Friday
Just like many Australian musicians, community radio broadcasters need to have day jobs too and hence our Friday arrival at Bluesfest saw us miss the opening night.
But Friday got off to a cracking start with Young Australian Of The Year Baker Boy (pictured) taking to the Boomerang Festival stage for a set that was both as visually exciting as much as it was aurally pleasing. Rolling out the hip-hop vibes that are already making him a festival favourite, whilst showing off his well choreographed dance moves, it’s no wonder that Baker Boy’s debut album later this year, will be one of 2019’s most anticipated releases.
Ruthie Foster epitomises what is so good about blues and roots music. Hailing from the deep south of the United States, this is music from her veins and her impressive performance left you in no doubt that her comparisons to the recently departed Queen Of Soul are justified.
Austin, Texas native Shakey Graves was next up with his modern take on the blues genre, mixed with a bit of rock and roll. It’s an interesting hybrid, but Shakey has the guitar mastery to pull it off.
One of the big names for Bluesfest’s 30th birthday was undoubtedly the incomparable Norah Jones. Whilst her stage presence and in between song banter was at times brief and somewhat distant, her blues, soul and jazz vibe, together with her impeccable vocals made for a performance worth remembering.
Aussie twins The Pierce Brothers (pictured below) have come a long way from busking on the streets of Melbourne, to playing festivals around the globe in a relatively short time. In fact, their career and that of fellow Aussie Tash Sultana (also from Melbourne, they busked together and have supported each other respectively since) are almost carbon copies of each other, it’s only their music styles that differentiate them. An incredibly energetic performance with percussive skills that are up there with the best, a must see live band!
At 72 years of age, to see Iggy Pop bound about on stage with as much energy as someone half his age, just demonstrates how timeless an artist he is. With an impressive backing band, he rolled through the hits from his back catalogue, from his solo stuff, right back to the work he did with his original band The Stooges, just incredible!

Saturday
Day two of the festival for Team Aussie Music Weekly and it was the alt-country vibes of Little Georgia that got things underway musically. Frontwoman Ashley Mannix really shines in this band and has certainly found her niche following on from her past more acoustic based solo work.
Echuca singer-songwriter Benny Walker made his return to Bluesfest after his debut in 2018. His guitar work has improved out of sight, his new material continues to impress and with the new work now more well known, he had the confidence to get a few sing-a-longs happening and with tunes as catchy and hook laden as his, who wouldn’t partake!
Like Benny, Caiti Baker from Darwin was also returning to the festival for a 2nd year running. With her unique style that blends soul with jazz and even a bit of funk, the crowd were bopping and you can’t help but be mesmerised by Caiti’s very own dance moves.
 It was back to the Boomerang Festival stage for Melbourne’s Mojo Juju, who delivered a powerful, yet uplifting set mainly comprising tracks from her 2018 release “Native Tongue”. Mojo got plenty of love and support from the crowd as she spoke out about racism in all its forms (she is of mixed background, from a Filopino father and Indigenous mother) and told the stories about each of the songs as she played them. Whilst this is often a tough topic to broach, she did it in such an informal way, with even a hint of humour, that you just found captivating.
Tommy Emmanuel is undoubtedly one of Australia’s greatest ever guitarists and whilst now touring a lot less than in his heyday, his status as a guitar virtuoso is unquestioned. His 20 minute Beatles melody a clear highlight of his set, as was his tribute to the recent passing of his younger brother Phil.
Kurt Vile and The Violators may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but they do have a certain charm and his recent work with our own Courtney Barnett has endeared him to Australian audiences. His own brand of guitar rock from his solo work and now with his band has seen a promising career develop after he branched out from his former band The War On Drugs.
It was old school, it was huge and it was amazing. Little Steven and The Disciples Of Soul hit you with a wall of sound that signalled that they meant business! With a massive 15 piece band on stage, their set took you on a journey through soul, with a few instantly recognisable tunes including one that our own Jimmy Barnes had a hit with, to one that we later discovered hadn’t been played in this country for 34 years. This was pure entertainment on all fronts,  the matching costumes, the musicianship and the pure respect for the audience that they had come to captivate and that they did it in spades.
Bluesfest regular Ben Harper closed out the evening, in a set that included a number of special guests, most notably Australia’s very own Kasey Chambers. With his impressive lap steel guitar picking, all the hits were there and the punters were more than happy to welcome back one of our adopted sons.

Sunday
By the 3rd day, the feet were getting sore, the mud becoming thicker, but there are people who do the whole 5 day thing, so it was time to toughen up! Chicago’s Melody Angel provided a great afternoon musical backdrop of traditional blues. With her tight band, she played her Fender Stratt with impressive skill and encouraged the crowd to show their appreciation and encouraged them to get involved.
A Bluesfest is not the same without Rockwiz Live and whilst in 2019 we have for now, said goodbye to the TV version, this didn’t stop the music as it were. With a guest list that included Vika  and Linda Bull, Sarah McLeod from The Superjesus, Ian Moss, plus the always impressive RockWiz Orchestra, there is still a lot of love for this show and with Julia Zemiro’s parting comment  “see you next year”, you just know that there is still plenty more to come here.
Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats were next up and with a mixture of soul, rhythm and blues, this was a very tasty set indeed.
Undoubtedly one of the highlights of the festival was Gary Clark Jr. An incredible guitarist who at times had your draw dropping with just how good a guitarist he is. The set was interestingly eclectic too, with everything from blues to soul, to reggae and even pop sneaking into the sound. Is it any wonder that this guy had a day named after him in his hometown!
 Like Ben Harper the night before, Byron Bay’s other adopted son Jack Johnson was always going to make an appearance when it came time for Bluesfest to celebrate their 3 decade existence. This was a set of hits, hits and more hits and the crowd knew every word. It was just the sort of chilled out vibe that perfectly closed the evening.
 
Aussie Music Weekly thanks Bluesfest Byron Bay & Gaynor Crawford Publicity for having us again this year

Now in its 4th year, Fairgrounds Festival circa 2018 was certainly punching above its weight in terms of the calibre of both international and local acts that it managed to secure for this year’s event.
 
The Berry Showgrounds, just 2 hours south of Sydney on the beautiful South Coast of NSW is the perfect venue for this event, with its location making it relatively straightforward for punters in whichever way they chose to make their way there.
 
Now on to the all important music....
 
Day one got underway on the main stage with all girl act Body Type from Sydney whose blend of pop and punk was a great way to get in the mood for what was ahead.
 
Over on the more intimate Windmill Stage, Melbourne posters Oh Pep! played to an appreciative crowd. The duo showed their musical proficiency with not only their perfect sweet harmonies, but a plethora of instruments, from mandolin to guitar through to violin.
 
Back on the main stage, Saba had the crowd jumping, whilst Melbourne singer-songwriter  Tyne-James Organ played an impressive acoustic set showcasing the material he has been working on these past few months, together with a hint of where his musical roots began with an awesome cover of Michael Jackson’s “The way you make me feel” delivered in his own unique style.
 
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever returned home after their whirlwind 2018 which has seen them over in the UK, Europe and US on the bills of some massive festivals. It was no surprise to see them playing a tight and polished set of indie pop, well deserving of their success to date.
 
Mackay born, but now Brisbane based, Tia Gostelow came to the stage informing the crowd that this was the first time she had performed without her full band. She proceeded to play tracks off her debut album “Thick Skin”, as well as throwing in a cover of Empire Of The Sun’s “We are the people”.
 
Next up, probably the main drawcard act for day one, Vance Joy. Having brought with him a full band, complete with horn section, this was a set for everyone to enjoy, with a broad cross section of his material to date, which many in the crowd were happy to sing along to. As Vance was about to launch into his one of his signature songs “Georgia”, he spotted a guy in the audience with a sign saying that he was keen to play guitar on the song, so called him up on stage, only to realise that it was a young kid and the sign referred to his older brother. The second audience member (being the guitarist in question) then climbed up to strap on Vance’s guitar, whilst his younger brother found a cosy position in front of the drum kit. A nice gesture, which drew a round of applause from the appreciative crowd.
 
The evening was then rounded out with sets from Pist Idiots, followed by the psychedelic sounds of Pond.
 
It was an earlier start for day two of the Fairgrounds Festival with things getting underway around midday with back to back singer-songwriters in the form of Charlie Collins, Andrew Gibson, Totty, Kevin Morby, Maddy Jane and Carla Geneve, before the soulful sounds of The Teskey Brothers provided the perfect accompaniment to the beautiful summer conditions and showed why this act from Melbourne’s outskirts are fast becoming a festival drawcard.
 
The international acts on the bill were up next with Billy Bragg playing a set of some of the many songs across his lengthy career, complete with the in between song banter and social commentary you come to expect from the man in question. Wil Wagner from The Smith Street Band joined Billy on stage for one of his songs and was later in the day during his own solo set, regaling the punters of how his own dad raised him on a strict diet of Bruce Springsteen and Billy Bragg.
 
Continuing the international flavour, The Breeders made their welcome return to the Australian festival stage and together with the aforementioned Billy Bragg, it evoked memories for many punters of the heady days of a now defunct festival in the 90’s decade. The Deal sisters were in fine form and clearly enjoying themselves as they sprinkled songs from their back catalogue, with a heavy emphasis on their “Last Splash” album. Courtney Barnett joined them on stage, a favour that was later returned when Kim and Kelly Deal joined Courtney during her own set for a track they provided backing vocals for on her current album.
 
Showing the diversity of musical genres on offer at the Fairgrounds Festival, Sampa The Great and Waxahatchee then provided some quality entertainment for the slightly younger members of the crowd.
 
The Smith Street Band’s frontman Wil Wagner delivered a solo set over on The Windmill Stage to what was probably the biggest crowd gathered in the tin roofed shed across the festival. Kicking off with a few new songs he has written in a studio that he commented that he had just finished building, he then went on to get the crowd singing along to the many songs that has made his own band a current favourite for many.
 
Courtney Barnett then launched into an entertaining and fast paced set, backed by her solid band, demonstrating just why she is one of Australia’s most successful independent artists, having also built a solid career to date overseas. It’s been another huge year for Courtney and she shared many tracks off her 2018 album “Tell Me How You Really Feel” as well as letting the punters know that this was her last performance for the year, so it was pretty special that she chose Fairgrounds Festival as the place to wind things up.
 
With Fascinator and the every eclectic Winston Surfshirt to bring down the 2018 edition of Fairgrounds Festival, it was easy to see how  this hidden gem is becoming an annual destination of choice for music lovers of all ages and we look forward to what the organisers can dish up yet again in 2019.
 
Aussie Music Weekly wishes to thank Scrabble PR for their kind hospitality at Fairgrounds Festival
 

The 2018 edition (or 17th if you’re counting!) of Brisbane’s Bigsound festival was another cracker! After having moved from a 3 to 4 day event  in 2017, it was no surprise that this now represents how big this festival has become. Here’s just a sample of some of the many showcase gigs we got to across the main 3 nights.
 
Sydney band Pirra kicked off proceedings showcasing some new tracks from their upcoming EP “Rabbit Hole”, together with their more familiar tunes from their 2017 debut “Animal Kingdom”. It was just the catchy pop needed to get you in the mood for a Tuesday night!
 
Next up, it was Perth act The Little Lord Street Band whose fusion of the country, rock and blues genres made for quite an eclectic set, with a fellow punter commenting “I can’t work out who these guys sound like!”. With 5 of them onstage and with a variety of instruments from guitar to harmonica to mandolin, you can’t help enjoying a band who were equally grinning from ear to ear as they soaked up the Bigsound love for the first time.
 
Melbourne artist Samsaruh has been building quite a name for herself these past 12 months and it was no surprise that she was touted as one of the must see acts at Bigsound. With an amazing stage presence and backed by a super tight band, she weaved her way back and forth across the stage at an amazing pace as her pop songs with a punch were delivered with perfection.
 
Charlie Collins had an early start to her music career and having recently moved away from her former band to concentrate on her solo work, this was indeed a showcase set performed by a musician with plenty of experience and the crowd just loved it. Her current single “Wish you were here” was just one of the many gems she delivered across her 30 minutes on stage.
 
Whilst it was only the first night of the festival, however by the end of the set from Perth rockers Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, we were already thinking that this would be hard to top. Whilst on record they sound somewhat like their hometown counterparts Tame Impala, seeing them live took things to another level. Whilst psychedelica is their main thing, there is just so much else going on, not to forget those killer riffs, seemingly delivered with ease. The group head off to the UK and Europe shortly and you just know that like the aforementioned other Perth band, they are going to be well received.
 
Greta Stanley sings with one of those sweet voices that you just can’t not like. We caught two of her sets at the festival, the first night she was in solo acoustic mode and the second with her full band. Whilst both performances were enjoyable, for mine to hear her voice without the distraction of a band was the highlight of her Bigsound appearance.
 
Brisbane legends Butterfingers whilst somewhat of an unusual choice at a festival that primarily aims to support up and coming musicians, it was still good to see this hip/hop rock fusion act on their home turf and they did have some new music to share as well. Frontman Evil Eddie cheekily announced early in the set “we’ll get our new stuff out of the way first” before the band used the remainder of their time (plus a self imposed extension) to dig out some of the classic tracks that have made them a live favourite over their almost two decade long career.
 
The second night of the festival kicked off with Launceston based singer-songwriter Emma Anglesey who mesmerised the crowd with her enchanting and somewhat ethereal pop tunes as she swooned in her shiny silver full length body suit.
 
Jade Imagine is a moniker that has been popping up everywhere of late, mainly due to the various members of this Melbourne act collaborating on many a musicians album. This is a mighty impressive four piece band lead by Jade McInally and the packed room indicated just how solid their following has become as they worked their way through their own blend of pop rock.
 
Brisbane lads (or should I say dads) Tape/Off are just a good fun band, who wear their punk influences on their sleeve. Their in between song banter had many a punter in stitches at times, but not any form of interruption or distraction to their otherwise fast paced set.
 
Newcastle trio Raave Tapes (which we finally discovered on the night is correctly pronounced as rave, like the dance music parties back in the day) performed on what was probably one of the smallest stages at the festival. This however didn’t stop them putting in an extremely lively performance as lead vocalist Lewis Horne and bass guitarist Lindsay O’Connell literally bounced around the stage. Surprisingly their catchy hooks are delivered by a guitar via effects pedals, whilst on record it sounds not too dissimilar to a keyboard and whilst their songs are simple, they are incredibly catchy and had the audience dancing as much as the band were. Their set contained  many a sing-along favourite from their catalogue to date, together with their new one “Suds”.
 
Melbourne singer-songwriter Tyne-James Organ sure knows how to write a solid pop song and similarly share his own personal journey with the audience. This was both an impressive and extremely moving performance from a talented artist whose name will no doubt be shortly on everyone’s lips.
 
Keeping with the Melbourne theme, East Brunswick All Girls Choir were next up and provided half an hour worth of the guitar fuzz that they have become renowned for. Showcasing tunes from their recently released album “Teddywaddy”, they had the crowd captivated.
 
Although having been somewhat quiet for the past 18 months or so, Sunshine Coast singer-songwriter Sahara Beck returned recently with a new single in the form of “Here we go again” indicating a more electro pop direction to her sound. Her minimalist set of keyboards and drums actually worked perfectly to showcase the new tunes, although it would of been great to have snuck something in from her past record “Panacea” but understandable given this is Bigsound and new music is the key after all.
 
Well the rumours had been spreading all day and it was later confirmed when the sounds of Paul Kelly doing a soundcheck at Fortitude Valley’s iconic venue The Zoo could be heard from the pavement outside in the late afternoon. Shortly before 12.30am, Paul Kelly and his full band including Pete Luscombe, Dan Kelly, Ash Naylor, Cameron Bruce, plus of course Vika and Linda Bull, took to the stage for the lucky 450 (yes I was one of them!) people who had managed to get into the venue after a lengthy queue outside. To see an artist of this stature in such a small venue was just amazing and his solid set of new and old favourites didn’t fail to disappoint.
 
The final night of showcase gigs at Bigsound kicked off with Melbourne indie posters Candy. These guys were certainly big on the self promotion front reminding the punters who they were after each song.
 
Although they have only released one single to date, the impressive “Make Me Feel Nothing”, Melbourne trio Bell City Square have some considerable interest surrounding them and hence we were curious to check these guys out. Their blend of infectious pop is clearly well crafted and their 30 minute set was filled with many tracks that you just know would sound great on the radio. One to watch we feel.
 
All girl act Oh Pep! from Melbourne impressed with their folk/pop stylings with latest single “What’s The Deal With David” demonstrating what great songwriters these ladies are too. Beautiful melodies, lush harmonies, what isn’t to like here!
 
Melbourne five piece Diet probably set the record for the number of guitarists on stage at Bigsound, but whilst this may have otherwise resulted in a wall of sound, their dabbling in keyboards did add to their appeal.
 
Finally, as the third night drew to a close, upon recommendation from a Brisbane local, we checked out local act Blank Realm who have had a loyal following in their hometown now for well over a decade. If you like your Aussie indie stuff from the early 90’s, then you’ll love these guys. Their songs are epic (they could only squeeze four in during their 30 minute set!), but delivered to perfection, a great way to wind up another great Bigsound festival.
 
Aussie Music Weekly wishes to thank SGC Media for having us at Bigsound again this year

In an era where festivals seem to be in decline after the heady days of a decade ago it’s good to know that a gathering of like-minded souls can still produce some magic, that magic being the Groovin the Moo festival.
 A mixed bag of showers and sunny breaks ensued on the drive up from Sydney to the Maitland leg in the Aussie Music Weekly fun bus, and despite it being the 13th instalment the only real bad luck was limited to the odd passing shower before the skies cleared as proceedings got underway.
 The Byron Bay surf and garage rockers Skegss stood and delivered a solid set of tracks to a full house front of stage who did the shuffle over from the left to the right of the main Triple J/Cattleyard stage when Melbourne singer-songwriter Alex Lahey followed soon after, another classy set from this performer worthy of a wider audience.
 Dean Lewis shifted some solid units with this single Waves in 2017 and filled his set with a mix of old and new indie styled tunes with his debut album in the frame to drop sometime this year, the crowd still there front of stage and enjoying what was offered up.
 The first international act of the day on the bill for us was the Alaskan alternatives Portugal The Man. With no less than Beavis and Butthead (remember them folks) providing the words of wisdom as they walked on stage the Wasilla alt rockers gave a decent nod to their 2017 album Woodstock in their set but also dipped into their decade plus back catalogue as well for good measure, the bar continuing to be raised as the day rolled on artist wise.
 Adelaide rapper Tkay Mdaiza rocked a funky pink tracksuit to go with a high energy set where the audience appreciation and participation when called upon was also up to the task and much obliged by Tkay as well.
 Manly indie combo Winston Surfshirt arrived at the just the right time as the sun started to calling it a day, the mix of good grooves, good horns and it seems good beverage action thanks to the onstage barman made for an interesting 35 minutes on stage.
 Grinspoon then stepped up and delivered a greatest hits set, overcoming some initial sound problems to get the crowd going as they dished out the tracks many punters there may well have first heard via their folk’s record collections. Good to see them back where they belong if it’s only fleeting nowadays.
 Over at the Moulin Rouge tent Melbourne electro dance combo Confidence Man were all about confidence. Their album is called Confident Music for Confident People and in Janet Planet and Sugar Bones were some confident artists leading the way on all things confidence when it comes to getting it done on the live stage. Have I mentioned the word confidence enough here?
 The great Paul Kelly then wandered on the Triple J stage to a solid but appreciative audience. Opening the set solo with From Little Things Big Things Grow in time the rest of the his great band joined him one by one and ran through a great set with a decent nod to his 2017 ARIA chart topper Life Is Fine plus a few classics from his solid kitbag of tunes.
 Royal Blood were back here after their visit for Splendour In The Grass last year with plenty of life still in their 2nd album How Did We Get So Dark? which was just released last time round. And it showed as Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher cranked it up nicely with a solid set and great sound from something so simple as a bass and drums (well there is those cool effects Kerr uses to get that bass noise to another level).
 The regional venues and maintaining a good mix line up wise was again embraced by the local community and welcome to outsiders making the journey there as well. Long may the Moo continue to offer up a smorgasbord of sound for our ears to savour.
 
(Rufus thanks Janelle Morse from Morse Code PR and the organisers for their hospitality at the festival, much obliged as always)