Country music artists call for support after Omicron puts industry 'in crisis'

The postponement of the Tamworth Country Music Festival (TCMF) from January to April was the tipping point for many country music artists, who are in need of support now more than ever.

Tracy Coster from Manilla has been in the country music scene since she was 13 years old, and last week the 2022 Golden Guitar nominee launched her new album Southerly Change at Austin Tourist Park.

After losing many of her gigs in January, Coster described the current situation facing the industry as "in crisis".

"We need help. The trouble is people have to eat between now and April. That's our biggest concern," she said.

While they have been busily planning for the April event, TCMF organisers are also working closely with Support Act, a charity delivering crisis relief services to artists, artist managers, crew and music workers who are unable to work due to ill health, injury, a mental health problem or some other crisis, such as COVID-19.

Festival organiser Barry Harley said there has been a significant impact to the live music industry over the past two years.

"We understand postponing the festival just a week out from its scheduled start date was another hit to the industry, so we want to support those affected as much as we can during these difficult times," he said.

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A donation page has been set up to support artists impacted. The charity also encourages people to buy albums and merchandise directly from artists.

Support Act CEO Clive Miller said the charity has allocated more than 15,000 Crisis Relief Grants to music and live performing arts workers valued at more than $35 million, thanks to the financial support received from the Australian Government.

"Many music workers are also testing positive to COVID-19 and being forced to isolate, resulting in them losing critically important income," he said.

"It's putting enormous pressure on an industry which is still struggling to recover after almost two years of pandemic-related challenges."

But country music artists such as Tracy Coster do not believe the government support is filtering through to musicians.

"It certainly didn't for me. Most people that I've talked to - record producers, other musicians - it seems to have gone by the wayside," she said.

"Every direction where assistance has been available it hasn't translated to the music business at all. We're going into three years with no income.

"Sport has gone on and on. We've had cricket we've had tennis we've had football. There's no difference sitting beside one another to watch sport on television to sitting beside one another to watch someone play music. It' not right."

She said moving on to a different career is just not an option for many country music singers.

"I'm second generation country singer. It's in my blood. Music is not what I do it's who I am," she said.

TCMF will run from April 18 to 24.

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