Category Archives: Bluesfest

Review: Bluesfest Byron Bay 2013 – Day 2 Wrap

By DOMINIC FEAIN
Byron Bay’s Bluesfest hit full stride yesterday, following a cracker opening night on Thursday, and the heavens responded in kind.

Let’s face it, it just wouldn’t be Bluesfest without the rain.

While it certainly wasn’t the 100mm organisers had promised would drain off faster than a heavy metal anthem, it did pour down.

But that didn’t deter the hundreds of punters spilling out three sides of Crossroads stage where Rodriguez had just won over a new generation of fans. The crowd knew most of the words to his classic 1970 album, Cold Fact, and weren’t afraid to sing them. It was spine-tingling stuff.

On the flip-side, it was yet another classic Bluesfest audience – relaxed, intelligent and forgiving – offering musicians the kind of reception that has elicited some extraordinary live performances over the years, and earned the festival an international reputation among artists second to none in Australia.
Continue reading Review: Bluesfest Byron Bay 2013 – Day 2 Wrap

Photos! Bluesfest Byron Bay 2013 – Day 2

Photographer: Stuart Blythe

Photographer: Stuart Blythe

Featured Artists: Santana, Manu Chao La Ventura, Rodriguez, Joan Armatrading, Jimmy Cliff, Glen Hansard, Taj Mahal Trio, Ben Harper, Skipping Girl Vinegar, Wards Xpress
Venue: Bluesfest Byron Bay
Date: 29 March 2013

Visit Bluesfest Byron Bay Official Website here!


Continue reading Photos! Bluesfest Byron Bay 2013 – Day 2

Photos! Bluesfest Byron Bay 2013 – Day 1

Photographer: Stuart Blythe

Photographer: Stuart Blythe

Acts: Charlie Musselwhite, Ben Harper, Jason Mraz, Counting Crows, Rodriguez, Chris Isaak, Trombone Shorty, Fred Wesley
Venue: Bluesfest Byron Bay
Date: 28 March 2013

Visit Bluesfest Byron Bay Official Website here!


Continue reading Photos! Bluesfest Byron Bay 2013 – Day 1

Byron Bay Bluesfest 2012 – Day 5 – Yes, Zappa plays Zappa, John Fogerty, Candi Staton, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Ray Beadle, Dawes, Claude Hay, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Rosie Ledet | Photos!

Photographer: Stuart Blythe

Continue reading Byron Bay Bluesfest 2012 – Day 5 – Yes, Zappa plays Zappa, John Fogerty, Candi Staton, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Ray Beadle, Dawes, Claude Hay, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Rosie Ledet | Photos!

Byron Bay Bluesfest 2012 – Day 4 – John Butler Trio, Blue King Brown, The Pogues, Josh Pyke, The Audreys, Angelique Kidjo, Round Mountain Girls, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Seasick Steve, Maceo Parker, Eagle and The Worm, Watussi, Busby Marou, Mama Kin

Photographer: Chris Dornan Photography

Photographer: Chris Dornan Photography
Continue reading Byron Bay Bluesfest 2012 – Day 4 – John Butler Trio, Blue King Brown, The Pogues, Josh Pyke, The Audreys, Angelique Kidjo, Round Mountain Girls, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Seasick Steve, Maceo Parker, Eagle and The Worm, Watussi, Busby Marou, Mama Kin

Photo Gallery: Byron Bay Bluesfest 2012 (Day 3) – John Fogerty, Brian Setzer’s Rockabilly Riot!, Ziggy Marley, Seasick Steve, Blitzen Trapper, Donovan, Angelique Kido, Ray Beadle, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Steve Earle, Tijuana Cartel

Photographer: Stuart Blythe

Photographer: Stuart Blythe
Continue reading Photo Gallery: Byron Bay Bluesfest 2012 (Day 3) – John Fogerty, Brian Setzer’s Rockabilly Riot!, Ziggy Marley, Seasick Steve, Blitzen Trapper, Donovan, Angelique Kido, Ray Beadle, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Steve Earle, Tijuana Cartel

Photos! Byron Bay Bluesfest 2012 (Day 2) – Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Steve Lukather, Jonny Lang, Buddy Guy, Eugene “Hideaway” Bridges, Dallas Frasca

Photographer: Stuart Blythe

Photographer: Stuart Blythe
Continue reading Photos! Byron Bay Bluesfest 2012 (Day 2) – Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Steve Lukather, Jonny Lang, Buddy Guy, Eugene “Hideaway” Bridges, Dallas Frasca

Bluesfest 2012 – “Crosby, Stills & Nash”, “Earth, Wind & Fire”, The Specials

Photographer: Stuart Blythe

Photographer: Stuart Blythe
Continue reading Bluesfest 2012 – “Crosby, Stills & Nash”, “Earth, Wind & Fire”, The Specials

Bluesfest 2011 – Day Six, Featuring: Bob Dylan, Gurrumul, Paul Kelly and Buffy Sainte-Marie. – Live Review

  One of the beautiful things about a festival as large and varied as Bluesfest is that the discovery of something new and exciting, at least for the listener, waits around every corner. For this reviewer, Canadian First Nations singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie was the jewel of this year’s hidden treasures.

Already familiar with her 60s hit Universal Soldier and the rocking Bury My Heart at

Wounded Knee, as well as her Academy Award winning effort Up Where We Belong (who isn’t?), it was a pleasure to become acquainted with the other varied dimensions of her 40 plus year repertoire, and to experience the woman behind the music.
Continue reading Bluesfest 2011 – Day Six, Featuring: Bob Dylan, Gurrumul, Paul Kelly and Buffy Sainte-Marie. – Live Review

Bluesfest 2011 – Day Five, Featuring: Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, BB & the Blues Shacks, and the Old Spice Boys. – Live Review

by: Pepa Wolfe
Monday was another delightful mix of new discoveries and big names, with a good dose of puppetry and performance art thrown in.

The day saw the some rocking blues with plenty of keys down at the Crossroads tent as German outfit BB & the Blues Shacks charmed the crowd. Physically dynamic and looking sharp, BB and his boys really ramped up the audience participation. It was an onstage/offstage love-in, complete with dancing girls on stilts.
Continue reading Bluesfest 2011 – Day Five, Featuring: Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, BB & the Blues Shacks, and the Old Spice Boys. – Live Review

Bluesfest 2011 – Day Four, Featuring: The Blind Boys of Alabama, Irma Thomas, Mavis Staples & Her Band, and The Snowdroppers. – Live Review

It was Easter Sunday, the sun was shining over Bluesfest and the Crossroads tent was gearing up to celebrate with a solid block of gospel, soul and blues, kicked off by the enigmatic, effervescent powerhouse Mavis Staples and Her Band.

This year’s festival boasted an array of music a legends, not least of which was the incomparable Staples, who either solo or together with The Staple Singers has been >performing for over 60 years. Returning to Bluesfest with material from her Grammy Award winning CD You Are Not Alone, Staples is loads of fun. She’s got the moves, she’s got the attitude and that voice – a rich, raw, rip your guts out and make you happy sound that only improves with age.
Continue reading Bluesfest 2011 – Day Four, Featuring: The Blind Boys of Alabama, Irma Thomas, Mavis Staples & Her Band, and The Snowdroppers. – Live Review

Live Review | Bluesfest 2011 – Day Two, Featuring: Rodrigo y Gabriela, B.B. King, Fistful of Mercy, Jack Thompson & the Original Sinners and RocKwiz Live

Review By: Pepa Wolfe
Photos by: Silvana Macarone
Early birds and trivia buffs rocked up to the Jambalaya Tent on Friday to test their skill and perhaps earn a place on the panel of RocKwiz Live. Cracking the proverbial whip and vetting the various hopefuls was producer and co-host of the SBS series Brian Nankervis who after seven years with the show has it down to a fine art. Appearing across four days of the festival, Friday’s first taste had host and improv queen Julia Zemiro in top form, and featured musical guests Tim Rodgers (You Am I), Marcia Hines and Glenn Richards (Augie March), as well as a couple of impressive punters whose extensive music trivia knowledge was bested only by their brazen karaoke efforts, one contestant whipping out a harmonica and riffing with the impeccable RocKwiz Orkestra. A highly entertaining start to the afternoon, Richards, Hines and Rogers blasting Kiss’ I Wanna Rock and Roll All Nite, the icing on the cake.
Continue reading Live Review | Bluesfest 2011 – Day Two, Featuring: Rodrigo y Gabriela, B.B. King, Fistful of Mercy, Jack Thompson & the Original Sinners and RocKwiz Live