The Kernaghans: The Superstar and The Blacksheep May 26, 2008

I recently read two news articles on the Kernaghan siblings, in particular Lee (The Country superstar) and Fiona (the black sheep).

The first article was about Lee Kernaghan withdrawing from a festival at Pussycat Flats Rodeo on June 21. The reason being Lee is simply too big for the event, the area won’t cope with the number of fans wanting to see him.

The second news article also featured a Kernaghan, this time Fiona, Lee’s younger sister. Fiona is a very different to Lee; she admits that she sees her self as “the slightly weird one” in the family. The article is interesting as it depicts that even country music singers and musicians get caught up in the drug orientated stereotype that is ‘muso culture’. In that Fiona had indulging in the white power while in Nashville but had given up now she moved to a better lifestyle in Los Angles.

I thought this was interesting as I did not align country music with that type of music culture for some reason, I guess its because of the stereotypical perception that country is played in the country rather than the city. City nightlife and, rock/roll music culture must have had a significant influence. Fionas music is in the genres of country/rock/pop.

Since then Fiona has turned her life around, she suggests in the article that she like many of us were young, silly and wanted to try and do everything. She is this years Australian of the Year, the difference between these two Kernaghan’s is probably the fact that over her career Fiona has been a little more risqué releasing songs with more controversial lyrics; one line noted as an example in the article is “I cut lines on a  toilet with my credit card/trying to go numb.”

Sources:

Kernaghan Too Big for Pussycat Gig

Country’s Blacksheep Prefers Rocking to Flocking

Post By: Ryan Witt

‘Kasey Gets Intimate’ Newspaper Article May 18, 2008

I am not a Kasey Chambers fan, and I don’t really keep that a secret. However, I have to commend her on her touring schedule. She always visits small towns right around Australia, and she is soon to come to my home town of Taree, where she has been before. In our local paper the “Manning River Times”, on the 9^th – 10^th of May, there is a little write up about her upcoming Acoustic Tour.

The article begins by stating how she has sold over a million albums, which actually surprises me a little. I did know her fan base was large but I didn’t realise it was to this extent. This particular tour will be an intimate acoustic set, in a very stripped back and plain style and she will be playing at the “Manning Entertainment Centre” on Thursday the 12^th of June.

This upcoming tour comes after an 18 month break from touring so she could give birth the her child Arlo. In her touring break she has also been writing her first collaboration album titled “Rattlin Bones” which is a more ‘country roots’ album.

In her show, she will not only be paying songs from her new album, but she will also be playing the best of her past songs from her previous four multi-platinum albums, however the concert will be all acoustic so the songs will be a little more toned down then usual.

Personally, I will not be attending the concert, but I do hear that she puts on a good show. I don’t know what it is about Kasey Chambers that I don’t like, but there is just something about her voice that drives me insane, especially with the song “I’m Not Pretty Enough”. in saying that though I do respect her. She has a great following and she is a popular artist and she would not still be around if there wasn’t something about her that helped to draw in the fans. So what ever she’s doing to keep her audience, I say keep it up.

 

By Jacki Tipton