This is the Jebediah lead singer's fourth visit to the festival, where he has a residency at the Tamworth Hotel, and he said he will be coming back as long as he can.

This year he's got a new band with him and is playing with Davey Lane from You Am I .

"You Am I is my favourite Australian band and I've never played with him before," he said.

Fans can expect plenty of new songs, as Bob (aka Kevin Mitchell) prepares to release his next album on March 15, called Familiar Stranger.

"It will be my first time playing some of the songs and others I've only done solo previously," he said.

"The new music has gone in a non-country direction, but I'm hoping it'll still pass muster with the people."

Bob said he loved the festival because it was so completely different to anything he'd played before and he's now become part of the family at The Tamworth.

"I feel like each year I've come here, I've felt more and more part of the community- not just the Tamworth community, but also the broader country music community," he said.

"It's the highlight of the year and a great way to start the year. I can't imagine not coming now."

Bob said he spoke about the festival often and couldn't understand why more of his rock and pop contemporaries didn't come here.

"I also feel I'm onto a good thing and I don't want people crashing my party I've found myself in," he said.

Bob Evans is on stage at The Tamworth Hotel tonight ((SAT)) at 9pm.