Set against the backdrop of one of the Gold Coast's most exquisite beaches, Blues On Broadbeach is a complete destination experience.
Attendees are blessed with a diverse bunch of blues artists, refined restaurants, and dreamy surroundings. Artists added to the 2019 bill include US legends Canned Heat and Eric Bibb as well as Aussie stalwarts Harts, The Bamboos and Lachy Doley Group, plus New Zealand's Tami Neilson. Bingo!
Festival Director Mark Duckworth says they aimed for a “wide scope of blues, soul and funk performers for the 2019 programme reaching from home soil to New Zealand and the UK to the US. This year’s festival is so varied and unique, be prepared for a lot of brass and a lot smiles.
“I’ve been working on Blues On Broadbeach for several years now and have so many fond memories of the event,” adds Mark.
“When it comes to artists, here are a few that stick out in my mind.”
Click here to read the 2019 Blues On Broadbeach line-up.
1: Kevin Borich
I was back stage with Kevin Borich and sighted his vintage Gibson Firebird guitar. It’s a guitar I’ve always wanted to own and so I ‘fanned out’ over it with him.We ended up having a lengthy, guitar-nerd conversation about how awkward the headstocks are on the instrument, custom cases and other stuff. We lost track of time and he missed his intro to stage... my bad.
2: Melbourne Ska Orchestra
The Melbourne Ska Orchestra finished their set and then decided to do an impromptu march to the merchandise tent for a signing.I mentioned to Nicky (who’s always so stoked and full of life ) it would be a tricky thing to achieve, but they went for it anyway. The crowd enjoyed it so much no one would move to let them pass on down the street. It took about 30 minutes to get 100m.
3: Robert Cray
Robert Cray’s guitar tone will stick in my mind forever. He plays rare Fender amps for his shows; we managed to find the only three available in the country.It was painful to pull this together, but when he plugged in and played I realised how important it was to the depth of his sound and all was forgotten.