THE LIVE music scene has been dead in Tamworth during the COVID-19 shutdown.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
But, one young local musician is set to take the stage and breathe life back into the city's gig scene on Saturday.
Freddie Bailey-Cook, who performs under the moniker FredBear, will perform at West Leagues Club on Saturday, July 4.
"I am really excited about just doing what I love," he told the Leader. "To be in an environment where I excel at something brings me a feeling of validation, that I am good at something and that people appreciate me and what I'm doing.
"A good gig is like nothing else, when everyone is up and dancing, singing along and having a great night."
READ ALSO:
The arts and entertainment sector has been hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak.
Freddie played his last live gigs more than four months ago, at the end of February. But the 15-year-old musician didn't spend the break whiling it away.
"Although it was incredibly hard to not be playing music in front of an audience, I used the time wisely, holed up in my room, expanding my repertoire," he said.
Freddie focused his talents on songs which "go down a storm" at pubs.
A good gig is like nothing else, when everyone is up and dancing, singing along ...
- Freddie Bailey-Cook
"[Isolation] forced me to learn some songs people have been pestering me to learn for ages," he said.
Wests Entertainment Group have live performances scheduled at the weekend for FredBear at the Leagues Club on Saturday at 2:30pm, and The Two Vees at Wests' Diggers on Kable Avenue at 9:30pm.
A spokesperson for The Pub Group said its venues across the city aren't scheduling live entertainment yet but will hopefully have people back on stage in a month or so.
Freddie said he hoped this weekend marks the start of live music in Tamworth again.
"Fingers crossed that Tamworth Country Music Festival (TCMF) 2021 will go ahead and Tamworth plays host to all the Australian country music acts big and small come January," he said.
It is understood planning is underway for TCMF 2021. Hats Off To Country will run as a virtual festival later in July.