Eve Jeffery
Rain? It must be Bluesfest…
It felt like first-day Bluesfest numbers were up as the carpark bulged and punters “tapped-on” their new wristbands at high speed, no doubt many had come to see Patti Smith in all her rage and glory as she closed out opening night.
But before the defiant goddess of punk stepped into the 2017 Bluesfest spotlight, there was a whole evening of great music to be had.
NAS and The Soul Rebels went totally off as did Miles Electric Band, Snarky Puppy and of course Vintage Trouble, with Ty Taylor who has more energy than a nuclear power plant.
The Strumbellas, Max Dury and Mavis Staples also held up their end of the bargain on day one.
Then the moment of rapture began.
Smith knows how to channel the chi and the audience were mesmerised from her first step on to the stage until the last E string was torn from it’s bridge.
People have the power and Patti proved she still does too as she and her band brought an updated, reenergised Horses to Bluesfest. Raging against all that has gone wrong with the world, she urged everyone to use their power to make a world ruled by love, but it was an angry love, from a punk priestess whose power seems undimmed despite her seventy years.
At times she looked like a Sunday school teacher, at times like the Delphi oracle, at times like that angry young woman who encouraged so many people to pick up a guitar or a microphone – then there were tears from heaven.
Day one was the tip of the Bluesfest iceberg.
Day two promises more of the same and so much more – fortunately some acts will play more than once and if you missed the unmissable St. Paul and The Broken Bones and Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, you’ll get another chance. Mavis Staples will also play again and if you didn’t get enough of Patti, she will play an acoustic set today as well.
More stories from Bluesfest 2017
Police praise festivalgoers… except drug-using ‘element’
Police have praised festivalgoers attending this year’s Bluesfest but condemned what they called ‘an element that persists in bringing illicit drugs to festivals.’
A sunny (yay) Sunday at Blues
It was a Santana sandwich at the Crossroads last night when thousands of fans gathered up to 50 metres outside of the tent to groove along with the musician who first became famous in the late 1960s.
Patti Smith puts money where her mouth is to help flood...
Iconic New York poet and performer Patti Smith not only gave the audience more than they bargained for during her weekend performances at Bluesfest, she also donated $10,000 to northern rivers appeal Rise Above The Flood.
Blues gets down on hump day
The middle day of Bluesfest is always a bit spesh – punters have relaxed into the groove and the artists are hitting their stride…
Patti Smith rocks Bluesfest with ‘anarchic spunk’
After weeks of weather chaos that saw roads blocked, planes grounded and low lying fields flooded, Bluesfest got off to a smooth and inclement weather free start last night when thousands made their way to 28th annual Blues and Roots Festival.
We got dem Byron Bay Blues
It felt like first-day Bluesfest numbers were up as the carpark bulged and punters "tapped-on" their new wristbands at high speed…
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
