Locky laps up country music festival

While the crowd wasn’t huge, the passionate and dedicated fans enjoyed music from the United States and Australia.

Many seated audience members stood up to enjoy a dance or two as the night went on.

One of the talented performers was Craig Giles, who has crafted a long and distinguished career as a musician.

“I picked up my first guitar when I was nine years old. So, music was nothing out of the ordinary for me,” Mr Giles said.

“My mum and dad could hold a tune, and my grandad sang in a family orchestra in the 1920s.”

While music was always part of Mr Giles’ life, he entered the workforce and became a panel beater.

“When I was younger, I wondered if I could leave my job and have a career in the music industry,” Mr Giles said.

“I was pretty lucky. I started to win talent quests in the first and second years, and then I was winning grand finals in Tamworth.

“After all the hard work, I occasionally had a TV spot. Thirty-seven years later, I’ve released 17 different albums and had 21 singles in the top 10.

“I am grateful for the many awards I’ve won. My albums are a mix of mostly original tracks with the odd cover — to keep the people interested. As a singer-songwriter, you hope your originals will be played on the radio and become covers.”

While Mr Giles has had a distinguished music career over nearly four decades, he does, from time to time, perform in the US, honouring the legacy of Elvis Presley.

“Some of the thoughts of the Americans was that I was respectful,” Mr Giles said.

“The fans thought I was Elvis when I was singing his iconic songs. But in between the songs, I was myself talking about Elvis and how he enriched my life. And that was the main difference.

“For Elvis fans, they had many Australian singers come over and do the whole Elvis impersonation act. But when I was singing his songs, I was myself.”

Mr Giles has become a familiar face in Tupelo, Mississippi.

“I’ve done seven Elvis tribute acts in the United States in Tupelo, Mississippi, Elvis’s home town,” he said.

While Mr Giles can hold an audience with his incredible, original songs, his wife, Roz, ensures all shows succeed.

“This is our fifth event in Lockington, which is now an annual event. COVID did force the festival to take a small break,” Mrs Giles said.

“We have three festivals designed to raise the awareness and visitation by tourists to those small towns, and our music festivals aid that intention.”

The event was expected to attract 250 to 300 people, delivering a significant financial boost to the town.

“Many of the visitors arrive two to three days before the event’s start; some of the tickets were purchased by people who live in Queensland and Kangaroo Island,” Mrs Giles said.

The Lockington Country Music Festival was a Big River Entertainment ‘Awareness Of Rural Towns’ event.

For details about the next event, visit www.lockingtoncmf.com or call Roz Giles on 0408 597 307.