CMC Rocks QLD close to sell-out

Image: Chris Young at CMC Rocks 2015

News from the CMC Rocks Queensland country and roots festival is that 95% of the three-day tickets have sold out – much of the recent sales apparently as Christmas presents.

“The tickets have been flying out the door,” promoters reported. “There [are] only a very limited number of tickets left.”

Camping tickets had already sold out for first time ever in a fortnight. When CMC Rocks QLDdoes sell out in the next month or so it will mark a first for the now nine-year-old festival.

CMC Rocks Queensland is held between Friday March 11 to Sunday March 13 at Willowbank. Headliners include Jason Aldean and Florida Georgia Line.

In other updates, the line-up for the Saturday and Sunday afternoon acoustic Songwriter Shows has been unveiled.

Saturday from 1pm to 3pm will feature Lee Brice, Kip Moore, Brantley Gilbert, Kelsea Ballerini and Morgan Evans.

Sunday from 1pm to 3pm will feature Tyler Farr, Drake White, Chase Rice, The Road Hammers’ Jason McCoy and Morgan Evans.

Tennessee Whiskey brand Jack Daniel’s has also come in as a major sponsor. As part of the deal, the festival’s campers bar will be renamed Jack Daniel’s White Rabbit Saloon and Garden Bar.

It will feature local and international performers and “pays homage to one of Mr Jack’s favourite bars in his hometown of Lynchburg, Tennessee. It was a place he could meet his friends to savour a glass of Jack’s fine Tennessee whiskey.”

The set up includes the Songwriters Shows, Live Band Karaoke and Saturday and Sunday morning sets from The Hillbenders (performing their version of The Who’s Tommy album).

There are also late night performances only for on-site campers, from Tim Hicks, Cam Scott, Adam Eckersley Band, The Road Hammers and Deep Creek Road. Another program exclusive to campers is for those who arrive early on the Thursday, with Mike Carr, Jody Direen, Sunny Cowgirls and the Wolfe Brothers.

Part of the festival experience is the sixth CMC Music Awards on Thursday March 10 at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) in Brisbane. Jason Aldean and Kelsea Ballerini, both making their Australian debuts, will perform at the show, which is hosted by Morgan Evans. Foxtel’s Country Music Channel will broadcast the event live from 7.30pm Queensland time (8.30pm AEDT).