5 Fond Memories Of Blues On Broadbeach With Festival Director Mark Duckworth

"This year’s festival is so varied and unique, be prepared for a lot of brass and a lot smiles." - Mark Duckworth (Festival Director)
Our eclectic team of writers from around Australia – and a couple beyond – with decades of combined experience and interest in all fields.

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.

4: Eric Burdon

In 2016, Eric Burdon played a great set to close out the event. He played so many hits and so many historical tunes; hearing the crowd all singing ‘We Gotta Get Outta This Place’ along with that classic organ riff is a great memory for me. Ironically no one moved.


5. Post Blues Breakfast

Finally, and not musically, I always remember breakfast time on the Monday after the event. The cafes are all full with the Blues On Broadbeach tribe, bags packed, sharing highlights of the festival and making plans for the next year. It’s one of my favourite annual meals.

2019 Blues On Broadbeach (Gold Coast) takes place 16-19 May.

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