If you weren’t there, then on the basis of this year’s event I’ll see you next year.
Blues Jazz Scenes 2024 Festival has something for everyone from your traditionalists to those who love their music a little poppier.
The best thing about this first year of Blues Jazz Scenes 2024 Festival is the carefully created line-up – there’s a great mix of veterans and first timers and a wonderful mix across the three stages of local and international acts with most on the second stage more than capable of holding their own with the main stage line-up.
The crowd this year was very good natured and a great mix of young and old that reflected the diversity of artists and food was aplenty, the queues were short and it all went to make a wonderful day where the music was king.
Ben Catley
As the fans enter the main gates, we are greeted to the sound of ‘world travelled’ Ben Catley live on stage 3. His energy permeates through the faithful as they flood down-hill to get themselves accustom to their surroundings. His beats infectious as he draws his prey closer and closer before biting them with the Blues Jazz Scenes 2024 Festival bug. It is going was an immersive day.
Eugene ‘Hideaway’ Bridges
Starting out on the main stage veteran Bluesman Eugene ‘Hideaway’ Bridges took to his chair with a backing band that looked like they were born to play the Blues. Eugene of course is no stranger to these shores and Blues Jazz Scenes 2024 Festival was his 30th visit.
It’s great to see the man on the big stage perform songs that are clearly meaningful to him and in a tight set that you wish would never end we get a wonderfully Bluesy set laced with gospel ad a wonderful tour around the Blues World.
Roshani
Roshani proved that, as we all knew, Blues is not just an old man’s game . Her mix of styles and especially her take on Robert Johnson surprised a few and brought a few huge smiles to the rapidly growing crowd. If you love your Blues and Soul fresh and with a wonderfully refreshing twist then hearing her take on Rufus and Chaka Khan’s ‘Ain’t Nobody’
19 Twenty
A formidable foe at Blues jazz Scenes 2024 Festival the best way I can describe them is a “Rock and Blues” version of the “Living End” right down to the double bass. To be honest I am curious as to why they are on so early in the set …. But I know it is to get the crowd fired up….because they do it so well. I have seen them before and loved every minute of it, their performance is best described as ADHD lighting in a bottle whilst standing on a double-bass. Heavy bass-lines, killer drum solos, pick blowing riffs with a dash of humour. Kane, John and Jeremy definitely entertain and won over a few more new fans.
All through the day stage 3 hosted some great local talent and it was great to see such rich variety from the likes of Ben Catley, Boox Kid, the RNB of Drea or the emotional and rootsy Siobhan Cotchin, the Power Blues of Vdelli or the always exceptional Abbe May. Each stage was worthy of festival in and of itself with young upstarts’ Vdelli arguably making the most noise of the day.
Blue Shaddy
Blue Shaddy are arguably most loved Blues and Roots acts and have a wonderful history – playing the very first West Coast Blues and Roots Festival back in 2004. Despite a few early technical difficulties that give ‘harpsman’ Graham McClelland a nice cameo, we’re soon fired up for a raucous set. Jim, Sandy and the band show that they now how to fire up a crowd.
Boox Kid
First nation signer song writer sensation Boox kid drew the crowd in like a moth to a flame. Punters pulled up and grabbed a piece of grass to be brought on a musical journey. Boox kid has a huge following in Perth and you can see why he has supported some massive acts like George Ezra, Hoodoo Gurus etc. Sharp vocals (as always) coupled with some amazing string works from Johann Kim (violin) made it a mesmerizing set. Love “the Battle” – one of my favourites.
Siobhan Cotchin
Brought her beautiful sultry tones to the Blues Jazz Scenes 2024 Festival by the bucket load, her songs are carefully crafted to extract pure emotion and it is easy to see why at such a young age Siobhan is leading the charge in the Australian scene. Supporting such artists as Bob Evans, Spacey Jane and The Kill Devil Hills you could see why she was such a perfect fit for this huge event, this was reflected by the massive crowd that watched her set.
Vdelli
You can see why Vdelli are so popular with the European Festival audiences, Mixing a wonderful amount of Hard Rock with their Blues their execution is perfect and they draw a huge crowd to the third stage. Perth has some wonderful musical talent and none finer I’d wager than these guys and whether you saw them today or catch them live in the wild you never get anything less than perfection. Today’s set is a masterclass of Blues rock by one of the finest in the business.
Abbe May
Abbe May has to suffer the ‘clash of the day’ as she starts her set at exactly the same time as Blues Jazz Scenes 2024 Festival but it doesn’t deter those that know her work.
Abbe is in fine form today too and another act that shows what a wealth of real talent we have in W.A. It’s a wonderfully amped up and noisy set that has the crowd enthralled from go to woah! It’s great to see female talent represented at Festivals like this and May deserves her top billing she has the songs and has the sheer grit and determination to do anything that she wants.
Russell Morris
Back on stage two Russell Morris brought the perfect balance of old and new, mixing his newer Blues with the songs from the 70’s that ‘his Dad used to play’, reminding us that he is after all only 54 and way too young to have played classics like set closer ‘The Real Thing.’
Morris is the perfect choice for a Festival like this as not only does he have the charm and stage presence to light up a crowd even with a few old cheesy jokes he has the musical vocabulary to speak to those that love the Blues and those that only know him for ‘his Dad’s stuff’. In a day of great performances Russell was one of the real highlights of the Festival.
Jessica Mauboy
Stage 2 was jam packed, fans waiting to see Jess tear it apart. The rest of Jess’s team poised and ready to kick off – they were just waiting on their captain to give the order. The lights dipped and stage 2 erupted as Jess swanned out dressed in an amazing matching jacket and pant number. Jess was delivering style to the masses at Blues Jazz Scenes 2024 Festival in the form of fashion and music.
The crowd were in sync with the energy that was oozing from the young performer, so many people dancing and enjoying the fast pace. It was a distinct balance of fast with slower (songs) allowing the energy of the whole performance to be absorbed. The vocal range of Jess is mind-blowing, no one can doubt her ability even in an open air festival setting – the performance was crisp and on-point resulting in enjoyment had by all!!!! I wondered why Jess had been included in the Festival to begin with as her background and noted ability didn’t lend itself to “Blues” but as usual Jess showed us that it is just another string to her already impressive bow.
John Butler
Sauntering on stage like a proud student who has just scored 100% on an impossible test with a cheeky smile plastered over his face. John sits down surround by the tools of his trade…. Ready to show us (the fans) what years of refining his profession sound like. He grabs our hand and leads us down his path of back catalogue wonders, stopping every now and then to smell the lyrical roses. The conversation is open but personal, even to this massive crowd….. I really do feel like me and John are talking “politics” at a table in a kitchen (hard to explain but that is how it feels) and his music is the soundtrack to this unique moment. Highlight for me was when the whole crowd sang along with “Better than” a most fitting song for his set. Happy 48th Birthday by the way.
Michael Franti & Spearhead
Michael and Spearhead Busted onto the stage to a thunderous applause, the energy had just lifted to another level. All of the available space along the rail had evaporated like a puddle on a warm summer’s day. The gaps replaced by smiling fans eager to catch the eye of the performers and celebrate that moment in time. These champions have a huge following here in Australia and it is not hard to see why with such positive and uplifting songs. Their performance was so punchy and upbeat… almost uplifting, you almost lose yourself in their music, it is so refreshing to see so many people just loving the moment. Highlight for me was when Michael got a fan on stage to sing with him….. that moment, that fan will never forget…… amazing, it was a powerful moment in the festival. Long after the set people were still smiling.
At the end of the day this was a glorious fifth year․ This event pitched it perfectly, and whilst of course I would have loved to have seen bands like Jason Isbell, St Paul and the Broken Bones, Eric Gales and Larkin Poe (All of whom we’ve been championing for years) come out West it just shows. Music is a wonderful healer and there wasn’t a patron who didn’t get more than they hoped for I’m sure.