2000-2001 Australian Independent Country Music Artist of The Year; Pat Drummond is a performer with an astonishing capacity to entertain; and a songwriter, whose passionate commitment to Australia and its people has produced songs, which are almost like one-act plays; detailed social snapshots of ordinary Australians caught in the act of living. With 12 CDs out now, through Shoestring, Pat's unique blend of Journalism and Songwriting has produced a stunning record of Australian Life in the the past two decades.
As 2003 inductee into the Hands Of Fame, Australian Independent Country Music Artist of The Year 2000, board member for the Country Music Association of Australia, Joint Winner of Male Vocal of the Year at the Australian Bush Music Festival and Grand Finalist in Four Categories (including Album of the Year, Heritage Award and Country Song of the Year and Producer of the Year) in the Toyota CMAA Country Music Awards, the past ten years have been tremendously rewarding for Pat Drummond. International tours to New Zealand and Japan, representing Australia, and a National tour with England's premier songwriter Ralph McTell, have further enhanced his reputation as a formidable writer and entertainer. For those who have seen Pat on stage the reasons are obvious. He is first and foremost a communicator who writes songs about characters that are instantly recognisable; characters whose experiences reflect the lives of just about every Australian, from the sophisticated city-dwellers of the Double Bay social set to the no-nonsense bush people of The Outback.
Although well known for his comic repertoire, such as "The Toilet Paper Linedance" and 'The Sao Song' which made #2 in the National Country Music Charts ,and his work with the Award Winning 'Naked Poets' Bush Poetry/ Comedy troupe, it has been the 'power punch' lyric writing in songs such as "Who Is that Refugee?", "The Road To Damascus", "The Blessing", "Vertelli's Wire", " Who Are These People?" and "Somebody Else's Slides" which has so profoundly impressed both the critics and his peers since then. (See Quote sheet) He was awarded The Independent Country Music Artist of the Year in 2000, inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame in 2003 and his record label, Shoestring Records which distributed 16 Country Music acts including The Naked Poets, Brent Parlane and Allan Caswell was recently named the 2003 Independent Record Company of the Year.
Pat is soon to bring us the year 2004 edition of 'The Local Rag', his mythical newspaper that tells the very real stories of contemporary Australia. On stage he is a performer with an innate sense of fun and an astonishing capacity to entertain As a songwriter, whose passionate commitment to this country and its people, he has produced songs which are one-act plays, detailed social snapshots of ordinary Australians caught in the act of living.
A master wordsmith described by David Latta as a "Songwriter's Songwriter", his work has often inspired high praise.
Judy Small says of him that he creates "beautifully crafted songs which tell us about the legendary, the ordinary and the possible, in ways that leave us not only with our feet tapping but with our hearts singing."
Eric Bogle describes him as " an original and witty songwriter. whose deft lyrical and melodic touch, allied to his clear-eyed yet compassionate view of the human condition ensures that his songs have a quality that sets them apart from, and above, most other songs you will hear."
Bruce Elder has simply described his work as "Lyrical declaration of War" Find out why.
Appearing with Pat will be the very talented Karen Lynne, who recently Won The 2003 Independent Country Music Female Vocalist Of The Year. Karen will be well known to country Music devotees for her single "This Man I Love" which recently reached #4 on The National Country Music Charts.
With 4 albums and seven top 10 Country Hits to her credit, Karen has been building a solid following since springing to national prominence in 1999 when "Grandma Used to Say" from her "Labour Of Love" album, went top 10 in the Country Music Charts and gained multi-finalist status in both the "Australian Country Music Awards" in Tamworth. She has since recorded three highly successful albums.
Her Bluegrass adventures with Acoustic Shock on "Blue Mountain Rain" won her high praise and the 2002 Best Independent Release at The Victorian country Music Awards
Karen first sprang to National prominence in 1999 when tracks from her "Labour Of Love" album, were released. The album gained immediate attention as much for it's honest simplicity as for Karen's extraordinarily sweet voice. It shone with authenticity.
"Half the Moon", the first single from the CD, placed Karen in the Grand Finals of Best New Talent Category, in the Australian Country Music Awards in Tamworth, and it was the maturity of the writing on "Labour of Love" that surprised many of the Industry folk who had watched Karen develop through the years.
The second single "Grandma Used to Say" co-written written with Heather Field and James Gillard, was nominated for the prestigious APRA Song Of The Year Category and won the TSA Country Song of The Year while her thoughtful exploration of domestic violence in 'He Says', again co- written with Heather, showed a deeply sensitive writer who was capable of dealing with harder issues.
Pat and Karen's return has been eagerly awaited by the Folk and Country Music Fraternity since their appearances here two years ago . An evening with Pat Drummond and Karen Lynne is not one you will easily forget .