Byron Bay articles of interest.

BOOMERANG FESTIVAL FOR BYRON IN 2013 Launched at Bluesfest 2013, Festival Director Peter Noble in partnership with leading Cultural Creative Rhoda Roberts, a Bundjalung women and Boomerang’s Festival Director & Curator announced details of an exciting new cultural event titled Boomerang Festival. To be staged annually over the October Labour Day long weekend at the Bluesfest site and featuring an eclectic line up of artists from around the globe, Boomerang Festival will be a unique world cultural exchange where audiences will experience living cultures through traditional and contemporary music. Featuring some of the world’s oldest instruments, dance and rituals along with traditional arts practices and workshops with a focus on mother tongues and first instruments. This multi-arts event is the [...]

Third Artist Announcement Bluesfest 2013: It’s A Bluesfest Dream Come True Today Bluesfest, Australia’s multi award winning Festival, held annually over the long Easter Weekend (March 28 to April 1) announced its 3rd sensational Line-Up for 2013! Headlining this announcement is ROBERT PLANT, the legendary front man of the band Led Zeppelin, presenting Sensational Shape Shifters. Led Zeppelin came to Australia in 1972 and a Robert Plant Tour of Australia has been long awaited by his Australian fans.  He last toured in 1996 with Jimmy Page. Plant was voted in the Rolling Stone Readers Pick in 2011, ‘The Best Lead Singer of All Time’. Even greater is the news that he has been performing 8 Led Zeppelin songs on stage [...]

Yes, it’s the earliest announcement in the history of Bluesfest – 6 weeks sooner than usual and it marks the beginning of FOUR exciting announcements to be released in the upcoming weeks. “This is our Year” says Peter Noble, Festival Director. “We are delivering one of our absolute best artist line-ups ever, and the first announcement is only the beginning. Any Festival in the world announcing Ben Harper with his Band, Santana, Iggy & The Stooges (on their final tour), Chris Isaak, Wilco, Bonnie Raitt, Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi, Glen Hansard with the Frames, Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls, Playing for Change and lots more on their first announcement – has GOT to make everyone everywhere sit up [...]

BLUESFEST CLAIM VICTORY IN COUNCIL ROW Organisers of the Byron Bay Bluesfest are claiming a “huge win” after the Director General of the NSW Government’s Planning and Infrastructure department advised Byron Shire Council to scrap a controversial “major events” clause. The latest development in an ongoing saga between Bluesfest, and its director Peter Noble, and the Byron Council, the dispute surrounds the Byron Events Policy and its restriction on events to be held in the region. The letter from Sam Haddad, Director General of Planning and Infrastructure, reads, “I have decided… that the Byron Shire proposed “Major Events’ Clause, should not proceed. “I have formed the opinion that the proposal is not in the public interest, I believe matters of [...]

As the commencement of Bluesfest draws near, the Bluesfest Busking Comp Finals are takingtaking shape to be one of the biggest events to hit the Beach Hotel, Wednesday 4th April will become the unofficial start of the 2012 annual Byron Bay Bluesfest.  Kicking off at 4pm we will see the three finalists for the Grommets take to the stage with guest judge Minnie Marks (the little pocket rocket that took out last year’s Busking Comp) joining the panel of judges to take on the difficult task of selecting  the cream of the crop. When dusk starts to settle be sure to see the Beach Hotel take on a whole new shape as the open finals kick into full gear commencing at [...]

With the 23rd BluesFest about to get underway, we thought we should give you a few tips on how to make it an easier experience… Take some sunscreen… The sun can be hellish if you’re spending 5 days out in it! Buy some gumboots! Available in every second shop in Byron! The BluesFest has another nickname in wet weather…. MudFest! And whatever you do, leave your thongs at home… there are thousands of them eternally buried in the ground out there from last year! Make sure you drink lots of water! There are hydration stations everywhere! Leave your dog at home… Unless you are a police person and your dog is a drug dog! And don’t try and pat the [...]

Murray Burns of Mi-Sex After just one week back on the road with 70′s super band Mi-Sex, Byron Bay’s Murray Burns has collapsed on stage during their concert at ‘A Day On The Green’ show at Rochford Winery in the Yarra Valley. The band also played the iconic Annandale Hotel last Friday night and are due to play at the Brass Monkey in Cronulla, Sydney, this Thursday night. Byron Bay’s Kirra Pendergast, who good the photo below at Friday night’s Annandale gig, said that she “Can’t begin to describe how awesome Mi-sex were!” Originally out of New Zealand,  Mi-Sex were massive in Australia and New Zealand during the 70′s and 80′s with hit singles including ‘Computer Games’, ‘But You Don’t [...]

Grommet Busking Comp Bonanza – NEW IN 2012 Under 18′s Grommet heats 17th & 18th March @ YAC. – TODAY AND TOMORROW!!! For the first time, the Bluesfest Busking Comp will be including a Grommet Busking Comp where musicians under the age of 18 have an opportunity to reveal their abilities in their own exclusive category. The Grommet division will be set up in a similar fashion to the original Bluesfest Busking Comp offering heats in Byron Bay on a weekend prior to the Bluesfest with the finals to be held at the Beach Hotel prior to the adult finals. This is an exciting change to this year’s comp and is key to the expansion and development of the Bluesfest [...]

BYRON Bay’s fun police have struck again, and this time they have buskers in their sights. In response to complaints about buskers being too loud, Byron Shire Council management is now proposing a ban on amplified music across Byron Bay’s CBD. It follows a trial period that that allowed battery- powered amplification and call for public comment on the council’s draft busking policy. Two submissions were received on the policy, both against amplification, and as a result staff have recommended it be banned. In a report to go to next week’s council meeting, staff say busking is causing annoyance to some business operators and staff, disturbing trade and reducing access to certain businesses. Amplification is also creating “unpleasant sounds” when [...]

Crowds winding up for a big day at Splendour in the Grass 2010 listening to Yacht Club DJs. BLUESFEST director Peter Noble has hit back at claims that he doesn’t understand the issues surrounding Byron Shire’s policy on major events. Mayor Jan Barham said recently that Mr Noble’s belief that the events policy was “anti-music” was “confused”. Music events had been singled out because they were occasions which had an impact on the wider community and could cause conflict, so needed planning regulations. But Mr Noble said there was no confusion around the fact that most people in the community wanted to see music presented in a safe, friendly setting outside of pubs and clubs in the town. He also [...]

Bluesfest director Peter Noble in his new role as an evangelistic religious leader of the Church of the Helping Hand preaching to his followers in his Bluesfest revival centre. GO FORTH and sin no more was the message yesterday from born-again Bluesfest prophet Peter Noble to Byron’s councillors. Emerging from a dark night of the soul brought on by council’s efforts to limit musical events in the shire, Mr Noble has seen the light – and founded his own church. Like all good religions, the Church of the Helping Hand, with Mr – make that Reverend – Noble at its head has a mission: to save Byron Shire from cloth-eared councillors awaiting their Judgment Day, the day the music dies. [...]

American blues singer Eric Bibb has performed at Bluesfest in Byron Bay, as well as at Bangalow. ONE of the most-loved performers at Bluesfest over many years is returning to Byron Shire for two more shows this month. Eric Bibb is a charming, sweet-voiced blues guitarist who draws on country, folk and gospel music. He always pulls a crowd at his Bluesfest gigs. Born in New York, he lives in Hawaii but is fond of Australia and the country returns the honour. The two shows planned for the Northern Rivers are at the Bangalow A&I Hall on Thursday, May 12 and a fund-raising show on behalf of the Northern Rivers Community Foundation at the Byron Bay Golf Club on Sunday, [...]

THE Tweed-Byron area police command remains the drink-driving capital of Northern New South Wales. More than a quarter of the Northern Region’s drink-driving offences over the Easter long weekend were detected in the two shires. And the region, which stretches from Newcastle to the border, detected the highest number of drink-drivers in the state. Northern Region traffic co-ordinator acting Senior Sergeant Glenn Trubody said the detections were part of Operation Tortoise, which ran from Thursday to Monday. “Police conducted 2384 breath tests, and for that there were 27 drink-driving offences detected,” Acting Snr Sgt Trubody said. “There were 38 speeding infringements, 10 seat belt offences, 100 other traffic infringement tickets and 21 other traffic charges.” “Tweed-Byron was the highest in [...]

Bob Dylan HISTORY was made at Bluesfest yesterday when the weather held for the fifth straight day and Bob Dylan finally got to play in the Byron Shire. The mood of expectancy was palpable as fans of every age poured on to a sun-soaked site from early afternoon and set up their chairs in the Mojo tent. They weren’t disappointed by either of the two headline acts. Despite having a 70th birthday looming, Dylan moves with the times. While old favourites provided its backbone, his set was sprinkled with highlights from his most recent highly acclaimed albums. Confounding the expectations of the benighted few who were hoping for acoustic protest songs or stage banter, the Bobcat turned in a solid [...]

BB King was too popular for his tent at Bluesfest last night. Pic: Brendan Radke BB King was too big for his tent and Grace Jones was too big for her boots on day two of the six-day Byron Bay Bluesfest last night. Good Friday headliner Jones was booed by a large, initially excited audience who began running out of patience when she finally took to the festival’s main Mojo tent stage 45 minutes late. If she was tryng to provoke a reaction, she got it. But her trademark tardiness was out of step with the spirit of Bluesfest and its audiences. ”The last time I was here … I remember … impatient, aren’t you?” she chided when she finally [...]

Karen Coyle, of Light’n’Up in Lismore, has created a special giant musical note to be used at this year’s Bluefest lantern processions. Marc Stapelberg ENGLAND may be gearing up for a royal wedding, but on the Northern Rivers there is to be a union of two beloved institutions that will be a sparkling pageant in its own right. A team of lanterneers from Light’n’Up Lismore, who present the annual mid-winter Lismore Lantern Parade, is joining forces with the Byron Bay-based Bluesfest to present a twice-nightly lantern procession throughout the festival from April 21 to 26. Artist Karen Coyle, of Goonellabah, has been hard at work at the Lismore lantern workshop making special music-themed lanterns for the event. It’s been a [...]

Bluesfest fans rock out at the 2010 festival. IT’S FINALLY here. April, the month Byron Bay hosts some of the biggest names in not only music today, but in history. The occasion is Bluesfest and locals willalready know that when it’s on there’s a lot of absenteeism and a lot of music lovers heading out to Tyagarah from April 21-26 to hear and see everything from jazz to indie to rock ‘n’ roll, not to mention the blues. In less than three weeks international greats Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello and TheImposters, John Legend, Leon Russell, Grace Jones, Michael Franti and Spearhead and Eric Bibb will sit alongside our home-grown heroes – Paul Kelly, Gurrumul, Wolfmother, Ash Grunwald, Kasey Chambers and [...]

Bob Dylan. BYRON Bay Bluesfest organisers have revealed the line-up for the sixth day of the 22nd annual festival. The highly anticipated extra day was added to the event, previously running over five days, to accommodate a second show by international headliner Bob Dylan. Joining Dylan is an all-star list of singer songwriters including Elvis Costello, Paul Kelly, Tim Finn and Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu. Playing alongside the big names are Native American singer Buffy Sainte-Marie in her first Australian show, Tony Joe White, Eli ‘Paperboy’ Reed and The Mad Bastards, featuring Stephen Pigram, Alan Pigram and Alex Lloyd. The extra day of the festival, held at the Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm north of Byron Bay, was approved by an special [...]

Bluesfest is very proud to unveil Grace Jones as a major new artist announcement who performs on the main stage on Friday night April 22, 2011 A Grace Jones performance is not just a concert; it’s a MUST-SEE unique happening you’d be crazy to miss! A special event that’s part musical tour de force, part runway fashion show, and part theatrical drama full of outrageous extravagance. In fact, her appearance at the 2009 Sydney Festival is still being talked about! Festival director Peter Noble said, “We usually unveil a group of artists, but Ms Jones warrants her very own announcement. If pop is the preserve of the young, well… nobody told Grace Jones – maybe they were too scared?” “A [...]

Singer Bob Dylan will be at the Bluesfest in 2011, he was due to play in 2003 but pulled out at the last minute. For years he refused to play in a town he had never heard of, but Bob Dylan has finally agreed to grace Byron Bay’s Bluesfest with his folk-saintly presence. In a huge coup, the East Coast Blues and Roots Festival has confirmed an impressive trifecta of headline acts with influential English troubadour Elvis Costello and blues legend BB King joining Dylan over the Easter weekend. Bluesfest director Peter Noble has been chasing Dylan’s signature since 2003 when the folk legend was booked to play but pulled out at the last minute. “Bob Dylan and BB King [...]

Bluesfest director, Peter Noble and Annika Oman, who helped prepare the submission hold the festival’s latest trophies. It was a major double-celebration for Bluesfest director Peter Noble last Thursday. Byron Council gave its approval for the festival to be held at its Tyagarah site for the next 11 years, and this year’s festival was named Australian Event of the Year and also Cultural Event of the Year. The awards were announced at the 2010 Australian Events Awards ceremony in Sydney. A very delighted Mr Noble said the awards were a culmination of a lifetime’s work and a dream come true. “Imagine our surprise when little old Bluesfest from sleepy Byron Bay won the nation’s Best Cultural or Arts event, let [...]