Bluesfestâs 30th birthday edition wasnât a total washout, but weâre holding out for a better line-up next year
Over the years we have come to expect a lot from Byron Bay music festival Bluesfest. The festival has earned a reputation for huge headliners, undiscovered gems and an inclusive environment that sees boomers, Xers, millennials and plenty of little ones all grooving together. But the 30th birthday edition faced some unusual struggles well before doors opened.
Loyal patrons were underwhelmed as the line-up was progressively announced. Recent years have seen some enormous drawcards for the older crowd â Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Tom Jones, Brian Wilson, Patti Smith â and for the younger crowds â Kendrick Lamar, Lauryn Hill, Nas, Mary J Blige, Fat Freddyâs Drop and Erykah Badu. This yearâs headliners â Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Iggy Pop and Paul Kelly (big names no doubt) â all felt a bit familiar. The late addition of âgenuine headlinersâ the Saboteurs (a renaming of Jack Whiteâs supergroup the Raconteurs) did little to remedy the disappointment. Maybe if it was the White StripesâŠ
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Iggy Pop at Bluesfest 2019
Photograph: Supplied
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Punters were further put off by the announcement that on-site parking would no longer be free. After much uproar, the offer was postponed to 2020. And then there was the forecast. It called for rain. Lots of rain.
Yet, the vibe inside was still an event at the top of its game. The ground underfoot stayed solid, the grass sittable, the beer lines swift, the food stalls pumping, and the crowds, across all five stages, singing and dancing and seemingly b