Blues and Roots festival 2009

Over easter I travelled up to Byron Bay for the Blues and Roots festival where I was introduced to new music which managed to blow my mind! There were also bands I had previously listened to or even seen that were phenomenal as well. I have seen a fair bit of live music and love it, but this was something else, I have never seen such a beautiful response from the crowd or beautiful performers.

Highlight acts for me:

AYO
I had no idea who Ayo was, but what a stunning performer with beautiful music! Magic! The crowd was loving it, smiling and dancing. just so... joyful. One of the best performances I've ever seen. You could tell she really loved what she was doing. It's soul/folk/reggae, and Ben Harper personally requested she play on the same stage prior to his performance which lucky for me is why I got to see her! To me she far out shon him.

JOHN BUTLER TRIO
Although I've seen JBT a couple of times previously and enjoyed their music, seeing them at Blues Fest brought it to another level and I love how passionate they are about what they do, both their music and the various causes they promote and work for.

BLUE KING BROWN

Blue King Brown were another stand out act who I'd never heard of before, but they were also fantastic fun and had an awesome stage presence!

I just loved it! The whole experience, the atmosphere, the crowds, new music, the art and crafts, hula hoops, the mud and gumboots! Just beautiful.

Alot of the bands, particularly Blue King Brown, Missy Higgins and John Butler Trio all talked and promoted the campaign to save the Kimberley in WA where they are in the advanced stages of planning for a major natural gas plant they want to build. I haven't read up on it yet and until the concert and visiting the website I wasn't aware of what was going on, but it seems so tragic! I have always wanted to visit, and have always thought it to be such a beautiful and magical place with a lot of cultural history and significance within the Aboriginal communities.