The "REAL DEAL, DETERMINED, A FRESH NEW FACE" are just some of the words being used to describe this exciting artist on the Australian Country Music Scene. Raised in the Austrailian Outback at Halls Creek Western Australia, Markus began his musical journey at the age of five teaching himself chords on the guitar from an old book given to him by his prospector father.

Embarking on a solo career after starting at age 12 with his brother, he then played in many Darwin bands honing his skills on guitar, harmonica, banjo, mandolin and slide guitar before catching the attention of one of Australia's most successfull producers in Garth Porter (Lee Kernaghan, Troy Cassar-Daley, etc). who collaborated on this debut album 'Raindance', released in 2007. This album achieved 4 chart singles including 'In My Boots' which reached No. 1 in Queensland, No. 3 on the CMR National Charts & No. 6 on the European charts.

Markus was the major winner at the recent Mildura Country Music Festival Awards on October 8th this year taking out Top Male Vocalist, Best Album and Australian Independant Artist of the year. There is no question this 'Territory Boy' has well and truly grown up and is now ready to show audiences the raw talent he possesses and his unique style of country music that he writes and sings about so passionately.

His newest album 'Modern Days'sees Markus moving in a slightly different direction musically. 'Music is a creative process and as an artist you must evolve with the music and with the times' he says. 'Modern Days is an example of ‘country' moving into the future and becoming 'new country' and 'country rock'.

The video clip for the track 'Only Human' tells the story of a boxer’s life in the ring. It was filmed with boxing champion Danny Price, professional fighter Harry El Husseini and model and actress Jessica Saras.

It's well worth the trip to the Red Hill County Music Festival to see Markus and a host of others performing on January 8th.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUAC-x2CmGA[/video]

For more info about Markus Meier visit his website http://www.markusmeier.com.au

Red Hill Festival Program:

And the Finalists are…

It’s time to charge your glasses with Tooheys News and toast the Finalists in the 2012 Tooheys New Great NSW Country Pub Songwriting Competition.

Entries were received from across the nation - fromWestern Australia, Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales and the judges were very impressed with the high standard of the songs presented, celebrating pubs and pub life.

Congratulations to the Finalists

Brett Ralph, Eden NSW, “Since the Pit’s Closed Down

Geoff Williams, Mona Vale NSW, “The Pub Song”

Grant Luhrs, Wagga Wagga NSW, “The Chook Raffle Song”

Jim Edwards & Patricia Cruzado, NSW, “Wamboin Wallop”

Louise Egan, Lavington NSW, “Bar Flies”

Louis Nowra & Stewart D’Arrietta, Kings Cross NSW, “Thank God for Beer”

Merv Webster, Bargara QLD, “A Pub We Call Shindy’s Inn”

Rick Caballo, Windang NSW, “Everybody Knows Everybody”

Simply Bushed, Douglas Park NSW “Chook Raffle”

Sonny Rolfe, WellardWA, “Your Pub”

The Really Good Guys (John Vallins), Bellingen NSW, “Here’s to You”

Tootie Hiles, Toowoomba QLD, “At the Pub Baby”

Terry Lockley, Lidcombe NSW, “The Local”

The finalists are aged from 25 to 74 years of age and include several well-known country music identities such as Merv Webster and Grant Luhrs, Tootie Hiles who wowed the audience at last year’s winners concert, south coast NSW local Rick Caballo who was a grand finalist in the 2010 Toyota Star Maker Contest and President of the Belrose Country Music Club, Geoff Williams.

These songwriters have now been invited to perform their entry at the Winners Concert on 24 January 2012 at The Pub in Tamworthand are in the final round to take out the prize money.

$3,000 First Prize

$1,000 Second Prize

$750 Third Prize

$250 Fourth Prize

So come along and support the performers and hear this new selection of pub songs, one could be the next great county pub song.

Tooheys New Search for the Great NSW Country Pub Song

WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT CONCERT

The Pub, Tamworth

12 noon on Tuesday 24 January 2012

FREE ENTRY,ALL WELCOME

For further information contact:

Project Manager, Lyndall Lee Arnold, [EMAIL=This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.]This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.[/EMAIL]

I was born in the Queensland border town of Goondiwindi and, as my dad was a banker, his work took us to a number of towns throughout Queensland. I received my education to Junior level and then tried my hand at various occupations such as a Lad Porter on the Railway, then as a Clerk for the Commonwealth Bank, an Accountant, and the Toowoomba City Council. My wife was a Roma girl, Christine Edwards, whom I married in Toowoomba and we would have four children.

After marrying I worked as a Clerk, Shop Assistant, Slaughterman and an Electrical Line Worker. These jobs took us to towns such as Toowomba, Roma, Cairns, Gatton, Warialda and Goondiwindi. During my time in Roma I took an interest in stock work and received an education on all aspects of the life, some of which I'd rather forget, from a hardened old drover. Chris' dad. In 1994 we moved to Bargara, where I began writing a book on my family's history.

Impressed by the stories told to me, along with the experiences I had with Chris’ dad, I began trying my hand at writing bush poetry. My first book of bush poetry was called 'Tales of Uncle Jim', which was well received. In 1996 I met Neil McArthur, a fellow poet, who encouraged me to try performing my poetry at the Bundy Mob's Bush Poets Muster. This was the beginning of my career as a Performing Bush Poet.

I have been fortunate over the years to be able to perform and win numerous awards for my performance bush poetry at such places as the Mapleton Yarn Festival, Poets on the Downs, Jondaryan Country Music Rush, The Winton Waltzing Matilda Bush Poetry Championships, The Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame, The Bundy Mob’s Bush Poets Muster, Central Queensland Bush Poetry Championships, The Surat Battered Bugle, The Gympie Muster, Camooweal's Drovers Yesteryear Festival, Harvey Bay Whale Festival, North Pines Camp Oven Festival, Glengallon Bush Poetry Festival, Imperial Hotel Bush Poetry Competition, Tenterfield Oracles of the Bush, Bard of the Outback and the Australian Bush Poetry Championships at Yarrawonga-Mulwala.

Yarn spinning has become very much part of the bush poetry scene and I have enjoyed competing at competitions such as the Mapleton Yarn Festival, Jondaryan Country Music Rush, The Australian Yarn Spinning Championships [Winton Waltzing Matilda Festival], The Bundy Mob’s Bush Poets Muster, Millmerran Muster, Gatton Yarn Spinning Festival and the Yarnspinning Championships at the Australian Bush Poetry Championships,Yarrawonga-Mulwala.

Since 1996 I have won a number of awards for my written bush poetry, which were included in the eight books of bush verse and yarns I have published along with three albums. I have been a finalist on four occasions at the Golden Gumleaf Bush Laureate Awards at Tamworth with my books and once with Chris for our CD, 'Chris and The Grey, A Selection of Bush Verse'. I also have a track on The Australian Bush Balladeers Albums, Volumes 4, 5 and 7 and the 2005 Katherine Country Music Muster Album.

My desire to see the advancement of bush poetry encouraged me to take on the job of Bush Poetry Events Co-ordinator and for two years I was Co-ordinator for the Bundy Mob's Bush Poet's Muster, two years Joint Co-ordinator of the Oasis Bush Poetry Competition at Tamworth as well as the Easter In the Country weekend at Roma. I also co-ordinate the bush poetry at the Katherine Country Music Festival and the Far North Bush Poetry Festival. I have had the privilege to act as compere at many of the places I have performed and see it as an important role in keeping any function running smoothly.

Since 1999 Chris, and on occasions my dad, have joined me in our own show of Bush Poetry and Yarns, which we called 'Laughter & Tears from the Bush'. We have toured Western Queensland from Miles through to Camooweal, the Tamworth Country Music Festival, Easter In the Country at Roma, the 1770 Festival as well as Festivals, Expos, Farmfest, the Barcaldine Heritage Centre and numerous other venues throughout Queensland and Northern New South Wales.

Over the years Chris has accompanied me to The Tamworth Country Music Festival where we perform our show in front of Grace Bros., now Target. From 2000 until 2003 Chris and I were resident bush poets at the Bailey Bar Caravan Park at Charleville during the winter months where we performed our Bush Poetry and Yarns show daily and we had the opportunity to meet so many folk and introduced quite a few of them to bush verse. In November 2004 I released my debut Bush Ballad EP/CD, 'The Bushman & The Balladeer', a tribute to R. M. Williams and Slim Dusty, featuring the songs, 'R. M. Williams - a Man Who Had Tried' and 'I Never Cried For Elvis But I Shed A Tear For Slim'.

In 2005 I tried my hand at song writing and entered The Lyrics Only section of the Katherine Country Music Muster's Northern Territory Song Writing Competition and was nominated as one of the five finalists. On the Saturday night of the Muster, Balladeer Keith Jamieson announced that I had won the section with my song 'Chasing Buttons.'

Then in 2006 I thought I'd enter the TSA Awards at Tamworth and received three out of the five nominations in the Lyrics Only Section of their National Song Writing Contest and on Wednesday night of the Awards, Tania Kernaghan announced the finalists and then singer/songwriter Tom McIvor opened the envelope and announced that I won with 'The Maintop Balladeer.'

In 2006 I again tried my hand at The Lyrics Only section of the Katherine Country Music Muster's Northern Territory Song Writing Competition and was nominated as one of the five finalists. Keith Jamieson again announced that I had won the section with my song 'Granddad's Crusty Damper.'

Later in the year I received three finalist nominations in the Lyrics Only Section of the S.E. Queensland Branch's Song Writing Awards and took out second place with "I Wish I Were a Crocodile" and third place with "Son Play Another Coster Song". In August I released a new EP/CD "From Bard to Balladeer" with seven of my own compositions.

In 2007 I thought I'd again enter the TSA Awards at Tamworth and received four out of the six nominations in the Lyrics Only Section of their National Song Writing Contest and won with "I Wish I Were a Crocodile."

In 2008 I once again entered the TSA Awards at Tamworth and received two out of the six nominations in the Lyrics Only Section of their National Song Writing Contest.

In 2009 I once again entered the TSA Awards at Tamworth and received two out of the six nominations in the Lyrics Only Section of their National Song Writing Contest and won with "How The Times Have Changed So Qickly".

In 2010 I once again entered the TSA Awards at Tamworth and received a finalist nomination in the Lyrics Only Section of their National Song Writing Contest and won with "Down On Dogs and Ducks".

In 2011 I once again entered the TSA Awards at Tamworth and received a finalist nomination in the Lyrics Only Section of their National Song Writing Contest and won with "Hey Banjo".

[FONT=Tahoma][SIZE=3][COLOR=black]In 2012 I once again entered the TSA Awards at Tamworth and received two finalist nominations in the Lyrics Only Section of their National Song Writing Contest. Awards night January 2012.[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[FONT=Verdana][SIZE=3]In 2013 I once again entered the TSA Awards at Tamworth and received three semi-finalist nominations, two finalist nominations and won in the Lyrics Only Section of their National Song Writing Contest with "The Dingo Scalper's Daughter."

In 2014 I once again entered the TSA Awards at Tamworth and received two semi-finalist nominations, two finalist nominations in the Lyrics Only Section of their National Song Writing Contest

[/FONT][/SIZE]

I was bush poets Rep. for the Australian Bush Balladeers from 2003 to 2007. Chris and I continue to perform our show and if you wish to know where we will be performing check out our PERFORMANCE page.

Save the Date for Red Hill ... Sunday January 8th !! It's another great line up ..some good oldies like Gunslinger and Rough Cut and some new that haven't played at Red Hill like Multi Award Winning Markus Meier (Qld) Cooper West (undiscovered Country Rockstar) and Chris Lee (USA) . Also Amber is back again with her Loretta and Patsy tribute.

Best to arrive early with your chairs and shade. Bring a picnic if you like or buy from the various food stalls. The Red Hill Bar will be open or you can BYO also.

This is a fundraiser for the Lions Club so while you're checking out the Hot Rods, Utes, Market Stalls, dancing or listening to non-stop country music, you're helping local families.

If the weather changes there's a huge shed if needed and the festival turns into a real hoedown!

Hope to see you there!

Check out the flyer for all the details

Red Hill Country Music Festival

Sunday January 8th 2012

www.redhillcmf.org.au