Friday, November 25, 2016

Double the fun as Miri Country Music Fest doubles its days


MIRI: The Miri Country Music Fest (MCMF2017) is back with two days and nights of packed honky-tonk fun for the whole family.

“Mark your calendar for Feb 25 and 26 now as the fourth edition of MCMF2017 promises you an experience of country and western music to remember,” said festival advisor Gracie Geikie in a press conference here recently.

“We are targeting 3,000 audience members for the next edition – an increase of around 20 per cent from last year’s festival where we recorded a total of 2,740 people. Last year, we received a lot of requests and suggestions from the audience, particularly foreigners, for the festival to be extended to two days instead of just one day,” said Gracie.

An outdoor stage will be set up by the coast along Brighton Beach inside ParkCity Everly Hotel Miri–the official hotel of the festival–for the festival which has three international acts lined up to perform: Shane Smith & The Saints (Austin, Texas, USA), James Thomson & The Strange Pilgrims (Newcastle, Australia) and The Casual Ceilidh Band (Brunei).

Smith has been performing around the world and recently released an album titled ‘The Mountain’ while Casual Ceilidh–the only ceilidh band in Borneo and whose members are European expatriates based in Brunei–will offer its unique take on Celtic and country music.

Ceilidhs are traditional Irish/Scottish social events in which audience members dance together in groups or couples to traditional Celtic music.

Local favourite five-piece band Country Road from Miri will also be entertaining the audience during the festival.

“They will be at the upcoming festival roadshow at Level 3 of Boulevard Shopping Complex here on Saturday, Nov 26. The band is set to take the stage from 5pm-7pm,” Gracie revealed.

Also from Miri is The Mountain Wind Band who will be making a comeback at the festival. They are also a five-piece band with members from various towns around Miri.

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