Review by Wanda Hill
Photo Credit: Julius C Montes
Boomerang Festival was a huge success and will be back next year for sure. The big smiles on punters faces and huge cheers at the closing ceremony yesterday, said it all. Festival organisers affirmed that they had indeed done well, everyone had a great time and that plans are already in the pipeline for next year’s event.
Being the last opportunity to spend the day with the Billinudgel Weavers and make a basket from Lomandra leaves I escaped the heat in their tent and wove the funky sounds of Slip on Stereo and Tjupurru into my basket under the weavers excellent tuition.
Continue reading Review: Boomerang Festival 2013 – Day 3 Wrap
Festivals are such a great way to build community and nurture understanding. Boomerang is doing this in style with a stellar line up of musicians, speakers, artists and craftspeople. The festival site came alive with activity yesterday as people of all ages enjoyed the entertainment and took part in workshops and discussions. It is such a lovely feeling to sit down with complete strangers and take part in an activity like basket weaving or woodcarving. Before long, people are laughing, making friends as well as learning new skills or discovering hidden talents. 
Boomerang Festival took its maiden voyage onto the Australian festival scene yesterday at Tyagarah Tea Tree farm near Byron Bay. Boomerang is the brainchild of Rhoda Roberts who started the very successful Dreaming Festival at Woodfordia. Peter Noble (Bluesfest producer) was very proud and excited to welcome Boomerang to the home of the Byron Bay Bluesfest last night during the opening ceremony. 
As we arrive at Sydney’s Metro Theatre to a line of punters that stretches down that little side street and around the corner, we realise this will be one of this year’s more special musical events. The range of fans waiting patiently for Steven Wilson’s gig are as mixed and varied as the artist’s back catalogue, with young and old, male and female, overtly metal and overtly not… 
There’s a long wait for rock-violinist Lindsey Stirling this evening at The Powerhouse — at least 15 minutes long, to be honest. For a touch over an hour, Kiwi DJ 1000 Ninjas labours manfully from a cubbyhole spot almost side-of-stage. In a club environment his chill-out grooves and odd samples would probably win a better reception, but this crowd is expecting action and movement, and that’s something beyond 1000 Ninjas’ scritchy-glitchy stillness tonight.
There’s a workman like edge to the stage as the steady four piece of Northern NSW’s Grinspoon launched into their set. The wild flailing and feigned punk-rock disinterest from frontman Phil Jamieson are long gone, in its stead are the once-ironic rock poses: the furious grip on the mic stand, the perfectly timed lunge on to the stage monitors and, crucially, the almost trademarked index finger thrust decisively skyward.
A varied crowd aging from early twenties to people old enough to be parents of the band themselves congregate at the Unibar in Wollongong to see Something for Kate (SFK), a town SFK haven’t visited since 2009. This kind of group creates a lovely atmosphere at a gig, people of many ages and backgrounds coming together to enjoy music from a band that have been consistently impressive for twenty years. There is not a doubtful mind in the room, SFK are sure to impress once again on this chilly May night. 
There’s always something special about country town festivals. For the locals, there’s the rare joy of rocking out with your house key in your pocket; for the ring-ins, there’s the extra heady buzz of a sugar fuelled roadtrip, or skanky train chug at the end of the night. From the get-go this buzz was palpable at Bendigo’s fifth turn on the Groovin’ The Moo carousel.
Driving out on a dusty dirt road, after passing the sleepy country towns of Cessnock and Branxton, we had reached our magical destination, ‘Dashville’, Lower Belford. The secluded bushy estate owned by the Johnston’s in the beautiful Hunter Valley, welcomed us with open arms. Local volunteers with cheek-to-cheek grins directed us to SPACIOUS camp areas nestled amongst the Australian gum-trees. Every person we pass, waving, like old friends.
If Stone Music Festival’s first day was a salute to rock then day two proved a little more difficult to pigeonhole. The bill included an American piano man, two elder statesmen of Oz music, a new band and two former Australian Idol contestants. I suppose we’ll just have to say that this unlikely grouping meant that this was a celebration of music, pure and simple.
Sydney was wet and it wasn’t David Lee Roth’s fault. Saturday morning had seen the heavens open again and again but rock ain’t about being comfortable and a little water never killed anyone. On day one of the inaugural Stone Music Festival, guitar heroes were king and no one was going to let a few showers rain on their musical parade.
Sticky Fingers have a lot to offer music lovers interested in hearing something a bit different to your average pop and they demonstrated this in undeniable fashion at the sold out Brisbane show of their national Caress Your Soul tour at The Zoo.
Bluesfest Day Five Wrap:
Day Four: Bluesfest wrap