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What
spectacular weather to celebrate
Byron
Bay’s 19th Annual Bluesfest in! Brilliant sunny skies were
just the beginning of yet another successful Bluesfest.
With amazing national and international talent from both
known and upcoming artists, even Ian ‘Dicko’ Dickson from
Australian Idol was spotted enjoying the event, a
completely different style of promoting upcoming talent than
that of his television show!
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Former Midnight Oil members
Rob Hirst and Martin Rotsey
join Dom Turner to form
Angry Tradesmen, a popular gig at the event with singlet
wearing tradesmen rocking to the music. Dom Turner comments about
how much he enjoys Bluesfest:
“I love
Bluefest. It grows and changes, and it moves into something
else. But it is a wonderful thing that the festival is
allowing so many musicians nationally and internationally.
[It] has such a broad range. It’s possibly, arguably
probably, the broadest range of music you are going to hear
from rock to pop to blues ... It’s a wonderful thing that
they are doing here at the festival.”
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Fellow
band member Ron Hirst adds, “Upcoming performers get
introduced to an unsuspecting public and by the end of a
long weekend they can be the hit of the festival, which can
eventually lead out into the mainstream. Some musicians may
even get some airplay but it happens that way round, where
the artist’s performance is a hit first….. [Musicians]
should not be begging at a radio station or record company
to let [them] into the ‘industry’. [The ‘industry’] should
be coming to them. [Performers] should be doing their own
stuff on a stage [first] and people are now realising it is
great and different. The festival offers great live
performances”.
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Country Singer and multi-Aria award winner,
Troy Cassar-Daley played at the Festival a couple of
years ago and was one of the artists performing this year.
“It’s
just incredible. Sitting on stage, waiting to go on and then
your spot comes on and you run on and do your thing.
People here just love music. Kasey Chambers said
the same thing when I was talking to her. ‘Isn’t it great
no one classifies you?’ This is a music festival. Music
festival! No one puts you in a box. I want to bring my
kids back to camp here next year. Next thing on the agenda
- booking accommodation …,”
Troy
enthusiastically says. |
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Kasey Chambers
has performed many times at the festival. This year she
returned with her family-originated band, The Lost Dogs,
including fellow musicians, husband
Shane Nicholson
and father
Bill Chambers. Kasey enthuses, “There is no festival
like this in the whole world. I’ve been coming here for
eleven years, either as a performer or a spectator!”
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First
time Bluesfest’s performer Kate Miller-Heidke visited
the festival about three years ago as a punter. “I love
musical festivals,” she says. She was definitely a big hit
with the audience with her unique style and sense of
humour.
Bluesfest is well known for being a well organised event
which includes its hard working volunteers. First time
volunteers Steven Wilton and girlfriend Eleanor Buckle have
been spectators at many festivals before, but this is the
first time they have experienced being a volunteer.
“We’ve
had a ball, and seen a lot of bands that we have not had a
chance to see before,” highlights Steven. “We got camping
cheap, eight dollars worth of food vouchers every day, then
after the four to five hours, when we are not doing a shift,
we are allowed in the Festival for free. It’s been really,
really good. The difference about this festival is the type
of music for one thing, but also definitely the people
here. We go to a lot of over-eighteen-year-old festivals,
whereas this is a very family orientated festival which is
awesome … If we were to take our parents to any festival …we
would take them to the Bluesfest.”
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Volunteers at Byron Bay Bluesfest (above) |
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Some festival goers jumped
into the spirit of the festival |
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The
festival well catered for families with children having
rides and Kidz Klub for the children (above and below)
Byron Bay's Bluesfest
had an arranging stalls
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So it’s official:
performers, punters, volunteers and organisers all contribute to
ensuring Byron Bay Bluesfest one of the best known music festivals
in the world. Not to mention the beautiful surroundings and
atmosphere of the lovely Bryon Bay. Here’s looking forward to next
year’s event!
Article and photos by Chrissy Layton, AusNotebook Music & Creative
Associated articles:
Bluesfest
Angry Trademen
Kate Miller-Heidke
Troy Cassar-Daley
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