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Sunshine Coast Blues Festival 2008
THE MAIN STAGE: had a wide variety of acts transcending a range of blues styles. We had the Southwest flavour of Triple Shot, the funky R&B of JV & the Blue Rhythm Kings, the North Mississippi hill country sounds of Hat Fitz & Itchy, the country blues of Peter Steel & the Painkillers, the Chicago sounds of Natural Ball, the Memphis style soul-blues of the Summerland Band, the gospel of the Hallelujah Chorus, the Louisiana-Texas Creole zydeco blues of the Zydeco Allstars, the jump blues of the Chardonnay Sippers and the New Orleans/Delta-bred grooves of The Big Easy.
Making their festival debut were vibrant new Sunshine Coast band The Blues Shakers, Brisbane's JB Lewis Band, Blonde On Blue and Light Street Motors and Gold Coast's Men In Blues and Blind Lemon. A total of Nine Sunshine Coast acts appeared on the Main Stage including the legendary Barry Charles and seven came from Brisbane including headliner Mojo Webb who gave a superb performance in spite of his multiple injuries sustained only a month earlier in a serious road accident. Three more acts came from the Gold Coast including festival favourite Mason Rack.
The main interstate attractions this year were The Ray Beadle Band and Extended Family from Sydney. Ray gave a stunning performance. His experience playing in Memphis backed by Preston Shannon's band has given him an unequalled edge in playing natural blues in this country and as a guitarist he has few peers. Extended Family were a great act to finish the Saturday show with their energetic, unbridled funk/blues/soul mix taking the blues to new heights.
Internally, we were a bit strapped at times for support personnel with those present taking more of their share of the load. Big thanks to those who worked so hard in this area - you know who you are, I won't mention names in case I leave someone out. Next year we need more dedicated, experienced, reliable stage techs, stage managers and emcees.
Al Hensley
BOB’s BIG BREAKFAST BLUES SSTAGE: A new venue for 2008 at the Sunshine Coast Blues Festival was the acoustic “Breakfast Blues” stage. The breakfast stage was established with a few objectives in mind. Firstly, this was seen as a creative way of adding more live music content to an already crowded program. Secondly, it provided an exclusive venue for performances by acoustic musicians and thirdly, it gave those of us who wanted an early start to the day an opportunity to enjoy our morning coffee and breakfast from the hard working food vendors while we were entertained with some great live music. A good way to start the day at a music festival!
While no-one expected huge crowds, the breakfast stage did attract respectable and appreciative audiences on both days. It was just what we wanted…..relaxed, not too loud, with a high standard of performance by everyone who played. A special thanks needs to go to all those musos who made the venue such a success. Barry Charles, Peter Steel, Cleveland, the Sheepdogs, Dino and Family, Captain Pete, and Stu Docharty all reminded us that acoustic performance is an important part of the blues scene. All in all it was an enjoyable and promising start to what could be a great tradition at our Blues Festival. Help spread the word so more people will have blues with their breakfast in 2009.
Bob Lee
The Blues Club Stage: kicked off on the Saturday of the Sunshine Coast Blues Festival with fine weather and a real buzz around the festival. The day opened with an enlightening and practical workshop on slide guitar from the Big Easy’s guitar picker Gerry O’brien. Shortly afterwards the first act onstage was solo artist Cleveland who along with his guitar, banjo, stomp box, harp and trademark early 1920’s swamp blues played a top notch set.
The blackboard didn’t take long to fill with eager blues lovers keen for a jam. Local high school students and their blues band “No Problem” were itching to get up and have a play and really impressed everybody with spirited playing. Special guest Mason Rack band seemed to be really enjoying his mid afternoon set to a packed Blues Club stage and while chatting to the audience between songs described the intimate venue affectionately as the “Sheep Shed” to everyone’s amusement.
The afternoon then settled into some great jams from festival patrons and some Blues Club regulars including Fabio and Zac, Jon and Robyn Brown, Adrian McLardy on bass, Chicka and friends, house band members Jono and Aaron from Triple Shot, Cecil Nunis on drums and Russ Babcock on harp. BASEQ band of the year Blind Lemon gave us a special guest appearance as the sun was setting that rocked with wailing harmonica from Jamie Symons and searing guitar from Chris Harvey. Closing out Saturday night was Paul Renton’s Muddy Waters Tribute that featured a revolving door of musicians that at one period during the set saw nine players on stage.
Sunday opened with Brisbane Harmonica whiz Mark ‘The Colonel’ Doherty presenting a workshop “A guide to playing blues Harmonica’ then Brisbane’s Jimmy Beavis and the 385’s got proceedings started for the day with a raw set of originals that helped everyone forget about their hangovers and set the mood for more great Blues music. The blackboard soon filled up with a variety of jammers and young and old alike played into the afternoon. Finally, as is starting to become a tradition, Coast legend singer/guitarist Barry Charles took to the stage to close the Blues Club Stage for another year with an unforgettable jam including Aaron, Jon Brown, Jono, TJ and members of the Hallelujah Chorus all enjoying themselves to the very last note.
A big thank you to everyone who volunteered, helped, played or enjoyed the music from the Blues Club Stage, 2008. Feedback from festival goers was that many took pleasure in the fact that the Blues Club Stage is an intimate and relaxed venue for performers and patrons alike as well as a place to rest tired feet.
We’ll be back raring to go in 2009, hope to see you then,
Paul Martin
RENT PARTY
Rent Parties are fundraisers for the Sunshine Coast Blues Festival. They are called after the practice, particularly in depression times, of blues musicians gathering fellow musicians and hosting a party, charging people to come in and literally raising money to pay their rent. We're looking to pay our rent too! Our rent parties are always good fun and great music - the bands are doing it for love - and it shows! Whether you want to kick back and cruise or get down and dirty on the dance floor - even If you don't know anything about blues - come along to a rent party and you'll be hooked. And we like to look after our members, so they get a discount.
The last Rent Party for 2008 was held at Kawana – check out http://acsci.tripod.com/ to find out when and where this year's Rent Parties will be held.
BLUES CLUBS
Artsun host two regular Blues Clubs on the Sunshine Coast - one at the Royal George Hotel in Nambour on the first Thursday of every month. The second is on the third Wednesday of each month at the Noosa Yacht and Rowing Club, Gympie Terrace, Noosaville. More at http://www.myspace.com/sunshinecoastbluesclub
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