Holy Holy @ Miami Marketta Review

Off the back of their second single release earlier this month, Holy Holy have played a string of shows as part of their Darwinism Tour and we headed along to catch them nearing the end of their national circuit at Miami Marketta, Gold Coast.

Warming up the crowd was Brisbane musician Alex L’Estrange followed by Sydney band I Know Leopard. People were slowly spilling in during their sets, enjoying beers and burgers in the outside market.

The market was obviously not opened to its full capacity on this quiet Thursday night as only a few food and beverage stalls were open. It was an interesting venue similar to The Triffid, Newstead, with an outdoor beer garden environment with food stalls, a bar and a large indoor stage.

The crowd moved quickly inside to the stage as Holy Holy were due to play.

The set started strong and was in full force from the get go. I was immediately taken by front man Timothy Carroll’s flawless voice. He sung every note perfectly and effortlessly.

The bass layer was inaudible in the first few tracks but got some volume further into the set. By this stage, the levels sat at a comfortable volume with a warm and clear sound for the remainder of the show.

Holy Holy played through a collection of hits including ‘History’ and ‘House Of Cards’. They also played their new singles, ‘Darwinism’ and ‘Elevator’, as well as a few new tracks from their highly anticipated album ‘Paint’.

With only one album under their belt so far and one on the way, they had a surprisingly large and recognisable collection of songs.

Despite this, the crowd were surprisingly subdued considering the amount of hair and tall tees in the room; the most enthusiasm radiating from the most mature member of the crowd.

There wasn’t a lot of conversation or banter from the band in between songs and although Holy Holy seemed engaged in what they were playing, all except Timothy showed little energy or movement on stage.

They ended the set with ‘You Cannot Call For Love Like A Dog’ and then made their way back to the stage for a very obviously orchestrated encore.

Overall it was a strong and enjoyable show. They did, however, have a reliance on unnecessary guitar solos used to bridge gaps throughout the set.

Miami Marketta proved itself to be the perfect venue for a relaxed night out to enjoy live music over a beer with mates.

Holy Holy have a lot of momentum at the moment as they wrap up their tour and finish the year on a high before moving towards the release of their album in February next year.

Read more about Holy Holy's performance at Miami Marketta here. 

The End Of The Line

It was a Saturday night and I had no plans; a rare occasion and opportunity for me. After bingeing on pizza at home, I noticed a flyer on the fridge about some markets and music that was happening down the road. I decided to wander on down and see what was happening…

It was a long walk to get there (I got lost) but eventually I had stumbled upon The End Of The Line Festival in Woolloongabba. What I saw was a street festival full of locals sipping craft beer with their Frenchies and listening to some dank DJ set while sitting on hay bales. Not long after finishing a beverage of my own, I decided to look further. 

The End Of The Line Festival definitely improved from here on out. There were food trucks and market stalls lining the street. The existing restaurants and bars were full of people with plenty of atmosphere. At the end of the street I saw a second stage with a band playing and I knew I was at the right end of the block party. 
The only full set I really got to see were Melbourne based band Teeth & Tongue. Despite having an extremely long sound check, their first track in particular was pretty atrocious from a sound perspective. The levels were all wrong and I couldn't hear any keyboard. A few tracks in and they warmed up and the sound guys got their shit together. 

I quickly grew to like them. Leading lady, Jess Cornelius's voice was reminiscent of Hayley Mary from The Jezabels and Siouxsie Sioux. She admitted to feeling a little timid on the night - perhaps because she was unhappy with how the set was going - and not interacting the way she usually would. But despite this, I thought she engaged plenty and had some entertaining banter to share. 

From this performance at The End Of The Line Festival, I'd definitely be inclined to see Teeth & Tongue again live at another event or venue to get a feel of their full performance potential.  

I felt so elated to have spontaneously taken part in this local block party. Although technically labelled as a festival, it was more of a night-market atmosphere for locals supporting local arts, music and businesses. I really hope to see and experience more of this in Brisbane. 

Women In Voice 2016 @ JWCOCA

Last Friday I was FINALLY able to attend Brisbane's most iconic cabaret experience at this year's Women In Voice production at the Judith Wright Centre Of Contemporary Arts.

Women In Voice is not just a song concert, it celebrates females in the music and entertainment industries for their talent and hard work. Now in it's 23rd year, WIV has become an institution for Brisbane women to create and celebrate together.
With such a rich history of incredible talented having blessed the stage of previous WIV performances, I've wanted to attend the show for some years now.

I had never actually watched a performance at The Judith Wright Centre before either, despite having been to the venue on several occasions. Upon entering the theatre, I was impressed. There were dim red candles upon round tables in the front half of the room - very cabaret - and tiered seating beyond that to ensure everyone had a good view.

Emcee Judy Hainsworth kicked the night off with a song about the ups, downs and craziness that 2016 has offered us so far. Donned in a ghastly neon leotard with ruffles and frills, she was an absolute hoot. Judy guided us throughout the whole show introducing each act and performing a few numbers on her own including a song outlining the anxieties of an audition and a number about regional touring; all very entertaining and relatable for many of the industry based audience.

The first to perform her segment was WIV newcomer Alicia Cush. Alicia brought grace and professionalism to the stage as she guided us through a set inspired by home. She wore a flattering navy off-the-shoulder dress as she sung everything from jazz and blues to country with a touch of opera. She also played the accordion and a flute during her performance and sung in French(?)! Alicia was able to show her diverse talent and remarkable voice with a refreshing elegance.

Leah Cotterell wowed the audience next with her opening number as she took the stage wearing a graduation gown - indicative of her enormous education and qualifications - wailing an african american song that was as intriguing as it was impressive. She definitely had a unique set of pipes and was able to show the crowd everything she could do in a few short songs. What was also great about Leah was her remarkable sense of humour and personality.

Unfortunately Sahara Beck was out ill for the night so WIV alumni Bethan Ellsmore stepped in last minute to fill her spot. Despite having short notice she sung a flawless set with her captivating and unique voice. She was an absolute vision on stage with her rockabilly style and flaming red hair as she sung her way through some older jazz numbers.

Before the night concluded, Alison St Ledger hit the stage for her retro boogie inspired performance. She started off in a black dress narrating elements of the boogie and before we knew it she had a costume change and was dressed in an all-white suit complete with platforms and flares. Many people rose from their seats unable to resist the funk as Alison brought a unique and enjoyable energy to the stage.

Before the night ended, all five women returned to the stage for a final number and encore paying tribute the band, stage and lighting crew and the audience.
It was a memorable night of laughter, talent and joy. I dare say not a negative word was uttered in the crowd; they all loved it.

Soviet X-Ray Record Club @ The Brightside

Now… before I begin, it's important I reveal that my boyfriend is the bassist in Soviet X-ray Record Club. So I have been attending their shows for a few years and obviously have a pretty biased opinion. However, this one particular show in Brisbane was the first of their 'This Girl' tour and played host to some fresh new talent that really piqued my interest.

Max Chillen + The Kerbside Collective 
Max Chillen + The Kerbside Collective are a fresh young band out of Brisbane and they completely blew me away at The Brightside last Friday night. They played a tight set and looked pretty at-home on stage. Their songs were catchy with a surf-dream 70s nostalgia feel. I fell totally in love with the vocalists voice; it was silky-smooth yet strong. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on these guys to see how they turn out. If they hone their songwriting a little and keep at it I think they'd be worth watching.

Big Bad Echo
A more established band by far were Big Bad Echo taking the stage after Max Chillen + co. They're a local Brisbane band with a shoegaze-pop sound who are making their way up the ladder with (hopefully) a bright future ahead of them. Although I loved their sound, not to mention they're some of the nicest guys in the biz (so I've heard), I wasn't as taken by them as some of the other bands that played on the night. There was nothing particularly memorable about their performance. Which is a good thing, in a way. Their sound was really good and they also had a strong lead vocalist. In saying this, it was such a strong lineup on the night and they definitely didn't disappoint, they just didn't stand out.
Big Bad Echo play Against The Grain Festival Fortitude Valley 19 August.

Hedge Fund
Hedge Fund are a Sydney post-rock band who have themselves quite the following. Their frontman had enough energy for the rest of the band on stage, thankfully, who all lacked it in this department. He had some wacky dance moves and focused less on how he sounded and more on how he looked. Which, in this case, wasn't such a bad thing. He was engaging and got the audience interested and moving.

I was caught up at the merch desk all night so I wasn't able to enjoy each band as much as I would have liked to and they may have sounded completely different down on the floor. I was still really impressed by the quality of the lineup, however, and will definitely be keeping an eye on each of these strong bands.

Soviet X-Ray Record Club
This was one of their first gigs back in a while after some time off to work on new material and the start of their 'This Girl' Tour. In their opening track, 'End of Everything' (a new and unreleased track), their absence from the stage definitely showed and they knew it. It was a bad start and they weren't happy but they earned back the attention of the crowd very quickly when they kicked off the set the right way with their second track, 'Good Things (I Only Think Of)'. A few other newer tracks in the middle played really well but were unfamiliar to the audience and some people seemed to have lost interest pretty quickly but there were many people intrigued and impressed. SXRC soon pulled them back in with crowd favourite 'Never Enough' and finished the set on a super strong note with 'Shake'. Although they had a shaky start to the set, they went from strength to strength which each song.
Soviet X-Ray Record Club play Grace Darling Hotel, Melbourne, 12 August and Studio 188, Ipswich, 9 September.

The Cure @ Rod Laver Arena // FAIL

It was the day we had been waiting for for months. We were finally going to see THE CURE performing live before our very eyes. We'd actually waited for this moment for years, not just months, to have them come to Australia and be lucky enough to seize a ticket. We travelled all the way to Melbourne to make this dream come true. Staying for just one night, flying down early in the morning and back the next day, just to have this 'once in a lifetime' experience.
It didn't quite work out that way, unfortunately…
The concert took place last Thursday night (28/07) and I'm only just writing about it now because it still feels so fresh and I'd really rather not think about it. But for your enjoyment, here is what happened…

Getting to Melbourne was fine. We had a really delicious breakfast. Checking into out hotel was fine; it was a really spacious apartment. It was here that I started to feel unwell. I rested for a little bit and decided that the pain in my stomach had passed and we ventured back out into the streets of Melbourne before meeting up with our friends for dinner.
I was feeling unwell again before dinner but just thought it was because I had a collision with a pedestrian that left me a bit winded, and with a slightly black-eye (that's a whole other story), so I thought nothing more of it. We all enjoyed a bottle of wine and a very good meal before we hiked it to Rod Laver Arena. Whilst walking I was feeling really sick but just put it down to eating too much food at dinner and then embarking on a brisk walk and being extremely unfit - which was all true but unfortunately not the case this time. But by the time we got to the venue I was going downhill and fast. I had sharp pain in my stomach and could barely stand up. However, I was determined to grin-and-bare-it for I wasn't missing out on this opportunity and also didn't want to ruin it for anyone else, especially my partner who is the biggest Cure fan I know.

The Cure had no supporting acts and came out onto the stage and just simply did their thing. It was effortless and comfortable for them and they had a great sound. Robert Smith's voice was in such good shape after all these years and Simon Gallup showed an unnatural amount of energy at his prime age of 56. Their light show was all kinds of crazy but just made it a more exciting show. For an audience clad in Dr. Martins, leather jackets, black eye make-up, and mostly over the age of 30, it was ironic how a group of people usually perceived as 'goth' or 'emo' were exceptionally happy just to be there and enjoying every minute of it. They opened with 'Plainsong' followed by (my favourite) 'Pictures Of You'. The next six songs ('Closedown', 'A Night like This', 'The Walk', 'Push', 'In Between Days' and 'Doing The Unstuck') were a bit of a blur for me as I was using all my energy to focus on NOT throwing up. I was in a state. Covered in sweat but also covered in goosebumps. But there was no way I was leaving.
It was during 'Friday I'm In Love' that I excused myself to go to the bathroom, hoping to catch some fresh air and revive myself, when my partner messaged me from inside the concert saying he wasn't feeling well and that he might have to go home. Little did he know, I felt the same way. He staggered out to meet me crumpled over in pain and with one look at each other we knew we couldn't soldier on any longer. We caught a cab and never said a word to each other until we were back at the hotel where we just cried tears of frustration and disappointment. We had come all this way only to let it slip between our fingers.

I remained positive over the fact that at least we got to see them in real life and saw a whole nine tracks played live and got to buy a t-shirt! And were lucky enough to spend the night in Melbourne together. But as we heard more about the set - like how they played for three hours and how they played four encores - it was harder to remain positive and it was easier to just not think about it anymore.
I read in a review that Robert Smith declared at the end of the show that he will be back and this one line is my shred of hope that I will be able to take my partner to see them again one more time in our lifetime and we will love it.

Travel Diary: Melbourne

I hadn't been to Melbourne since I was a teenager with my family so it was a completely different experience returning, as an adult, with my partner. I had a new perspective on everything and remembered more than I thought I would. We stayed on Queen Street near the Queen Victoria Markets which was a pretty ideal location nearby to China Town, Bourke Street Mall and Fitzroy.

We spent a whole day exploring the Carlton and Fitzroy areas, dropping in at a few bars and even visited an ice-bar. 

We also took a trip out to Yarra Valley - on what turned out to be the coldest June day in 28 years - for a wine tasting tour. It was a lovely trip out into the country and I appreciated seeing parts of Victoria that I wouldn't otherwise had the chance to see. We went to the Moet and Chandon winery and Yering Station winery. We also stopped in to the Yarra Valley Dairy for a cheese tasting where I bought a variety of cheese not thinking about how I would transport it home the following day which resulted in a large amount of cheese and wine consumption later that night. We later stopped in to Yarra Valley Chocolaterie for a chocolate tasting on the tour as well. 

We enjoyed wandering China town and indulging in some wonderful food. One of the best meals we had was at Red Spice Road - highly recommend. Enjoying breakfast in Melbourne is one of those highly recommended must-dos as well. One place in particular that stood out for me was a coffee shop called Basement. I just ordered the usual 'big breakfast' but it was different and fresh; I would definitely go back. 

One night we had no plans so we looked up what was happening in Melbourne that night and decided to see a play at Malthouse Theatre called 'The Events'. It was based on the events of the 2011 Massacre in Norway. It was confronting and moving but also a nice spontaneous event for us in Melbourne.

We spent out final day in Melbourne walking along the Yarra Valley and exploring the markets and galleries in Southbank. Southbank was an area we had heard about but hadn't planned to spend much time there but we were pleasantly surprised and grateful we found time to look around; it was beautiful.

Despite it being bitterly cold I fell in love with Melbourne. It was like an amalgamation of various European cities in one. I could see influences from Italy, Greece, England and more throughout the alleyways and corridors. I can see my partner and I spending a lot more time there and can't wait to go back. 

KLP @ Black Bear Lodge

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of interviewing KLP (Kristy Lee Peters from triple j House party) just hours before she was set to play in Brisbane. After the interview I headed along to her gig at Black Bear Lodge and it was one of the strangest night's of my life.

Major support for KLP was Tigerilla who is a producer specialising in what he calls nostalia electronica. I would call it…weird karaoke? He was set up with a synth and a laptop but stood in front of said set-up with a microphone and sung over his pre-recorded tracks. He certainly had a lot of energy and looked like he was very much enjoying himself. He was a good looking guy in a tall-tee and baggy pants with a squadron of look-a-like dudes standing in the front dancing just as hard as he; he obviously knows the right people. Tigerilla played a checkered set with a few pretty good tracks that piqued my interest and few that were just derivative and boring. His set left my dumbfounded, asking myself, 'what did I just watch?'.

Following him was KLP who took the stage with a back-up singer and electronic drummer. She played what she calls a live set where she took the role of lead vocalist and front-woman as opposed to her more popularly known DJ set. KLP played a flawless set and showed off her strong and impressive voice. She was also able to dance and keep the crowd engaged. The three of them on stage had a nice vibe and relationship and provided plenty of opportunity to dance.

Watch a quick video on my Instagram here.

Although I enjoyed her set and was impressed by how well written and produced a number of the tracks were, it wasn't my usual kind of show. KLP was dressed in black and her two band members were dressed in white. There were times when they would coordinate dance moves and it all came across as a little bit too corny and over-produced. They definitely embraced their pop music label but it wasn't something that appealed to me personally and was particularly strange to see at Black Bear Lodge better known for their beards and craft beers.

I left confused and bemused but had a good night with good company in one of my favourite bars, a couple of cocktails and some good old fashioned pop music.

AC/DC Live @ QSAC November 11 2015

Saved this one as a draft and never ended up publishing it. Perhaps it's worth a read...

It was the night my family and I had looked forward to for months; the AC/DC concert. My aunt, uncle and cousin arrived at my parents home shortly before I did and we all got dressed up for the occasion; my cousin sporting an Angus Young inspired school boys outfit, the rest of us in various band merchandise. We piled into the mini-bus making a few stops along the way to pick up a few good friends.

We made this trip a few years ago the last time AC/DC came to Brisbane and it was such a memorable night that we were so looking forward to reliving it all again. Just as we were on our way we were set back by a flat tyre. Just our luck. Pulled over on the side of the motorway, in the rain, we soon discovered the spare was flat too. After a long anxious wait we had a friend meet us to take the spare to get pumped before we changed it and were finally on our way.

Despite the delay we were even more excited to arrive fearing we mightn't make the show. We did, however, but unfortunately missed the support acts. The Hives and Kingswood were opening. Both bands I have seen at festivals in the past but I was eager to see them again. I caught the last couple of songs from Kingswood but not enough to form much of an opinion. Our late arrival did mean we had just enough time to get in, get food and get settled without too much waiting around before it was time for AC/DC to take the stage.

They were pretty phenomenal. For dudes their age they sure know how to move and get around. They relied heavily on pyrotechnics, lights, smoke and all that jazz but it was incredibly exciting. We were sitting so far away you couldn't really see much else anyway. It was all about the energy and it sure was contagious. Their new songs definitely weren't received as well as the old favourites everyone knows and loves. There were a few moments where it sounded like they were out of time, from where I was sitting so far back anyway, but the annoying but also amazing things was that they didn't seem to notice or care and just kept shredding away until they fell back in time and got it together. I guess that's what a lifetime of performing hard and fast does for you.

Was it a technically good and inspiring show? No. Was it enjoyable? Yes. Memories with family were once again created with AC/DC that I will never forget and will make for interesting and entertaining stories in years time. Would I go again? Yes, purely to have a fun night out with family.

Blues On Broadbeach 2016 Review

At the end of last week I headed to Broadbeach for two days to experience Blues On Broadbeach for the first time. I attended the event by myself and ended up being too sick to really enjoy much of it anyway. There wasn't much happening on day 1 but day 2 played host to an abundance of entertainment and people. Read the full review at Scenestr.

I was so sick, in fact, that I ended up driving myself to hospital around 2am Saturday morning; so I wasn't able to really soak up as much of Blues On Broadbeach as I would have liked. I struggled through, however, with sweat beads on my goosebumps and even managed to take a few photographs as well.

The Lachy Doley Group

Chase The Sun

West Texas Crude

Dom Turner & Phil Wiggins

When One Door Closes Review

If you’re familiar with the stories of Nora ('A Doll’s House'), Hedda Gabler and Miss Julie from their 19th Century plays you’ll know these three heroines questioned women and their role in a male-dominated society and arguably changed the literary world. 

La Boite Theatre Company’s newest production to hit the stage, ‘When One Door Closes’, brings these three characters together in a parallel universe with no limits to the imagination. Performed by local contemporary circus, Circa, ‘When One Door Closes’ is an extraordinary performance questioning the roles of men and women and redefining theatre.

The incredible cast from Circa show exemplary talent, technique and skill as they moved, flew and lift their way through various enthralling routines that will have you on the edge of your seat throughout the show. Set on a springboard-turned-stage, viewable from 360 degrees in the Roundhouse Theatre. The stage area was utilised so effectively that at times you're not only captivated by what's happening in the centre, but your eyes dart between the plethora of acrobatics in all corners at the same time. 

This thrilling show full of drama and intensity is also quite light and humorous. You may wonder if a man vacuuming is worthy of laughter when we're trying to tackle stereotypes and forget the traditional roles of men and women. It's undoubtedly entertaining and funny all the same. 

The costumes provide bright block colours and textures aiding the colourful performance – as do the choreography and composition which are visually appealing. The musical score also provides a fitting descriptive musical story to assist in telling the tale through movement and music only. At times the music stops and the audience are left with pants and grunts from the performers, bringing to light the incredible amount of strength, agility and endurance these athletes bring to the stage. It's awe-inspiring.The storyline gets a little lost somewhere in the middle, but it's all part of the craziness you get caught up in. But one thing was for sure, the audience are entranced and amazed. The performance is abstract and elusive but also captivating, entertaining and highly enjoyable. 

Read more about 'When One Door Closes' and get all the details here. 

GCFF & Eddie The Eagle Film Review

I was lucky enough to attend the Gold Coast Film Festival official launch party AND the QLD premiere of Eddie The Eagle at Gold Coast Arts Theatre.
It was a great night. I got to take photos of all the VIPs on the red carpet and then review the film.
See the photos I took here and read what I thought of the film here.

Bluesfest 2016 Review

It was the start of the Easter long weekend and many, including myself, were making the journey to Byron Bay for Bluesfest 2016.
I call it a journey because travelling to Bluesfest is all part of the experience; you arrive after an exhausting and possibly stressful road trip to enter into a world of calm and coolness. Once there, the prospect of spending five whole days within these gates surrounded by food, markets, live entertainment, dreadlocks and camper chairs is superbly appealing.

Day 1
Day one was spent exploring. But first, I weighed up all the possible food options I had over the next five days and played a game of elimination to decide what I would feast on first. Once fed, it was time to take out my schedule, organized days in advance, to find out where I was heading first - game on! 

Bluesfest ready!

TWEEDY
The first band I laid eyes on at Bluesfest 2016 was Tweedy. Tweedy is a group lead by Wilco’s frontman, Jeff Tweedy, who has teamed up with his son, drummer, Spencer Tweedy. The pair were joined by a band who provided easy-going folk-rock which was pleasant background music to ease into the evening. The on-stage banter was entertaining and the group looked very comfortable together. Jeff went solo for a time in the middle of the set, which dulled the mood slightly but showcased his effortlessly strong voice. Tweedy were a good sundown act to relax to after a long trip to get to the festival.
D’ANGELO
As the sun set and exhaustion was passing, excitement was setting in and the crowd was buzzing with delight for the night ahead. Only a few years after returning from hiatus, D’Angelo took the stage at Bluesfest 2016 for the very first time. He strutted on stage wearing a black feather coat, which was soon discarded and replaced with various other black accessories. He scatted and grooved his way flawlessly through the performance and had the crowd eating out of his hands. There was not a still body in the tent as everyone got down and dirty. It was a tight performance and D’Angelo showed great talent and ability swapping between guitar and keyboard; even throwing in a glissando here and there.
KENDRICK LAMAR
To finish off day one was the King himself, Kendrick Lamar. Before Kendrick had even stepped on stage, festival officials were asking the crowd to take two steps back, delaying the show until the audience settled down. Kendrick soon stepped on stage wearing a simple flannelette shirt but had the audience in an uproar at the very sight of him. He teased the crowd with false starts and a smile that melted hearts before finally kicking off the show with: “this Dick ain’t…” and the crowd answered, “FREE”. His rapping and freestyle was mesmerizing and effortlessly artistic. The crowd sang word for word from track to track. He took time out to give an inspirational speech saying, “turn bad shit into good shit” and followed up with ‘King Kunta’. The performance had people literally climbing and swinging from the tent poles before Kendrick asked them to get down. It was an intense show but may not have appealed to the larger, older audience. 

Day 2
Heading into the second day of Bluesfest we were lucky enough to wake up to beautiful weather with promises of an even better day. After a labouring journey to and from the festival – I definitely recommend camping – it was time to pack in as much music as possible. 

NAHKO AND MEDICINE FOR THE PEOPLE
Nahko And Medicine For The People performed a positive show with a socially conscious message. Although their message of good will is present in their songs and live show, poor song writing let them down as most songs were often cliché and trying too hard. They were energetic and individually talented with an amazing electric violin solo and fantastic bassist. It was an engaging and fun set but lacked sincere substance.

Nahko & Medicine For The People

CITY AND COLOUR
Dallas Green took the stage later that evening under the name City And Colour and performed a polished and pleasing set. Dallas displayed evident influence from Jeff Buckley, almost mimicking his vocal style with a chilling voice and very high range. It took a little while for City And Colour to settle into the set and the audience often lost interest in less popular (new) songs. Dallas performed solo part way through the set and pulled out crowd favourite ‘The Girl’. City And Colour’s performance at Bluesfest was far less vibrant than other artist performing and I don’t think the audience were very interested in something so subdued.
THE NATIONAL
The National finished the night and were one of the few bands to suffer from sound issues. Obviously experiencing problems with their fold back, they looked somewhat distressed but eventually got it together. Frontman, Matt Berninger, had me on edge as he stumbled around the stage seeming displeased with how the set was sounding. I wasn’t sure if he was going to walk off stage, throw a drink, yell at someone or carry on; it was all part of the emotional rollercoaster ride of the performance though. With so many great hits under their belt, The National had the audience singing along to almost each and every song as they constantly switched between instruments. It was in seeing this band live that the complexity of their music became evident and human error snuck in here and there. Matt crowd surfed on multiple occasions and eventually did actually throw a drink into the audience. He broke at least one microphone stand and tripped several times. His unpredictable behaviour meant he didn’t need to talk too much and left the audience breathless from all the excitement. They ended with an acoustic and unamplified version of ‘Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks’ as the audience sung along. It was a heart-warming and unforgettable experience. 

The Dessner bros. from The National

The National

The National

Day 3
The third day of Bluesfest started out as another beautiful but scorching hot day in Byron Bay but unfortunately ended with heavy rain after dark. It was on this day that I discovered the amazing trend of Tipsy Nachos and also tried an Iced Chai Latte with Chai Ice-cream – worth it. 

PIERCE BROTHERS
I stopped in at one of the smaller stages to check out Pierce Brothers. I was captivated and ended up watching their whole performance. The twin brothers were performing at Bluesfest for the first time and weren’t afraid to show their excitement. The enthusiasm was pouring out of them and they became immediately lovable. They had the audience engaged and pulled out all the stops. They could have done well to pull back a little bit because they were often playing extremely fast and over singing things but the audience were loving it. It was evident they were having some trouble with their echo microphone but it didn’t affect their overall performance too much. With politically driven songs, a high-energy performance and massive passion, these guys should go far.

Pierce Brothers playing didgeridoo, guitar and harmonica.

THE DECEMBERISTS
While jumping from stage to stage I managed to catch the second half of The Decemberists set and I’m very glad I did. Another hugely talented group with a massive set-up on stage including an accordion, slide guitar, double bass and more but still managed to have a great overall sound. With not a whole lot of movement on stage, The Decemberists were able to get the crowd interested but not moving, even trying to talk them through a two-step dance, to which Colin Meloy said: “that’s the worst two-step I’ve ever seen”. They ended the set being eaten by a large whale cutout.
KAMASI WASHINGTON
This was my second time catching Kamasi Washington at 2016 Bluesfest. Kamasi is a multi-instrumentalist jack-of-all-trades and was joined by his outstanding band. Their set featured tracks from each artist on stage and paid credit to their mentors, including Kamasi’s dad, Ricky Washington. They were incredibly soulful and talented and even had a Keytar on stage. It was a set made up of solos from each musician and offered plenty of opportunity to boogie. Vocalist, Patrice Quinn, was captivating as music oozed from her body in the form of silky notes and movements. 

Kamasi Washington

Day 4
Entering the festival grounds on day four, the grounds were very muddy from the rain on the previous day and although many were wearing gumboots to combat the mud, many had given up on the idea of shoes before they had even started and abandoned footwear altogether. 

SAHARA BECK
Within two minutes of hearing Sahara Beck sing, I had chills. She performed with ease and grace and projected her strong, smooth voice that filled the tent. Her band wore matching outfits and she donned bright red pants to match her big bright red lips emphasizing her huge smile. At just 19, Sahara recently landed her second QMusic award this year and after seeing her live for the first time, I now know why. She’s sweet, honest and enchanting but also strong and talented. With a very basic performance, her voice and well-written songs were all she needed to wow the audience.

Sahara Beck

I got to chat with Sahara Beck and her band. What a beautiful girl.

ASH GRUNWALD
As an old Ash Grunwald fan, I was eager to see him perform because I hadn’t really kept up with him in recent years. The first thing I noticed was the missing signature dreadlocks and the addition of a full band up on stage with him. A few songs into the set I concluded: he’s a rock star. With a silky voice, aviator sunglasses hooked over his button-up t-shirt and plenty of sex-appeal, Ash drew a massive audience for a band playing in the afternoon and not on one of the main stages. He also had a surprise visit from Kasey Chambers who joined him on stage to sing (scream) for one track before Ash took over.  
THE CAT EMPIRE
No strangers to Bluesfest, The Cat Empire took the stage playing like it was the last show of their farewell tour pouring their heart and soul into it. The crowd was locked in well before their set began and excitement was evident. Their show was sprinkled with solos and wrapped up in energy. Vocalist, Felix Reibl, almost missed his cue in ‘How To Explain’ but other than that there were no major errors or issues. ‘Still Young’ and ‘In My Pocket’ were definitely highlights as The Cat Empire drew energy from the devoted audience. The stage was set up with rainbow pinwheels resembling the artwork of newest album, ‘Rising With The Sun’. They worked well with the stage lights and were also sometimes spun which added colour and movement. The audience were left wanting more when the set came to a close. 

The Cat Empire

I caught up with Jumps from The Cat Empire

I love this job!

Day 5
On the final day of Bluesfest I was greeted with the overwhelming stench of mud that resembled that of a piggery. Although hard to ignore, it didn’t seem to bother anyone else and with that I sucked it up and spent the day immersing myself in bands I hadn’t heard of before and also found time to check out some of the market stalls. 

THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA
The first band I saw were The Blind Boys of Alabama. They’re a group I had never heard of before the festival and I had become very interested in their remarkable story. Sitting on stage in a line wearing golden suits, ties and aviator sunglasses, they really looked the part. Jimmy Carter lead the group telling the audience: “the blind boys love you” before they had even started the show. It wasn’t until they all sung together in four part harmony that I was really blown away and swept up in their rich gospel sound. Their timbre as a group was undeniably good. They were incredibly loveable and entertaining considering they only stood to sing and dance on the spot.
FANTASTIC NEGRITO
In complete contrast to The Blind Boys Of Alabama was Fantastic Negrito. AKA Xavier Dphrepaulezz, Fantastic Negrito put on a theatrical performance full of dancing, anecdotes and sex. The set started with the smallest audience I had seen at the festival so far but soon grew to a decent sized crowd. Xavier was overly enthusiastic and gave his all to the performance. He ran around the stage, popping and locking and directing the audience as he saw fit. There was a moment of silence for the victims of Pakistan and Xavier shared personal stories before the show continued with him declaring: “there is only one Fantastic Negrito”.
TOM JONES
I was reluctant to see Tom Jones initially but figured it would probably be the only time in my life I would be able to see him so I couldn’t pass off the opportunity. By the conclusion of the set, I was left telling everyone how cool the 75-year-old pop star is. Once you found your way through the sea of camper chairs and made it into the tent, it was a really good time with a very mixed audience. With hit after hit including ‘Delilah’, ‘Green, Green Grass Of Home’ and ‘Sex Bomb’, the crowd were going crazy. Tom often slowed some songs down, whether it was to showcase his golden voice or to give him a bit of a rest, I’m not sure, but it didn’t affect the energy in the crowd. With a small amount of feedback creeping in the overall show was pretty flawless. Tom invited The Blind Boys Of Alabama to join him on stage and also paid tribute to Elvis Presley. He even stripped off his jacket in ‘Leave Your Hat On’! It was a well-structured set that kept the audience engaged, although they were considerably less interested in his newer songs. All things considered, he’s still got it.

The Cat Empire banner

It was a wild and exhausting five days packed to the brim with endless live entertainment. Bluesfest offered me so much more than I thought it ever would. I flew solo and still managed to have the time of my life. From the music festival staples including drink tickets and port-a-loos, to Bluesfest signatures like the Boomerang Festival and high-quality big screens, Bluesfest 2016 took me on a journey and showed me experiences, people, places and music I’ll never forget.

Kate xx

READ THE WHOLE STORY ONLINE WITH MANY MORE PICS AND VIDS FROM BLUESFEST 2016 HERE.