Australia's ode to honky tonk is in full swing with the 52nd Tamworth Country Music Festival underway. Right now, all eyes are on the town's street performers, an area known for uncovering some of the biggest stars of country.
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00:00 Forget the bright lights and red carpet.
00:08 This is where the festival's true heart and sass are born.
00:15 Each year Peel Street is transformed into what's known as the Boulevard of Dreams, setting
00:20 the stage for up to 400 buskers who compete for prizes and gigs.
00:25 I didn't realise there was going to be so many musos along this line.
00:30 So, I don't know, I guess when people are walking past they can just get snippets of
00:34 everything.
00:39 One of Tamworth's long-running buskers is Smokey Pete.
00:42 I run a walk-up busking spot and I have been in the same spot for eight or nine years now.
00:49 It's also where some of Aussie country's biggest names got their start, including Casey
00:54 Chambers, Troy Cassadayley, Keith Urban and up-and-comer Lane Pittman.
01:00 It's probably the most important thing we do here for younger artists during the festival.
01:03 I mean, it's how you get your start, it's how you get seen, you know.
01:06 He then went on to wow the judges in The Voice.
01:10 And now the 17-year-old commands large audiences of his own.
01:14 They call it the Boulevard of Dreams and that's exactly what it is.
01:16 You never know who you're going to see or the next star you're going to discover.
01:20 While it's the Golden Guitar Awards that represent the pinnacle of industry recognition, it's
01:24 the days leading up to the big event where grassroots country comes alive.
01:29 It's out here on Peel Street where the soul and longevity of this festival lives.
01:37 Now in its 52nd year, the music shows no signs of quieting down.
01:42 [music]
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