CLARE O'MEARA

Driza-bones, Cowboy Hats, Bundaberg Rum, Pluto Pups, XXXX, Boots, Dust and Country Music. These are just some of the elements in no shortage at the Gympie Muster where I have spent the last four days performing.  Set in the beautiful location of the Amamoor Forest Reserve in Queensland Australia, this festival is not for the faint-hearted. This Festival is tailored for die-hard country music fans who are well-seasoned Musterites happy to spend a few days temporarily removed from reality, donning the appropriate Muster gear, yelling choruses of songs about utes, beer, cows and pink guitars while drowning in a sea of Bundy.

For a Musician who has several performances at this festival, the Muster experience usually involves being prepared and match-fit when it comes to the food options. There are long walks involved, carrying gear from venue to venue (there is on-site Artist Transport, but this is ‘unintentionally’ on occasions not so reliable due to the hectic scheduling of hundreds of musicians and gear needed carting around the many different venues) on-top of the actual performance energy required, so it is essential that nourishing food be sourced and this is not such an easy or in most cases cheap task. Being a performer, I have been sent my Muster Pack by email prior to the Festival with a list of handy hints and Artist Services that will be available. A piece of information included in the Pack mentions there will be refreshments and light snacks available for all performers at a place called Artist World and this is encouraging news.  The first gig of the Muster for me is with The Bushwackers on the Main Stage and we will be required to hang around there so there’ll be no time to get acquainted with various food stalls around the site which is fine as will have a fair amount of hurry-up-and-waiting time over the next few days to do just this.

There is fruit, luckily. Then there is a bowl of assorted chocolates and lollies, a huge bottom-less pit bowl of smarties then another with a selection of snack-pack school lunch size chip packets.  Some instant coffee satchels plus several mini-bar fridges chockablock full of festival sponsor Red Bull. With the exception of the fruit, once again my handbag almonds have come to the rescue as we’ve no time to source anything more substantial before jumping on stage to set-up then perform for thousands of Muster revellers on the hill.

Our accommodation is off-site at the Conference Centre back in Gympie which is welcoming as it is away from the mayhem and general racket of the festival. Unlike some other musicians, I much prefer this to the on-site complimentary artist tent accommodation where I would have been an un-happy camper exposed to evening temperatures dipping as low as minus six degrees Celsius, braveness indeed. Also, the conference centre provides breakfast and I am ravenous the next morning having passed on the lollies and chips for dinner the night before. It consists of poached eggs, grilled tomatoes, fruit, a selection of cereals juices and an adequate coffee machine with an espresso option. A good start to the day so far, I am happy and nourished for the long day ahead.

My first gig today is with The Bushwackers at the Crowbar. Playing accordion for seventy-five minutes in this high-energy band burns energy and calories in aerobic proportion so again the handbag almonds are useful, but I’m still ravenous after this show and now have some time to search for some decent food. Something am hoping is as healthy as possible amongst the plethora of hot-chips and pluto-pup outlets. Word has it from some veteran Muster musicians there is such a place, Govindas. All vegetarian and all good so I set out to find it. It’s a bit of a treck from the Crowbar where we have just performed, trundling along past the main stage hill and swimming through a sea of Driza-Bones but after a bit of searching (it’s a little hard to locate not being as flashy or lit-up as some of the other food outlets) I see it.

Govindas, as the sign above the hut says is Pure Vegetarian and ‘The Taste of Transcendence’. Judging by the genuinely friendly smile on the face of the young guy serving behind the counter, I just know already that I WILL taste the love in this food. He offers two plate sizes $5 for a small or $11 for a bit of everything. So far it’s looking like good value, I’m also hungry so go for the larger plate. The food is of Satvik nature which is traditional Hare Krishna recipes the body best harmonises with – Harmonious Food, how ingenious and apt for musicians. Piled high on an eco-friendly bio-degradable plate made of sugar-cane plus accompanying fork made of corn starch, I receive a creamy curry loaded with vegetables on a bed of jasmine rice, a generous serve of Kofta balls with a spicy tomato sauce and a Halava dessert (semolina and cardamom). I am most definitely transcended far away from pluto-pup land after eating this meal and will certainly be making a return visit before the end of the festival. Well nourished and happy, I’m ready for my next gig. The Torn and Frayed Show – a country rock tribute featuring some of my most favourite musicians. Thank you Govindas 🙂