Tag Archives: Ant Ritz

Live Review: Bluesfest Byron Bay 2023 – Day 3

Review by Wanda Hill
Photos by Ant Ritz Photography/Rock Shots

Last night the Crossroads became Buddy Guy’s intimate lounge room for a few hours where the many thousands gathered, were treated to a warm and humorous insight into the world of this 86 year’s young, blues legend. He warned ‘if you don’t like Blues you’re in the wrong fucking house, I’m going to play something so funky you can smell it.’ He played many of his own songs and those of other legends he has influenced, interspersed with cheeky stories. After playing Hoochie Coochie Man he observed how Hip Hop has changed the musical landscape and ‘you can say whatever the fuck you want now’ not holding back on any details with his lyrics and stories. Playing with not just his well worn hands, but his sleeve, overall front, teeth and towards the end walking right out into the the audience, letting kids play his guitar, giving old and new fans the experience of a life time. As he promised at the start of the show ‘I don’t get out here very often, so I’m going to give you the best that I got.’

Continue reading Live Review: Bluesfest Byron Bay 2023 – Day 3

Photo Gallery: Bluesfest Byron Bay 2023 – Day 3

Photos by Ant Ritz Photography/Rock Shots

featuring Adam Duritz – Allison Russell – Buddy Guy – Christone “Kingfish” Ingram – Clarence Bekker – Eric Gales – Frank Turner – Jackson Browne – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – Joe Bonamassa – 19-Twenty – Lisa Hunt – Marcus King – Nikki Hill – Vintage Trouble

Buddy Guy at Bluesfest – Sat 8th April 2023
Continue reading Photo Gallery: Bluesfest Byron Bay 2023 – Day 3

Photo Gallery: Bluesfest Byron Bay 2023 – Day 2

Photos by Ant Ritz Photography/Rock Shots

featuring 19-Twenty – Bud Rokesky – Christone “Kingfish” Ingram – Daniel Champagne – Keb’ Mo’ – Larkin Poe – Marcus King – Paolo Nutini – Ray Beadle – Round Mountain Girls – Steve Earle – Vintage Trouble – Yirrmal

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram at Bluesfest Byron Bay – 7th April 2023
Continue reading Photo Gallery: Bluesfest Byron Bay 2023 – Day 2

Live Review: Bluesfest Byron Bay 2023 – Day 1

Review by Wanda Hill
Photos by Ant Ritz Photography/Rock Shots

My favorite time of year is here again, where no bigger decision needs to be made other than – what band should I go see now? A fantasy life for five days where Bluesfest serves up an irresistible menu of musical treats. With a plethora of choices laid out before me, I just need to wander around and discover music, new and old to love. Lured in by hot organ sounds I found Southern Avenue at the Juke Joint, just in time for a wicked drum solo by Tikyra Jackson. This band has a big Memphis funk sound with vocalist Tierinii Jackson wielding a powerful voice that can do anything. A perfect initiation into what promises to be another soul shaking festival.   

Check out the Photo Gallery: Bluesfest Byron Bay 2023 – Day 1

Continue reading Live Review: Bluesfest Byron Bay 2023 – Day 1

Photo Gallery: Bluesfest Byron Bay 2023 – Day 1

Photos by Ant Ritz Photography/Rock Shots

featuring Eric Gales – Nikki Hill – Kaleo – Paolo Nutini – St. Paul and The Broken Bones – Lucinda Williams – Dog Trumpet – LP – The Angels – Frank Sultana – Greensky Bluegrass

Eric Gales at Bluesfest Byron Bay – 6th April 2023

Read our Live Review: Bluesfest Byron Bay 2023 – Day 1

Continue reading Photo Gallery: Bluesfest Byron Bay 2023 – Day 1

Photo Gallery : Bluesfest Byron Bay 2019

Photographer : Ant Ritz

Featuring (in alphabetic order) : Colin Hay, Danny Spencer, David Gray, Deva Mahal, Fantastic Negrito, Gary Clark Jr., Ian Moss, I’m With Her, Imelda May, Irish Mythen, Jack Johnson, Jack White, The Saboteurs, Julia Stone, Keb Mo, Kurt Vile, Larkin Poe, Little Steven and The Disciples of Soul, ‎Little Georgia, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Mavis Staples, Melody Angel, Miss Velvet and the Blue Wolf, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Ocean Alley, Paul Kelly, Ray Lamontagne, Richard Capton, Ruthie Foster, Samantha Fish, Shakey Graves, Tex Perkins, The Marcus King Band, The War and Treaty, Tommy Emmanuel, Vintage Trouble

Bluesfest Byron Bay 2019
Photographer : Ant Ritz

Click here for more Bluesfest reviews and photos…
Bluesfest : www.bluesfest.com.au

Photographer : Ant Ritz

Continue reading Photo Gallery : Bluesfest Byron Bay 2019

Photo Gallery : Red Hot Summer Tour at Kiama – 3 March 2019

Photographer : Ant Ritz

Red Hot Summer Tour at Kiama – 3 March 2019
Photographer : Ant Ritz

Red Hot Summer Tour at Kiama – 3 March 2019
http://www.redhotsummertour.com.au

Featuring : Suzi Quatro, The Angels, Baby Animals, The Screaming Jets, Jon Stevens, Moving Pictures, Chocolate Starfish
Continue reading Photo Gallery : Red Hot Summer Tour at Kiama – 3 March 2019

Photo Gallery : Bluesfest Byron Bay 2017 (Wrap up – Part 1)

All photos (except Patti Smith) – Photo credit : Ant Ritz
Patti Smith – Photo credit : Nathan David Kelly

Beth Hart at Bluesfest Byron Bay 2017 Photographer: Ant Ritz
Beth Hart at Bluesfest Byron Bay 2017
Photographer: Ant Ritz

Continue reading Photo Gallery : Bluesfest Byron Bay 2017 (Wrap up – Part 1)

Live Review + Photo Gallery : Bluesfest Byron Bay 2017 – Day Four

Review by Wanda Hill
Photos by Stuart Blythe + Ant Ritz
Bluesfest Byron Bay 2017 - Day Four Photographer: Stuart Blythe
Everybody loves Santana. I hope the other bands with a 7.30pm time slot had an audience because it felt like the entire festival population was trying to get as close as possible to Carlos Santana and the incredible line up of singers and musicians on tour with him at the moment. It is amazing what we can put up with if the music is sooo brilliant that being pushed, crushed and having a variety of drinks spilled on you is all taken with good nature and shared understanding of I just need to be as close as possible to this magnificence.
Continue reading Live Review + Photo Gallery : Bluesfest Byron Bay 2017 – Day Four

Live Review + Photo Gallery : Bluesfest Byron Bay 2017 – Day Three

Review by Wanda Hill
Photos by Stuart Blythe + Ant Ritz

Bluesfest Byron Bay 2017 - Day Three Photographer: Stuart Blythe
One of the great things about Bluesfest is that the musicians who travel a long way from around the globe to get here have a brilliant time and enjoy the opportunity to see acts they have never seen, and to meet and collaborate with artists that inspire them. Backstage they are treated to unique Byron/Bluesfest hospitality and have a chance to learn about Australia’s Indigenous peoples through magnificent artworks placed throughout the greenroom. Being such a friendly festival it is not unusual to see guest artists out in the crowd enjoying the atmosphere.
Continue reading Live Review + Photo Gallery : Bluesfest Byron Bay 2017 – Day Three

Live Review + Photo Gallery : Bluesfest Byron Bay 2017 – Day Two

Review by Wanda Hill
Photos by Stuart Blythe + Ant Ritz
Bluesfest Byron Bay 2017 - Day Two Photographer: Stuart Blythe
The festival site was cranking with a huge crowd enjoying everything the festival has to offer. Moving from A to B involved weaving in and out of human traffic going in every direction and careful navigation through seas of chairs arranged to take advantage of screens outside the main tents. Colourfully adding to this complexity were a series of roving street acts including stilt walkers who amazingly manage to move forward with grace amidst the whirl of chaos beneath them.
Continue reading Live Review + Photo Gallery : Bluesfest Byron Bay 2017 – Day Two

Live Review: Ingrid Michaelson at Metro Theatre, Sydney – 14th September 2012

Words and photos by Ant Ritz
On a darkened stage and with little fanfare, a pretty and bespectacled Ingrid Michaelson walked to the mic and proceeded to set the Metro Theatre in Sydney alight with a brilliantly entertaining performance. She did much more than just sing well crafted pop songs, – she entertained and she had the crowd enthralled not just with her wonderful music and sweet voice, but also with her wit, humour and quirky storytelling.

Sometimes singers struggle with attempts to engage the audience with dialogue and hence so many just avoid banter like the plague. Many concert goers would actually prefer to just hear the music. However, at Ingrid’s concert she really captured and held the audiences attention with her story telling – they appeared to follow her every word and were moved by the ebb and flow of her stories. There was a lot of laughter from the audience as a whole throughout the show and yet on other occasions they were quiet when she was more serious, albeit rare. She’s a great communicator and that communication comes across in her songs too.
Continue reading Live Review: Ingrid Michaelson at Metro Theatre, Sydney – 14th September 2012