Wujal Wujal’s Cold Water Band will play the opening act at this year’s long awaited Wallaby Creek Festival.
Wujal Wujal’s Cold Water Band will be highlighted as the opening act for this year’s Wallaby Creek Festival.
The locally well-known group will play their hit song ‘Bus Stop’, along with several other originals.
“We do a bit of country, reggae, R&B, hip-hop…that’s kind of our vibe,” lead singer and guitarist PJ Nandy said.
Wallaby Creek Festival entertainment team manager and bands coordinator Sandra Lloyd said that it was “vital” for Cold Water Band to be showcased as the opening act.
“Wallaby Creek is the traditional land of the Kuku Yalanji and Kuku Nyungkal Country. It’s the home of the Creeks and Nunns and the members of Cold Water Band are all Creeks and Nunns,” she said.
The Shiptons Flat and Rossville land hold much significance for the members of Cold Water Band, who titled the band after the traditional names of the area.
“It’s great to be back on Country. We’ve always been a part of the festival since we were young and we’ve kind of grown up in it,” Mr Nandy said.
Mr Nandy has credited the success of the band in their early years to the Wallaby Creek Festival, where they performed for one of the first times when he was just a teenager.
“We pretty much got our name out there with that festival and got new audiences and new followers on social media,” he said.
Ms Lloyd said that outcomes like this are exactly what they aim for when choosing the lineup for the festival, and that providing opportunities for artists to grow is what “contributes to the development of a vital remote community”.
“Wallaby Creek is all about supporting new and emerging live music. To see musicians who had their first experience with us go on to become successful practicing musicians is so rewarding,” she said.
Cold Water Band has performed around Queensland and has signed a record label, but they still love coming home to perform at the festival that started it all.
“Just seeing family all come together from different communities and enjoying the music together for the weekend, I really like to see that,” he said.
“Some of them even travel to watch us play so we really appreciate that.”
The 2023 Wallaby Creek Festival kicks off on September 22. Tickets can be purchased at www.wallabycreekfestival.org.au.
