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Leo Sayer To Headline Daylesford ChillOut 2009

Local News, By Travis de Jonk, 24th January, 2009

Australia’s biggest and best queer rural event just got a whole lot hotter!

Same Same is proud to be the first to confirm that the headliner that Daylesford ChillOut has been hinting at for its Carnival Day on Sunday March 8 is none other than the King of Disco himself, Leo Sayer!

Sayer, who is best known for his hits Thunder In My Heart, When I Need You and You Make Me Feel Like Dancing, and who is absolutely synonymous with ‘disco’, will take the oath of citizenship at an Australia Day ceremony in Canberra attended by the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. His performance at this year’s ChillOut Carnival Day will be one of his first appearances as a new Australian citizen.

Sayer told the Herald Sun, “It has been an ambition of mine to live and work in Australia since I first came on a concert tour in May 1974. I will endeavour to make Australia proud of me.”

His appearance is a massive coup for the festival that has already been breaking records, and is now considered the biggest and best Australian rural gay festival. In what will be its twelfth year, ChillOut is going super retro, taking Daylesford back to the 1970s over Labor Day Long Weekend March 6 to 9 with its theme – Disco Stampede.

Check out Leo Sayer’s revamped club hit Thunder In My Heart below:

Disco Stampede aims blend the best of city, country and disco, rounding up everything shiny, stretchy, clingy, glittery, daggy and fun to grab you by the glitterballs and drag you back to a time when John Travolta, the Bee Gees, disco divas and loud fashion ruled the world.

Stage one, which will feature Leo Sayer, will be hosted by drag identity Dolly Diamond aka Michael Dalton (who also just relocated to Australia permanently from the UK) and well-known cabaret performer and director, Luke Gallagher.

Keeping to the disco theme going will be the best ABBA tribute band south of Stockholm, BABBA, as well as humorous singing and yodelling sister act the Topp Twins, and stunning cabaret act Yana Alana and the Paranas. And what queer festival would be complete without the inevitable bouquet of drag queens.

Commanding the festival’s second stage will be none other than 14 year old singing sensation Jourdain and relaxed, soulful and sexy Melbourne singer Greg Walsh.

No Carnival Day would be complete without community favourites, the Rainbow Band and the Rainbow Cloggers, as well as the infamous Dog Show and Tug Of War in the Arena.

All that takes place at ChillOut Carnival Day, Victoria Park, Daylesford, Sunday March 8 2009!

But events and activities aren’t just limited to Carnival Day.

Other ChillOut events include The Slowest Lunch at Sault Restaurant, Sailors Falls, Opening Night at the Palais Hepburn Springs with the Topp Twins, The Vagina Monologues, Novotel Forest Resort Creswick, Bush Dance at the Palais, Cream (a great lineup of women’s entertainment) at the Old Hepburn Hotel and much more.

For active types the 2009 ChillOut Festival includes events like mountain-biking, bushwalking, horseriding, bocce and golf. And for those on a culture quest, the festival will feature a variety of art and craft exhibitions as well as cabaret performances.

The full festival program is now live on the ChillOut website and includes all details for each of the official events. Advance tickets for Carnival Day and Dance Party events are also now on sale through usual outlets.

Their first-ever ‘Guide to ChillOut Country’, is a revamped and expanded festival guide that is also positioned as a year-round gay and lesbian travel guide to the region. Printed copies are now available in outlets in all capital cities across Australia and key venues across Victoria.

Don’t forget to watch this space for more ChillOut features as well as all the latest updates on Daylesford Chillout Festival 2009 – Disco Stampede, which is shaping up to be the event of 2009!

The 2009 Daylesford ChillOut Festival – Disco Stampede, will run from Friday 6th March – Monday 9th March 2009, over the huge Labour Day Long Weekend. Full details of the festival are available at www.chilloutfestival.com.

Check out our Chillout 2008 gallery by clicking here.