As we joined and mingled with the waves of people headed to Blues On Broadbeach, we knew we were in for something special.
Arriving from Brisbane, it was an amazing chance to see a thriving festival supporting both international artists and local start-ups, especially in a time when live music is under threat with a host of recent festival cancellations – Blues On Broadbeach seemed like an oasis for live music.With 16 open stages, and headliners Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton playing alongside Melissa Etheridge only a stone's throw from the Gold Coast's world-famous beaches, the event is a staple of the local tourism industry.
The festival has been an integral part of Gold Coast's culture and music output for 23 years, previously hosting international acts such as Wolfmother and Canned Heat, while also giving local artists a grand stage at multiple locations spanning blocks across Gold Coast suburb Broadbeach.
Lloyd Spiegel - image © Evelyn Bond
A grand departure from the smoky basement house shows of the Brisbane underground noise-rock scene I usually inhabit, we arrived on the site's main stage, Kurrawa Park, where we were graced with the eclectic, fuzz-heavy, blues-rock of Lloyd Spiegel.
He displayed a mastery of dynamics within his playing spanning flamenco – adjacent guitar solos pushing the limits of his acoustic guitar, while the square-wave, speaker-distortion segments were reminiscent of heavy metal. Melding the extreme tremolo picking of classic metal with a fingerpicking, classical style of playing, he put on a show that was easily accessible but infinitely mesmerising.
Accidentally walking into a smaller stage on Surf Parade, I was surprised to find the amazing Minnie Marks playing roller coaster '90s pyschobilly, captivating an audience spanning generations with memorable blues riffs and slides and heavily stylised, syncopated plucky solos delivered with ease.
Minnie Marks - image © Evelyn Bond
Cass Eager, at the end of her set, reminded us of the joy and unity that music can bring, strengthening the bonds between family and friends, bringing her daughter onstage to finalise a wonderful performance.
We then caught Mitch Grainger, playing a classic blues set with songs like 'Mississippi' and 'Honey Bee', with a slower tempo and heavy use of a harmonica rack. It was a surprise to see a once lonely back alley transformed into a packed music venue, almost reminding me of the hacked and sewn together Brisbane DIY scene.
After a good night's rest, we were then able to catch one of the festival's main headliners – the amazing, Grammy-nominated Eric Bibb. With a deeply moving and introspective set worthy of the spectacle set by the festival, he brought a unique blues sound to the line-up, unmatched by any other artist. With the audience begging for an encore, he played the lively 'In My Father's House', which set the festival abuzz.
Eric Bibb - image © Evelyn Bond
On our way down the Broadbeach Mall, we took a break at the calm Piano Bar stage, where we saw the staple sultry ballads of Frazer Goodman accompanied by talented woodwind backing players.
We were given all-access passes to the wonderful events hosted by the exclusive Twelve Bar Society, and were able to catch a Q&A session hosted by Ana Popovic, with an intimate solo performance and an insight into the mind of one of the world's premier blues musicians.
Her session detailed her personal struggles while making her genre-defining music, as she encouraged all members of the audience to leave the festival feeling 'inspired' to create and share their stories.
Ana Popovic - image © Evelyn Bond
Tracking through the beginnings of a horrific storm, we braved the crowds to get to the front of the stage just in time to catch Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton, who played a modern type of blues-rock fusion supplemented with energised, wailing duelling guitar solos. Their stage presence was caffeinated and unruly with a certain rockabilly edge that had the crowd going wild.
As the storm settled, we got to see the six-piece arrangement of songs played by Ana Popovic during her Q&A session, which gave a new breadth of energy and expression to her already moving modern blues compositions. Ana Popovic is awesome and her music was really good.
For our final, we braved the rain with many others who waited to see Melissa Etheridge rather than calling it a day. Melissa Etheridge is a gay icon and proud lesbian who featured Juliette Lewis in her music video for 'Come To My Window' prior to her appearance as Mallory Knox in 'Natural Born Killers'.
This is what hooked on Melissa's music before seeing her in concert, primarily as I was happy to see the depressive, 20-something angst I knew and loved appear as the headliner at a blues concert.
Melissa Etheridge - image © Evelyn Bond
This sentiment came through in her music and performance as, even more than 30 years after her debut, she still has the fire in her spirit that many artists had lost. She takes great pride in her music not only because of its quality, but because of its capability to enact change. And blues, in its own way, is built around this sentiment.
To see music created with a genuine, heartfelt purpose close to the musician's soul, created to tell their own unique story, is a blessing; and to keep doing this for nearly 40 years without forgetting that story, that purpose, is near-impossible. But Melissa Etheridge does it with ease, and she put on an amazing show.
- written by Evelyn Bond
