In a current world climate where all too many Government-funded bodies in Australia, their workers and PR and marketing teams seem bent on promoting the idea and medically injecting the nation or else exclusion, there’s a truly independent uprising and resistance with new ideas and alternatives, a convoy that continues….
Meet Ben Mitchell of Free the Nation Music. Driven by the words Love – Respect – Choice, these values openly promoted at the FREE THE NATION MUSIC festival website – https://freethenationmusic.com/, he and a plethora of others from all over the world are setting out for change on behalf of the music industry right now.
An accomplished singer / songwriter and events coordinator for the arts both locally and internationally for over 20 years, Mitchell and his team are travelling and convoying in their own special way for the songs, artists and truth-tellers in this community who’ve been restricted by injection mandates and the human rights issues hurting young people and the world more broadly.
Talking to AFIPN this week on festival events including two very successful and sold-out afternoon / evenings at venues in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales earlier this year and the most recent event on Saturday the 12th of February in Gympie, the festival director shared the aims and emphasis of what he has created. Each event showcases a selection of musicians relative to the given area, ‘discrimination and segregation-free.’ – on all fronts. These events are open to audiences of people who’d like to buy available tickets and take part, but Mitchell is firm on expectations and the atmosphere being one that is safe and proactive where ‘we reject the imposition of fear’.
A roving festival and movement that has seen the likes of INXS drummer Jon Farris, Right Said Fred and The Straylings (UK), Five Times August and Jimmy Levy (USA), and many other Australian players including Vanessa Valentine, Samsurah, Felicity Urquhart and Blues & Roots player Sean Kirk proudly joining the bill, it’s a celebration and reiteration of our musical diversity and our freedom of expression but still, our rights and responsibilities.
Ben says issues of conflict of interest are ever-present and while it’s sad to see how this has impacted music, these festivals and this kind of initiative pushes forward with a peaceful yet strong disquiet to remind us of our human freedoms and the ultimate purpose of artful expression; to question, provoke and expand human thought, feelings, and emotions.
With hopes for the momentum to continue to build, Free the Nation Music’s genesis and growth within Australia is only the beginning as Mitchell, his contacts and team are seeking to stage events much further afield in iconic musical locations of the world such as Nashville, Tennessee and beyond.
Again, Mitchell is calling for people to get behind and join in a healthy and genuine musical event for freedom for all and encourages any artists onboard with the core values and emphasis of this to email their interest, contacts, social media pages and links, including links to recorded and published music to: freethenationmusic@protonmail.com.
Free The Nation Music’s next big event is to be held on Saturday the 26th of February in Mt Macedon at a location disclosed on purchase of tickets, those left and selling fast.
Links to further information and up and coming events can be found at the following online locations. See you there!
FACEBOOK – https://www.facebook.com/freethenationmusic
INSTA – https://www.instagram.com/freethenationmusic/
TWITTER – https://twitter.com/lovenationmusic
YOUTUBE – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC_UhqwLHxObI4FGZG5OGVA
LOVE – RESPECT – CHOICE
