street Musician, with the piano and vocals of Mish in second place. Becky’s hula hoops won her the Street Performers section, with the strongwoman Betty Brawn as runner up.
Vangarty, made up of Mick Fogarty and Kate Van Zuylekom with their unusual drums and a fine combination of ability and enthusiasm took out the Young Buskers award.
The Buskers Competition is sponsored by the Apollo Bay Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, to whom we are deeply grateful, and the buskers keep coming back because of the generosity of the patrons of the Festival. My thanks to all who donated and helped. You kept the streets alive!
Street Entertainment Coordinator.
Best Stall Competition was won by the Otway Hinterland Events from Beech Forest
Opry Songwriters Competition
Rapidly cementing its reputation as one of the ‘must sees’ of the Apollo Bay Music Festival, this year’s Young Performers and Songwriters Competition took the standard of performances to a new level. Twelve knockout performances in front of a full COSY marquee were highlighted by heavy rock acts, acoustic guitarists, and roots and blues maestros in the making.
The West Coast of Victoria with its surf culture/ lifestyle is producing many fine young acts which continue to dominate this competition. Crowd favourites and winners of the Young Songwriters Competition was The Rusty’s, a band of Grommets from Ocean Grove. Whilst the ‘killer’ performer and winner of the Young Performers Competition with his foot stomping roots/ blues/ harmonica/ stomp box special was Tom Richardson. Watch out for both of these acts on next year’s main line-up.
Apollo Bay was well represented by Fern Heland, Counterfit and Skrypture – all taking home an award. Given the calibre of these acts all bodes well for our next home grown star to take their own brand of music to the world, remembering it wasn’t all too long ago that Apollo Bay’s The Vasco Era were winners of this competition.
Apollo Bay Music Festival is proud to support up and coming musicians in this fantastic event. Thanks to all our sponsors, in particular Fender who provided Tom Richardson with a brand new guitar valued at over $ 700, A and B Music in Geelong and to Howlin’ Wind and Magnetic Heaven Studio’s who provided The Rusty’s with a day of recording in their studio.
Bring on 2015….make sure you get your entries in early.
Snapshot for 2014 Grand Ole Opry
The Hoodoo Gurus, The Audries, Vika & Linda Bull, Cornerstone Roots Soul Revolution, Blue King Brown, Ash Grunwald, The Vasco Era, The Exploders, Bertie Blackman all appeared live at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville Tennessee 2014.
