They Sing Blues all over the World: Byron Bay Bluesfest 2016

Elle King in Blues
If you aren’t already familiar with the powerhouse rockabilly vocals of Elle King, you soon will be. Since watching her perform her catchy breakout hit “Ex’s & Oh’s” at Byron Bay Bluesfest in March this year, I have heard it on the radio in four different countries!

JJ Julius Son (Jökull Júlíusson) and Kaleo
The Icelandic indie-blues rock band Kaleo was a crisp breath of Arctic air; these young friends garnered numerous music awards in their home country before moving to Austin, Texas to launch their international career.

Elle King
American singer, songwriter, and actress Elle King is larger than life on stage. I get the impression from interviews (e.g.: Billboard on Ex’s and Oh’s) that her personality is just as big off-stage!

Raw Earth
Francis Chan Hon Pan wails a tune; Raw Earth from Singapore with their funky take on traditional blues is always a crowd-pleaser.

Irish Mythen
From one side of the Atlantic to the other: Irish Mythen, a singer-songwriter born and raised in County Wexford, Ireland, and now based in Canada’s tiny Prince Edward Island, brought her irreverent humour, her original songs (for a sound clip, visit: Irish Pewter and Whiskey), and her infectious laughter to Bluesfest. The audience loved her.

Irish Mythen and Joey Landreth
Festivals are a great meeting-place: Joey Landreth from The Bros. Landreth, based in Winnipeg, half-way across a very big country, joined Prince Edward Island-based Irish Mythen on stage for an impromptu duet.

Ziek McCarter of Con Brio
On the Con Brio web page, Ziek McCarter talks about his father, an Army vet who died at the hands of police in east Texas in 2011, and about his decision to let the pain and anger be in the past, and to make music that lifts people up.

Ziek McCarter of Con Brio
And lift you up, he does! He sings with passion: songs of joy and life with infectious, danceable beats.

Ziek McCarter of Con Brio
I was exhausted after the set from just watching; he was irrepressible: all over the stage, performing gymnastic dance moves.

Grace Potter
Described as “one hot sister of Rock”, the multi-platinum Grammy-award winning Grace Potter is a feast for the eyes and ears.

Grace Potter
An accomplished multi-instrumentalist, Grace delivered thumping, pounding, bad-girl rock with attitude.

Grace Potter
Grace reminded me of Stevie Nicks, who was once described as “the expression of the female spirit through booming amplifiers”.

Blind Boys of Alabama
At the other end of the blues-and-roots spectrum, the Blind Boys of Alabama perform American gospel.

Joey Williams – Blind Boys of Alabama

Shooglenifty
Shooglenifty delivered infectious toe-tapping laughter-producing Celtic-influenced music.

Angus R Grant with Shooglenifty
“Snake-hipped fiddle-toting Highland front man Angus R Grant still rules the roost…”

Kaela Rowan with Shooglenifty
The band was joined by Celtic singer Kaela Rowan whose angelic vocals moved me to tears – and tears of laughter.

Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real
Mesmerising! I was so taken with American “cowboy hippy surf rocker” Lucas Nelson and his band Promise of the Real (POTR) that I saw them twice over the long weekend (see: Musical Roots).

Duncan Campbell and UB40
Multiculturalism at its best: the long-standing reggae band UB40, from Birmingham in the UK, started in 1978 with musicians of English, Irish, Jamaican, Scottish and Yemeni parentage.

Earl Falconer and UB40
Started by a group of friends from a working-class neighbourhood, the band used to practice in a local basement. Earl Falconer was one of those founding members.

Duncan and Robin Campbell
Robin Campbell was another founding member. In 2008, after the departure of lead singer (and brother) Ali Campbell, another brother, Duncan, joined the lineup. UB40 has had more than 50 hit singles in the UK, and many around the world. I was personally horrified when they turned Neil Diamond’s mournful song “Red Red Wine” into an up-beat dance tune, but Neil didn’t seem to mind when it became a Billboard Hot 100 number one hit, and now performs their version in concerts.

Tenzin Choegyal
It doesn’t get much more international – or gently political – than a displaced Tibetan singing plaintive stories of longing for his lost homeland. Tenzin Choegyal’s voice made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up; his stories brought tears to my heart. (For a sound clip, visit: Boomerang Festival.)

Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal’s webpage call’s him an “International Treasure”. I won’t disagree: he’s been a Bluesfest regular (see: Singin’ The Blues), and I’m not the only one who loves him!

Beach Boys
Much as I loved the Beach Boys in when I was in school slow dancing with some short guy to “Surfer Girl”, they seemed an odd choice for Bluesfest. Clearly, however, the crowd loved them, and forgave the ageing vocals.

Fantastic Negrito
Now, this is the real deal! “Fantastic Negrito” is the stage name for Xavier Dphrepaulezz, an American musician who has faced death twice and come through it to say “I play what and how I want to!”

Fantastic Negrito
His performance is passionate and personal as he strips himself bare – open to compassion and/or ridicule.

Tom Jones
Tom Jones was another artist, who – much as I might appreciate him – didn’t fit my view of “Bluesfest” … but he was FABULOUS. For me, a lover of Leonard Cohen, Sir Tom’s version of “Tower of Song” was a high point. In another festival impromptu moment, he had the Blind Boys of Alabama join him in performing “Didn’t it Rain”.

Blackberry Smoke
In spite of the Sir Tom Jones star-power, Tennessee “Southern Rock” band Blackberry Smoke still drew an enthusiastic crowd for their fourth set of the weekend.

The Selector
We finished up our Bluesfest with The Selector from Coventry, England.