Bluesfest 2023’s return of international artists brought with it a steady supply of star power that left festivalgoers marvelling at the magic on show.
Bluesfest returned in 2022 with the greatest coming together of Australian talent ever. In 2023 we have returned to the mix of Aussie and international talent that Bluesfest is famous for.
This year’s festival had an ‘it’s about time’ feel to it. Beth Hart and St Paul and The Broken Bones both exclaimed as they stormed their stages, “We’ve been waiting four years for this!”
And boy, did it show! Michael Franti, Vintage Trouble, St Paul and The Broken Bones, Trombone Shorty, and Buddy Guy got down among their audiences and back in touch with their community.
It was a sense of togetherness that extended throughout the entire festival.
Steve Earle joined Lucinda Williams on stage. Dami Im hit high notes with Yirrmal; Bobby Alu joined his mate Xavier Rudd on stage, Beth Hart welcomed Eric Gales to sing, Michael Franti shared his spotlight with Julz Parker from Hussy Hicks and The Bros. Landreth, who wrote Bonnie’s GRAMMY-winning song*, joined her on stage to provide all-star backing vocals.
Jaws hit the floor when Eric Gales cajoled his “best friend” Joe Bonamassa and the next generation of blues custodians Marcus King and Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram onstage for a Travelling Wilbury’s star power-style super-jam. It was the greatest coming together of blues guitarists in many years and the first time the quartet traded licks together.
As Gales noted, “The only thing missing is Buddy Guy”.
Kingfish and King let rip, and Gales and Bonamassa looked at each other like proud parents: their elation confirming the future’s not only all right. It’s already here.
In fact, this year’s stellar bill was so good it enticed artists to extend their stays. Thursday night headliners Gang of Youths were backstage for Bonnie Raitt’s Sunday show. Beck hung around after his set on Friday to see Buddy Guy’s last-ever Bluesfest masterclass on Saturday, and Jackson Browne stayed to hang out backstage, and onstage, with great friends Bonnie Raitt and Mavis Staples the next day.
Michael Franti and Spearhead’s joyous set revealed another, even younger generation of Bluesfest devotees has already left the blocks, as a sea of parents and children sang and danced as one to one of Bluesfest’s most uplifting celebrations of life.
With major improvements to the Bluesfest site, including a road base under the main stages and new toilet facilities, attendees of all ages and abilities gave the festival site a resounding thumbs up.
Festival Director Peter Noble OAM said, “It’s so good to have Bluesfest back as it should be, with so many amazing international acts among Australia’s finest blues, soul and rock performers”.
“I truly believe this is one of the best Bluesfests we’ve ever had. The weather has been perfect, the line-up is beyond amazing, and the site couldn’t be better. Plus, the artists are putting on shows like you wouldn’t believe. How good was it to have Bonnie, Mavis, and Jackson Browne on stage together? What about Eric Gales, Joe Bonamassa, Kingfish and Marcus all jamming together? These things don’t happen anywhere. They happen at Bluesfest because this is one magical festival.”
By Monday night, throughout the festival the attendance was touching 75,000.
Festival director Peter Noble said “Although the attendance wasn’t the biggest, so many people posted on socials that it was their favourite Bluesfest. The coming together of artists weaved a magic spell that took people to another plane”. – “I have never enjoyed Bluesfest more. Even though I can’t pick the top five as everyone was fantastic, no one could leave out Buddy Guy, who at the age of 86, gave a performance that showed that he is ageless. And by the way, Mavis Staples did the same.
“We are already working on Bluesfest 2024. Elvis Costello, who couldn’t make Bluesfest due to a Covid case in his band, has already confirmed; many other artists are doing so too. Early bird tickets are now on sale. My top picks of the festival, I would say Paolo Nutini, LP (who has already asked to come back next year), Electric Cadillac, and Trombone Shorty blew everyone away.”
“Every single band was my favourite”, Peter Noble concluded.
