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Five Things You Didn't Know About Bluesfest's Shooglenifty

Artist Submission

"James can walk on his hands."

More Shooglenifty Shooglenifty Profile

In the lead up to the Byron Bay Bluesfest we spoke to some of the 200 artists who will be performing over the five day festival, which kicks off on 24 Mar. We found out five fun and wacky things about Shooglenifty:

  1. James [Mackintosh]'s Auntie Morag immigrated to Washington in the '60s and was Jackie Kennedy's children's nanny for several months when the usual nursemaid fell ill. When told she'd recovered Jackie K apparently said "I prefer the Scots woman". He keeps asking her to write a memoir.
  2. James can walk on his hands.
  3. Quee [Macarthur], our bass player, does a very good Mick Jagger impersonation when the spirit takes him, or I should say he becomes Mick… It's more like possession.
  4. The band can never agree what music to play in the tour bus so they sing. Mostly Abba songs.
  5. James touched the head of Professor Longhair's statue in Tipitina's bar, New Orleans, many moons ago. It's good luck for any musician.