In a surprise opening to Bluesfest 2025, punters were greeted by a four-day forecast for stunning weather, with none of the mud and rain of some recent years.
Thursday
Kicking off the festival (17 April) was the eclectic Indonesian blues band, Electric Cadillac. The boys from Jakarta put on a great traditional blues set, with guitarist Kongko pacing around the stage, assisting the drummer and keyboardist in their work, and interspersing this with his great guitar playing. These boys play every night of the festival, and are definitely worth a good listening to.Velvet Trip followed up on the large Crossroads stage, and the group continues to mature in their psychedelic music and performance, and singer Zeppelin Hamilton is effusive backstage, chatting to anyone and everyone, consistent with his outgoing manner I have experienced at other shows.
Maoli - image © Bill Prendergast
The Pierce Brothers were a highlight of Day One, coming from a busking background, and putting together a fusion between blues and traditional Irish dance music.
Their set is based around two mics, one of the twin brothers playing acoustic guitar, the other a mix of acoustic and mandolin, all the while managing the percussion with the occasional whack of the cymbal with his strumming hand.
They joked at the start of the set they have played every weekend for the last year, and "we've got a couple of weekends off now, so we're going to f...en send it," and that's exactly what they did.
Pierce Brothers - image © Bill Prendergast
Neal Francis, hailing from Chicago, was another great highlight of the first day. He was seated behind two sets of keyboards, a Yamaha and Moog on his right, and a Horner on his left.
Francis channelled Stevie Wonder's movements during a very funky set, and his keys took the place of his guitarist, playing a solo through his wah-wah effect pedal, such that it sounded like the sound was coming straight out of a guitar. I loved his set.
Singer-guitarist Nahko, whose heritage includes Apache, Puerto Rico and Filipino, played a great solo set with his acoustic guitar, with a beachy feel to the music, followed up by Maoli on the Crossroads stage who I felt were best categorised as country-influenced reggae. Lead singer Glenn Awong, from Hawaii, wore a huge cowboy hat, and although there were some very tinny-sounding led guitar breaks, the music gave clear reggae vibes throughout.
Providing a completely different guitar sound was teenager Taj Farrant, from the NSW Central Coast. He has already toured the US, and turned very important heads with his playing. While much of his set was original blues music, I loved the cover of Stevie Ray Vaughan's brilliant 'Cold Shot'. To take on anything from SRV as a teenager is incredibly impressive, and Taj did the song full justice (and the following day his opening song was SRV's beautiful 'Lenny').
Melody Angel - image © Bill Prendergast
Melody Angel from Chicago was another who took on a very tough cover and pulled it off perfectly. Her cover was Jimi Hendrix's 'Hey Joe', and Melody's playing was right up to the task, as would be expected – she was one of the media tent's favourites of the festival.
The last two sets I took in for the day were less bluesy, but clearly appealed to a much wider audience. Tones And I played a great set on the large Crossroads stage, backed by a full dance troupe and a number of costume changes.
Of course her popularity has become huge, especially off the back of 'Dance Monkey' that was the penultimate hit of her Bluesfest set. Hers was a huge crowd, the largest I saw for Day One – by far – and she was popular with music fans of all ages, especially the kids. I also like her rendition of the Bob Dylan-penned classic 'Forever Young', this time she was supported by gospel singers draped in burgundy robes, giving a great visual feel, in addition to the lovely vocals.
Tones And I - image © Bill Prendergast
Winding up Day One was Ocean Alley. These guys provide an excellent visual act, in addition to their very high quality and refined music. 'Tangerine' opened the set, so of course the stage was bathed in a light orange colour, and they played their 90 minute (and only Bluesfest) set covering much of their classic older music, along with songs from their latest release. I have a soft spot for 'Double Vision', 'Yellow Mellow' and 'Holiday', and these songs did not disappoint in any way.
If I was forced to pick a single highlight from the day, it would be either Neal Francis or Pierce Brothers, but overall a very high quality day of blues and other diverse music.
More photos from Day One.
Friday
Day Two of the festival (18 April) kicked off with Australian guitarist-vocalist Roshani, alone onstage playing her set with guitar and glass slide, mouth organ, and the great percussion attached to her boots (which looked like a light pile of small body-building weights).The music was performed over looped vocals and guitar, but it was a great solo blues performance, and the strength which she held her voice at the end of 'Crossroads' demonstrated her strong musical background.
Roshani - image © Bill Prendergast
The Steele Syndicate were up next, winner of the 2024 Bluesfest Buskers Competition, – following such luminaries as Tones And I – and these guys were great, strongly supported by the excellent brass section. As always, the brass gives so much to this type of music and the swapping of solos between the trumpet and trombone was a personal highlight.
Marc Broussard we were told comes from Deep South Louisiana, so clearly a strong blues performance was expected and delivered. In their early piece, they sublimely switched between Hendrix's 'Hey Joe' and James Brown's 'Sex Machine'.
Ash Grunwald was introduced in a very flattering manner: "It wouldn't be Bluesfest without you," and he notes it's his 11th performance at the festival. He kicked off with 'Hammer', and ran into a great and humorous rendition of 'Dolphin Song' for a touch of nostalgia.
Ash Grunwald - image © Bill Prendergast
The Memphis Three clearly have an incredible pedigree in terms of having won awards at the International Blues Challenge at Memphis, and their country of origin is proudly displayed by two of the blues guitarists sporting lovely Australian-made Maton guitars.
Heading back to the next act, I was lucky enough to see Taj Farrant play a stinging rendition of the earlier-mentioned SRV song, 'Lenny'. He was again blistering with his sound and playing, and has clearly made a lot of new fans with these performances.
Fanny Lumsden, from a sheep farm in NSW, played a fun set of her country-infused rock; she has a great Australian accent (although not quite as healthy as the earlier Roshani!). Hers was a real feel-good set, replete with Scottish dancing, such that when she completely forgot certain lyrics, it was all laughed off, highlighting the great feeling of the festival.
Fanny Lumsden - image © Bill Prendergast
Fools, based out of Melbourne, were another large band featuring 12 onstage, so again another great brass section playing their funky music. Many in the audience were clearly waiting to see Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram, and the blues guitarist from Mississippi did not disappoint, playing with incredible emotion, and for the first time during the festival I could feel the music pumping inside my chest. Breaking a string midway through an early song went un-noticed by the listeners.
Brad Cox played a great country set, and to be honest garnered some of the highest crowd recognition and appreciation of the acts I saw on the day, so clearly he has a very strong following despite the humorous lighting backdrop for his set ('Who The F... Is Brad Cox').
George Thorogood & The Destroyers produced one of the first albums I ever owned, and clearly he has aged well over the intervening years, and knows exactly what the crowd wants and expects to hear.
His guitar playing is simple, but fits with the original music that tonight included two of his best-known songs, 'Bad To The Bone' – which was the theme he played up on all night despite being in his eighth decade – and John Lee Hooker's 'One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer'.
George Thorogood & The Destroyers - image © Bill Prendergast
The Beards were a surprisingly good act; the first three songs of their set was based around one topic – the beauty and importance of beards, and many male and female audience members went to town showing various forms of natural and unnatural facial hair.
Tom Morello was the standout for me for the day. He played an incredible set, and since I last saw Rage Against The Machine 30-plus years ago, he has lost none of his energy. He is an absolute star, and his medley of RATM songs late in the set was great ('Bullet In The Head' and 'Bulls On Parade' featured), but there was better to come.
He talked of his many visits to Australia, with RATM, The Nightwatchmen and also Bruce Springsteen. He then leapt into Springsteen's 'The Ghost Of Tom Joad', playing his famous Arm the Homeless guitar, and as he played the solo he turned his instrument around to play with his teeth, displaying the Aboriginal flag on the back – the crowd went completely crazy in support.
He then played a touching tribute to friend Chris Cornell, and wound up with probably one of the most energetic songs ever recorded, 'Killing In The Name' kicking off by noting that in these troubled times, what we all need is music. That could not be truer in my view. The entire audience raised their fists in the air at the end of the song, as Morello raised his fingers in a positive manner.
Tom Morello - image © Bill Prendergast
Christopher Cross knows what the audience wants to hear from his back catalogue, and kicked off with two of his better-known songs, 'All Right' and 'Never Be The Same'. His was a very slick, perfectly presented stage, and felt like it could have easily worked on a cruise ship. Gary Clark Jr. was another highlight of the evening, playing his usual blues guitar music, and is clearly one of the coolest musicians going around now.
US mega-band, Toto wound up Day Two kicking off early with 'Rosanna'; in my view the reprise in the studio version is one of the most brilliant one- or two-minute pieces of music from the last four decades, and the audience was clearly waiting for it.
Gary Clark Jr. - image © Bill Prendergast
The version delivered differed considerably from the studio version, and was introduced by a lovely nod to early-'80s Miles Davis, but Steve Lukather (decked out in a great pair of UGG boots) and the band certainly carried it off.
Toto carry an important place in modern music history, both through some of their best-known songs, including their final song for the evening, 'Africa', but also though their musical contribution to the greatest-selling album of all-time, Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'.
More photos from Day Two.
Saturday
Another huge day of high class local and international acts awaits (19 April), as we were greeted with another sunny day and smiles all round at the gate. The good vibes are incredibly infectious, everyone is so positive!Punters, and those in the media, were descending on another must-see act for the festival, 19-Twenty. These guys put on a very wild show, and we had all been warned of the extreme movements and high-energy levels, and the boys did not disappoint in this regard.
Guitarist Kane Dennelly and bassist John Gwilliam took front stage, Gwilliam in particular was wild with his movement of the double bass, at times ending up on top of it, or with it swinging wildly in the air above his head. The boys presented a strong message about treating women with respect, and Dennelly was joined by his brother onstage playing the sax (apparently he does so twice a year, on New Year's Eve for the extensive rider, and for Bluesfest).
19-Twenty - image © Bill Prendergast
WILSN from Melbourne was up next, and given her training, I expected a big voice and that is exactly what she delivered. Her first song channeled Amy Winehouse in a very good way (watching her again the next day confirmed this thought), and the fact she spent three years living in Nashville showed in the quality of the music and performance.
Kim Churchill was another who came highly recommended, and played a great set, featuring the almost obligatory kick drum, the mouth organ and his highly unusual manner of playing with his left hand draped (and playing chords) over the top of the neck for much of the time. His latest song, 'Wonder' was more upbeat, and generated strong crowd enthusiasm.
Kim Churchill - image © Bill Prendergast
Allison Russell was up next for me, and was another festival highlight. A Grammy winner, she put on a very high quality set, with her all-female support band each having a strong role and very high level of musicianship.
Russell's own musical talent is in no doubt, with such a beautiful voice and some lovely clarinet to introduce and wind up her introduction. BJ The Chicago Kid was another who provided a different style of music (a blend of hip hop and R&B), which ensured all music fans were catered for at Bluesfest.
Ry X was a surprise packet, hailing from the local area. His music was atmospheric, and the only comparable act I could think of while watching was the (incomparable) Portishead. Visually it was simple, creating a beautiful presence onstage, lit perfectly.
The first piece was almost like a chant, he then moved into an acoustic one, and underlying it all was a deep, sustained bass note from the synthesiser. I loved it, and judging by his musical success he has turned a lot of heads and will continue to do so.
Melbourne Ska Orchestra - image © Bill Prendergast
The 26-member Melbourne Ska Orchestra was sensational; the movement and music were so engaging, and the story of their bus driver coming over to join the band was somewhat inspirational.
Into the set, singer Nicky Bomba (formerly of the John Butler Trio) was encouraging "yows" and "eehs" from the crowd when he called out the names James Brown and Lee Perry, the band's (and music style) key influences. Brown covers featured right across the day in various sets, with a strong funk vein running through a lot of the day's music.
In a day full of highlights, Xavier Rudd stood out as one more highlight! His set was fantastic, kicking off with an acoustic, surf-inspired song, before Rudd moved to his drum and didgeridoo setup, showing off his multi-instrumental talents, before being joined for a reggae-infused piece by a bass player who subsequently shifted to the drums.
Xavier uses loops to make the music more interesting, and proudly sits beside the Aboriginal flag on his setup. Gary Clark Jr. was up again tonight with a slightly different set, the first of which featured a ten-minute plus very bluesy piece, which to me meandered a little like 'Midnight Rambler' by The Rolling Stones.
Vance Joy - image © Bill Prendergast
Vance Joy was another very high-quality set, the second song of which, 'Mess Is Mine', was a huge winner with the crowd. On the next song, 'Fire And The Flood', he was joined at the riser by trumpet and sax players, the trumpet in particular fitted the music perfectly. The opening song had been performed by Vance on acoustic guitar, alone onstage with two male vocalists, and was the perfect introduction to his set.
The Cat Empire cannot put a foot wrong, and raised the bar yet again. 'Still Young' continues to be my favourite and the crowd was whipped right up by this point (with the band winding up singing in Spanish and English), but the earlier version of 'Two Shoes' was also great, as was their final song, 'The Chariot'.
Crowded House played an extremely crowded Crossroads stage late on the day, covering many of their beautifully-penned music, before the day wound up with the totally bizarre and wild, Here Come The Mummies.
This was another US act not to be missed. The stage movement and costumes are something to be seen to be believed and their music defies categorisation, but they provided a very funky wind up for an unforgettable day of music.
More photos from Day Three.
Sunday
As Sunday dawned (20 April), weary concert goers were greeted by yet another stunning morning, with one last huge day of music ahead. I wanted to sit through both WILSN and Neal Francis again, both very different styles (soul vs a funky style, respectively).Francis kicked off with a great gag about this being Easter Sunday, so he wanted the crowd to join him in a range of hymnal works, and proceeded to play some lovely religious music on the keyboard, but he again delivered a wild and funky set, this time incorporating the 'whammy clav' (it looks a little like a tremolo arm on a guitar but sits atop the keyboard), which increased the range of unusual effects he could get out of the keyboard.
His set was a real highlight, and of course the fans were crazy for him, with his Jim Morrison good looks and laconic approach to his performance. Late in the set, he noted how beautiful it was here, warning the crowd to "fight hard to keep what you've got, cos there's some funky sh.t going on at home".
Neal Francis - image © Bill Prendergast
Lismore locals Hussy Hicks put on a great country show, interspersed with happy birthdays from the crowd, and an emotional tribute to a lost friend. The girls made full use of the stage, with wild movement and a fun approach to their great music (the fishing tackle box was a lovely and subtle instrument). Guitarist Julz Parker's playing was perfect for the music for this set, and the band are going strong 15 years after winning the busking competition at Bluesfest.
Kasey Chambers noted she was concerned she would scare off the men in the audience, but she showed an incredibly strong voice and body movements, and clearly relished having her father onstage, playing lap steel. She humorously noted how happy she was to be playing all these sad country songs at Bluesfest, and the set contained a great mix of the new and old.
Cimafunk was a revelation; hailing from Cuba, his music was effusive, and I thought harked back to some of the great Nigerian and African funk (think Fela Kuti). This was one of the highest-energy sets for the final day, with great, approachable and danceable music.
Cimafunk - image © Bill Prendergast
John Butler performed a strong protest-based set, and there's a strong appreciation in the crowd of the efforts he has made in his adopted country and region, in terms of Indigenous rights, development and conservation, amongst other causes.
I last saw him at Fuji Rock in Japan, almost 20 years ago; his playing remains crazed at times, and he was quickly into one of his best-known songs, 'Used To Get High', which he had opened his Fuji Rock performance all those years ago.
Rodrigo y Gabriela played their standard, but very high quality guitar duo set, and their playing has to be seen (and heard) to be believed. Missy Higgins clearly relishes being at Bluesfest again, and her voice and songs are perfect, and again triggered emotion in some in the crowd.
Rag'n'Bone Man played another huge set for his only Bluesfest 2025 performance. I thought he was perhaps the act the crowd was most fanatical to see (maybe along with Tones And I on the first evening), but clearly the tattooed vocalist has built a strong fanbase in Australia with his very individual style.
Chaka Khan is an act I have never seen live, but have admired for decades. Suffice to say her voice is incredible, and at 72 it has lost little of its strength. She had an amazing stage presence, exuding a natural confidence, and of course she employs the absolute best of the best in terms of musicians.
She entered the stage after a brief testimonial video on screen, with such musical luminaries as Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston and Joni Mitchell singing her praises. Chaka's set was beautiful, and the importance of the moment was not missed on the crowd.
Chaka Khan - image © Bill Prendergast
The highlight was probably 'I Feel For You', replete with the mouth-organ piece played by Stevie Wonder on the original, and importantly it also included the guitarist playing the vocoder. A highly unusual seven-string bass guitar also put in an appearance. We were truly lucky to have experienced her at Bluesfest 2025.
The final set for the entire festival was Australia's own Hilltop Hoods. The pair sprinted back and forth on the stage, swapping positions and scurrying between both extremeties of the stage. The pyrotechnics were expected at the end of the first song, but still always manage to surprise! I loved their set, and clearly they are another strongly-revered band with their huge fan base.
Overall Bluesfest 2025 was characterised by very positive vibes, great weather and most importantly incredible music and performers, both local and international. 2026 tickets are already on sale, and this year's festival seems to ensure its ongoing success.
More photos from Day Four.
