Why Bluesfest Is Music Geek Heaven

Mo' Better Blues

It's very rare that punters get the blues at Bluesfest, but that's not the real reason why the festival's name is something of an anomaly. Steve Bell looks at just why Bluesfest really is music geek heaven.

It was there before all of the other festivals, and it could just well outlast them all as well. The Australian festival landscape has been ravaged in recent years, the once flourishing bubble well and truly bursting with many established franchises disappearing altogether and not being replaced. One festival that has survived this tough period with its reputation not just intact but probably enhanced is Byron Bay Bluesfest, which has shored up its Easter stronghold and managed to maintain its ambitious five-day, multi-stage layout that attracts well over 100,000 music lovers annually and promises a musical experience like no other.

People who have never ventured to the beautiful purpose-built Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm site that Bluesfest has called home since 2010 may wonder how the event stands so strong while so many around it are floundering, especially when the festival's own name relegates it to almost niche status in a musical sense. But it's all about the brand they've built up over time and the loyalty they've engendered after decades of providing top-notch events and experiences.

Not since Bluesfest's very earliest incarnations — it began way back in 1990 as 'The First East Coast Annual Blues Festival', and drew 6,000 fans to The Arts Factory precinct — has the 'blues' as a genre been the festival's dominant paradigm. It long ago expanded its purview to encompass "blues and roots", and often uses that term very liberally when putting together bills: one need only look at the 2016 event for affirmation of the musical variety which has long characterised Bluesfest line-ups.

When it was announced late last year that esteemed rapper Kendrick Lamar would be headlining 2016's opening night it caused much consternation in certain quarters about his "blues credentials", the same nebulous criticisms being levelled at fellow hip hop artists D'Angelo and Kamasi Washington (both also featuring prominently on the 2016 bill). But surely the same accusations could be levelled at rock acts on the bill such as The National, Tom Jones, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, City & Colour or even the legendary Brian Wilson (who's presenting The Beach Boys' classic Pet Sounds in full). Or be aimed at the plethora of indie-rock acts performing this Easter such as Modest Mouse, Cold War Kids, The Decemberists and The Residents. And while the blues and country genres have historically been closely intertwined, you can't really classify artists like Jason Isbell or Tweedy as blues acts either.

But such has it always been. Notwithstanding the fact that this year's Bluesfest poster is absolutely chock-a-block with bona fide blues names like Taj Mahal, The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band and The Original Blues Brothers Band anyway, such critiques miss the fact that Bluesfest long ago diversified their programming away from just blues to cover all manner of good music, in an effort to facilitate a diverse array of experiences for a broader variety of music lovers than just the purists. Whether the youngest music fan on the grounds or the most experienced music lover, there really is something there for everyone.

And it's not just about seeing bands you already know, the prospect for discovery is one of Bluesfest's greatest allures. Over many years since my first fledgling forays at the festival this writer has witnessed such great bands as Iggy & The Stooges, Wilco, Midnight Oil, My Morning Jacket, ZZ Top, Cold Chisel, Drive-By Truckers, The Pogues, Paul Kelly, Weddings Parties Anything, Crowded House, The Avett Brothers, The Specials, Old Crow Medicine Show, Violent Femmes, REM, Alabama Shakes, Ray Davies, Justin Townes Earle, The Bellrays, Lucinda Williams, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and even The Celibate Rifles, but all of those artists were already in my frame of reference. What's been the real boon has been discovering a whole new incredible vista of artists and inviting them into my life, names such as BB King, Joan Armatrading, Rodney Crowell, James Brown, Jimmy Cliff, Seasick Steve, Buddy Guy, Booker T Jones, Betty LaVette, Mavis Staples, Joe Henry and Lyle Lovett (to name literally but a few of the inspiring artists Bluesfest has introduced me to over the years).

The other unique facet of Bluesfest that helps usher such discovery is the five-day set-up itself. While the bigger names on any given year often just play a solitary headline set, the majority of acts play on multiple days so proper preparation becomes imperative. Judicious timetable selection can really maximise the amount of music and variety one crams into any given day, and can even allow for some much-needed downtime later on in the piece. Bluesfest may be a defiantly family affair but it's still a brilliant setting to (respectfully) get your party on, with its numerous well-stocked bars set up perfectly to minimise queuing time. The assembled crowd comprises music lovers of all possible shapes, sizes and persuasions and a laid-back, tolerant vibe abounds so there's plenty of scope for good times: indeed the five-day timeframe allows for some quite epic benders if conducted properly, and many incorporate a rest day of some description anyway. It's all about planning and pacing.

And while hanging out with friends in the morning pre-festival can provide some of the weekend's finest times, if you're particularly intrepid it really pays to head in early on at least a couple of days to cash in on Bluesfest's long-held tradition of embracing emerging artists: you can really unearth some gems as every Aussie troubadour or roots artist worth their salt has done an apprenticeship on the bill's early slots, often playing the outer stages to a mere handful of lucky punters.

And if you start to tire of the relentless world class music — such a unique first world problem — there's plenty of ways to kill time on site if hitting the picturesque beaches or postcard towns that liberally dot the region surrounding Byron doesn't float your boat (your wristband acts as a pass out and bountiful free car-parking is provided for ticket holders, as well as a reliable bus service). The food options at Bluesfest are handpicked and substantial, and clearly one of the best ranges on the circuit. If you prefer some retail therapy to make your Easter complete then you have plenty of options: everything from music and band merch from your favourite artists — which you can then get autographed at one of the scheduled signing sessions — through to top-line market stalls, selling all of the usual festival accoutrements that you can never seem to source any other time of the year. 

But really Bluesfest's blatant appeal boils down to the amazing artists enlisted to play each year. It can be a transcendental place to experience one of those magical musical moments, surrounded by hordes of people there for the same reason — to appreciate great music, irrespective of how it's classified or what genre it's lumped into. Forget the name and give Bluesfest a go if you truly love music of any persuasions: your Easter will never be the same again.

When & Where: 24 — 28 Mar, Bluesfest, Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm

Boomerang Came Back

In 2013 Bluesfest launched its offshoot the Boomerang Festival, a standalone celebration of Indigenous culture held over three sun-drenched days at the Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm site which Bluesfest calls home. The brainchild of Bluesfest owner/director Peter Noble and Bundjalung woman (and Festival Director) Rhoda Roberts, 5000 people attended the inaugural event, which featured music, dance, traditional arts practices and workshops aplenty and aimed to foster authentic cultural exchanges.

This year the ground-breaking Indigenous gathering returns under the auspices of Bluesfest itself with its own Boomerang Precinct. According to Noble himself, "The Boomerang Precinct is all about cherishing culture and ending the disparity between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australia. This intergenerational exchange will allow our loyal audiences a unique hands-on engagement and experience while allowing the Boomerang Festival to build audiences and find support as a future standalone festival."

Legendary Indigenous singer-songwriter Archie Roach — who's giving a talk in the Precinct entitled '25 Years Of Charcoal Lane' (referencing his seminal 1990 debut album) as well as playing on the Crossroads Stage — said of the event, "It's the first of its kind in this part of the country. Bringing mobs together to showcase the breadth of talent and culture is something I am glad to be a part of." It's difficult to imagine a more culturally relevant reason to endorse a music gathering than that.