Month: September 2009

On Saturday I made my second trip out to Bimbadgen’s annual Blues festival. It was a different experience to the last in more ways than one.

Firstly, the festival had a bit of a makeover this year. It’s now going under the name Bimbadgen Blues, Roots, Funk, and Grooves, but the changes aren’t simply about the name. The focus shifted to younger, more contemporary artists playing music that went beyond the traditional blues. If the crowds were any indication, the organisers are onto a winner with their vibrant new approach. Despite Coaster playing an hour away, the festival attracted plenty of 20-somethings keen to have a good time.

Unlike last year’s festival, the weather was on our side. While I left the festival soggy in 2008, the sun came out for an unseasonably warm day. It was lovely to bask in the summery conditions, but it made the lines at the bar seem all the more unreasonable. I’ve been a regular visitor to Bimbadgen Estate during A Day on The Green concerts and festivals, but I have never seen a line like this. It snaked all the way down the hill. I hoped to see it get shorter as the day wore on, but no such luck. When I eventually gave in and jumped onto the end of the queue, it took me an hour to get to the front. One bar simply wasn’t enough for a crowd of this size on such a hot day. Announcers apologised for the inconvenience, so I can only hope the situation will be remedied next time around.

While alcohol and sunshine are important elements of any winery concert, the real drawcard is the music. My sister and I parked ourselves near the vineyard stage just in time to see Dialectrix. I’m not the greatest fan of hip hop music, but I was still impressed by the freestyling skills. Anyone that can rap about chardonnay and their loyal fans down the front gets my vote.

The dancing girls near the stage got some company when Ash Grunwald appeared. Enthusiastic fans seemed to come from everywhere, desperate to get a little closer to this acclaimed blues and roots artist. This was music which got back to the blues sounds I love: earthy and primal with squealing guitars and dirty melodies. But I was faced with a dilemma. With so many folks dancing near the stage, surely this would be the best time to join that dreaded drinks queue, right? And so I did. It was still long, but not as terrible as I’d seen it before. Sadly I arrived back to my seat just as Ash was wrapping up his set. What I heard sounded fantastic, but I’d have loved to see more of it.

Settled down with my bubbly, I could really focus on Blue King Brown. On seeing them support Santana a few years ago I remember thinking they were technically amazing but lacking something. The tunes seemed repetitive, running into each other with little differentiation. They needed some hooks or melodies to draw us in, something to match the energy. I still felt that, but I couldn’t deny the effect they had on the crowd. Their performance was theatrical and vibrant, and while it wasn’t my favourite of the night it was compelling nonetheless.

After the buzz generated by Ash Grunwald and Blue King Brown, the mellow indie tunes of The Panics seemed like a little bit of a letdown. They were wonderful, but perhaps not the best choice of headliner. At least, that’s what the crowds leaving in droves led me to believe. I couldn’t fault the band, but they just didn’t have the electricity the audience seemed to want. It’s a shame, because they deserved a much better reception than this.

Bimbadgen Blues, Roots, Funk, and Grooves showed a lot of potential in its new guise. Not everything went smoothly, but I’m sure we’ll see those creases ironed out next year as the festival goes from strength to strength.

Image source: Stephen Katulka