IT could be the closest Albury gets to a taste of Beatlemania, albeit 50 years later.
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The free Regional Pop Up Concert Tour rolls into town on Friday, hosting Border acts and performers touted as “some of the rising talent of Australian music”.
The latter include Marlisa Ann and Samantha Jade, who have both featured on the TV talent show The X Factor Australia.
Organiser Steffan Jurd said this was the first visit to Albury and part of the third tour of the event, which started earlier this year.
The Albury concert will be held in QEII Square, with Albury performers on stage from 2.30pm and the main acts at 4pm.
About 2000 people have attended the previous events.
“They’re quite fanatical young fans so it’s been very eye-opening, almost like Beatlemania,” Mr Jurd said.
He said the tour’s purpose was to promote these newest singing stars to regional audiences.
“It’s also to give local bands and musicians a chance to play and utilise this event as a platform to promote their own music,” he said.
“And it’s also to bring free musical events to regional areas, which miss out a lot on the things that metropolitan areas may get on a regular basis.”
Mr Jurd is with Mobile Stage Truck, which is the owner and instigator of the concept in conjunction with Sony Music, who supplies the artists, and Sanity Music.
But the event is no money spinner and, on the Border, has relied heavily on the support of Albury Council and Wod-onga TAFE.
“Without them we would not be able to bring these events to local areas,” he said.
Mr Jurd said the council and TAFE had provided financial input and logistical support.
“The communications networks in place, especially with the council, are invaluable to us in being able to do this,” he said.
“Because it’s a free event we don’t have any tickets and we don’t have any revenue coming in, so obviously we’re running on a shoestring budget.
“We can’t take out big advertisements so they’re very important in getting the message out there.”
Ann became the youngest contestant to win The X Factor Australia when she took out the title this year, at just 15.
She then released Stand By You, which debuted at No. 2 on the ARIA charts, followed by her self-titled debut album, which entered the charts at No. 6.
Jade broke through after winning the 2012 season, releasing What You’ve Done To Me, which debuted at No. 1.