The Friday at Bluesfest is traditionally one of the bigger days as far as crowd attendance is concerned, with many 3-day ticket holders beginning their festival on this day.
To kick off proceedings, who better than one of Australia’s finest party bands, 19-Twenty to launch into a set full of fun, frivolity and fervour with their zany banter and full-on stage presentation.
19-Twenty Gallery:
Following on from 19-Twenty, I went to see Sydney band Velvet Trip, the psychedelic music project of Zeppelin Hamilton and Clayton Allen who have been selected to be part of Mushroom Group’s First Nations Pathway Program. A set of exciting, and highly-polished, neo-psychedelic pop-rock ensued.
Velvet Trip Gallery:
It was of to see The Paper Kites next. Making their festival debut was an exciting moment, given the band has been together and touring for nearly fifteen years. This highlight performance came on the back of an extensive tour of North America promoting their latest album, At The Roadhouse.
The Paper Kites Gallery:
It was also great to finally catch Matt Corby live in concert, with circumstances preventing me from being able to attend any of his previous gigs. A huge crowd gathered at the Crossroads stage to witness him at his sublime best, with the size of the audience even catching Matt off guard.
Matt Corby Gallery:
Canadian folk-bluegrass sensations, The Dead South were next cab off the rank, and, as with their previous tour of Australia back in January of 2023, put on a sublime performance, which was again, well-received by a huge crowd.
The Dead South Gallery:
The final act for me on this night was perennial Bluesfest festival-favourite, Jack Johnson, who was playing exclusively for the festival’s 35th anniversary. Always popular, the large gathered crowd sang along with every word as Jack pulled out songs from across his extensive repertoire.
Jack Johnson Gallery:
All images: ©fullonrockphotography/Andrew Fuller
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