Among the stated aims of Music Festivals and Regional Development in Australia – one outcome of a research project carried out between 2005 and 2010 – is an intention to refocus the study of regional development in order to give greater attention to festivals and similar phenomena, often overlooked in a field which tends to privilege larger and longer-term developments as subjects of research. Chris Gibson (University of Wollongong) and John Connell (University of Sydney) also aim to examine music festivals from multiple perspectives, rather than simply opting for detailed economic analysis – an analysis which could no doubt warrant a book-length study in its own right.
The book is divided into two roughly equal parts. The first section deals with broad themes concerning the dynamic relationship between music festivals and the areas in which they are located. A brief summary of the history of music festivals – starting internationally, before focusing on Australia – is followed by chapters on music festival audiences, economics (both in terms of festivals' finances and their impact on the local economy), and their engagement (or otherwise) with local community and identity.
The second half of the book consists of a number of case studies: each chapter differs slightly in focus, purpose and tone, reflecting the diversity of places and events being discussed. The first case study spotlights a single festival (the Elvis Festival, hosted by the town of Parkes), while the second chapter examines and compares two classical music festivals held in outdoor, rural settings. In what is perhaps the most interesting chapter of the book, the authors discuss the town of Tamworth and investigate how it came to be known as ‘Australia's Country Music Capital’, focusing on the role played by the town's Country Music Festival in earning the town this reputation. Here, the discussion of the role of music festivals in the formation of identity extends from the regional to the national, with attention paid to the connotations of ‘country’ in an Australian context. Finally, attention is turned to Byron Bay, illustrating the controversies which can emerge around festivals in small towns.
Music Festivals and Regional Development in Australia is likely to be of interest to scholars working in fields such as popular music studies, festival studies, tourism and environmental studies, as well as professionals working in regional planning. That it has been produced with a broad audience in mind is in evidence throughout: the book's structure is clear, and the writing accessible and witty. The issues identified in the first part of the book are clearly signposted in the second, providing consistency between the sections without unnecessary repetition.
The research methods used – such as surveys of festival organisers, audience members and local businesses, as well as follow-up correspondence – are clearly explained, and any particular problems associated with these methods are acknowledged. The research project on which the book is based has clearly yielded an impressive quantity of data, both quantitative and qualitative, and as a result the authors are able to provide substantial detail about the festivals, areas and communities under discussion. The research emphasises, through multiple quotes from respondents of audience surveys, that music is not always the primary reason for attending a music festival: the location and atmosphere of the festival can be key factors. While it may never be possible to capture fully a sense of place or atmosphere in an academic text, the inclusion of photographs helps the reader to create an impression of the festivals and places under discussion.
For the most part the case studies, and most other examples offered in the book, focus on towns which are small, rural and remote. Some background information about the structure of Australian government at this level – essentially, a definition of what is meant by ‘regional’ in the Australian context – might have proved useful for an international readership. However, the fact that discussions about the involvement of local government are kept low key in the book reflects the reality: that local government involvement in music festivals such as these is often low key or non-existent, as illustrated by the chapter on Parkes' Elvis Festival.
A theme which recurs throughout the book is the environmental impact of music festivals on their rural locations (as well as their wider environmental impact) and how this is managed by festival organisers. This is another issue which would be worthy of study in its own right, and which may have benefited from having a chapter to itself in the first half of the book. Australia's history of being ahead of the curve in terms of environmentalism is seemingly reflected in the policies of music festival organisers as far back as the mid-1990s, something which may prove to be of particular interest to an international readership.
Gibson and Connell's multidimensional approach to this research is to be applauded, and the result is an engaging and important contribution to the study of music festivals. While focused primarily on Australia, the book will be of interest to anyone studying music festivals. Given that many of the recurring themes in the book are relevant to events elsewhere (particularly those which take place in remote or rural settings), it is to be hoped that projects of similar scope and approach emerge from other parts of the world.
Researchers in popular music studies and festival studies probably do not need to be convinced of the important role such events can play in terms of stimulating development in a particular area. Whether this book will succeed in reorienting regional development research and practice remains to be seen; however, the case for music festivals to be taken seriously as a tool for regional development – albeit a problematic one – is made compellingly by Gibson and Connell in this volume.
