Sami's 2014 Australian Album Tour- Queensland Newsletter

Hey everyone! 
I thought that this would be the perfect time for me to write a newsletter about my last 3 months  on tour in Queensland. I have been performing 3-4 shows a week, as I head off next Wednesday for the last part of my five month Queensland Tour! I have had the most amazing experiences this year touring around the eastern side of Australia and I am proud to announce that we have already began planning and booking for my tour next year, with some BIG announcements to be made early next year.  

I have been lucky enough to have Andrew Weegberg design my brand new website www.SamiCooke.com.au, which went live around a month ago. Be sure to check it out and visit all my different music links including my Twitter page www.twitter.com/Samimusicpage and my Facebook page www.facebook.com/samicookemusic for all my regular updates and events.

If you like, you can also purchase my album from there as well.

The Queensland Tour kicked off with the Caboolture Urban Country Music Festival, where I performed on both days Saturday 3rd May and Sunday 4th May. This was a fantastic festival for letting the Queensland people who I was, where I would be in their areas, also I caught up with so many of my musical friends and photographers. I had a wonderful photo shoot the day after with Greg Young and Bob McGahan on the lake at Alexandra Headlands,which you may have seen a few on Facebook.

My second weekend consisted of three shows in the Sunshine Coast Area; Beerwah Hotel on the 9th May, Caboolture RSL on the 10th May and Ettamogah Pub on the 11th May. This was a 12 hour weekend of singing for me so I was very happy to have a local girl Cassie Hilbers performing as my support act for my last show. I try to organise a support act for each one of my shows to give them the opportunity I never had, to get up on stage in front of an audience and be seen by the venues. They perform between six to eight songs throughout my shows. During this time I had a few radio interviews within the Sunshine Coast region which was very exciting as they helped get my music heard.

We were very happy to have my Dad fly up to watch one of my shows and stay for a couple of nights. We headed out from the Sunshine Coast to Gympie where I performed at Billy’s Hotel on the 18th May. This was a great night as the place was packed with people who came as they heard I would be there. Dad left the next day so Mum and I left for Maryborough to stay with her friend Carolynn. We had an absolute ball there with another four shows in that area; Carrier Arms Hotel in Maryborough on the 23rd May, Bayswater Hotel Hervey Bay on the 25th May, Shamrock Hotel on the 30th May and Woodgate Club on the 31st May. I again had a local girl Kayla Ryan as my support act for my last three shows which was great. I had a shock when I arrived at one of my shows and some of my family from Cowra in NSW, the Henderson’s, had driven all the way up to watch me again! How incredible!

While I was in Maryborough, I decided to splurge on another instrument, this time I bought a Tenor Ukulele which I have named “Danny”. I love this instrument as it makes any song sound happy. At my last show, I got two people up on stage with me and I handed them maracas, while I played my ukulele. That was so much fun. 

I also decided to add another instrument to the show… This time I have incorporated the saxophone into a couple of songs. We all love something different, don’t we?

We had a new addition to the tour for a few weeks; a Bass player/Singer/Songwriter, Tracey Davis. Tracey joined the tour on the 3rd June when we were in Bundaberg. This was a huge experience for us all to have another musician with us since my brother in Victoria and we had a ball. The first weekend Tracey was with us, I had four shows which equalled up to fourteen hours of singing in four days! I performed at The Waves in Bundaberg on the 5th and 6th June,  The beautiful Bundaberg RSL on the 7th June (which was right on the river) and we experienced a little of the mining communities when I played at Gladstone Yacht Club on the 8th June(again this was right on the river).

We stayed with Tracey’s family in Yeppoon during the week before we headed out to Blackwater Country Club on the 13th June (we wore all black for Friday the 13th) and Emerald on the 14th June. These places were fantastic and we all made some great friends. In Emerald, I had a surprise visit from my Great Uncle Steve who drove all the way from Kempsey in NSW to Emerald in Queensland JUST to see me sing. This was amazing and really made me realise how much of a supportive family I really do have.

The next weekend was a little quieter as I had to move from Yeppoon to Mackay which was a fair distance compared to our other trips. We had one more show to do with Tracey before we headed up further and she went back down home, and this was at the Keppel Bay Sailing Club in Yeppoon. We had so much fun here as it was right on the beach and was a packed out crowd. We had people dancing along and singing to all our songs. The day after we said goodbye to Tracey and Mum and I headed off for a two hour drive to the tiny place of Marlborough. This was probably one of the best nights as it was a full on, fun and eventful night with a packed out audience.

We left Marlborough to go the Mackay which was such a great place. We caught up with a couple of our beautiful friends Sharone Carter and Oliver Carter-Beck a few times and were lucky enough to be shown around by them. We stayed at MyCow Accommodations which was right next to the river and I played a show there for all those along the street and in the caravan park on the Saturday 28th June. I had another two shows this weekend as well at Sarina Leagues Club on the 27th June and at the Old Railway Hotel in Mackay on the 29th June. These were some of the best shows I think I have had, especially at the Old Railway Hotel as it was completely packed of musicians who would jump up on stage and start backing each other. I can’t wait to come back and play again!

We stayed for a couple more days before we left for Airlie Beach. What can I say about this place besides absolutely STUNNING! We went out the night we got there and saw one of our friends Cameron Cusack playing at Magnums Hotel; which is where I would be playing. That night and the next night Cameron got me to do a few songs on stage. I had three shows to finish off this part of the Queensland Tour; Proserpine Ex-Services Club on the 4th July, Montes Reef Resort on the 5th July and Magnums Hotel on the 6th July. Montes Reef Resort had to be the most beautiful place I have ever played as my stage was literally on the beach overlooking the mountains, islands and crystal blue water. This just reminded me how lucky I am to be able to travel our beautiful country and perform in places such as that.

We had a good look around before we packed up again and headed back to Mackay for the night. We stayed with Sharone and Oliver and on the 8th July Mum and I caught the plane for Canberra for our two week break at home. I don’t think we were really prepared for the cold weather though as the first day we were home, we went to the snow with my sister and her kids.

Well that basically brings you back to today. I want to thank everyone for all your constant support, and all my new supporters! I can never have enough so please keep sharing my page and music to all your friends. 
I have a few new things up, a few more songs on the way and some more exciting news to be announced soon so be sure to check out my links:

Email: Samittar@bigpond.com
Manager’s Phone: 0439 134 040
Website: www.SamiCooke.com.au
Facebook: www.facebook.com/sami.official.music.page
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SAMImusicpage
Instagram: Sami_Cooke
Youtube: SamiCooke

Thankyou, 
SAMI