Nick Barker Is Looking Forward To Unplugging For Valley Sounds

Nick Barker will head to the Yarra Valley in November for the acoustic music festival Yarra Sounds.

The Valley Sounds event also features James Reyne, Mark Seymour, Ash Grunwald and Tracy McNeil. Nick is excited about entering “the festival demographic”.

“I haven’t done many of those kind of festivals but whenever I look it seems there is a real passion for that era,’ Nick Barker tells Noise11.com. “I guess Ash and Tracy are not the same as Mark and myself and James. Every time I look at a festival there is obviously our demographic that have a real passion and keenness to get out and see live music again”.

The sea of faces in a winery event are an older sea than from a pub gig. “There is a theme running through winery festivals,” Nick says. “I guess everyone has gone off and had their kids and they can go back out and start seeing bands again. Its good”.

The outdoor festival is also primed for the greatest hits show. New music is not that essential. “I remember speaking to the Doobie Brothers, believe it or not,” he said. “We did some shows together and I said ‘What do you guys do now?. Do you make new records?’ and they went ‘Na’. They just go round and round touring doing that type of show. In the States it is called Nostalgia but there is a real market for that 40 to 60 year old ticket sale”.

Nick is a veteran of the acoustic gig. “I’ve been doing that for years. Remember the old unplugged? That unplugged thing was huge when The Reptiles were around. They were forever wheeling us out to earn favour with any radio stations. That was always a big part of out thing. When you have a harmonica player in your band you are always available. We’ve always done it”.

Valley Sounds features James Reyne, Mark Seymour, Ash Grunwald, Nick Barker and Tracy McNeil. It is on Sunday 21 November 2021 at Wandin Park Estate, Yarra Valley.