Beyond the Bush Ballad: Authenticity in Australian Country Music
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Beyond The Bush Ballad: Authenticity in Australian Country Music Amy Bauder Bachelor of Arts (Hons), Sydney University Macquarie University Faculty of Arts Department of Music, Media, Communication and Cultural Studies A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy August 2016 Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 List of Figures 3 Abstract 4 Statement of Authenticity 5 Acknowledgements 6 Part One: Contexts 9 Chapter One: Introduction 9 “Just Make Sure It Is Australian” 9 Defining Country Music: It Is About More Than the Sound 12 The Great Country Songbook: Ethnographic Fieldwork 13 “Distinctions” in the “Field”: Theoretical Framework 15 Contested Traditions and Mateship 20 “True Blue Bust-Up” 25 Thesis Structure 30 Chapter Two: Literature Review, Theoretical Framework and Methodology 33 Literature Review 33 Theoretical or Analytic Framework 59 Methodology 69 Fieldwork 78 Chapter Three: Roots and Heritage 89 “Honouring an Australian ‘Legend’”: Fieldwork Account 89 Slim Dusty as Touchstone for Australian Country Music 91 The Country Music Canon 92 Slim’s Life Story 95 Sources of the Legend 96 Part Two: People and RelationshipsWhat Are the elements? 10197 Introduction 101 Family 103 Coming Home: Fieldwork Account 103 Public Private Lives 107 Travelling Family Band: The Slim Dusty Family as Pioneers 108 The Family Business 112 Professionals and Stars 118 The Family Business Redux 119 Mateship 127 Troy Cassar-Daley & Friends: Fieldwork Account 127 “It’s Good to See You Mate”: Friendship in the Country Music Community 129 Australian Legends: Bush, Pioneer and Mates 134 The Community of Mates 138 Who Is the Star? Fieldwork Account 145 Solo Artists, Bands, Stars 147 Session Musos 152 Fans and Artists 156 Family Friendly: No Sex, Drugs or Rock and Roll 156 No Strangers, Just Mates You Haven’t Met Yet: Fieldwork Account 161 “The Front Row”: Slim as Friend of the Fans 164 Accessibility of “Stars” 165 Part Three: Places and Spaces 169 Introduction 169 Places 170 Where I’m from, My Home: Fieldwork Account 170 “Boys (and Girls) from the Bush”: Rurality and Country Music 172 “Just to Say That We Did It. Another Cultural Experience”: Fieldwork Account 178 City Boy 179 Chronicler of the Bush: Slim Dusty, Heritage and Countrymindedness 181 “Give Me the Road”: Touring, Authentication and Heritage 184 Spaces 190 The Rooms Themselves Become an Instrument for the Band: Fieldwork Account 190 The Lucky Country Hall Tour 195 Contemporary Touring Scale and Authenticity 197 “Old Time Country Halls”: Slim Dusty 210 Do It Yourself Aesthetic 214 Part Four: PerformanceConnection with community 223216 Watching the Band Play: Fieldwork Account 223 Performing Country 226 Why Live Performance? 231 Travelling Showmen: Roots and Heritage 235 Woodford Folk Festival: Fieldwork Account 239 Playing to a Different Crowd: Changing Performances 241 Performance Styles 242 Jump Endings, Smoke Machines and Rising Stages: Fieldwork Account 245 Bringing Van Halen Theatrics into Acoustic Bluegrassy Country 248 Natural or Rehearsed? Performance as Skill 251 “The Story of My Life”: The Autobiographical Mode in Australian Country Music 254 Playing Beccy Cole: Persona, Performance and Authenticity 256 Part Five: A Coda and ConclusionsConclusion 273272 Coda: America, Nashville and Americana 273 Reference ListConclusions 287282 Discography 304 Appendices 308 Appendix One – Sales, Charts and Accreditations 308 Appendix Two – Sites of Observation of Bob Corbett and the Roo Grass Band 313 Appendix Three – Where Artists Live 318 Appendix Four – Lucky Country Hall Tour 320 Appendix Five – Festivals 322 Appendix Six – Beccy Cole 2013 Touring Schedule 324 Appendix Seven – Ethics Final Approval 328 List of Figures Figure One: John Williamson performing on Main Stage at the Gympie Music Muster, 2012. 10 Figure Two: Bob Corbett and the Roo Grass Band performing at CMC Rocks the Hunter in 2013. 14 Figure Three: Interviews. 82 Figure Four: Bob Corbett performing at the Star Maker Finals, 20 January 2013. 150 Figure Five: Sue, Bob and Dave singing together. 154 Figure Six: Bob Corbett and the Roo Grass Band performing at Cessnock School of Arts Lounge. 191 Figure Seven: Bob Corbett and the Roo Grass Band playing to the Mud Bulls and Music Festival crowd. 204 Figure Eight: Poster for South Australian leg of the Lucky Country Hall Tour. 216 Figure Nine: Beccy Cole performing at the Woodford Folk Festival, 2013. 240 Figure Ten: Bob Corbett “rockin’ out”. 249 Figure Eleven: Beccy Cole and Lyn Bowtell performing “Girls Out Here”. 267 Figure Twelve: Beccy Cole performing at Club Singleton, 2013. 270 Figure Thirteen: Australian artists in the round at the Bluebird Café. 274 Abstract This thesis is an ethnography of Australian country music. It explores the experiences of individuals active within Australian country music. It acknowledges that country music is a musical project, but takes as its object of study the cultural experience it offers artists, industry personnel and fans. It explores the practices of those involved with Australian country music, the everyday, on-the-ground activities associated with making music, such as performing, promotion, touring, recording, and how these are connected to, shaped by and shape attitudes, beliefs, discourses and stories that circulate within the community. This thesis steps away from a focus on the recorded sound of country music, instead finding that discourses relating to people, relationships, place, space and performance shape the experience and practices of country music culture. The conceptual framework of this thesis is drawn from Pierre Bourdieu’s work on “fields” as a way of understanding Australian country music as a discrete, relatively autonomous social microcosm. A series of distinctions shape the cultural logic of the field and it is through these distinctions that participants determine what is valued as authentic and legitimate. It is through these distinctions that artists work to position themselves and gain legitimacy. Throughout this thesis I will explore four interrelated distinctions: “country” versus “city”, “tradition” versus “new”, “independent” versus “commercial” and “real” versus “fake”. Each of these sets of distinctions relates to aspects of performance and practice and is tied to different discourses that circulate within the field. These distinctions provide meaning and value within the field and are used to inscribe authenticity to certain expressions of country music over others. Statement of Authenticity I certify that the work in this thesis entitled ‘Beyond the Bush Ballad: Authenticity in Australian Country Music’ has not previously been submitted for a degree nor has it been submitted as part of requirements for a degree to any other university or institution other than Macquarie University. The presented thesis is an original piece of research, and has been written by me. Any help and assistance that I have received during my research work and the preparation of the thesis itself has been appropriately acknowledged. In addition, I certify that all information sources and literature used is indicated and acknowledged fully. The Macquarie University Ethics Review Committee approved the research presented in this thesis on 13 September 2012; reference number 5201200632(D). Amy Bauder August 2016 Acknowledgements A project this size involves a massive support crew. While I would love to name every person who helped during the past four years, I fear these acknowledgements could run to many tens of pages. I am grateful to anyone who spoke to me about Australian country music, popular music studies, and provided advice about writing, research, theory and how to survive. However, there are a number of people who deserve to be singled out for special thanks. To the Department of Media, Music, Communications and Cultural Studies, Faculty of Arts and the Higher Degree Research Office for giving me the opportunity to undertake Doctoral Research, for supporting research trips, my attendance at conferences and most of all for providing me a home in which to do the work. Thank you to Jim Dewar for proof reading the final thesis, To my fellow PhD colleagues at Macquarie University, Chelsea Barnett, Cheryl Ware, Emily Gilfillan, Julien Cooper, Tracy Llanera, Catherine Hoad, Bec Hawkings, Rachael Gunn, Jillian Kramer, Pat O’Grady, Pat Grant and Vanessa Berry, for being there at various points throughout this process with advice, references, cups of tea, lunches and the special understanding only someone going through a PhD can give. Tanya Muscat deserves very special thanks for being an awesome sounding board and for all her help and encouragement in getting me over the finish line. To my other colleagues at Macquarie (past and present), particularly: Guy Morrow for helping me recruit interview subjects when I was at another dead end; Ian Collinson for his (at times begrudging) interest in my project, advice and help; Brent Keogh for assistance, help navigating the university system and feedback on my thinking or Acknowledgements 7 writing; and Liz Giuffre for her friendship, enthusiastic support, feedback and the occasional pep talk (oh, and the wine). To friends, new and old, who have helped me survive the process through provision of advice, many needed laughs, hugs and nights away from the thesis, particularly Felicity Freckmann, Joe O’Sullivan, Bec Piestch, Kath Albury, Jo Bain, Jadey O’Reagan and Tim Byron, Nicole Jones, Jon and Leanne Chapman, and Kathy Drew. To Carol Berry, Calum MacLeod, Will, and Stella, thank you for opening your home to me whenever I needed it, being some of the most supportive people I know and to the kids for always making me laugh and forget what is going on in the real world. To all involved in the International Association for the Study of Popular Music – Australia/New Zealand (IASPM ANZ) for providing amazing opportunities to present my research and meet others working in the same field. A huge thank-you to all research participants. To all those I interviewed: Bob Corbett, Felicity Urquhart, Sue Carson, Robbie Long, Michael Carpenter, Catherine Britt, Chris O’Hearn, Tim Holland, Jeremy Dylan, Mark Moffatt and Jim Lauderdale.