Live Review: Bluesfest 2012

BLUESFEST

Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm: 05.04.12 – 09.04.12

For the 23rd year straight, hungry music lovers descend upon the gorgeous Northern Rivers region of NSW to witness the cream of the crop in music across a huge range of genres. This year the weather has, for the first time in recent memory, held out and made conditions perfect for a veritable feast of music.

THURSDAY

Ziggy Marley is pumping out his old man's Is This Love as we get through the gates and the familiar sights, smells and indeed sounds of Bluesfest make you feel like you've never left.

There's a lot more twang to Nick Lowe's set than expected, but the heavy '50s country/rockabilly bent he's put on the songs works very well. Has She Got A Friend?, I Trained Her To Love Me and I Live On A Battlefield are strong early on, before House For Sale from his latest record proves he's still in pretty great touch as far as songwriting goes. Cruel To Be Kind is a standout of the set, its chorus still executed with aplomb by the white-haired, well-dressed 63-year-old. Somebody Cares For Me is beautiful and When I Write The Book is so good it wouldn't surprise if every songwriter in the audience was weeping with jealousy.

Back at home Kentucky cosmic country warriors My Morning Jacket routinely put in three hour-plus performances at festivals and as they reach the end of their 75-minute set tonight, you get the feeling that they're still warming into it, even though the ecstatic crowd is well and truly sated. Tunes such as Gideon transform into soaring massive jams and frontman Jim James has the throng eating out of the palm of his sweaty hands as he throws in the jaunty, upbeat First Light and their weird soul anthem Holdin' On To Black Metal in a performance that proves to be a very early weekend highlight for many patrons.

Canned Heat put in something of a middling performance tonight – nothing wrong with it, but nothing to rave about either. Let's Work Together is a nice way to close things out though.

There's massive anticipation for Thursday night Mojo headliners Cold Chisel and the capacity crowd goes ballistic as they throw down the gauntlet with the opening double salvo of Standing On The Outside and Cheap Wine, which has everyone singing with abandon from the outset. Barnesy and his inveterate bandmates seem in both great spirits and top form – seeming slightly looser and relaxed than on the recent reunion tour – and they tempt fate by throwing in most of their new album No Plans amongst more well-known fare as Saturday Night, All My Love, My Baby, Rising Sun, You Got Nothing I Want and Flame Trees, but pull it off with panache. The crowd is pumped to see their heroes and the feeling is returned in spades – the singalong to Khe Sanh is immense and the response when Mossy offers Bow River equally exhilarating. By the time they wander off stage after nearly two hours of vintage gold, the crowd is completely exhausted.

Lucinda Williams is sounding great over in the Crossroads, running through Blessed from her latest record of the same name and Buttercup straight after sounds just as good. But she chokes up halfway through Essence – seemingly having some voice issues – and begins to get very frustrated. She tries to push through it but ends up stamping her feet and wandering off as her band very tidily cover up. She returns with a spoonful of honey and barks through Changed The Locks from her self-titled 1988 record and while she sounds devastatingly good, it's hard to connect with her as she nervously reads the lyrics from her music stand.

FRIDAY

Perennial Bluesfest favourite Eugene “Hideaway” Bridges is pumping through one of his trademark sets of plodding electric blues this afternoon. It's a very pleasant way to gear up for what's to come, even though he's offering little we haven't seen before.

Steve Lukather is the first of the G3 guitar gods to hit the Mojo today and he goes very hard. Unfortunately it becomes obvious quite quickly that the act has been given such a long set because of the lengthy changeover times in between guitarists.

Steve Earle has decided to start early this afternoon and puts together an engrossing set filled with great music and a fair whack of his trademark political and social commentary. Waitin' On The Sky kicks things off before The Gulf Of Mexico from his latest record slots in nicely. He introduces his bouzouki with great humour before turning it around and making it a pertinent point about immigration, launching into City Of Immigrants. He switches to guitar for My Old Friend The Blues and a big cheer goes up as the opening chords of The Galway Girl ring out, a cheer only rivalled by the roar the masses give for Copperhead Road, funnily enough the least exciting song Earle plays all day.

Backsliders are something of an Aussie blues institution and they garner a strong turnout for their first performance of the weekend. Any band who has Midnight Oil's Rob Hirst holding down the beat is guaranteed to be a great live proposition, but it's frontman Dom Turner who really steals the show today, whether it be on original tunes like Evil Cloud or their pulsing version of The Stones' Gimme Shelter, which they totally nail to the ground.

The David Bromberg Quartet play a full blues set today and Bromberg's voice is rich, his lyrics generally quite neurotic and his delivery 100 percent perfect, note to note. His rendition of the old classic You've Been A Good Old Wagon and his own Try Me One More Time shows that he's not your average bluesman and his gift for witty lyricism almost supersedes his guitar brilliance. He closes on Will Not Be Your Fool and the delivery of its last line is truly magic.

By the time Candi Staton is halfway through opening tune Nights On Broadway, you know this is going to be a special set. She may be in her 70s, but she has bags of energy and a stunningly powerful voice. She mashes Stand By Your Man (a hit for her in 1971) up with Stand By Me and pumps out a pretty strong Suspicious Minds, while Young Hearts Run Free sounds tortured and sad in an amazing, effective way. The set wouldn't be complete without You Got The Love and just about anyone not out of their shell yet has succumbed by this point.

Watching Californian ska punks Sublime With Rome without their frontman Brad Nowell – who passed away back in 1996 – was always going to be a strange experience, but his replacement Rome Ramirez, while looking nothing like him, has a voice which sounds so precisely like Nowell's that it's sorta scary. Long Beach anthems like Smoke Two Joints and Take It Or Leave It sound pretty great and, even though bassist Eric Wilson is the only surviving member of their original line-up, it's their first visit to Australia, so when they smash out classics like Date Rape and Doin' Time the crowd is jubilant and dancing, but this all pales into insignificance when they close with their smash What I Got, the crowd humbled to finally hear this summer special in the live environment.

Buddy Guy is up to his old tricks; his hotshot band holding things down while he solos, whispers, yells and smiles a lot. It's not far removed from the show he played here a couple of years back, but tonight there's too much chatter from the crowd. When one of the legends of Chicago blues is whispering into the mic, you'd think it'd be nice to hear what he has to say. A few tracks from his latest Living Proof get a run, with 74 Years Young sounding particularly strong (perhaps because Buddy is now 75). As per usual he pays his dues – John Lee Hooker's Boom Boom gets a big cheer, as does Jimi Hendrix's Voodoo Chile and a far-too-lengthy play on the Sunshine Of Your Love riff.

A huge crowd has convened to see UK ska legends The Specials offer up their enticing mix of pop and politics and no-one is disappointed as they kick off with a slew of faves such as It's Up To You, Toots & The Maytals cover Monkey Man and Doesn't Make It Alright. People are skanking with joy as the band's ridiculously fun horn section underpin anti-violence themes such as Stupid Marriage and Concrete Jungle, the up-front coupling of frontman Terry Hall and toaster Neville Staple a joy to behold. When the unmistakable opening blasts of A Message To You Rudy hit, the tent explodes, with the treatise on the fundamental basics of human rights delivered with so much fun that the titular message is in danger of floating away, but they finish the set with the equally joyous and moving Nite Klub and Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think) before returning for an encore of Little Bitch and You're Wondering Now. Bloody special indeed.

Keb' Mo' is not the most exciting bluesman, but he's got a kind of reassuring quality to his music, an endearing warmth and familiarity. And he's a hell of a guitarist. The early showing of Perpetual Blues Machine was what sucks you in and while he never tops it tonight, him and his band provide pretty nice ear candy.

It's a funny set from Earth, Wind & Fire, as they're not the disco hit machine many were expecting. While they do dance onstage and open with Boogie Wonderland, it all goes pretty deep pretty quickly; this is a supremely talented funk band who wants to show off their considerable skills as musicians and an ensemble. While this probably pleases 20 percent of the crowd, the rest begin streaming out at a rate that's simply not fair for a band putting on this kind of performance.

Closing proceedings in the Crossroads tent, Crosby, Stills & Nash take a huge crowd on a trek down memory lane, their chemistry and gorgeous harmonies intact as ever (although a few of their songs have dated somewhat and these days seem a tad short of essential). That doesn't stop their acolytes from doting on every chord of songs like Carry On, Questions, Marrakesh Express and Long Time Gone. The three legends share the spotlight equally and seem relaxed and in good spirits, playing the totally apt Southern Cross and throwing in a version of Buffalo Springfield's For What It's Worth, before being joined by Steve Earle for free love paean Teach Your Children.

SATURDAY

A healthy crowd has turned out in the blazing sun just after midday to see US indie stalwarts Blitzen Trapper, whose ramshackle bonhomie is perfect as they offer up early gems Black River Killer and Furr. The faux-'70s pastiche of Fletcher works well in these environs, with frontman and creative lynchpin Eric Earley commanding the five-piece with a laidback authority. The a capella intro to Destroyer Of The Void sounds incredible before the harmonies kick in and the keyboardist does some serious damage to a cowbell, before they close off a great set with the bombastic Street Fighting Sun and the fun, bouncy Big Black Bird.

American folk-rockers Dawes are on their first trip to our country and waste no time unveiling their sumptuous harmonies and appealing soft rock aesthetic with a string of gorgeous numbers including Fire Away, If I Wanted Someone and the languid Time Spent In Los Angeles. Early track When My Time Comes is another standout, the voice of frontman Taylor Goldsmith filling the tent with ease, before their cruisy Laurel Canyon sound is bolstered by some guitar histrionics during Peace In The Valley. The Way You Laugh is solid, as is the restrained pathos of A Little Bit Of Everything, before effervescent drummer (and Taylor's brother) Griffin Goldsmith takes over vocal duties for the assured closer How Far We've Come, their familial voices blending beautifully.

The small APRA tent is packed to the brim with people eager to experience Melbourne party starters Eagle & The Worm, whose fun boogie rock is the perfect antidote for the searing sun as the massive band tear through a slew of upbeat tracks such as Good Times and Futureman. The band all mesh together into one big happy unit and the crowd are all happy to be swept along for the vivacious ride, their joyful set finishing strongly with the exuberant dance riot All I Know.

The Jambalaya tent fills quickly as emerging Americana force Justin Townes Earle takes the stage on his own and kicks into the ebullient They Killed John Henry, before being joined by a double bassist and additional guitarist for soothing new tune Memphis In The Rain and the equally powerful newie Look The Other Way. Usually artists prefer to eschew their new albums in situations like this, but his current album is so incredibly strong it all gels perfectly. Earle has the crowd in the palm of his hand as he delves into his catalogue of old-time faves and plucks out gems like Ain't Glad I'm Leaving and perfect torch song Am I That Lonely Tonight?, before finishing in solo mode once more with Lightnin' Hopkins' My Starter Won't Start This Morning and the mournful Unfortunately, Anna. Spellbinding.

Donovan is pretty terrible. He comes out by himself and runs through such uninspiring versions of his tunes, he may as well be the guy down the local pub bashing away at '60s favourites on his acoustic guitar. To Try For The Sun is cringeworthy, Colours slightly better and Universal Soldier slightly better again – but still not good at all. It's too hard to stick around to see if he gets any better with a band, we can only hope.

John Fogerty is doing the 1970 Creedence Clearwater Revival album Cosmo's Factory in full first up tonight, which is great because there are so many incredible songs on that record, but a little bit annoying in that you know exactly which song is coming next. But how can you not be happy when Fogerty's smashing out songs like Travelin' Band, Ooby Dooby, Run Through The Jungle, Up Around The Bend and Long As I Can See The Light. The biggest singalong from the record comes with Lookin' Out My Back Door. He kicks off the second part of his set, a greatest hits retrospective, with Centerfield, but keeps the Creedence rolling with Born On The Bayou, a blistering Keep On Chooglin' and a spirited Who'll Stop The Rain, which has the Mojo tent all singing in unison. The Old Man Down The Road has Fogerty spitting out his vocal most viciously tonight, while Bad Moon Rising, Fortunate Son, Rockin' All Over The World and Proud Mary ensure every Creedence fan well and truly gets their fill of this still vibrant and proficient performer.

SUNDAY

A typically energetic Angelique Kidjo is slamming out a set of friendly afro-pop in Crossroads. Her and her band are endearing enough and have more than a few people rapt.

Bettye LaVette is extraordinary today and makes a solid case for being the set of the festival thus far. When she's energetic, you're grinning and dancing (in songs like Joy and Serves Him Right), when she's low and dour, you're silent, still and holding onto every word delivered by her well-worn, beautifully gritty voice (George Jones' The Choices I've Made, Ringo Starr's It Don't Come Easy). Her band is loud and gutsy at times, lilting and smooth at others, but constantly proficient. LaVette is charming as all hell, she makes it known she has a hangover, that she's not a church-going gospel singer and she even takes a “senior citizen moment”, sitting on the ground centre stage to run through Souvenirs. It's a shame there aren't more people here to witness just how perfectly LaVette has got her show down, but the few hundred of us who are there won't be forgetting it any time soon.

Maceo Parker's band would be strong contenders for the best musicians on ground this weekend. Funk Fiesta kicks things off on a funky foot, a strong groove starts that doesn't let up for the next hour. Off The Hook features mindblowing bass work from Funkadelic's Rodney 'Skeet' Curtis, while Make It Funky does just that as guitarist Bruno Speight turns in a scorcher of a guitar solo. By the time they get through Gimme Some More and The Pinocchio Theory something strange becomes apparent; despite the insane musical talent, it's the vocal interplay that makes this such an incredible set. Parker's grunts, hollers and yelps weaving together with those of the band add a very cool extra rhythmic element. A couple of dancers jump up towards the end of the set and Parker joins in with some synchronised moves to ensure that this set really does have a bit of everything.

Seasick Steve has changed since he first graced a Bluesfest stage a few years ago. While he opens with Diddley Bo and still uses a ramshackle collection of stringed instruments in various states of disrepair, he's toned down the hobo shtick. Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones wanders out to join in on bass, mandolin and slide, while the members of Wolfmother get in on the action towards the end. Unfortunately Seasick Steve's songs aren't really good enough to stand up on their own and you can't help but think he'll always need some kind of gimmick. For fired up electric blues it's passable and the quieter moments work too, particularly when percussionist Dan Magnusson fleshes out It's A Long Long Way by brushing a broom up against a guitar case. Closer Dog House Boogie doesn't feel anywhere near as powerful as it did all those years ago, but the crowd still laps it up, so he's clearly doing something right.

It's so great to see Aussie veterans Weddings, Parties, Anything play one of their all-too-rare gigs to such a massive and adoring crowd and they respond in kind with a scintillating performance that turns back the clock. Frontman Mick Thomas looks younger than ever and everyone sheds a few years as they soak up classics like Away, Away and Roaring Days; everyone's memories still intact as they remember to pelt the band with coins during the appropriate sections of Ticket In Tatts. Monday's Experts gets a great reception as does Grey Skies Over Collingwood, but when they launch into their trademark cover of The Triffids' Wide Open Road the place officially loses its nuts. Father's Day gets the obligatory call up and they run through Industrial Town and the raucous Woman Of Ireland before closing with rapturous convict caper A Tale They Won't Believe.

It's been 23 years since The Pogues last blessed our shores (who's counting?), but their absence is forgiven immediately as they elegantly enter the fray –apart from notoriously fragile frontman Shane MacGowan, who lurches in wearing sunglasses and clutching a lit cigarette – and kick off with the completely appropriate Streams Of Whiskey. The Broad Majestic Shannon sounds incredible and the whole tent is swaying in delighted unison as they sing along with gusto to A Pair Of Brown Eyes. MacGowan – who is in fine form – lurches off and tin whistle player Spider Stacy takes the reins for Tuesday Morning, before they smash into a raucous rendition of Sunny Side Of The Street and a pathos-driven version of Eric Bogle's And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda, which has the massive crowd enraptured. MacGowan is the focal point to be sure, but the massive band carry him throughout, with Dirty Old Town being one of the biggest singalongs in Bluesfest history before The Sick Bed Of Cuchulainn wraps things up with a jaunty dance. Of course they're coaxed back for an encore, the delighted band throwing in Rainy Night In Soho, The Irish Rover and traditional number Poor Paddy, before disappearing and returning for a finale that finds Stacy smashing his repeatedly with a pizza tray. Incredible.

It is with a heavy heart that we leave the farm yet again this year, but we find solace in the knowledge that there is going to be another enormous Easter weekend of incredible music to look forward to in 12 months' time.

STEVE BELL, DAN CONDON, BARRY KOBARMA, JIM MCILRAITHE, JACK NEWNES