What I love about concerts is it’s not just about getting immersed in the live crowd appeal. Can’t say it’s just having the chance to see a legend live.

Many artists are good at crafting a good show. Part of that experience is their choice of a preshow band. Their role is to warm up the fans before the main event. Recently, Sir Elton John toured Australia and even found his way up to Far North Queensland. His choice of support act? None other than Busby Marou.

This alternative rock duo, made up of Thomas Busby and Jeremy Marou, comes from Rockhampton, QLD, and is steadily building a name for themselves. 

Now the question often arises in the minds of the music critical public: is modern music worse than it was 40 and 50 years ago? It all depends on your attitude and your tastes. Lady Gaga, Lana Del Ray, Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran are all stylistic geniuses in their own right. 

But ask someone their opinion who comes from a folk or blues rock background or the soul/pop hits of the 60s and 70s – themselves a product of generation where their artistic peers and musical ancestors thought their lyrics, antics and rebellious natures were destructive to society – and you’ll get a different reaction. 

This is where I plead the case for today’s musicians. We experiment with reading new books and new shows. 

Why not music? 

Yes there’s a lot of terrible music going around today. There appears to be so many clone pop, hip hop and rap artists that people don’t want to listen to anything new and can miss out on original voices. 

Busby Marou presents something different by delivering a smooth thread of a free ‘country-island’ folk pop-soft rock sound. We need variety when it comes to music and these artists don’t let audiences down. 

Their album Postcards from the Shell House, released earlier this year, offers feel-good melodies and heartfelt songs that is the kind of creativity that helps put Australia on the map.

One of their best songs? Has to be ‘Best Part of Me’ which I bet will get stuck in your head in a good way.