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Hunter Festival Retains Essence

Hunter Festival Retains Essence



Who: Iota, The Australian Beef Week Show, Dirty Pink Jeans, Johnny Real & The Love Makers, The Great Dividing Range, The Re-mains and JT Recipe
What: Gumball Music Festival
Where: Lower Belford
When: Saturday April 23, 2005

EVERYONE loves an outdoor music festival and now the Hunter Valley has its very own.

The Gumball Music Festival will debut on Saturday, April 23, when the one-day event is launched on a lush bushland property at Lower Belford.

It will feature a stack of bands including iOTA & the Lizard Men, The Australian Beef Week Show, Dirty Pink Jeans, Johnny Real & The Love Makers, The Great Dividing Range, The Re-mains and JT Recipe. More acts will be announced in the lead- up to the event.

Organiser Matthew Johnston began planning the event in September and said he was inspired by outdoor music festivals such as The Falls held in Victoria and Tasmania.

``With my brother beside me we have been going full-steam ahead, working on our idea to have a festival designed for the people,'' Johnston said. ``There are a lot of music festivals out there. Some are amazing and some are not.

``Our mission is to create a music festival that is unique, that isn't over-populated, that doesn't have endless beer lines, that has enough clean toilets, is environmentally friendly and that retains the essence of what a music festival is all about, the music.'' Johnston said he was placing a strong emphasis on the natural environment and had enforced strict policies regarding waste, fire and noise.

A special bus system has been arranged for the festival, which will pick up at various locations around the Hunter as there will be no parking available at the site.

Tickets are on sale now through Ticketek on 4921 2121 or at www.ticketek.com.au Prices will be $44 or $66 if you want to camp on site.



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