Nashville Tour 2011
Well, it was a heck of a year in 2011 with one of the highlights being the opportunity to perform at the Americana Conference as part of the Sounds Australia Showcases and at the invitation of our good friend Dobe Newton from the Bushwackers.
The Duke Wilde Band were seen and heard all over Tennessee from the time they got out of the airport till the night before they left Music City USA. The band had only 45mins to get hotel rooms, showered and into the legendary Tootsies Orchid lounge after touch down to have a radio interview with the one and only Billy Block on 103WKDF. "Hey, do you guys wanna play at Tootsie's Bar tonight?" asks Billy Block. "Sure Do!" hail the Duke Wilde Band... and the fun begins.
The short version:
30+ hours of travel, radio interviews, live gigs at Tootsies, 3rd and Lindsley, The Billy Block Show broadcast on Ch 19 Nashville T.V. with an invite to come back the very next week, 2 x gigs at The Rutledge and then honoured with being named the "Best Buy" artist of the week.
Road Trip to Knoxville to catch up with Blackberry Smoke, an awesome Southern Rock Outlaw Country band, gig offers for Atlanta, Louisiana and Texas.
Hangin on Music Row checking out studios, song publishing houses and catchin up with top producers Mark "Slide on Over" Moffatt and Mike Flanders. Hangin out with Craig Morrison and sitting in on his session for his new album. Starbucks and Roberts Western World is where you'll find us. Running a muck at Losers Bar with our new friends Fifth on the FLoor, from Kentucky. Playing a show with "One of a Kind" Phil Lee and using Gary Tallent's (Bruce Springsteen E Street Band) guitar.
Road trip to Memphis, stopped off in Jackson for a gig at The Rockabilly Hall of Fame. Recording at Sun Records... WOW! Beale St, BB Kings, Blues and more Blues. Gibson Factory (I'll have one in every colour thanks) Gracelands for a cheesburger and the incredible STAX Museum of Soul.
More recording in Nashville, late night "Breakfast" at the Hermitage and the greatest Hamburger in the world at Roberts Western World on Broadway. Wanda Jackson at Grimeys Record shop, Hob Nobbing at the Sister Cities Official function and then into the Americana Conference week.... did I mention this was the short version.
Americana Awards Show featured Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Buddy Miller and many more. The highlights for us were newcomers Civil Wars, Amos Lee and Jusint Townes Earle and the Legendary Robert Plant and Greg Allman. What an unbelievable night of music we will never forget!
Our trip to Nashville was an experience of a lifetime and we have seen so many great artists and met som many wonderful people along the way, thanks to all who supported us on this journey. We are planning to get back to Americana in Septmeber of 2012 and can't wait..... hope to see you there.
Keep on Rockin' - Duke Wilde Band
**For Immediate Release: 15th September 2011**
The Duke Wilde Band Hits Music City USA!
The Duke Wilde Band are packing their bags in preparation for their latest adventure, a trip to the Country Music Capital of the World, Nashville Tennessee.
The Award Winning group have been invited to showcase their live act in front of country music industry playmakers at the 2011 Americana Conference in October alongside country music legend Marty Stuart, Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant and Greg Allman from the Allman Bros Band and will also be attending the Americana Awards.
Queensland Country Music’s current Best Group and New Talent title holders will be included in the Sounds Australia delegation headed up by Bushwackers front man Dobe Newton, who has been a great support of The Duke Wilde Band. Showcases are scheduled for the Bluebird Café and the Basement to coincide with the Nashville Kangaroos AFL team’s Great Aussie BBQ.
Off the back of some blistering performances at the 2011 Gympie Muster, also being spotted backstage rubbing shoulders with Montgomery Gentry, Jace Everett and “Poppa” Bill Chambers, the band are eager to spread the word on what Australian Country Rock sounds like.
The band will also be live on air within hours of touching down in Nashville at the legendary Tootsies Orchid Lounge on the Billy Block’s Radio Show (September 25), with a further live performance on the Billy Block Show on October 4. A quick trip to Knoxville for a Blackberry Smoke gig, Guest appearance at the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in Jackson and onto Memphis to record at Sun Records Studio, the Birthplace of Rock’n’Roll.
“To be offered recording time at Sun records is a dream come true.” Duke said, “We are all very excited to be in the same studio where Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and of course Elvis Presley made music history. Hopefully some of that magic will rub off.” Duke further stated that while this is the trip of a lifetime, the band is planning on getting back stateside as early as next year.
More awards, CMC Top 50, Led Zeppelin, Nashville and more.....
May, 2011
It has been another exciting month for The Duke Wilde Band winning two awards at the Queensland Country Music Awards, a legend among us, festival headlines, single at No. 2 song and more radio play going international.
The Duke Wilde Band have just received news that they have won two awards in the New Talent and Group/Duo categories for The Queensland Country Music Awards that were held at the end of April at the Charters Towers Country Music Festival. This is great news for the band as they were in the same company as Luke Austen, the Bostocks, Sarah Kay and others.
The Duke Wilde Band have just flown back from Barcaldine (Western-Central, QLD) having headlined the Tree Of Knowledge Festival (April 30 to May 2nd). The lads were excited and pumped when they got told they would be flown in for the gig and a great time was had by all. A big thanks to Jane Williams and Gay Gesch for all their hard work and to the Ballistics and Eric for the sound production.
A big thank you to all those radio stations that are picking up on "The Band Plays" getting it into the Country Tracks National Top 30 (currently at no. 29). This is the second single from our album and we have just received news that the film clip has also entered into the CMC Top 50 reaching no.43 on the chart. The first single "Country Town" reached No. 2 on the Hot Country Chart with "The Band Plays" currently at No. 16.
We had some great news that the one and only Mr. Jimmy Page of the legendary "Led Zepellin" has taken the time to listen to some of The Duke Wilde Band and his manager passed on some kind words for the future.
On other International news, the boys have had some airplay on the Billy Block Show out of Nashville, TN. Billy Block played Why Don't We Hear Old Waylon Anymore and loved the track. The boys are getting some great response from the Nashville industry and can't wait to get over there in the near future.
Till next time......
The Duke Wilde Band: Top Ten in Hot Country Top 50!
March 7 2011.
The award winning Duke Wilde Band have hit the Top Ten in the Hot Country radio Top 50 Chart with their Q-Song award winning track "Country Town" at no. 7 this week.
The band have recently returned from a very successful NSW tour that included the Tamworth Country Music festival in January where they launched their self titled debut album.
The Duke Wilde Band are gaining radio airplay Nationwide for "Country Town" and the second single "The Band Plays" (out on nfs no. 146) is climbing the Hot Country Chart also coming in at no. 43 this week. "The Band Plays" is also receiving regular airtime on the Country Music Channel and was a Hit Prediction on Cool Country Radio 2KA in Sydney.
The group Country Update Magazine called "the most exciting new band in Australian country music" has got a good thing going with their first two singles. They are a head turning live act and if you aren't playing these songs... you should be!
The Duke Wilde Band
2010 National Country Band Challenge - Winners
2010 coca cola Battle of the Bands - Winners
2010 Q-Song award, Country Song of the Year - Winners.
"Making the future of Australian country music an exciting place to be" - Capital News.
