The indie festival was scheduled for December 22 at Market Street Lawn, a community space created in the Newcastle CBD on the railway corridor, which has a capacity of 2000. 

Full-priced tickets cost $75 for a line-up that included Stonefield, Winterbourne, Pist Idiots and local acts Vacations, Fritz, Rachel Maria Cox and dave.

“I could have probably made it work if we came out the other side with 650 to 700 ticket sales, which I expected to get close to,” Burrows said.

“But at under 50 ticket sales at this point in time I was realistically on track for 200 to 300 ticket sales. That would have left me with a very substantial financial loss, which I wouldn’t be able to cover.”

Burrows, who has previously organised the Springfest music festivals around Maitland, contributed Turn Up The Sun’s failure on a lack of media support.

The festival’s close proximity to Christmas and the competitive summer festival market were other likely factors.

“I am deeply saddened that I was unable to move forward with the event, and it was a difficult decision to make to cancel it,” he said.

Burrows hopes to attempt another medium-sized festival again in the near future. All ticket-holders can receive full refunds. 

WITH the dwindling financial power of the major labels, self-marketing in the music industry has never been more important for aspiring artists.

Newcastle already has a thriving DIY music scene and on Saturday artists can learn how to further improve their reach through a MusicNSW seminar. Sound Advice at the Cambridge Hotel features information from PR professionals about planning your release, plus a chance to mingle with other players in the music scene. Spots are still available for the free seminar at info@musicnsw.com.

METROPOLITAN Hotel publican Chris Tucker understands the impact of drought on rural people given his experience of managing pubs in towns like Gunnedah. Many of his most loyal customers at his Maitland watering hole are also visiting country people.

Therefore he knew it was an obvious decision to combine the Metro’s passion for music and rural folk by hosting a Feed A Farmer benefit concert on Saturday to raise money for drought relief.

From 2pm to 10.30pm seven bands – Decades, Xntrix, Mokobenj, Mental Health, Old Mate & The Love Handles, Hard Drive and Once Remained – will perform to raise funds for the Baradine Country Women’s Association.   

BLUES and slow-cooked meat sounds like a tasty combination especially when you add Mississippi legend R.L Boyce and Australian soul sisters Vika & Linda Bull to the menu.

The two acts will headline the fourth Girrakool Blues Festival & BBQ at the Central Coast’s Mt Penang Event Park on March 1-3.

The 63-year-old Boyce is famous for his brand of Hill Country Blues; a style renown for its hypnotic boogie sound with a strong emphasis on rhythm and percussion. The Backsliders’ frontman Dom Turner will join Boyce for his headline Girrakool performance.

The Girrakool line-up also includes UK boogie kings Ben Waters and Derek Nash, America’s The West Coast Rhythm and Blues Revue, Newcastle Aboriginal band Gambirra Mob, Darren Jack, Mal Eastick, Hussy Hicks, Minnie Marks, Big Sky Mountain, Ben Waters, Derek Nash (UK), 19-Twenty and many more.

FRESH from their fund-raising efforts for drought relief in Muswellbrook and Quirindi last weekend, the Dashville crew will be flying the Hunter flag on Thursday at Australian Music Week in Cronulla.

The Dashville showcase at Croydon Lane & Tapas Bar will feature performances from James Thomson, Magpie Diaries, Tori Forsyth, Nicholas Connors, Demi Mitchell, Baghead, Bodie and Dave Wells. Other Newcastle artists performing at the three-day music conference include Ben Leece and Natalie Henry. 

TWO years after withering on the vine Jazz In The Vines will spring back to life on November 24 at Hope Estate. The festival ended after 23 years in 2016 at Tyrrell’s when it was headlined by Mental As Anything, Leo Sayer and James Morrison. 

Morrison will return for Jazz In The Vines’ relaunch alongside Grace Knight, Tom Burlinson, Emma Pask and Safire Rose. 

THOSE lucky enough to have tickets for Shania Twain’s December 8 show at Hope Estate will also have the chance to see Swedish pop star Bastian Baker. Baker has previously performed with Elton John, Bryan Adams and Boy George, but his tour supporting the US queen of country-pop will be his first trip to Australia.