MURPHY'S Pigs could lay claim to being one of the most watched bands of the festival.
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After a barnstorming opening show at the Bicentennial Park stage on Saturday night, the 10-man Celtic/folk band from Brisbane has been playing to packed houses daily (or nightly) at Joe Maguire's Pub.
And today, festival-goers are in for a treat with a one-off performance at the town hall from 10am which all the family can enjoy in airconditioned comfort.
The band first appeared at Tamworth in 2012 and, as singer-songwriter-guitarist John Graham said, "we're finding our way after five years".
It's a way that requires a lot of stamina, because Murphy's Pigs defy Tamworth's heat by performing in coats and ties and the odd vest. And sleep doesn't seem to be a priority.
Graham was speaking to The Leader early Tuesday morning after a full band 7am interview with the ABC, which followed an 11.30pm finish to a show and a few hours' "winding down" the night before.
It was a memorable gig in at least one respect, in that Terry Fielding, the co-writer of The Whale, a No. 1 Australian hit in 1972, got up on stage with the blokes to sing the song. Murphy's Pigs have plenty of songs to choose from, with five CDs, including the new album Larrikins and Knucklemen.
"It's basically Australian folk music, including five originals, so we can take Australian songs overseas," Graham said of an upcoming gig for Murphy's Pigs at a Celtic festival in Europe in August.
"Rather than play all Celtic music, we can take our stuff to them." Graham was a founder of the band 10 years ago, along with fellow guitarist Peter Vincent, and both have been constants in Murphy's Pigs, which has seen various changes in personnel in that time.
The line-up at this year's festival is Graham (guitar, banjo), Vincent (guitar), Chris Jack (electric guitar, mandolin), Bill Allam (bodhran, percussion), Mark Cryle (bass, mandolin and guitar), Domenico Taraborrelli (accordion), Brannon Crickmore (violin), Dennis French (drums, guitar and mandolin), Dan Loth (drums and bodhran) and Aodhan Trussell (bagpipes, whistles). And they all sing!
Today's town hall show is free and one for all the family.
The band is playing daily at Joe Maguire's Pub until Sunday night.
