Only Australian Music
Coz it's world class and underrepresented on our own radio stations
4th Annual Cairns Blues Festival The Wrapup
The 4th annual Cairns Blues Festival was a party for punters and artists alike as crowds flocked to Fogarty Park on Saturday May 12 for the 11-hours of back-to-back live blues music. With 16 artists on the bill this year, it was the biggest year artist-wise for the local festival, which saw about 150 applications from musicians around the world interested in performing on the bill.
This year’s program included the likes of US blues legend Eugene ‘Hideaway’ Bridges, Aussie blues rock man Jimi Hocking and incredible blues guitarist Ray Beadle, alongside a host of other local performers. The 2012 event kicked off at 11am with Junior Bowles sparking things off in great style from the Pacific Music Stage. Despite a bit of early drizzle, crowds weren’t discouraged and as the day cleared, punters travelled between the two stages to catch their favourite acts. Local acts included Roz Pappalardo & The Wayward Gentlemen, Flamin’ Canetoads and Johno’s Blues Band. There were also unforgettable performances by US artists Thomasina Winslow and now Australian-based Bo Jenkins, and a return showcase by Jesse Deane-Freeman who was on the line-up of the inaugural festival.
Touring bands like Blue Heat and Dukesy & The Hazzards, both from Victoria, brought in the evening with some rollicking blues, paving the way for the high energy performance by the soulful Andrea Marr Band, and an incredible rockin’ set by Ray Beadle that saw crowds beg for an encore. Jimi Hocking’s Blues Machine wrapped up the music from the Pacific Music Stage with his fast-paced electric blues and the enigmatic and legendary Eugene ‘Hideaway’ Bridges finished up the night on the Sound Shell Stage, showing audiences why he has blues in his blood.
The enthusiasm from the artists was evident from the high energy performances on stage and the crowd, which was up on 2011 festival numbers, soaked up the music in near perfect weather conditions. Cairns Blues Festival artist programmer Dan Vowles said while final ticket numbers were yet to be confirmed, he believed the numbers were up on previous years. “I was particularly impressed with the early roll-up,” he said. “There were a couple of hundred people here for the first act, it kicked off the day well. The crowds were really getting involved, everyone was really impressed with the quality of the music. We’re starting to get more interest and tickets are being purchased online from interstate and overseas.”
Cairns Blues Festival committee president Pauline Langley said it is evident the festival will just continue to grow. “It was a fantastic day,” she said. “There was a great cross-section of ages. It does show a certain amount of maturity for a city if a festival like this succeeds. It stretches the cultural tourism of the city. This year’s festival has been like a massive reunion, not just for the punters but also for the artists.”
With the massive number of artist applications received, Dan said it was a tough process to pick the 2012 line-up. He said the festival was starting to earn a solid reputation amongst blues players. “We are getting great feedback from the artists on the set-up of the festival,” he said. “They are often quite surprised that it is a volunteer run event, and mention how professional it is. We’re not chasing headline acts anymore, artists really do want to come here to play. They also understand that we’re [Cairns Blues Festival] a not-for-profit committee and want to support us.”
The festival would be unable to operate without the support of its sponsors and funding bodies – Cairns Regional Council and Events Queensland Regional Development Program. The committee is continually grateful for the support provided by the local community. They’re already looking forward to next year’s event, which is scheduled for the second weekend in May – official dates to be confirmed shortly. If the first four years of the festival are anything to go by, the Cairns Blues Festival will continue to go from strength-to-strength and continue to bring the best of the blues to the north.
Join the forum discussion on this post
Latest Updates…
Around The Site….
Latest Posts
Only Australian Music
Coz it's world class and underrepresented on our own radio stations
Posted: May 12, 2012, 4:20 pm
Posted: May 12, 2012, 4:12 pm
Posted: May 11, 2012, 12:34 pm
Posted: May 10, 2012, 12:22 pm
Posted: May 10, 2012, 12:19 pm
Posted: May 9, 2012, 12:33 pm
Posted: May 9, 2012, 12:27 pm
Posted: May 9, 2012, 12:18 pm
Posted: May 4, 2012, 12:41 pm
Posted: May 3, 2012, 12:30 pm
Newsflash!
Only Australian Music » News Flash
Coz it's world class and underrepresented on our own radio stations
Posted: May 3, 2012, 12:13 pm
Posted: April 21, 2012, 8:55 pm
Posted: April 21, 2012, 8:47 pm
Posted: April 18, 2012, 11:11 pm
Posted: March 12, 2012, 10:58 am
Posted: January 10, 2012, 5:01 pm
Posted: January 6, 2012, 10:29 am
Posted: December 6, 2011, 2:09 pm
Posted: December 6, 2011, 1:48 pm
Posted: November 25, 2011, 10:03 am
Interviews
Only Australian Music » Interviews
Coz it's world class and underrepresented on our own radio stations
Posted: March 30, 2012, 11:39 am
Posted: March 30, 2012, 11:31 am
Posted: January 13, 2012, 8:56 pm
Posted: December 16, 2011, 10:40 am
Posted: December 16, 2011, 10:25 am
Posted: December 7, 2011, 10:19 am
Posted: December 6, 2011, 2:32 pm
Posted: November 22, 2011, 3:26 pm
Posted: November 13, 2011, 11:05 am
Posted: November 6, 2011, 10:53 am
Reviews
Only Australian Music » Reviews
Coz it's world class and underrepresented on our own radio stations
Posted: March 30, 2012, 9:21 pm
Posted: November 7, 2011, 9:08 pm
Posted: October 8, 2011, 1:58 pm
Posted: September 24, 2011, 7:33 pm
Posted: September 14, 2011, 11:41 am
Posted: September 4, 2011, 10:28 am
Posted: August 23, 2011, 5:28 pm
Posted: July 22, 2011, 12:11 pm
Posted: July 9, 2011, 3:52 pm
Posted: June 30, 2011, 12:38 pm
Comments
{ They are indeed impressive….if a little polished on record. I think they have a great raw feel on stage that appears to be missing a… } – Jan 29, 8:05 AM
{ I saw these guys opening for Alice Cooper and they were fantastic live, Greg Agar has a really good voice and has the makings of… } – Jan 27, 3:36 PM
{ Kind words there from Paddy! 
This project has been great fun so far, and has produced a kickass collection of tunes! I feel lucky… } – Jan 26, 6:04 PM { Best of luck with this wee challenge Dave! } – Jan 26, 9:06 AM { Very kind of you to comment on “Just” there Paddy, im sure Roy will appreciate the comparison to Rainbow (one of my personally favourite bands),… } – Jan 26, 8:50 AM
{ Very well put together and easy to follow. } – Jan 14, 9:33 AM
{ Skyhooks was one of my favourite bands. Skyhooks simply combined great melodies with Shirley’s unique voice and great backing band. I like the first 3… } – Dec 22, 2:13 AM
{ Hey Paddy, Thanks for adding our music to your playlists, its greatly appreciated & you rock. Since now i have found your video page &… } – Nov 08, 1:01 PM { Hi DecemberR Added here! http://www.onlyausmusic.com/main/?p=8042 Best wishes Paddy } – Oct 27, 10:04 PM
{ DecembeR would love your critique of their songs (all were written by guitarist Jay Minogue) The second album will be out some time soon…or when… } – Oct 26, 12:59 PMForum
| Forum/Topic | Started | Last Post | Posts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
CD’s For Sale 2X PIONEER CDJ-350 Turntable + DJM-350 Mixer….$1,400 |
May 7, 2012 |
May 7, 2012 |
1 |
|
Open Forum |
April 27, 2012 |
April 27, 2012 |
1 |
|
Publicist Media Releases |
April 22, 2012 |
April 22, 2012 |
1 |
|
Publicist Media Releases |
April 22, 2012 |
April 22, 2012 |
1 |
|
Publicist Media Releases |
April 22, 2012 |
April 22, 2012 |
1 |
Shop
Only Australian Music Shop
The Only Australian Music Shop
In a plastic age of Auto-Tune, overnight You-Tube ‘sensations’ and endless digital editing comes the swirling alanogue 70′s blues-rock of The Gypsy Bangles. Inspired by the guitarplaying of Freddie King, Rory Gallagher, Paul Kossoff and Audley Freed, coupled with an affinity for Paul Rodgers’ gruff howl, The Gypsy Bangles is a vehicle for Singer/Songwriter Kegan [...]Posted: January 6, 2012, 10:59 am
Markus Meier returns with his brand new album Modern Days, produced by Garth Porter (Sherbet) who has previously worked with Lee Kernaghan and James Blundell. Markus’ previous album A Different Land hit #1 on the ARIA Country Chart and saw him tour the country with Lee Kernaghan and The McClymonts. Track Listing : 1. Blowin’ [...]Posted: October 8, 2011, 1:34 pm
In what is going to be one of the most hotly anticipated independent releases on the Summer, Brisbane’s favourite indie popsters Intercooler are proudly embracing their past and looking bravely forward to the future with their new long player. Time To Let Go is on the horizon for September. In New York recently, they rated [...]Posted: October 8, 2011, 1:23 pm
Drunk Mums are a fascinating band. Their music harks back to the acid drenched sounds of the late 60′s early 70′s, yet the production values are far superior. They are delivering a glorious tribute to music gone by with their debut EP, “Eventual Ghost”. The 5 songs on offer here could have jumped right out [...]Posted: September 25, 2011, 12:00 pm
To me, the term ‘Midnight Sun’ represents the rare or impossible, by giving my debut album this title might tell you just how pleased I am to have made it. I launched the album amongst family and friends here in Sydney, Austrtalia at The Bridge Hotel in November 2009 and have been playing around town [...]Posted: September 20, 2011, 2:57 pm
Building upon Sleeping On Your Style’s outstanding production, eclectic musical influences and compelling rhymes, Foreverlution is, as the title would suggest, a deliberate blend of timeless organic tones interspersed with more contemporary sounding influences, almost entirely produced by DJ Morgs. From the ominously dulcet foghorn that intro’s opening track Holla through the big band enthused [...]Posted: September 16, 2011, 11:25 am
Four hard-rock-loving-party-hard blokes from Western Australia meet in their early teens. Weekends were spent drinking, jamming and listening to the bands that influenced them most: KISS, AC/DC, and IRON MAIDEN were among the tunes they learned their licks, kicks and vocals from; but it was always about practicing and perfecting their individual talents and style [...]Posted: September 12, 2011, 12:37 pm
AUSSIE ROCK GEM UNCOVERED “Pure gold… an almost Zeppelinesque rocker” A new independent release, Nova’s The River Song, is ten years in the making, but well worth the wait. The alternative rock CD single with a classic rock sensibility is now available for sale through Phonoscope Productions via iTunes, CD Baby, Somersault Records and selected [...]Posted: September 8, 2011, 12:39 am
The highly anticipated debut album for Melbourne band Black Devil Yard Boss (BDYB). Produced by Linsday Gravina at Birdland Studio in Melbourne the sonic fuzz and super tight rhythm section make for one hell of a driving soundtrack. Guitar layers from slide, acoustic to screaming electric and dirty vocals make for an exciting listen and [...]Posted: September 4, 2011, 10:41 am
Teak’s self-titled album is full of amazing alternative rock vibes, captivating attitude-driven vocals and extraordinary production. This is the type of album where every track is just as spectacular as the next. If you are tired of hearing teenagers with bad haircuts on the radio all the time, then give Teak a listen. Your ears [...]Posted: August 30, 2011, 8:40 pm
Join the forum discussion on this post
Index
The easiest way to find anything is to use the search function up there on the top right. However if you wish to browse, the following links may help.
