Crowds bring the best out of vintage acts and rising stars at Byron Bay Bluesfest
CROWDS are egging on vintage artists and rising stars at Byron Bay Bluesfest, propelling some of music’s best and brightest towards new personal bests.
Entertainment
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AUDIENCES of all ages are at it again at this weekend’s Byron Bay Bluesfest.
Crowds are egging on artists, propelling some of music’s best and brightest talents towards new personal bests.
It’s something Byron Shire’s music-loving locals and blues tourists have become renowned for.
Unknown or fabled, festival crowds are already on the artists’ side when they stride on to the stage. No need to win these people over — just make sure you don’t lose them.
The welcoming vibes create ideal conditions for magic. And it’s everywhere at Tyagarah again this year.
Superhero music lovers Jason Momoa (Aquaman) and Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Hollywood pal Matt Damon were among the fans applauding superhero performances at Bluesfest on Good Friday.
Shadow Minister for the Arts, Environment and Water, Citizenship and Multicultural Australia Tony Burke is back while Bernard Fanning, James Reyne and Brian Cadd are there to wear their hats as music fans.
Crowds from the Juke Joint to the Mojo Big Top are whooping and cheering performances with the kind of grunt normally associated with triumphant footy fans at a State of Origin decider.
And artists are bleeding for them in return.
From returning favourites St Paul and The Broken Bones, Berth Hart and Trombone Shorty to consummate performances by Devon Allman Band, Bonnie Raitt, and The Lumineers, the first two days of the five day-event has turned up some crackers.
Hart made sweet music with Eric Gales, dropping a keynote blues belter on Good Friday before he invited Snarky Puppy on stage and upped the ante — on himself.
The revelation to behold on this year’s massive bill, Gales is playing his first and only Australian shows at Bluesfest and it’s a fair bet the passage of time will stamp them unforgettable for both artist and audience.
Easter Saturday marks a momentous milestone in the life of the now 42-year-old former child prodigy finally poised to wring maximum potential from his remarkable gift.
“Nine months clean and sober,” he told Thursday night’s audience, his face contorting to reveal a fleeting glimpse into the weight of his struggle to pave his road to Tyagarah.
The announcement was greeted with stunned, reverential silence. Thank the guitar Gods he made it.
If you weren’t at Tyagarah on Thursday night or Good Friday to see Patti Smith play two of her last-ever Australian shows, Gales play his first-two Aussie shows and Nas and The Soul Rebels raise the roof for their only Australian show together, sincere condolences.
The good news? It’s not too late to hit the highway and grab the chance to see encore performances by some of 2017’s most impressive drawcards and highly anticipated debut sets and one-off headlining stands by some of the biggest artists on this year’s bill.
The Boomerang festival within a festival hosts Emily Wurramara today and Leonard Sumner on Monday, with Buddy Guy and Vintage Trouble (tonight), Madness and Santana tomorrow (Sunday) and Neil Finn and Kasey Chambers on Monday still to come.
On an operational level, the site is in great nick. Paths and roadways are in good shape, making it easy for anyone — on foot or in fairy-light draped prams and wheelchairs — to get around.
Changes to help address delays leaving the car park and long queues for shuttle buses have alleviated old headaches but will need more tweaking in future years to meet continued growth.
Internet outages have complicated the introduction of new RFID wristband technology, an electronic wallet system that replaces drink tickets and will eventually help reduce ticket scalping.
Organisers admit they’ve learnt a lot from the new system’s first year of operation and will make improvements before Easter 2018.
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