Credit must also be given to the backstage crew who keep every performance running like clockwork, no matter how big the band. The success of the sold-out Bluesfest 2025 has guaranteed the future of live music festivals in NSW for now. However, this great festival is only made possible by people buying discounted early bird tickets, so Peter Nobel can book more great acts for Bluesfest 2026.

UPDATE: Due to the success of Bluesfest this year, It’s future has been confirmed. Discounted early bird tickets for next year are being sold during the festival via this link.

UPDATE: Due to the success of Bluesfest 2025, its future has been confirmed. Discounted early bird tickets for the 2026 festival are available here.

UPDATE: Due to the success of Bluesfest 2025, its future has been confirmed. Discounted early bird tickets for the 2026 festival are available here.

UPDATE: Due to the success of Bluesfest 2025, its future has been confirmed. Discounted early bird tickets for the 2026 festival are available here.

I cannot think of anything worse than paying hundreds of dollars for a festival ticket, only to watch someone press play on a laptop. You can pay even more money to watch elaborate costumes and dance routines to hide the fact that there is someone backstage pressing play on a laptop. Bluesfest is committed to supporting musicians making music with instruments rather than computers. It is a live music experience like no other.

Nahko will return to the festival with an unnamed band in 2025, tickets are available via the Bluesfest Website.

UPDATE: In 2026 Bluesfest will be the last in a line of major festivals closed from increasing headwinds. This began before covid, with the previous state government’s legislative “war on festivals“. The new government risks letting this trend continue through inaction. #savebluesfest, international petition on change.org Sign up here.

UPDATE: Due to the success of Bluesfest 2025, its future has been confirmed. Discounted early bird tickets for the 2026 festival are available here.

There have been 70 mummies in the last 20 years. Mummy Cass is 1 of about 10 roaming mummies. They are a rare wild breed of mummy who have passed through the boarding gate. After thousands of years in a sarcophagus, most mummies are unwilling to be sealed into a jumbo jet.

This was overcome when it was discovered if 10 cats are wandering free for each mummy, they would become relaxed enough to get onboard. Once the simple process of herding 100 cats on a plane was done, the fun-funk band of coffin dodgers could go on tour.

It was suggested, if 1000 mice were released on the plane, cats and mummies would follow willingly. When Australian Boarder Force heard about this plan they deployed a highly trained team of drop bears to meet the plane on the runway.

By then the cats had taken control of the plane and were refusing to negotiate with everyone, except royalty. It was resolved when the drop bears had lunch with the mice, in return “Here Come the Mummies” and “The Cat Empire” will bring the party to Easter 2025. Tickets are available via the Bluesfest Website.

UPDATE: In 2026 Bluesfest will be the last in a line of major festivals closed from increasing headwinds. This began before covid, with the previous state government’s legislative “war on festivals“. The new government risks letting this trend continue through inaction. However, you can change this. If 20,000 signatures are received, the NSW Parliament must debate Bluesfest’s future. #savebluesfest if you live in the state Sign up here. For everyone else, there is an international petition on change.org Sign up here.

UPDATE: Due to the success of Bluesfest 2025, its future has been confirmed. Discounted early bird tickets for the 2026 festival are available here.

If you like the French bands “Air” and “Daft Punk” but prefer your psychedelics home-grown “Velvet Trip” is for you. They are part of a growing psychedelic pop scene in Australia along with “Tame Impala”, “Parcels” and “Pond”. Maybe there is something in the water? Velvet Trip is a good description of this retro-chill-pop band. Dreamy reverb vocals, guitar jams and a sprinkle of synths. Imagine “Pink Floyd” without the deafening crescendos.

The last frontman to do earnings and tattoos with this much style was Prince, and even Prince did not show off his tatts like Aussies do. Few have the confidence to make such a bold fashion choice, but when you have a name like Zeppelin, anything is possible, so the gold chain and shades are essential to turn the Rockstar look up to 11.

Velvet Trip have been confirmed for the final Byron Bay Bluesfest at Easter 2025, tickets are available via the Bluesfest Website.

UPDATE: In 2026 Bluesfest will be the last in a line of major festivals closed from increasing headwinds. This began before covid, with the previous state government’s legislative “war on festivals“. The new government risks letting this trend continue through inaction. However, you can change this. If 20,000 signatures are received, the NSW Parliament must debate Bluesfest’s future. #savebluesfest if you live in the state Sign up here. For everyone else, there is an international petition on change.org Sign up here.

UPDATE: Due to the success of Bluesfest 2025, its future has been confirmed. Discounted early bird tickets for the 2026 festival are available here.

As sure as Canucks like hockey, Allison is the most I have listened to a Canadian since Alanis Morissette, …which was… 30 years ago!  Yikes,  now I feel old. I didn’t realise until Bluesfest that Allison had launched a solo album. I was still listening to the outstanding third “Birds of Chicago” studio album “Love in Wartime” which I have played more than any other music in the last few years.

It turns out “Birds of Chicago” is on “indefinite hiatus” I feared this might be a euphemism for the swan song of my favourite pigeon pair. What would the Canada warbler sound like without the swift grackle and chickadee of JT Nero’s guitar sounds? The loss of their perfect blend of harmony, melody, texture and rhythm could be a jagged little pill to swallow wren my favourite song sparrow turns a new leaf.

I got hold of Allison Russell’s first solo album “Outside Child”

The lyrics tell very personal stories. I was happy to discover musically the album is an evolution from “Birds of Chicago” rather than a complete break. JT Nero is listed as one of the writers and sings a charming duet with his wife called “Joyful Motherfuckers” The music is like “Birds of Chicago” at a relaxed pace with a greater focus on Allison’s powerfully emotive voice and her transcendence from her early life.

“Birds of Ontario” may be closer, JT Nero’s midwestern tones are largely absent and in more than half the songs Allison taps into her inner maple syrup sipper when she slips in and out of French as she sings. I can’t wait to hear that beautiful voice one more time, while she also leads the charge to make clarinet music cool again. Allison Russell has been confirmed for the final Byron Bay Bluesfest at Easter 2025, tickets are available via the Bluesfest Website.

UPDATE: In 2026 Bluesfest will be the last in a line of major festivals closed from increasing headwinds. This began before covid, with the previous state government’s legislative “war on festivals“. The new government risks letting this trend continue through inaction. However, you can change this. If 20,000 signatures are received, the NSW Parliament must debate Bluesfest’s future. #savebluesfest if you live in the state Sign up here. For everyone else, there is an international petition on change.org Sign up here.

UPDATE: Due to the success of Bluesfest 2025, its future has been confirmed. Discounted early bird tickets for the 2026 festival are available here.

This photo is from the early stage of the Melbourne Ska Orchestra when they had just released their first album. Since then they have released six more studio albums, including in 2018 when they released one song a week for a whole year. Impressive for a 34-piece band. That 1 year produced 4 albums which are a homage to the original Ska movement which grew from sound system culture in Jamaica.

The speed of music production is phenomenal.

This website started 20 years ago with reggae festivals in Jamaica. Every week before we knew the No.1 US song, a local band would have arranged and recorded a reggae/ska version and had it in the shops before anyone heard the original. New tunes were just as quick. When Hurricane Ivan passed by. The song telling the story of that hurricane was on the radio before the hurricane made landfall. Since MSO mastered the ska skill of rapid recording, they created a large body of work in a short time. Now they are out of the studio and ready to party.

I highly recommend you see them live if you get the chance.

The Melbourne Ska Orchestra have been confirmed for the final Byron Bay Bluesfest at Easter 2025, tickets are available via the Bluesfest Website.

UPDATE: In 2026 Bluesfest will be the last in a line of major festivals closed from increasing headwinds. This began before covid, with the previous state government’s legislative “war on festivals“. The new government risks letting this trend continue through inaction. However, you can change this. If 20,000 signatures are received, the NSW Parliament must debate Bluesfest’s future. #savebluesfest if you live in the state Sign up here. For everyone else, there is an international petition on change.org Sign up here.

UPDATE: I had a chat with Pat. He told me he met the Melbourne Ska Orchestra at Bluesfest as he was hired by Bluesfest to drive the artists bus. Proof it is more than a festival, it does change lives. One more reason to #savebluesfest

UPDATE: Due to the success of Bluesfest 2025, its future has been confirmed. Discounted early bird tickets for the 2026 festival are available here.