Hi Folks, hope you had a great effective start to the year. Free hugs here if you didn't... or did!
A BIG THANKYOU to the contributers and a little run through the joy that was Tamfest and the Supper Club this January, 2007 - Much more than your usual Country Music Fest - bringing together players and styles from around the world,

plus news for those near Melbourne TOGETHER AGAIN TOUR - Canadian Fiddle Champ, young Tania Elizabeth (Grammy Nonimee with The Duhks!) with yours truly - details further below (Guildford Hotel Music Hall 8pm Wed 21 Feb - with Workshops at 6pm if you ring 0407753809), Horsham, Cafe Bagdad 22 (TBC) & Adelaide Tue 27 Feb Jive on Hindley St(TBC)
see http://www.myspace.com/andrewclermont for gigguide updates - watch for US & Canada Tour with Dya Singh in July/ August ( if you are near)
If you have friends near any up coming shows, please feel free to advise them

THE SUPPER CLUB
Over 50 musicians contributed & shared in the 'fringe festival' that is at the North Tamworth Bowling Club for the annual Tamworth Country Music Festival
each January, plus a few choice times through the year. In particular this year the warm interplay of young and less young musos around the club, city and Festival was much more than usual and that be a healthy sign for the future of the Festival.

The hardy creative core of the Supper Club this year was :-

Totally Gourdgeous http://www.totallygourdgeous.com
The Lawnmowers http://www.themowers.net/ "the cutting 'hedge' of Bluegrass"!
The Eldridge Sisters - my dear string section and friends, and in the Sydney Morning Herald TamFest review
http://www.smh.com.au/multimedia/entertainment/tamworth-2007/index.html
Wu PuYu http://www.myspace.com/wupuyu Flute emotion & concert piano
& Alex Gordon http://www.myspace.com/creepy_al mandolin magic

Plus the amazing Turkish Delights, Crooked Fiddle Band, The Beez (from Berlin, Germany - very special),
Reason to Breath (woven harmonica, Flute & Digeridoo with Keyboards), Sarah Carrol, Karen Lynne & Acoustic Shock, Fiddlesticks (New Zealand) and the many individuals - 15 yr old Guitar whizz Smokin' Joe,
Ross Waldron(Finger pickin' adventure), Cary & Brookie (harmony bliss), Leslie Avril, Daniel & Bee B (NZ Banjo lass whizz kid) , Andrew Scott(Double Bass power), George Washingmachine, Garry Steel(amazing Accordian), Tim Turner (sublime Piano), WuPuYu (Piano & Flute emotion), Sophie Raymond, Steve Teakle (keyboards), Rodney Ford(drums via Fiddlers Feast), Mal Webb & Penelope Swales plus Blues Harp legend, Doc Span.

And please a big cheer to NoHoldsBarred Fiddle Contest Winners - Conner Macgregor (Youth) & George Jackson (Senior) and all the brave entries
plus warm thanks to the judges, George Washingmachine & Golden Fiddle Award Winning Teacher, Kylie McIvor and Marcus Holden & Fiddlers Feast for hosting the finals.

but most specially the endless energy of 2005 Fiddle Winner, Jess Randall,
for gathering the many together for the Supper Club 'Orchestra' in this years
'symphony' performance on "The Girls Night". On Utube before too long!

And the wonderful patrons who housed our players - we can't do it without you - we are ever grateful.

FIDDLERS FEAST
A powerhouse of fiddledom was presented at all the Fiddlers Feast shows, from the finale of the Opening Concert to thousands in Bi-Centenial Park to the NoHoldsBarred Fiddle Finals at the Regent Cinema - the magic of Mark Oats & Clare O'Meara (Bushwackers); George Washingmachine & Marcus Holden (2 different Jazz) plus Rodney Ford, John Coker & Garry Steel dressing the Fiddles in musical finery while I get to dance between them all!
www.fiddlersfestival.com


The fun and depth of music grows each year. Please enjoy the results & views in the websites below


GREAT TAMWORTH PICS
http://www.tamworthcountrymusic.com.au/index.cfm?page_id=1229
And the article to the Pics
http://tamworthcountrymusic.com.au/index.cfm?page_id=1049&news_display_year_1774=2007&display_news_id_1774=1112

The Bluegrass Brekky & Supper Club Pics via Margot & Helen Mitchell - scroll down!
http://www.tamworthragepage.com/festpics2007.htm


TOGETHER AGAIN TOUR
(Yarra Junction Fiddlers Convention/ Guilford/Horsham/ Frances Folk Gathering/ Adelaide/ Pt Fairy Folk Fest)
Canadian Fiddle Champ, Tania Elizabeth, is briefly in Australia
and will start her "Together Again" tour with Andrew Clermont at
our oldest restored Music Hall in charming Guildford, just north
of Melbourne on Wed 21 Feb.

We last saw Elizabeth about 5 years back when she was just 18, casually at Yarra
Junction Fiddles Convention, then at Brunswick Music Fest/
Apollo Bay and then featured at the National Fiddle Festival at
Richmond, Sydney before joining & touring with The Duhks across
the globe.
"I've been playing with The Duhks for just over 5 years now,
and during that time we have toured relentlessly, signed with Sugarhill
Records, won a Juno and been nominated for a Grammy."

Few are unfamliar with Clermont's chameleon music life with
Totally Gourdgeous (Theatrics), Dya Singh (Indian), The
Lawnmowers (Bluegrass),Fiddlers Feast (ex-Festival) and The
Supper Club (World) to name a few world touring groups (all
active!) Now see him with his favourite music partner. "There's
no limits with Tania - passion, technique, laughs and surprises!"
Just google their names for further background info.

Both are very open to teaching as well. This will be available
in workshop form at the Guildford Hotel Music Hall at 6pm prior
to their first concert at 8pm. Those interested in workshops
from Clermont or Elizabeth or both should ring 0407753809.
Concert is $10 and Workshop details still being arranged.


See you soon, or here again later, Have a wonderous year, be in touch, Andrew Clermont



Don't dismiss your dreams.
To be without dreams is to be without hope;
to be without hope is to be without purpose. by Nancye Sims



"We've all got a bit of wasted talent in us" Craig Taylor

andrewclermont@optusnet.com.au

SITEMAP to Other Clermont Worlds
http://hometown.aol.com/clrmnta/TheAndrewClermontexternalSiteMap.html
http://www.andrewclermont.com.au
GIGGUIDE:
http://members.aol.com/clrmnta/myhomepage/profile.html

MySpace Domestic &
Music ie
http://www.myspace.com/snappadillion
http://www.myspace.com/andrewclermont

you must check out
http://hometown.aol.com/clrmnta/NovNewsletter.html for best pics & a few tales!

Director to The Golden Fiddle Awards - show your SUPPORT and urge Nominations - from makers, teachers, mentors, players to recordings
http://www.goldenfiddleawards.org.au/

Copenhagen this week with dear extended family, sharing a boat's view (thanks Bent) of the Danish Abba Tribute Show in the lil town of Dragör after doing the Johnny Cash Tribute Show in Hamburg & Travemunde last weekend. I feel like I'm back in Oz with all these tribute shows. Just go to www.rofmusic.com and read  14 & 15 of the guest book for a good laugh!

ROF is Ring of Fire, and light up the folk we sure did. 10min standing ovation at the Duckstein Festival! I think I'll have to move here. Thanks Peter Caulton (that be Mr Cash) for the invite and trust there will be more.

Soon back to Berlin, Wismar & Greisswald.

Mark Oats, also from Oz via Lorient (France) with Fiddlers Feast, will join up with me in the last week of August for some shows in Berlin before we set off to Bulgaria for some more intriguing shows in Sofia.

Go to gigguide via www.andrewclermont.com.au for more detail when they come to hand.

Alas the Dya Singh Tour is off but they will next appear at the Brisbane Sacred Festival mid October.