BY JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
THE LOVE of a bit of twang accompanied by some slide guitar has made an enormous contribution to the Geelong community.
While some with differing musical tastes might dispute the value of some good old down-home country music, its had to argue with close to $300,000.
That’s the amount the monthly Tombstone Country Music event has raised over the past 14 years for charities around the region and the state.
“Not bad for a small monthly show,” grinned organiser Murray Walker, with typical rural understatement.
“It’s not high profile but the word gets around and all the country music lovers know about it – we have our regulars.”
Every fourth Sunday of the month the cars roll up to Murray’s place in Shaws Rd, Teesdale, where his dedicated band of volunteers swings into action, directing car parks, selling tickets and ushering to seats.
Graeme Lear is what Murray calls a “foundation artist” at Tombstone Country, having played countless gigs at the event.
But he couldn’t get it done without his “chief organiser”, Jessie – she doesn’t organise the event, she just organises Murray.
Murray considered volunteer manager Red and “chief people counter” Eileen invaluable.
“Eileen will chase you for your entry donation. No one escapes,” Murray said.
Tombstone Country has a couple of long-time business supporters, enabling the show to raise all those funds.
The Big Shed furniture store donates the first prize for a raffle run each month, while a meat tray from Bannockburn’s Supreme Meats helps raise more dollars.
Murray puts on a sausage sizzle around lunchtime and the live music kicks off at 2pm, followed by an afternoon of country fun – for just a $5 admittance donation.
And the people at Geelong Dialysis Unit, Linton Fire Brigade, Rotary Club Bannockburn, Geelong Coast Guard, Geelong Veterans Welfare Centre, Variety Club, Red Cross Geelong and Leukaemia Foundation Geelong are all so glad Murray is still happy to make the effort.
The event was born in 1999 after a pub gig that Murray and Graeme played and where they became a little “peeved” at the bar closing early.
“So we thought we’d start our own country music gig instead,” chuckled Murray.
“It started as just a private thing. We invited about 50 people but it went public pretty quickly and now we regularly get 200 out here.”
Murray’s love of country music is behind it all, demonstrated by his own CD of songs.
Murray greets everyone at Tombstone Country each month with his rendition of Welcome to my World – coincidentally the title of his album.
Each month has a feature artist, which has included international acts that dropped in while on tour.
And why the rather dark name Tombstone Country?
Murray said the Teesdale cemetery across the road left him no choice.
So for some rollicking country entertainment, phone Tombstone Country on 5281 5383 or 0427 015 515 to help Murray and his crew surpass that $300,000 mark.
