tag:craigstewart.com.au,2005:/blogs/latest-news?p=8Latest News2024-01-16T13:21:37+11:00Craig Stewartfalsetag:craigstewart.com.au,2005:Post/73345492024-01-16T13:21:37+11:002024-01-16T13:21:37+11:002024 - Tassie - Here I come!!<p>Well, hope everyone has had an awesome festive season. I have had 30 odd shows booked over December & January and at the end of January will be heading off for 6 weeks of touring my ‘Neil Diamond- The Man, The Music Tribute’ show. </p><p>Tumut, Mulwala, Launceston, Devonport, Hobart, Scamander, Orford and Echuca - I'm coming your way!!</p><p>Obviously Covid slowed up a lot of the touring but I am looking at getting back into the full swing of touring some ticketed shows this year around my regular Mid North Coast local shows.</p><p>If you would like me to see if I can come close to your town drop me a line.</p><p>All shows have been uploaded onto the gig guide. Check it out to see where I will be playing next.</p><p>Cheers,<br>Craig. </p>Craig Stewarttag:craigstewart.com.au,2005:Post/72887632023-10-17T15:07:56+11:002023-10-17T15:07:56+11:00Latest News - upcoming shows<p>G'day everyone. Well…what's been happening? Lots of shows as usual - in fact I added them up and I have booked around 150 shows so far for 2023 which is a great result. Thank you as always to all my regular venues.</p><p>I did a little bit of recording - if you head over to my Facebook page you'll see a song I wrote on there ‘Sheds and Wives’ which was a bit of a comedy thing that came to mind one day a while back. Link to that is here <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.facebook.com/598997746/videos/982265552918424/">https://www.facebook.com/598997746/videos/982265552918424/</a></p><p>In big news I'm heading back to Tasmania with my ‘Neil Diamond - The Man, The Music Tribute’ show. That will be happening between early February and mid March by the time I get back. Check out the gig guide section for all the dates.</p><p>I have just updated all my upcoming bookings in the gig guide. Most of these are on the Mid North Coast of NSW, however I also have a Neil Diamond show at Burleigh Bowling Club early November which will be tops.</p><p>Right - that's about it for now. Thank you to everyone as always for coming to my shows - it is for you of course that I do all this so your patronage and friendship is always most appreciated.</p><p>Cheers,<br>Craig</p>Craig Stewarttag:craigstewart.com.au,2005:Post/72164222023-05-27T12:26:35+10:002023-10-17T01:47:07+11:00So..... What's been happening???<p>OK - lots of gigs as always - and thank you to both my venues that continue to book me regularly and the patrons who always come along to my shows!!!<br><br>Mostly doing covers shows locally on the Mid North Coast, but also lots of Neil Diamond tribute shows. Thank you to everyone who has come along to them. </p><p>For all those people who have asked when the next album is coming out - watch this space. It is a need, not a want. I need to get writing again, and am looking forward to getting some more music recorded for you all to enjoy. <br> </p><p>I've always got at least two, usually three shows on each week and have just updated the gig guide for the next few months, so check out where I'm playing and come and say g'day.</p><p>Hope you're all well, catch you at a gig somewhere…</p><p>Craig</p>Craig Stewarttag:craigstewart.com.au,2005:Post/69120922022-03-03T12:53:08+11:002022-03-03T12:53:08+11:00Right - Post Covid lockdowns - Back to Business!<p>Well what a couple of years we've all had. From a musician and hospitality perspective it's been interesting to say the least. Is always frustrating to put a line through 40 odd booked gigs, but there are others a lot worse off and life is now getting back to normal.</p>
<p>So what is the new normal? I'm glad to say that this year I already have over 80 gigs booked, dancing and singing is allowed again in NSW, masks are no longer mandatory and it appears as though we are getting back to some semblance of what was our old lives.</p>
<p>Music wise being locked down gave me a great opportunity to learn a heap of new covers for my pub/club shows. The writing side of things has not re-emerged yet but I'm very keen to do a follow up album to 'Frontier' which has been very well received. </p>
<p>Am updating my gig guide now for all upcoming shows - including some Neil Diamond tribute shows that have been booked. Hopefully will catch up with some of you around the traps. </p>
<p>Cheers,</p>
<p>Craig</p>Craig Stewarttag:craigstewart.com.au,2005:Post/59970702019-12-09T13:00:20+11:002019-12-09T13:00:20+11:00Summer 2019 - What a year it's been!!!<p>As I sit here, I am in my bus on the outskirts of Dorrigo having completed three shows this past weekend and well over 100 for the year as always. <br><br>Has been a big year - toured the Neil Diamond show through Victoria in March, performed it all over NSW throughout the rest of the year. Also had many original and covers shows mainly on the Mid North Coast of NSW. <br><br>I've just updated the gig guide - many highlights over the next few months. One in particular I always love doing is the tall ships on Sydney Harbour every Australia Day. Myself, a fiddler, a tall ship, the harbour, fireworks. It is truly magical. </p>
<p>There has been a great ongoing response to the original music. Am looking to get writing and recording again next year, so hopefully album number four won't be too far around the corner - apologies to all those people who have been keen for a new release. Am very keen to get back on the festival circuit and tour the original music a lot more once this comes to fruition.<br><br>Thank you as always to the venues who have supported me over many years and continue to do so. Far too numerous to list individually, but you all know who you are and your support is both invaluable and appreciated.</p>
<p>Also a big thank you to my agent Nancy Hillary who books my Neil Diamond tribute shows. As always she has done a great job of getting the show out there to the masses and exposing me to not only some great venues but also some big audiences with an awful lot of sold out shows. </p>
<p>Hope everyone has a lovely festive season, and look forward to catching you at a show somewhere down the track. </p>
<p>Cheers,<br>Craig</p>Craig Stewarttag:craigstewart.com.au,2005:Post/55798812019-01-04T11:09:42+11:002019-01-04T11:09:42+11:00Welcome to 2019<p>Hi everyone, and welcome to 2019. I hope you had a great Chrissy and New Year. I had a great time with family, a few shows here and there and beautiful South West Rocks weather. </p>
<p>This year is already shaping up to be huge. After touring Tasmania last year with my Neil Diamond - The Man, The Music Tribute show, I will be touring the show through Victoria, the ACT and NSW during Feb/Mar/April. There are around 30 shows booked between the bottom of Victoria and Lightning Ridge, so I'm really looking forward to playing new venues in new locations that I haven't toured previously.</p>
<p>The middle of the year will see a repeat performance through Queensland between June and August. Again, can't wait for that trip!</p>
<p>This is also to be the year of my writing a follow up album to 'Frontier'. No doubt I will find some stories in my travels that may well make the album, but suffice to say the focus will once again be on bringing Australian history to life in the modern format that has made Frontier so successful for my original shows and well received by those who have purchased the albums. </p>
<p>To everyone who has come along to a show or purchased an album or two over the past twelve months, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Here's to a great 2019 - I can't wait to bring my shows and music to a whole new batch of audiences.</p>
<p>Just noticed I have an option here to upload a track, so please enjoy the third song off Frontier - 'Government Man'. :)</p>3:51Craig Stewarttag:craigstewart.com.au,2005:Post/47503322017-06-20T10:35:19+10:002017-06-20T10:35:19+10:00So - what's been happening??<p>Been a very busy past few months. Probably (definitely) the highlight was getting to head back to Norfolk Island to play at my good mate Matty Zarb's restaurant The Jolly Roger for a week. Brooke and I had a blast. Thanks so much to Matt & Lesley for having us over and to all my long time Norfolk friends for the long overdue catch ups. Already looking forward to the next one!</p>
<p>I've had lots of Neil Diamond tribute shows going on - Mosman, Toronto, Mangrove Mountain, The Entrance, Dubbo and Armidale have all been covered. All the shows have been really well attended and I can't thank everyone enough who made the effort to come along. I should also give a big thanks to my agent Nancy who books these for me - great team work all around.</p>
<p>The local shows have been going great guns. All my regular venues have been booking me to come back which is great, so thank you to all of those managers & publicans for your ongoing support. </p>
<p>The new album Frontier has been selling up a storm. Am so happy with the finished product, and the songs have been going over fantastic live. Thank you to everyone who has bought an album and for the wonderful feedback I receive about where my music is being played and in what circumstances.</p>
<p>I was also asked to run a songwriting workshop for the students at Kempsey Adventist School which was really well received. Thanks very much to Jotham Kingston for allowing me the opportunity to work with the students - hopefully we will have in some small way planted the seeds of inspiration in some of them.</p>
<p>Anyway - back to the grind. Working on writing for the new album as well as recording a good mate of mine Chris Haigh in the studio. </p>
<p>Take care everyone, and hopefully catch you at a show somewhere in the not too distant future.</p>
<p>Cheers,</p>
<p>Craig</p>Craig Stewarttag:craigstewart.com.au,2005:Post/45832932017-02-10T07:08:12+11:002017-02-10T07:08:12+11:002017 - BIG year aheadI've been doing a series of shows for Newcastle Permanent's 'Cinema Under The Stars' throughout NSW, which has been fantastic. As I sit here I'm getting ready to head out to Tamworth for two shows this weekend (one in Tamworth, one in Armidale).<br><br>I already have over 50 shows booked for this year - thanks very much to all those venues who have locked in some dates.<br>The new album Frontier is selling like hotcakes. So happy, and really enjoying the positive feedback I'm receiving from those who have bought the album - thank you so much. :)<br><br>Also, the Neil Diamond tribute show will be appearing throughout various NSW venues. I'll be taking it to Armidale and Dubbo later in February, but it is also booked at this stage for Central Mangrove, Bangalow, Toronto, Mosman and North Ryde.<br><br>In May Brooke and I will be heading over to Norfolk Island to do a series of shows for my good mate Matty Zarb at his restaurant 'The Jolly Roger'. It's been far too long since my last visit to Norfolk, so can't WAIT to get out there to catch up with old friends and make some new ones!<br><br>Hope to catch you all at a show somewhere soon.<br><br>Cheers,<br>CraigCraig Stewarttag:craigstewart.com.au,2005:Post/43827602016-09-21T20:25:34+10:002017-02-06T05:52:38+11:00CRAIG'S THIRD STUDIO ALBUM 'FRONTIER' RELEASED!!<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/146896/97d0fb85c2c9b9312d9964176541af8d30610807/original/craigstewart4.jpg?1474452664" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><p><a contents="AVAILABLE NOW ON ITUNES - CLICK HERE!" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://geo.itunes.apple.com/au/album/frontier/id1154716016?app=itunes" target="_blank">AVAILABLE NOW ON ITUNES - CLICK HERE!</a><br><br>Australian history comes to life in this ground breaking album by Australian singer/songwriter Craig Stewart.</p>
<p>"Australian history does not read like history, but like the most beautiful lies. And all of a fresh new sort, no mouldy old stale ones. It is full of surprises, and adventures, and incongruities, and contradictions, and incredibilities; but they are all true, they all happened." The Wayward Tourist: Mark Twain’s Adventures in Australia (1897) </p>
<p>Craig Stewart's third studio album 'Frontier' is a journey in it's own right. It takes us back to a time when the continent had not yet been settled by Europeans, and was the domain of the Australian Aboriginal. A place of deep spiritual and cultural beliefs dating back some 50000 years to the stone age. </p>
<p>With the arrival of the first fleet in 1788 came a clash of culture. One of the world's great ancient races found themselves confronted by a far better resourced occupier. </p>
<p>Over the next century Australia was a true frontier. A place of bloodshed, hardship, convicts, drought, perseverance, exploration, bushrangers and gold. Mark Twain was absolutely right. To read these stories does indeed read like a book of 'beautiful lies'. But they DID happen, and with 'Frontier' the stories have been brought back to life in a truly unique way. </p>
<p>Through combining his dedication towards Australian history with the power of music, Craig Stewart's 'Frontier' takes us back into the minds of those men and women who forged their way through this period in time. Is the album folk, country or rock? It is a combination of all these elements, but does not follow a specific genre - rather adapting the feel and nature of each song to the sentiments of those who were the subjects of each story. At times you will rock to the excitement of rebellion and resistance, while at others feel the desperation of survival. </p>
<p>The emotion of 'Frontier' is brought to life through the musicianship of Chris Haigh, an exceptional guitarist and bass player who has worked with the cream of the Australian music industry over many years and continues to be in high demand throughout the country as both a session and touring musician. </p>
<p>This is truly a unique album, designed to connect with all Australians while also opening up the stories behind a nation's modern evolution to the rest of the world.<br><br>You can purchase 'Frontier' direct from either iTunes or Google Play</p>Craig Stewarttag:craigstewart.com.au,2005:Post/37234032015-06-01T19:07:10+10:002015-06-01T19:07:10+10:00Neil Diamond - The Man, The Music to spread it's wings!Following discussions with Nancy Hillary of All Things Entertainment in Sydney recently, she has agreed to help me bring the Neil Diamond tribute show to a much wider audience through her network of venues throughout NSW and beyond. Very exciting times ahead, and wonderful to have some time freed up to develop more shows and work on the new album. Thanks very much Nancy!! To book Neil Diamond - The Man, The Music just click on the link in the menu bar where you'll find Nancy's contact details. <br> Craig Stewarttag:craigstewart.com.au,2005:Post/31337132014-08-13T08:57:55+10:002014-08-13T08:57:55+10:00Past, present future!Welcome to the new website. For those of you who I haven't caught up with in a while, there's been a fair bit going on! The most important of which is I married my beautiful wife Brooke in May. Life couldn't be better! <br><br>I've still been doing plenty of shows as usual, but due to changes in circumstances haven't recorded anything in a while. That's all about to change. Back writing, back planning for a new album, and expecting to go back on the festival scene in the near future. <br><br>Re the festivals, I've had a lot of people ask "where have you been?" I had a problem - but a good one. A lot of people kept saying "we've got both your albums, have played them to death, when can we get a new one?" Unfortunately for me being a writer life has got in the way a bit over the past few years. I need to be in the 'right place to write'. The good new is I'm now definitely there, so watch this space!<br><br>Again, welcome to the new site. There's plenty to have a look at here, plenty of gigs coming up. If you're around the mid north coast of NSW at any time try and catch up, as this is where I'm mainly performing. I've been asked by a lot of people if I intend to tour again. Once a new album is launched, that will definitely be on the cards and hopefully I'll get out to not only familiar territory but also some areas I haven't played before.<br><br>Take care,<br>Craig.Craig Stewart