First published September 22, 2012
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Kathy Dodds will be watching every move made on the Deni Ute Muster site between now and the festival’s official opening on Friday – she’s been camping at the gates since last Tuesday, after all.
The 49-year-old Tasmanian was on the mainland when her plans fell through and, as she was already three-quarters of the way to Deniliquin, Kathy kept on driving and set up camp outside the iconic gates.
By the time they open, she’ll have been there for 18 days.
“I’ve had a really nice, quiet time actually, it’s been lovely ... it’s the first time in a lot of years I’ve actually read a book,” Kathy laughed.
“I had a bit of a tour by the guys (working on the site), they’ve taken me in and shown me what they’ve done.
“The work they’ve done has been fantastic, you can see where they’ve put the money in. I don’t think a lot of the people who come appreciate the months and months of work that the team put in to give us two days of cool fun.”
The peace and quiet Kathy has been enjoying on the side of the Conargo Road since September 10 is already diminishing as the rest of the 20,000 people expected to arrive in the southern Riverina town begin to turn up and settle in for the long weekend.
This year the muster has secured international sensation Kelly Clarkson to headline the festival on Saturday night, as well as drawing in American country music star Joe Nichols and a swag of Aussie artists to keep the crowds entertained.
It’s the first year two Americans have been the drawcards, a clear sign of the proportions the event has grown to since the first muster was held in 1997.
“It’s amazing how far the festival has come in 15 years, from the acts we can attract to the people that come,” festival marketing manager Karla Notley said.
“Kelly Clarkson has planned her whole tour around Deni. I think everyone’s excited to have something so big, and we’ve still got all the Australians and country people.
“We’re very excited about the line-up and having the new stage will be pretty amazing, (and) not having to wait between acts anymore.”
The noise of the utes, campsites and bands; the smell of campfires and exhausts as proud ute owners do their best to drown out the revving sounds from three rows over; the camaraderie of the crowd and the sweet taste of a great weekend – it’s the perfect mix for people like Kathy.
“I’ve been coming for the last five years. It’s a really good festival, it’s so iconically Australian – it’s all about mates and the utes and the occasional beer,” Kathy, who will be joined by the rest of her camp next week, said.
“It just brings that feeling of being an Aussie right out of everyone.
“We’ve got a group of guys coming from South Australia, some others from Queensland pulled out at the last minute ... these folks I didn’t know until I came to the muster (and) we’ve become good mates. You meet such a cross-section of people.
“I camp out with the ferals, that’s what it’s all about.”
The “ferals” are the ones camping in the ute paddock, a wild scene of cars, campsites, cranked music and even the odd temporary building for those serious about making their own ute muster HQ.
All that can be escaped though, simply by heading right instead of left when entering the festival site and setting up camp in the family and caravan paddocks. But really, what’s a muster without a ute paddock experience?
This is the first time Kathy’s been at the very front of the line and with that has come the news that she will be the one to open the gates to the festival on Friday morning.
The ute muster committee can’t wait to unveil the work that’s gone into improving the 48.5-hectare site over the last 12 months, and are praying the weather stays wonderful so as to avoid the wet and mud the 20,000 visitors experienced last year.
“Everything is coming along really well, the new stage is built and ready to go,” Ms Notley said.
“There’s the new stage with the old stage next to it, it’s been revamped. The sports arena has doubled in size and we’ve got a tractor-pull arena now.”
Last weekend, Morgan Evans wrapped up filming the clip for his latest release While We’re Young – which debuted as iTunes single of the week and nudged Keith Urban off the chart – and he’s looking forward to hearing everyone join in when he belts out the lively track at Deni.
Evans first played at the ute muster a few years ago and had such a fantastic time, he told his manager to say yes if the chance ever came up again.
“I’m so excited, it’s getting pretty close now so I’m really excited to get the band back together, we’re pretty stoked to be in the line-up,” he said.
To make it to Deni, Evans and his band will travel straight from a gig – with Joe Nichols, no less – in Tamworth on the Friday night.
The crowd waiting at the Ute Muster stage may not be the biggest Evans has performed in front of – he received a late call-up to one of America’s biggest country music festivals, the CMA Music Festival, in 2007 – but it’s definitely one he’s
looking forward to.
“I guess the Taylor Swift tour was right up there, it was crazy ... (and in) Nashville I got a late call up to the main stage of the country music festival (and sang in front of) 65,000 people there,” he said.
“The main thing I like about music is connecting with people.”
There won’t be a shortage of artists looking to connect with people, either – the line-up also includes The Living End, Lee Kernaghan, John Williamson, McAlister Kemp, The McClymonts, Jasmine Rae and Travis Collins.
“I think it’s a really good line-up, they work very hard to get an eclectic range of music,” Kathy, still camped at the gate, said.
“The line-up across the board (is great), and you can’t go wrong with John Williamson – he’s as Australian as a gum tree.
“There’s just some good talent there, like The Living End.
“The funny thing is I used to yell at my son to ‘turn that rubbish down’ when he was 15 ... and now I’m seeing them live.”