.jpg)
Maoli on the Crossroads Stage
Maoli means ‘native’ or ‘indigenous’ in Hawaiian, and signifies authenticity and genuineness. Under the name Maoli, Kana Akiu-Corpuz, Glenn Awong, and Nuu Kahalehau play a blend of reggae, roots, and country – all with Hawaiian overtones. You don’t get much more boundary-crossing than that!
Any visitor to these pages knows I love my music festivals.
While small festivals (eg: Thredbo Blues, Thredbo Jazz, and Vancouver Island Music Festival) have their charm, the granddaddy of them all is the annual Easter long-weekend Byron Bay Bluesfest. I first attended back in 1999 when it was a three-day celebration of local and international blues and roots music. It featured an incredible number of my favourite artists and introduced me to some wonderful ‘new’ names.
My penultimate attendance was back in 2019 (Byron Bay Bluesfest 2019). I bought tickets for 2020 before going home. Of course, that one was cancelled on account of Covid19. But, I hung in there, and bought tickets for 2021. That year, the festival was Covid19-cancelled again – but at the last minute this time: less than 24 hours before commencement. By then, after long days of driving, I was already lodged in Byron Bay. As I sat for a week watching the rain falling outside my modest cabin, the heart went out of me and I collected my refund.
Last year, they advertised that the four-day 2025 event would be the last. I had great sympathy for the organisers: staging an event of this size in this new, uncertain world is a fraught and risky business. So, I contacted a friend, and together we decided to take the plunge.
Of course, the event sold out and was absolutely jam-packed. And, as we found out later: they never believed it would be the last.
Festival photos (especially without a Press Pass!) are taken under challenging conditions: stage lighting is unpredictable; the tents are dark and crowded; and great swathes of space in front of the stage is reserved for VIP ticket-holders. But, surmounting those challenges is usually part of my enjoyment. I love getting that “one” picture that I’m happy with.
While this year’s lineup included some of my local favourites, there was very little by way of international offering that was high on my list. Looking back at my photos, I have difficulty sorting out my feelings about an event which was so crowded that tents were – at times – dangerous, and which – although it offered lots of good music – featured fewer high-points than usual.
So, to keep life simple, I’ve started chronologically: with some of the performers I saw on the first day – the Thursday afternoon.
I hope you enjoy the pictures:
.jpg)
Bluesfest Tents
We got ourselves to the grounds nice and early; the big tents were ready to be filled with music. (iPhone15Pro)
.jpg)
Welcome to Country
An Arakwal elder from the local Bundjalung Nation welcomed us to country.
Arakwal Dubay Dancers
The welcome dance is about sweeping out bad spirits and bringing in the good.
Dubay = Women
This troupe is made up of young local Indigenous women who dance both traditional and newly choreographed pieces.
Electric Cadillac in Delta Tent
After the Welcome, I wandered over to the Delta Tent for my first taste of blues.
Rocking the Delta Tent
Electric Cadillac is a four-piece blues-rock band from Jakarta, Indonesia. (iPhone15Pro)
Frontman and Lead Guitar
Under Kongko Bangun Pambudi, Electric Cadillac play a mix of blues, funk, and soul: originals as well as old standards.
Chasing Bubbles
Bluesfest has always been family-friendly. This year, there seemed to be many more children than previously.
Introducing the Players
Electric Cadillac frontman Kongko introduces the rest of the band.
M Ade Irawan
Billed as a jazz and blues pianist, blind virtuoso keyboard player Ade Irawan lifts Electric Cadillac to greater heights.
Pierce Brothers
Billed as a folk duo, these twin brothers from Melbourne brought plenty of energy to the Delta tent.
“They Gonna Know my Name”
Reminding me of Stevie Wonder, young Budjerah had the audience in the palm of his hands.
Budjerah
Budjerah’s name means first light: he was born just before morning sunrise. The son of licensed pastors, he grew up singing gospel music in his parent’s churches around Fingal Head in the far northeast of New South Wales.
Budjerah Julum Slabb
The young Coodjinburra man from the Bundjalung nation is a multiple-award winning singer-songwriter; he supported Ed Sheeran on his 2023 Australian tour.
Maoli
The next performers in the Crossroads tent were these Island/country/reggae artists from Maui, Hawaii.
Glenn Awong
Maoli was formed in 2007 by the Hawaiian artist Glenn Awong and has since become one of the most influential and celebrated commercial recording artists across Hawaii and the rest of Polynesia.
Drummer with Maoli
Drummers often get hidden in the background – I couldn’t even find the name of this one, but I liked the backdrop.
Tones and I
This was one I was looking forward to: Toni Watson is SO much more than the “Dance Monkey” hit that launched her into world view.
Toni and I on Stage
Toni started performing in 2009 and spent years writing and busking before launching to fame in 2019 with her first single Johnny Run Away and the record-breaking Dance Monkey.
On the Big Stage
Tones and I won a busking competition in Byron Bay in 2019; now they command a whole stage production. I hadn’t realised how many of her great songs I would recognise. The Crossroads tent was packed: I was a long way back, with a 200ml lens, and the photos have had some heavy cropping!
It was late, but people were still arriving into the grounds. We decided to make an early get-away and not stay for the last acts – after all, we had three more days of music coming our way.
We danced our way back to the car …
Let’s all dance!
Photos: 17April2025
