Live Review: Bluesfest Day One

18 April 2014 | 3:47 pm | Cameron Warner

Byron Bay party kicks off

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Bluesfest 2014 is looking very similar to 2013 from all reports, organized well enough for volunteers and staff to be super chilled but focused on providing the best service for ticketholders. There's no lack of variety in the food stalls and the mix of international cuisines can be smelt and craved from the Jambalaya and Crossroads stages. The camping facilities have proven very comfortable and the good vibes are bouncing all over the place.

Campers were still rolling in when the freaky funky Dubmarine opened the Cavanbah stage with vigor, frontman D Kazman with his head covered in paint moved his voice between a smooth R&B style to rap to Tibetan throat singing and at times combined them all. Vocalist Billie Weston looked like a Lady Gaga and Catwoman lovechild, the live act is ambitious but when it works it really works, and on this occasion the tent felt full and it was hard to stop moving.

Tijuana Cartel clashed with Dubmarine but such is the beauty of Bluesfest we can catch them again today, the artists are really working for the fans here, especially Dave Matthews Band who plan on playing two 150 minutes sets, or about five hours of tunes.

Veterans The Black Sorrows still draw a crowd and still know how to please them. Even after 50 years in the business and 45 albums Joe Camilleri plays with happiness and genuine enthusiasm, there was dance floor movement but the seated section seemed to appreciate the set more.

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Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros are absolute masters of crowd interaction. Alex Ebert somehow simultaneously looks everyone in the eye as he sings which give his strained vocals and heartfelt lyrics real impact. The set moved and built, Man On Fire, 40 Day Dream and obviously Home were huge but it was the little moments that made the set great. Ebert handed the mic to a crowd member and told him to “make up some shit, any shit” so he sang an improvised song about getting drunk and not knowing the lyrics to songs – brilliant.

Story time during the breakdown for Home revealed a girl who had traveled 18 hours to be here and a girl from the Philippines who felt it necessary to sing her story too, which was slightly awkward but kind of beautiful. The band were flawless and Ebert controlled the crowd like it was nothing.

John Mayer played the same stage and the already heavy crowd got even tighter before he came out. The 90-minute set was a showcase of Mayer's guitar prowess, he spread out his hits like Who Says, and Gravity and threw in some traditional 12 bar blues tracks with a few ten minute guitar solos.

You've got to give it up to anyone who can hold a crowd with only an instrument, but it was a little slow for ninety minutes and it would've been nice to hear a few more of his hits. Nevertheless, Mayer's voice sounded as good – if not better – than his records, and the collection of sobbing females front of stage would probably disagree with any criticisms. His live arrangements are stunning and the sound production team needs a raise, because they were just as good.