17 April 2025 – Bluesfest, Byron Bay – words by Bec Harbour – pictures by Clea-marie Thorne
After the colossal shit show that is the Pacific Motorway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, we finally made it out the other side (with a side quest or two) to our accommodation in Pottsville.
We made it to the festival site in the late afternoon, it seemed like many people fell into the same traffic boat and were arriving at the same time. After a really smooth check in to collect our passes, and a quick run down for me the Bluesfest noob, we were in and off to the merch stand (for a festival of this size, one merch tent?).
It was then off to see the media facilities (very basic but very cool that they have them) and then off to see the festival!
For a first time Bluesfest punter, there was a lot going on and I found it very hard to land on one thing until later in the night. I traversed the festival site looking at everything and just chatting to other punters. My ice-breaker shirt probably helped (thanks TISM for making such a recognizable shirt for Greg the Stop Sign).
My first music act was at the Buskers Stage, young locals I would assume but they sounded great and very much a blues band in the making.
I then made my way over to Budjerah at the Crossroads stage who was in the process of thanking his band and shouting out his 15 year old brother who was there as well. I stayed for a bit then moved on to have a bit of time out and try to plan my approach by downloading the timetable.
L-R Melody Angel – Nahko – photos by Clea-marie Thorne
At 7ish I went to Delta stage to catch Nahko. This was my favourite crowd of the night with people just dancing, singing, tapping their feet and just having the best time.
I then went and sat near the mojo stage and listened to Taj Farrant who did a great cover of Bill Withers ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ as well as dedicating a song ‘Cruz’ to his cousin of the same name.
Taj Farrant – photos by Clea-marie Thorne
Another few encounters with some TISM fans, I sat to write this up a bit while my impressions were still fresh. There are so many families here – Blues becoming an intergenerational activity. And those wagons that people stick their kids in, like e-scooters, menaces in the wrong hands (please keep them out of the lines for stuff if there is a person who can mind the kids and cart out of line).
After encountering a ‘Greg’ who had never heard of TISM and having to explain myself, I went to see the tail end of Melody Angel before Tones and I. I have bookmarked Melody Angel to watch in another set (if there is one).
The crowd for Tones and I is massive. Like spilling out for metres either side of the tent and right past the seated area at the back of Crossroads.
Tones and I had a choir and the change in stage act from a pretty basic stage set up to now is huge. Tones threw in a lovely cover of ‘Forever Young’ complete with her choir and the choir of punters.
As much as I wanted to keep watching Tones and I, the smorgasbord of music kept rolling out and I decided to go down to Kingfish, a delta blues performer that had come highly recommended – with the artist doing a bit of a crowd participation bit and singing about dropping pizza on the floor
L-R Christone Kingfish Ingram – Tones and I – photos by Clea-marie Thorne
I had a bit of a rest while waiting for Tom Morello and chatted to punters about my shirt and if I knew if they were doing anymore gigs. Droves of families looked like they were leaving at this point with a steady train of wagons heading toward the campgrounds/exits.
It took a while for Tom Morello to fill up with punters coming across from over at Ocean Alley finishing up over at Crossroads. Once it did fill up the atmosphere was electric. Kicking off with ‘Soldier in the Army of Love’ the set was jam packed with greatness including ‘One Man Revolution’ and ‘Let’s Get the Party Started’ and a grand assortment of covers and songs from bands that Morello has been in; ‘Like A Stone’ including a very beautiful tribute to Chris Cornell, a medley of Rage Against the Machine songs (Bombtrack / Know Your Enemy / Bulls on Parade / Guerilla Radio / Sleep Now in the Fire / Bullet in the Head / Cochise), and finishing up with a crowd sing along for ‘Killing in the Name’ and a John Lennon cover, ‘Power to the People’.
Tom Morello – photos by Clea-marie Thorne
My first day at Bluesfest was a day of discovery and book marking artists to come back and see more of in their second sets across the weekend. Let’s see what day 2 brings with Toto and Christopher Cross leading a yacht rock charge to the mix.
