TWO VIRGINS AT BLUESFEST
HOW TO SURVIVE A 5 DAY MUSIC FESTIVAL
How do you explain Bluesfest to someone who’s never been before?
And where do you begin to try to review the event.
The closest thing to compare it to is like a ‘Day on the Green’ or a ‘Red Hot Summer Tour’ type event on steroids and over 5 days.
The multi-award winning festival, founded in 1990 and held in Byron Bay, is Australia’s premier music festival with over 100,000 fans attending to witness more than 200 artists performing on five stages over the five consecutive days.
The history making 2022 line-up was, as Peter Noble OAM, Director and King of Bluesfest says in a recent interview we had just prior to the event, the perfect storm created by the 2020 and 2021 cancellations due to the Covid19 pandemic, and something that he doubts could be put together ever again.
Listen to the ‘Still Rockin’ It’ podcast with Peter Noble
Let’s begin at the beginning:
Hubby bought the mid-life-crisis Harley Davidson last year and Bluesfest 2021 was to be our first major ride (over 2000km from Adelaide to Byron Bay). After four solid days of riding, we got to within half an hour of Byron when the news broke that the $10m event had been covid-cancelled less than 24 hours before the 5 day event was to start, totally devastating the region, the organisers, the artists, the stall holders, small businesses, punters arriving from all over the country …. just everyone.
Fast forward to 2022, knowing we could do it, so we set out once again for the epic ride. It was a five day ride, losing one day due to a tyre blowout at 110km on a six lane highway near Gosford and living to tell the tale.
Deciding which artists to see was quite difficult, as you can’t be in two places at once, but we took Peter’s expert advice which is to pace yourself and don’t try to see everything because you can’t. But, do you see your old favorites, do you choose from a smorgasboard of new music that you may not have seen before?
Here’s our daily selections:
DAY ONE – ROSS WILSON WITH AARON SCHEMBRI, JOE CAMILLERI & FRIENDS INCLUDING THE BREWSTER BROTHERS
Ross Wilson is still celebrating 50 Years of Eagle Rock and loving it, putting on a great show with Aaron Schembri on guitar.
Ever-energetic Joe Camilleri and all-star band played a great set stoically including ‘Positively 4th Street’ on behalf of Tex Perkins who was delayed.
The Brewster Brothers from Adelaide band The Angels played the Bob Dylan classic ‘Desolation Row’.
My video pick for the day is Joe Camilleri, for more head to Cheryl Lee Crabtree Facebook and scroll down to Day One Bluesfest, or to hear the podcast interview with Joe prior to Bluesfest listen to The Still Rockin’ It Podcast with Joe.
Amateur iPhone Video Credit: Barry Crabtree from front row
DAY TWO – THE CHURCH, THE ANGELS, THE LIVING END, HOODO GURUS, MIDNIGHT OIL
The Church‘s ‘Unguarded Moment’ was spectacular and what can you say about Midnight Oil on their ‘Resist Tour’ but my video pick for the day is hometown favourite The Angels because, always energetic, they fed off the huge crowd and took their performance to the absolute next level. For more head to Cheryl Lee Crabtree Facebook and scroll down to Day Two Bluesfest.
Amateur iPhone Video Credit: Barry Crabtree
DAY THREE – PAUL KELLY
The crowd was so huge that unfortunately we didn’t get there early enough to get any video to publish.
DAY FOUR – THE BUCKLEYS, JOSH TESKEY & ASH GRUNWALD, TROY CASSAR-DALEY, JON STEVENS, JIMMY BARNES
The Buckleys were a fabulous first time discovery, containing siblings, lead singer Sarah, keyboards Molly and electric guitarist Lachlan, children of Mick Buckley of The Radiators.
Troy Cassar-Daley’s set included his now Golden Guitar Award winning songs, eclipsing the record previously held by Slim Dusty.
Jon Stevens gave it everything as he always does, getting hot and sweaty as he played both his INXS and Noiseworks hits.
Jimmy Barnes, after an interesting introduction by Leader of the Opposition, played a sometimes nostalgic set, finishing with the blistering ‘Goodbye Astrid’.
My video pick for the day is The Buckleys’ my new favourite young band singing ‘Are You Gonna Be My Girl’, and Mick kindly guest drummed for a Radiators song ‘Coming Home’.
For Troy, Jon and Jimmy head to Cheryl Lee Crabtree Facebook and scroll down to Day Four Bluesfest.
Amateur iPhone Video Credit: Barry Crabtree from front row
DAY FIVE – GLENN SHORROCK WITH GUEST BRIAN CADD, JOHN WILLIAMSON, THE WAIFS, THE TESKEY BROTHERS
Absolute legend Glenn Shorrock from The Twilights, Axiom and Little River Band started our day in The Mojo tent today, singing an old favorite “Little Ray of Sunshine’ with his old mate Brian Cadd.
Crowd favourite John Williamson had the crowd singing along to all his Aussie anthems particularly ‘True Blue’.
The Waifs were a man down due to Covid but pulled of a great set.
They are my rediscovery pick for the festival so definitely catch them if you can.
Of course, we were all waiting for The Teskey Brothers, who didn’t dissappoint despite rumours of Josh Teskey experiencing voice problems.
My video pick for the day is their finale ‘Hold Me’.
For Glenn & Brian and John Williamson head to Cheryl Lee Crabtree Facebook and scroll down to Day Five Bluesfest.
To hear podcast interviews with Glenn Shorrock, Brian Cadd, and Teskey Brothers drummer Liam Gough prior to Bluesfest head to The Still Rockin’ It Podcast.
Amateur iPhone Video Credit: Barry Crabtree from front row
Bluesfest was muddy, crowded, overwhelming at times, but soooo amazing and everyone one should do it once in their lifetime.
They’re taking earlybird bookings for next year at Moshtix so do yourselves a favour and we’ll see you down the front!!
PRIVATE BLUESFEST OR BUST ALBUM
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