PHOTO: Castlereagh Connection in ‘superstar’ mode: David Jones Jnr, Braydon Dodd, Travis Jones and David Jones.
THE Coonamble community will be watching on like proud parents as some of our local talent – the Castlereagh Connection – takes to one of the highest profile stages in the country on Sunday night.
Network 7 unveils their latest format for the much-loved television program The Voice.
The Voice Generation will showcase inter-generational singers performing in a range of combinations from family bands, parent/child duos and even music teacher/student match ups.
In early 2021, the Jones family received an email inviting them to apply and, after a couple of days dad David Jones decided to conquer his nerves and embrace the enthusiasm of his sons – David Junior (14 years) and Travis (11) – and nephew Braydon (12) to “give it a crack”.
Intrigued by the family’s story and impressed with their musical track record, the show’s producers selected Castlereagh Connection from more than a thousand ambitious applicants and a few months of top secret video conferenced interviews, performances and a Voice workshop followed before the final performance in December that was filmed for a national television audience.
“The kids were always for it, but anyone who knows me knows I’m shy and I didn’t want to do it initially,” David Snr told the Coonamble Times. “It took about two weeks for me to come to my senses.”
Once on board, David said the family ” just enjoyed every minute of it.”
“We sent our whole set list to them and they picked out a song,” he said.
“The producers were great; they got to know us and our personal style.”
“Kudos to the show for understanding that, to find out if you’re an actual artist and take you out of your comfort zone.”
Being in front of the cameras, the crowd and the judges as well as the backstage preparations was an eye-opener for the Coonamble boys.
“The experience was really great. The performance was different to how we usually play. We had to knock our song down to one minute and thirty seconds,” said David.
“We’d never put on make-up before and we had to sit in a chair while they worked on us. While we were waiting to perform the wardrobe girl followed us around making sure we didn’t wrinkle our clothes.”
“It made you feel like an actual star,” he laughed.
Despite already having a few years of public performances under their belt, including at Tamworth Country Music Festival venues, David says he had never been more nervous.
“You don’t see the crowd till you’re out there on the stage – but you can hear them,” he said.
“It was pretty daunting to walk out that door to go on stage. I think I was more nervous than the boys.”
“We’ve played in many communities but The Voice is obviously the whole nation, well and truly,” he said. “The music is the easy part, the interviews were the hard part.”
As well as the band’s other critical component – Mum and roadcrew Lisa Jones – accompanying them on this taste of the big time were a handful of their biggest fans and supporters including David and Lisa’s “boss” Annette Thomson, Pop Stephen Glover and a city-based aunt, uncle and cousin.
“We had some family members in the crowd and as on-camera support,” David said.
“But while I was up on stage I was thinking about the three or four generations of guitar players and singers back through our family.
They are who really what brought us here and I thought of all the community members and the support they’ve given us to get us here,” he said. “Hopefully we make everyone proud.”
While the band are staying silent so as not to let slip any “spoilers” about their appearance on The Voice Generation next Monday night 31 January, David says the experience “lit a firecracker under them” and they came home to rehearse and perform with renewed energy.
For Australia Day they were booked for a gig at Bourke’s award ceremony and, with their EP still receiving plenty of attention online, 2022 is bound to be a busy year for the Castlereagh Connection.