Making Music

Salvos a hit with toe-tapping tunes

The Salvo Country Band has become a regular attraction on the main street of Tamworth during the annual Country Music Festival and, as ESTHER PINN writes, their mix of country and gospel songs is proving to be a successful formula.

The Salvo Country Band members are known for “taking their time”. As listeners gathered in anticipation outside of Target in Tamworth's Peel Street, during the Country Music Festival in January, starting on time was not  the Salvo Country Band's main concern. Neither was their playlist. They often turn up to a gig without a plan of what they will play.
As soon as they hit that first note however, God shows up. The presence of God fills the place wherever they are – whether busking in the streets of Tamworth or at a Sunday morning worship service.
Phil Butler, the band’s acoustic guitarist and lead vocalist explains they often wait until they arrive to choose the songs, leaving it open for the Holy Spirit to guide their song decisions.
“We often like to get a feel of the place. We don’t want to come with pre-conceived ideas.”
Whether they are playing Johnny Cash or Leaning on the Everlasting Arms, the band’s desire is to share the love of Christ through their music.
For the past 14 years, the Salvo Country Band has ministered at the Tamworth Country Music Festival. The festival attracts up to 55,000 visitors every year and about 4000 performances are held across 80 different venues including legendary artists such as Lee Kernaghan, John Williamson and Troy Cassar-Daley.
Every year, the six band members pack up their instruments and take the 300km drive down from Nambucca Heads, where they live and attend their local corps.
Uniquely, the Salvo Country Band formed specifically for the Tamworth Country Music Festival. At the time, the North NSW Divisional Commander, Lieut-Colonel Walter Greentree (ret.) recognised the need for the Army’s presence at the festival and approached Phil and band member Chris Townsend about forming the band.
“He knew that we played guitars and we sort of did music but we weren’t really country singers,” explains Phil.
The Salvo Country Band has its origins in a gospel rock band called 11:59 which included both Phil and Chris. While they didn’t have much experience performing country music, Phil says they just decided to give it a shot.
With more than 600 buskers in Peel Street alone, the Salvo Country Band is definitely a highlight at the festival. The band will spend several nights on Peel Street from six in the evening until midnight singing legendary country songs and proclaiming Christ through their gospel music. And they draw a large crowd. Many will park themselves in front of the band for an entire night, while others will stand and listen for a few songs before moving onto the next busker.

Right mix
It took a few gigs to work out the right model for performing to a moving audience, Phil explains.
“We tried playing gospel songs and someone speaking, but that didn’t work. As soon as somebody speaks, the whole crowd, they just disappear.”
Instead of preaching, Phil now explains each song in-between performances. During their breaks, the band simply chats to individuals in the audience. The Salvo Country Band's ministry, says Phil, is connecting with people.
“The crowd always wants to talk during the break, have a yarn and tell you their story.”
The crowd has always responded well to the band's fusion of gospel and country music.
“They’ll all stop because of the classic songs they know. Then they’ll stay and dance to There’s Power in the Blood of Jesus. They might not believe in God but they’re actually singing, there’s power in the blood of Jesus and that’s really powerful.”
One of their attractions is the band’s harmonies, which often draw a crowd.
“Our harmonies are a big part of our sound. We sort of realised, when you kick a harmony line up, people just stop and listen.”
While some of the members have moved on since the band’s early days, Phil, his wife Marilynn and Chris still remain. A cattle farmer, a father of four daughters and grandfather of five, Phil explains how each of the band members has regular jobs. For Phil and his band, their music is all about ministry.
“We’ve got our own lives. Music is a great ministry and a great tool for God. We can go down there as a church band and stop the street. That’s our mission.”
Chris is an accountant who plays bass guitar and sings. He, too, lives on a farm with his wife. They have four children and two grandchildren. Other band members are Lach Mckay, a wood chipper (acoustic guitar and vocals), Dave Spencer (keyboard) and Lynden Briggs, high school teacher and father of two daughters (drums). Lynden is Phil’s son-in-law.
From time to time, Salvationist Graeme Press will play keyboard with the band, including this year at the Country Music Festival, filling in for Dave who was unable to attend.

Moral compass
The presence of the Army at the festival continuines to grow. This year, for the second time, the Peter Christie Band from the Blue Mountains played alongside the Salvo Country Band.
Peter (acoustic guitar and lead vocals) and his band members Jason Hill (electric guitar), who was unable to attend the festival this year, Megan Nancarrow (electric double bass) and her husband Shane (drums) believe the music festival brings numerous ministry opportunities for them as a band.
“We stand on Peel Street with a whole lot of people hearing Christian songs and it’s a witness. There are not too many opportunities as Christian artists to do that,” says Peter. “We’re this little moral compass in the middle of the street,” he says.
Peter explains that country music has always been strongly linked with gospel music, giving them an easy platform to share the love of Christ through their music.
“You can do a set singing about beer bottles and throw in a gospel song and people won’t blink. They’re very open to it.”
For many of the listeners who pass by, Megan says they will instantly connect with some of the classic gospel songs.
“Last year, when we first started playing, there’d be someone absolutely sobbing. You would go up to them at the end and they’d say, '‘Thank you for those memories. I’m crying because of the memories that song brings back’.”
Like the Salvo Country Band, their goal is not fame. Rather, they spend many weekends throughout the year travelling long distances to minister to local corps with their music. And each of them has day jobs. Both Peter and Dave are music teachers, Megan teaches hospitality and Shane is a mental health support worker.
Both the Peter Christie Band and the Salvo Country Band will continue to come back to the festival as long as there’s a need.
“We’ll keep coming while it’s got a use. We would have given it up years ago if it didn’t work.”
The Peter Christie Band released a new album called Revival in March. Visit peterchristie.com.au to purchase the album.


Band fans flock from near and far

Dennis and Anita Whitehouse also set up chairs in front of Target to listen to the Salvo Country Band. Both Dennis and Anita have been attending the Tamworth Country Festival for the past 18 years and have listened to the Salvo Country Band play since they first started performing in the streets of Tamworth many years ago.
“They play such lovely music,’ says Anita.
Dennis adds: “They’re very professional in what they do.”
While they are not Salvos, they own all their CDs and enjoy the fusion of both gospel and country music played by the Salvo Country Band.
“It’s a good message that people passing by can hear. It’s a witness,” says Anita.
Dennis finishes: “That’s the thing about the Salvo Country Band. They present what the people at the Tamworth Country Festival want, without going away from what they’re about.”
Irene and Bob Maunders are newlyweds, only just been married for a year. Bob explains that he grew up in Tamworth which has motivated him to come back to the Tamworth Country Music Festival with his wife. The couple met at The Salvation Army in Taree and for the past two years, the festival has become part of their routine as a couple.
Huge supporters of The Salvation Army, the Maunders make the long trip to Tamworth because they desire to support the Army in their endeavours during the festival. And they are also fans of the Salvo Country Band.
“We love their gospel music. We also own many of their CDS. We have them in the car playing all the time,” explains Irene.
As many crowds pass by on both Friday and Saturday evening from 25-26 January, the Maunders choose to park themselves in front of the Salvo Country Band outside of Target in the main street of Tamworth to support the band.


Music Kitchen

Coordinating a kitchen that serves over 1,500 meals across five days at the Tamworth Country Music Festival, Vivien Kings is one amazing volunteer.
A soldier since 2004, Vivien has been volunteering for the past eight years at Tamworth Corps and for the past six years she has running the corps’ commercial kitchen during the Country Music Festival. Part of Tamworth’s ministry during the festival is supplying food to the hundreds of guests who walk through their doors each day.
For the past ten year the Bush Balladeers Association has hired out Tamworth Corps during the festival to host a number of performances by country artists. Throughout this week, the Army provides all the catering for about 2000 guests.
Alongside Vivien is a team of 20 volunteers who assist with catering and spend up to 12 hours a day working in the kitchen. Vivien firmly believes the Army’s presence at the musical festival to have a significant impact. 
“It’s a really wonderful ministry opportunity. I love the people. They come back year after year. I believe we are able to show care and compassion for other people as our people go out and sit and talk with them and make them feel at home.”
As well as catering, Tamworth Corps offers their backyard to campers throughout the entire festival as part of their outreach.
The corps also hosts a free breakfast and concert on the last Sunday of the festival. This is their final opportunity to show the love of Christ throughout the festival. 
About 100 people turn up to hear both the Salvo Country Band and Peter Christie Band perform on the Sunday. Many of the people who attend are not regular church-goers and some even listen to the bands perform in Peel Street as well as coming to the Sunday event.
All money raised throughout the week goes towards purchasing items for the corps to continue their ministry to the local community.

This article first appeared in The Salvation Army's Creative Ministry magazine.

Photos: Shairon Paterson