Benz World Blog » Woman

Roshani Everett

Jason Benz — Fri, 03 Nov 2023 12:19:13 +0000

This is multi-instrumentalist Roshani opening the Delta stage on the first day of Bluesfest 2022. The level of energy and excitement from artists and audience at that first post-covid festival was beyond anything I have seen before, and that includes a dozen Glastonbury festivals.

I am cautious using the word “talent” when describing musicians, as it ignores the hard work they put in. Roshani has a rich, powerful, soulful voice which could be the star of any band, but her talents don’t end there.

While travelling and living in her van she developed a one woman show with the creative use of loop pedals and various music tech. Roshani is the modern version of a one-woman band. (image download here)

Roshani will return one last time for the final Byron Bay Bluesfest in 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. Roshani will return to the festival in 2026. Tickets are available via the Bluesfest Website.

Byron Bay Bluesfest 2026
1st artist reveal

Julz Parker

Jason Benz — Sun, 09 Apr 2023 13:59:39 +0000

This is local guitarist Julz Parker from Hussy Hicks making a guest appearance with Michael Franti & Spearhead on the Crossroads stage at Bluesfest 2023 in Byron Bay, Australia. Meanwhile, on the Mojo stage, Mavis Staples, Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne were jamming together. As the night went on, the party atmosphere built until the line between artist and audience disappeared. I saw a whole brass section vanish into the crowd, and members of the crowd got up on stage to sing and dance.

UPDATE: Hussy Hicks will be back after a successful world tour to perform back home at Byron Bay Bluesfest in Easter 2024.

UPDATE: Hussy Hicks will return to the festival in 2025, tickets are available via the Bluesfest Website.

UPDATE: Due to the success of Bluesfest 2025 and #savebluesfest, the festival’s future has been confirmed. Hussy Hicks will return to the festival in 2026. Tickets are available via the Bluesfest Website.

Bluesfest 2026

Spinifex Gum

Jason Benz — Thu, 06 Apr 2023 13:59:41 +0000

This is Spinifex Gum charming the audience on the Crossroads stage at Bluesfest 2023 in Byron Bay. This teenage indigenous female choir draws on musicians and stories from every corner of Australia. Melbourne-based Felix Riebl and Ollie McGill from The Cat Empire produce the music to tell stories of the Yindjibarndi people from the Pilbara in WA. They are brought to life by the Marliya Choir based in Cairns in far North QLD. The band are fearless in shining a light on issues facing Australia’s First Nations people. The choir singers are individually mic’d which gives them freedom of movement which traditional choir setups do not have. This song, called Sisters, comes from their second album of the same name released in 2019.

Spinifex Gum has one more show on the Mojo stage on Friday. Tickets still available via the Bluesfest Website.

Mavis Staples

Jason Benz — Sat, 24 Sep 2022 23:00:32 +0000

This is Mavis Staples with guitarist Rick Holmstrom on the Jambalaya stage at Bluesfest 2017. I found this image in the archive because she will be returning to Australia for Bluesfest 2023 next easter.

The opportunity to see the last great matriarch of music should not be missed. Mavis Staples is woven into the fabric of music history in America’s deep south and her rich golden voice has been heard all over the world.

Tickets are available via the Bluesfest Website.

Maryborough Steamfesta

Jason Benz — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 03:09:09 +0000

Steamfesta has a world record for the largest gathering of Steampunks. The Brolga Theatre in Maryborough, Queensland was a great choice as the “chuf chuf” from the Mary Ann steam train added to the atmosphere. Nostalgic passengers travelling around Queens park, put their fate in the hands of a driver who looked old enough to have built the steam engine. Fire, extreme pressure and historic metal, what could possibly go wrong?

I first became aware of Steampunk after my brother commented on this post from the UK in 2010. The style is a creative mix of old and new, so anything goes, from the mechanical to the whimsical. More specifically, it is a fantasy alternative reality of how Victorians may have envisaged a future where everyone owns welding goggles instead of smartphones.

Science fiction author K.W. Jeter created the term in 1987. This makes it the same age as my van, which I have renovated, with Steampunk in mind, by adding lots of brass, portholes and a valve amplifier. Although my effort is more Heath Robinson than Terry Gilliam.

As I approached the festival, looking for the carpark, I somehow drove into the centre of the event. Next thing, I was surrounded by costumed characters on stilts and unicycles. A nice lady, who could have stepped out of a Jane Austen novel, approached the van and showed me the way. As I could not turn, the only route was a narrow gap past a row of priceless classic cars and quirky food stalls. I inched through the crowd to eventually discover the other carpark entrance everyone else was using.

There was an excellent Steampunk band from the Northern Rivers, NSW, called LunaSea. I am not sure what I expected Steampunk to sound like, but they nailed it. I guess the same musicians had a hand in the music for the festival promo video here. There was a costume competition, which I was asked if I wanted to enter. This made me smile all day as I was in my normal clothes.

Funk Chunk

Jason Benz — Sat, 16 Apr 2022 23:47:18 +0000

This is the Melbourne Ska Orchestra rockin’ the Delta stage on the third day of Bluesfest 2022. They are my favourite band to photograph due to their spectacular show. The exceptional blend of organised chaos must be seen to be believed. They extend the limit of what up to 25 people can do on a stage simultaneously. They have been busy too, recording 7 studio albums, overturning the assumption that big bands write slowly. Defying the possible is MSO MO. All the new tunes in their set had the instant catchy quality they are known for. Their energy is infectious and inspires wild dancing in the crowd. (image download here)

The Melbourne Ska Orchestra will return one last time for the final Byron Bay Bluesfest in Easter 2025, tickets are available via the Bluesfest Website.

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

Bluesfest Returns

Jason Benz — Thu, 14 Apr 2022 10:02:38 +0000

This is The War & Treaty which had the honour of heralding the return of live music on the Mojo stage on Day 1 of Bluesfest 2022. What a great choice to kick things off. They have a raw energetic groove that infuses into your bones. Like getting in a warm bath that instantly reminds you how much you miss it. The husband and wife team fuse Southern soul and gospel vocals while the band add a tasty dollop of rock and roll.

The band are playing all 5 days of the festival so there is still time to get your tickets from the Bluesfest website.

This image is available for download here.

Solar Swedes

Jason Benz — Tue, 15 Oct 2019 12:42:18 +0000

In what is becoming a common sight on the Stuart Highway in Australia, teams in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge tilt their solar panels towards the sun to get the last few drops of energy into the batteries ahead of tomorrow’s day of racing. This is Jonkoping University Solar Team with their solar car Axelent. They are the only Swedish team left in the race from the four that started. They are hoping to improve on the 8th place they achieved in the last race. Behind them is the Japanese team Nitech Solar Racing with their car Horizon Ace who also just passed the halfway point south of Alice Springs at the end of the 3rd day of racing.

Tomorrow I will pass the turnoff to Uluru (ayers rock). Along with the Sydney Opera House it cannot be used for commercial stock photography. However, it is currently a newsworthy event which qualifies it as editorial photography. The reason is, in 11 days the rock will be closed to climbers permanently. As the deadline approaches the number of climbers has increased dramatically. This has resulted in even more visitors relieving themselves on what is a sacred site to the traditional owners (the Anangu people). It would be difficult to fit in a 525km detour in the middle of a race, so visiting Ularu will have to wait until it is not crawling with bogans.

This image has been accepted by Shutterstock for Editorial Stock Photography and is available for download here.

Felicity Lawless

Jason Benz — Sat, 17 Mar 2018 02:30:40 +0000

This is Felicity Lawless entertaining the crowd at the Murwillumbah Makers and Finders Market. She had just seen Rodrigo and Gabriela in Brisbane last night and her flamenco influences were apparent at the gig today. She also skillfully used some kind of repeating sample pedal so she could solo over her own rhythms.

I am in town to stock up on Food, Fuel and Gas before going West to the Tooloom Falls Campground, which is a free site in Gondwana Rainforest. I expect the waterfalls to be impressive given the amount of rain we have had recently. I plan to stay there until the cyclone threat ends before going North into Queensland.

UPDATE: Felicity Lawless will be onstage from 7pm on the 4th May 2024 at The Courthouse Hotel in Mullumbimby as part of the Gala event for Mullum Laneways 2024 festival.

Gabriela Quintero

Jason Benz — Wed, 08 Nov 2017 23:12:46 +0000

This is Gabriela Quintero playing with Rodrigo Sanchez on the Crossroads stage of Bluesfest 2015. Their music is a curious mix of classic flamenco inspired by heavy metal. You have probably heard them without realizing as their acoustic duets have found their way on to movies such as Pirates of the Caribbean and Puss in Boots. Gabriela has a percussive style of guitar playing. After breaking a string, Instead of having a guitar tech hand her a spare guitar like most bands do these instrumentalists enlisted the Bluesfest audience in a singalong to Radiohead’s Creep. It was an inspired choice of song as it took no time for everyone to join in. It was a wonderful festival moment. (image download here)

Rodrigo and Gabriela will return to the festival in 2025, tickets are available via the Bluesfest Website.