Hello friends! I hope you’re all living and thriving now that we’re well and good into 2021! Today’s post is yet again just me sharing some good old music with you. Today’s theme? RnB. The good shit. Stuff that just makes you feel a certain way. Like you’re in an old school music video from 2001. One of my favourite genres of music, most definitely in my top three.
Making this list was hard. This year one of my goals was to really work on finessing my Spotify. Clean up all of my playlists, keep them rotating and curating a few more, but it’s a different story when it comes to my RnB playlist. I couldn’t tell you the last time that playlist was less than 100 songs. It’s currently sitting around 200 at the moment, and you’d be torturing me if you asked me to whittle it down further. It’s just not gonna happen. That said, it’s for that reason that the easiest thing for me to do while curating this post, was just throw the playlist on shuffle and share the first few that came on. I can’t lie, it’s how I make majority of these posts at this point.
If you’re interested in finding some more gems like the ones I’ve shared below, I’ve also thrown the playlist at the end of this post too so you can listen to the whole thing!!
So Into You – Tamia Get To Know You Better – Mary J Blige Weak – SWV Just Fine – Mary J Blige Love – Keyshia Cole Together Again – Janet Jackson You Make Me Wanna… – Usher Now or Never – Mya What About Us? – Brandy How Many Drinks? – Miguel Summer Rain – Carl Thomas Cupid – 112 Rain – SWV Soon As I Get Home – Faith Evans How Do I Breathe – Mario Follow Me – Usher If You Had My Love – Jennifer Lopez
Today’s post, as you can tell by the title is a Courtesy Of, a favourite around these parts. I get family, friends, musicians and creators to share their top ten favourite songs of the moment, and we all get to discover some new music together!
Today’s delivery of music is brought to you courtesy of Christchurch-based producer, Antzz. Remember a little while back when I said New Zealand had some of the best undiscovered music in the world?
Keep that in mind.
Before we get into Antzz’s top ten songs at the moment, let’s dive into his own music, more specifically, his debut EP, Get to You, which he released at the start of this month. Y’all know how I feel about RnB, pop-RnB and everything in between, and Antzz brings all of that and more into his own blend of synthesizers, beautifully nostalgic harmonies, smooth vocals and elite production value. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve listened to the first single, Player 1 since I first heard it. The rest of the EP is just as nostalgic and filled to the brim with beautiful lyrics that match the production perfectly.
You can find Antzz on Spotify HERE. Player 1 is definitely one of my favourites from the EP. I mean, once you listen to the song, I’m sure all of you who know me will know while I’m so excited about the single! If you’ve kept up with my 365//2020 playlist, you’ll most definitely find it has a spot on there…
That said, this is a courtesy of post, and just as exciting is getting into some of Antzz’s inspirations and favourite songs right now!
So. many. favourites.
I was super excited when Antzz’s sent me his list, because as you’ll see soon enough, there’s so of my favourite artists on here and a bunch that I’m sure you’ll recognise from seeing them appear time and time again on the blog!
Let me know what you think!
Tevin Campbell – Can We Talk: Old school R&B will always be my favourite genre. Authentic, soulful rhythm and blues. This song has those elements of R&B all through it. And not to mention Tevin Campbell’s voice…next level!
Earth, Wind and Fire – After The Love Has Gone: One of my favourite singers ever Maurice White. Does a great job and singing that smooth iconic sound that is Earth, Wind and Fire in After the Love Has Gone. Plus, there is no hiding behind production/mixing in these songs. It’s all talent and authentic music played by the best musicians ever.
Kendrick Lamar – Money Trees
Johnny Gill – My, My, My: Love the chords, beat and vocals in the song. I will almost always refer to this song I ever hit writers block. So many different and creative elements in this song whilst being so minimal.
Kirk Franklin – Love Theory: Although I don’t come from a religious background, Love Theory is no doubt a really well written piece of music. From the gospel choir to the piano progression, the groove to the synths, Love Theory just makes you wanna dance!
Maurice Moore – Little More: Great mix of old school with new school music. So undercover, but so good at the same time. Vocals are mixed in really nice and you can imagine a whole band playing the song as opposed to an over engineered sound in it. Lyrics are great and fit well with the melody.
Mac Ayres – Better: Fun upbeat song made by my favourite artist of this decade.
Mac Ayres – Summertime: So chill and relaxed. It’s so nice and isn’t over produced which seems to be prominent in every song on the radio. It also shocks me that this song is performed live. Crazy talented
Matt Corby – Miracle Love: Matt Corby, the most diverse and talented singer in the world (in my opinion of course). This song really shows how amazing his vocals are. So minimal and raw.
Allen Stone – Sunny Days: Another one of my favourite singers. This song took a different sound compared to what we’re used to hearing from Allen Stone. Has a nice beat and you can never go wrong when adding Allen Stone’s voice to anything.
Make sure you show Antzz some support – you know I’ll be getting around his music as soon as he releases some more! You can find him on Instagram, FaceBook and SoudCloud!
Sometimes there are just moments when you hear an artist for the first time and you have to collect your jaw up from the floor.
This being one of them.
Recently I’ve heard so many people really dragging on RnB, comparing the classic old school RnB to now, and talking about the lack of quality RnB music being shared. And to that I say, please sit yourself down and shut up.
There are so many incredible RnB artists brimming below the surface of mainstream music and media, and I think they’re defining a new era of RnB. I even have an entire playlist dedicated to these artists and their music, which you can find HERE. One of those artists for me personally at the moment, is Giveon. Since discovering the baritone earlier in the year, I’ve had his music on replay, whether it’s his album TAKE TIME or his feature on Chicago Freestyle, one of the tracks from Drake’s latest album, Dark Lane Demo Tapes.
Giveon is the definition of ‘tall, dark and handsome’, but like sonically it checks out too?? If that makes sense?? Let me know if it doesn’t, because I totally understand.
I think I fell in love with how much space his voice alone fills up, and how it swells and ebbs throughout all his songs. He seamlessly moves from moments of simmering just below the surface and kind of holding back, before transitioning to singing with his entire chest, which never fails to hit you in the gut.
The first song of his that I fell in love with immediately was THE BEACH. It’s got that beautiful, soulful guitar tone that y’all know I just love. Add in a super sultry bass line and Giveon’s baritone voice, and you’re in heaven. LIKE I WANT YOU is another favourite of mine. It’s super simple and beautiful, and it’s my favourite song of his to just sit back and let the lyrics wash over me. There’s more of that guitar in there, plus a plethora of ethereal, ambient harmonies that just fill the space so beautifully.
Of all of Giveon’s catalogue, I think FAVORITE MISTAKE is my top pick. The flow in the melody was so intriguing to me when I first heard it, which is why I wasn’t immediately as obsessed with it as I currently am. But the chorus hit, and I was hooked. I promise you, this is a song that’ll genuinely have you floating above the clouds. Grab a glass of wine, throw this song on repeat and you’re guaranteed to vibe the hell out. It’s my go to.
Let me know if you check out Giveon and his music. I’ve been so in love with everything he has to offer since first discovering him! If you do let me know what you think in the comments!
Today’s post is going to be another artist spotlight. I haven’t done one in a hot minute, most of them have been interviews from up and coming artists, so it’s been a while since I just shared an artist I’ve been genuinely enjoying.
That said, here we are with precisely that, and if the title didn’t allude to it enough, I’m gonna be rambling about Mahalia.
As of recently, she’s announced that she’ll be releasing her debut album, LOVE AND COMPROMISE in September, so now we truly have something to look forward to.
I first discovered Mahalia when she released Sober in 2017. It’s the slanky type of RnB that I just love, throws you right back to the 90s, and I instantly fell in love with her voice. The acoustic version came shortly after that, as well as the Jarreau Vandal remix, and I was obsessed.
The next song to really have me hooked was I Wish I Missed My Ex which she put out in 2018. The music video to date, is still one of the coolest ones I’ve seen.
It took me a little while to jump onto the Mahalia train straight away, and unfortunately, it was in this time that I attended Falls Festival, where Mahalia had a set. And I missed it. I can’t even remember what I saw instead of going to her set, but in short, I didn’t see her when I had the chance. Lesson learnt.
Since then, I’ve become obsessed with several of Mahalia’s songs. That’s OK, Simmer which she released super recently, Do Not Disturb and one of my absolute favourites, Honeymoon.
There’s something about Mahalia that violently throws me back to being a little kid and listening to artists like Ne-Yo, Brandy, Destiny’s Child, Usher, Alicia Keys and so many other incredible RnB artists from the 90s and early 2000s. However, she does so without compromising what makes her unique and so current today. All of her songs have ridiculously catchy hooks and melodies and the musicality in her records is always impressive, regardless of how subtle it may be.
Her EP, Seasons, which she released last year is a collection of five songs which I reckon were a great way to really introduce Mahalia to a brand new audience who were only just discovering her. The five songs are all so cohesive with each other, but have their own little things to celebrate, whether it’s the incredible chorus in Honeymoon, the simplistic structure yet impressive lyrical rhythm in That’s OK or the smooth jam that is Good Reason.
Most recently, her single Simmer, which features Burna Boy has been really stuck in my head, and it’s made for a great warm, summery tune to keep me going through the winter that’s been keeping us all hostage here in Melbourne. If you haven’t had a listen to it already, I can’t recommend it enough. Get around it.
I think everyone, especially fans of soul music and RnB like myself, should take the time to listen to the EP and definitely the album when it comes out, all the way through, back to back. I’m genuinely so excited for what Mahalia’s going to be sharing with this upcoming record, what she’s delivered so far has really hit it’s mark.
Hello friends. Welcome to another distastefully late post from ya girl. However, this one has me genuinely excited, so hopefully that somewhat makes up for it?
Today I’m gonna take some time to introduce you to a dynamic duo if I’ve ever heard one, Fake Fake, comprised of Justin and Leith from Canada. The boys found their way into my email inbox, and as per usual, I was keen to have a listen to their new single, Goodnightmare.
Friends. Friends. So happily surprised. By this point you all know there are very few things that get me hyped like a really tasty bass line paired with some smooth vocals. Fake Fake deliver both, and I’ve been listening to their debut single over and over again since first hearing it.
Justin, who lends his as previously mentioned, smooth as heck vocals to the track, shared with me what the song is all about.
“‘Goodnightmare’ is an ode to the friendships and romances where you find yourself deeply relying on someone else. How that dependency is a freeing and also paralysing place to find yourself in. There are some very personal elements to it, but also a wider commentary on that idea of dependency. Lines like “talk me out of all these bad cliches” and “all of us need a crutch for a lover” really speak to that.”
It’s also entirely self-produced by Leith, who’s the production mastermind behind this machine, and Justin explains why.
“The track was produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered by Leith (producer & instrumentalist) with the two of us collaborating on aspects of that process. We had talked about outsourcing parts of the mixing and mastering process but when it came time, it felt right to self produce and have our debut single really reflect ourselves as a duo and our personal stake in creating this track. We also self-produced the visuals for ‘Goodnightmare’.”
“What are the visuals?” I hear you ask? Have a look for yourself.
Super different, not like anything I’ve ever seen before, but I love it. There’s nothing too fancy, it’s pretty simple, but I genuinely think it’s one of the coolest things ever. It suits the song perfectly.
Like I mentioned, there’s so much in this song sonically, that I think makes it such a winner for me. The bass line really drives the song along, but Justin’s voice is such a great contrast to it, plus there’s that funky guitar riff that pops up here and there within the verses. And the chorus. Ooft. Plus, the lyrics?
It’s such a groovy conveyance of such a universal message that Justin sings about, one that literally anyone can relate to either already or in the future.
“I think that feeling of being in love with and also terrified of dependency really comes across in the lyrics, but more importantly in the music and production as well.”
He’s not wrong. There’s so many different dynamics within this song, it vamps and vamps continuously, even using the chorus as a build -up within the bridge to lead into the final hook. I think it’s a really smartly produced and structure one.
This tune is genuinely one I wish everyone was hearing on the radio. I definitely can’t wait to see how Justin and Leith will pull it off live…
Anyone who’s been around for some time now, will know that I am the champion for all GRL PWR efforts and fights. I’m all about girls supporting girls, women celebrating other women and working together when so often we’re stupidly pitted against each other.
So, you can expect that when powerhouse female artists come together to make music, I’m all for it. For example, remember the time Dua Lipa formed the girl group of all girl groups?? About it. I was all about it.
Which makes the latest remix of Jessie Reyez’s song, Body Count, all that more flipping fantastic, considering it features Normani, of Fifth Harmony, and a family favourite around here, Kehlani. Three absolute killers, absolutely killing this remix, and I’m in love with it. So much.
Also, how cute is the cover for it???
Jessie’s original version is incredible to begin with. And while they all sit comfortably in that RnB genre space, they all have quite distinct voices from each other, and they work fabulously together.
When you listen to the lyrics, it’s a beautiful, powerful message to begin with, that’s been built upon by Normani and Lani’s personal attributes and experiences that they just add to the already amazing song.
Need some bad-ass women with no cares in the world? Check out the Body Count remix.
If you’ve been here long enough, you’ll know that I’m a fan. A huge Amine fan. As in, his face is the cover of my 365//2018 playlist on Spotify (check it out check it out), so I basically look at it everyday. Which made the surprise drop all the more great. I can’t remember where I was, but as soon as I saw the album was out, shared on Adam’s Instagram himself, I had to check it out. Considering I was freaking out over this album the day it was dropped along with the rest of his fans, this blog post is coming super duper late.
I love it.
Where I was loving songs like Heebiejeebies, Money, Spice Girl and Beach Boy from Good For You, ONEPOINTFIVE is delivering a whole new selection of favourites to groove to, that come along with the melodic samples and beats that I’ve come to expect from Amine.
DR. WHOEVER, the opening song of the album is probably one of my favourites. I love Amine more-so for the creative music videos, the skits and the intro’s he has on some of his songs, and this one is no different because it was an entire mood for me, that I nearly cried with laughter the first time I heard it.
REEL IT IN is another great song from this album. The beats on this album are so good, for example, REEL IT IN has this acoustic guitar that serves as the basis for the song, paired with this really deep kick drum and what genuinely sounds like a primary school recorder that pops up from time to time. It’s currently the song being championed to try and get to No. 1 and I’m all for it.
WHY? is one of my favourites. It’s not overly melodic, but the singing Amine does on his album is fantastically paired with his rapping and the overall style of the rest of the album. I’ve found myself singing the hook plenty of times around the house and in my head on the train.
SHINE is probably my favourite. It’s so easy and light, the perfect love dedication and apology in one. I love the amount of guitar used in this album, whether it’s a raw guitar or a sample of one, it all comes together beautifully, creating this sick contrast with how hard Amine goes in lyrically.
SUGARPARENTS and RATCHET SATURN GIRL are the tunes you turn to when you want to pipe it up a bit with the pals before you head out, or you’re feeling particularly rowdy while you’ve got the day off from university and you’ve got the house to yourself…
Amine’s lyrics are some of my favourite to come from any rapper, and it’s what makes him one of my absolute favourite musicians ever. I love the pairing of how light and airy his music is sonically, and how heavy some of his lyrics are, with the sprinkling of comedy and life anecdotes. Things like mentioning how he’d react if his sister modelled Fashion Nova (same), how his dad’s upset he left home because now he has to mow the front lawn, really blunt statements like needing love, while being depressed, while being a fool, and being a mess.
Reality check type lyrics.
Let me know if Amine is down your alley, and if so, have you heard the album? If you have, I’d love to know which songs you loved in particular!
This blog update is kindly brought to you by possibly one of my favourite shows of all time, one of my favourite Netflix series to ever exist, The Get Down. I can’t recall if I’ve mentioned The Get Down before, but if I haven’t until now, someone call me out please.
Anyway.
I first watched The Get Down in 2016, when it first came out on Netflix, with my family. That was a mistake. There were a couple of themes and conflicts brought up in the first season of the show, that even then, were a bit uncomfortable to watch in a family setting, especially with a 12 year old sister, though we soldiered on.
However, we took a small break, and though we tried to watch a few of the last episodes of Season 1 so we could jump into Season 2, we never got back into the flow, and didn’t watch it again.
That is, until literally this week, when I decided to revisit the show, and watch it again, continuing until I was finished.
Obviously, pertaining to the niche of this blog, music definitely comes in here.
It’s the premise of the entire show, narrating a time between the overlapping of the disco genre and hip hop and rapping, more specifically, the art of DJ-ing and MC-ing. It follows the story of The Get Down Brothers, a group of young MC’s; Ezekiel ‘Books’, brothers Ra-Ra, Dizzie and Boo-Boo and their MC, Shaolin Fantastic.
There’s a bunch of good shit that I could say about the show. For example, the way it captures the diversity of the Bronx, as well as the minorities and LGBT community within the New York undergrounds, especially when it comes to the nightclub scene. I could also comment on how great the casting is.
I mean, Jaden Smith as what’s heavily implied to be a LGBT graffiti artist who talks about universes, rebelling by tagging trains with alien’s in top hats? Yes please. Justice Smith, who plays Ezekiel Figuero, a young smart MC caught between pursuing the music and the talent he has controlling and writing for a crowd or furthering his education and chasing the ambitious road of Yale university, in the big city full of suits? Yes please. (Also, check him out in Jurassic World, because I sure as hell did.
A ninja warrior who pushes drugs in order to make money to fund his dreams of becoming the next Grandmaster Flash and ruling his on DJ kingdom with his wordsmith by his side, a young girl who’s trapped by her pastor, religious fanatic of a father father, singing in church because it’s the only way she gets to sing at all, carving out a name as the next Donna Summers and setting herself free, kick ass comic book intervals that depict the storyline in a way that keeps you hooked and entertained, I mean yes please.
It wouldn’t be me, if my favourite part of the entire series, was the music.
So of course, I’ve linked two of my absolute favourite songs from the entire series below, not just a Spotify link, but a YouTube video, because you have to see the songs as well. Of course I’ve also got a playlist of my favourite songs beneath those two, so I hope you thoroughly, enjoy yourself.
Welcome To The Get Down – Jaden Smith Cadillac – Miguel Losing Your Mind – Raury, Jaden Smith You Can’t Hide/You Can’t Hide From Yourself – ZAYN, Teddy Pendergrass, Grandmaster Flash Shaolin’s Theme – Malay 6LACK Ball Of Confusion – Leon Bridges Telepathy – Christina Aguilera, Nile Rodgers Hum Along And Dance (Gotta Get Down) – Janelle Monae Set Me Free – Herizen Guardiola Zeke’s Poem – Justice Smith ‘Bout That Bank – The Get Down Brothers Honor – DJ Cassidy, Grace, Lil Yachty
Honestly, all this show is missing, is a lil bit of Childish Gambino.
I know it hasn’t been incredibly long since my last specific post, but these are fun, quick posts to write and since it’s my birthday next month, I thought I’d share one of my favourite playlists with you.
I spoke about it briefly ages ago in my post all about playlists, but the importance of good hype music for any type of situation needs to be made very clear. In this instance, hyping yourself up, having fun with friends and preparing for a night out to celebrate literally anything.
I have an entire Spotify playlist dedicated entirely to the cause, fondly and fittingly titled before the uber comes, considering that is when it really gets it’s best run, and it’s one of my favourite playlists on my account.
So without further ado, here’s a very specific playlist, best suited for a boogie before the uber comes.
Fake ID – Riton Cutting Shapes – Don Diablo Kiss Kiss – Chris Brown Work – Rihanna I Enter – Seconcity King Kunta – Kendrick Lamar Tonight – Don Diablo One Dance – Drake Be With You – RUFUS DU SOL Picture Me Rollin – Chris Brown Freak Like Me – Lee Walker ft Katy B & MNEK Attention (Bingo Players Remix) – Charlie Puth Trini Dem Girls – Nicki Minaj Senorita – Justin Timberlake Show You Love – Kato Tipsy – J-Kwon Deep Down Low – Valentino Khan On My Mind – Jorja Smith, Preditah OKAY – Shiba San Nuh Ready Nuh Ready – Calvin Harris ft PARTYNEXTDOOR Gasolina – Daddy Yankee Notorious – Malaa One Kiss – Calvin Harris ft Dua Lipa Do It Right – Martin Solveig You – Dom Dolla
Make sure you check out my Spotify for a ton more songs! I have quite a few playlists dedicated to the hype and you can bet they get put to use.
Hello friends! Today’s post is one I have been looking forward to for quite some time now. I also have some extra blog posts coming soon that link in with this one too, so keep an eye out for those ones. However, let’s get into this post, because *warning*, it’s gonna be a long one. Really. It’s long as heck.
I was absent for just under a week, though I did have some posts scheduled to keep ya’ll sated, and hopefully you caught those! Me, on the other hand, I was enjoying a week or so away in sunny Byron Bay with my mum, dad, sister and best friend for my first Byron Bay BluesFest.
So what is BluesFest?
“Byron Bay BluesFest is Australia’s Premier Contemporary Blues and Roots Festival.”
I mean, Chris Hemsworth and Matt Damon made an appearance, sneaking their way into the thousands of fans, so surely it’s a big deal?
Running over the Easter long weekend, and in it’s 29th year in 2018, the festival showcases music from all over the world at the Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, which is about a twenty minute to half an hour drive north of Byron Bay. The five days run for 12 hours each, with over 200 performances across the weekend. Roughly 6000 people camp (we shall get to that), enjoy over 100 food and market stalls, as well as drinking gardens and activities for children. It’s honestly one of the most well-rounded family friendly music festivals I’ve heard of, and I’m so glad I got to go.
The culture in Byron Bay is very relaxed. It’s an easy, chill, previously sleepy town, that’s transformed into on of the most loved vacation destinations for families, tourists and back-packers alike, the beach is close by wherever you find yourself to be, the people are lovely, and they’re all incredibly conscious about the environment and preservation. I don’t think I touched anything throughout the whole weekend that wasn’t recyclable, compostable or bio-degradable. It was very eye-opening in that sense.
But, we’re here to talk about the music, and I think the easiest way to do that is to outline the itinerary for each day, what we did and who we saw. Beginning with the flight into Brisbane, QLD.
DAY 1
Day 1 was an early day. My best friend Kate slept over on Tuesday night, and on Wednesday morning, bright and early at 4:45AM, we were loading our bags into a maxi taxi and heading off for the airport. Due to running just a little bit behind schedule, we rushed through the airport and made it onto the plane all within a half an hour time span. Thankfully, flying from Melbourne to Coolangatta isn’t a long flight at all, two hours max, so we reached Queensland around 8:00. Immediately the weather was noted. Where we had been hoodies and running pants to deal with slight Melbourne breeze, I had to strip off my jacket straight out of the doors due to the humidity and heat. Foreshadowing, noted on reflection.
We picked up our hire car, and with about six hours to spare until the campgrounds opened, bypassed the Tea Tree Farm and made our way into the Byron Bay town centre. Now Kate’s very familiar with Byron, having regularly gone up there with her family since she was a kid, so relying solely on her recommendations, we walked around the town for a short while, before my sister spotted a noticeboard directing down a small arcade alleyway, that led to a cute little cafe, The Hideout, which we decided to stop at for breakfast.
/breakfast at The Hideout/
After one of the best breakfasts of my life, we got back in the car for some more drive-by sight-seeing and a stop at the beach. Having just got off a plane, we were severely under-prepared and over-dressed for the weather or a swim, so ended up enjoying some of the sunshine out on the grass, before bundling back into the car. A short shopping stop later and we were driving into the farm. Since we arrived incredibly early, we were amongst the first few cars to pull into the festival, meaning the whole check in process where we were all ticked off and christened with our wristbands was over relatively quickly, and we began the short drive to our site.
Now this is the camping situation. Blessed be my parents, for we are not a huge camping family. So driving past the rows and rows of vacant camp sites was mind-boggling to imagine how many people would begin to gather there over the course of the next two days. While it is predominantly camping grounds, BluesFest does offer three other types of accomodation. I say accomodation lightly.
The first, is a basic ‘tent motel’. Outsourcing the entire debacle of setting up the tent, you arrive to a better than average tent, ready and set up for you, all you need to bring is your sleeping gear, camping gear and everything else.
The step up from that is the Rainbow Tipi Village. Having to suppress the urge to point out the complete political incorrectness of the whole idea was a challenge but I wasn’t the one paying for the majority of the trip, so it had to be done. In a completely hypocritical change in tone, the Tipi Village was quite cute. Rows of tall tipi’s filled another lot of grass, spreading out 18ft in circumference each, alongside two rows of private parking, pre-booked so you’re as close as you can get to your tipi. Inside you get camping beds, a mattress, a pillow, both covered, small bedside tables, and a solar panel lamp. As well as the upgrade inside the tents, the village also comes with a ‘chill-out’ area, complete with hammock style lawn chairs, board games and beanbags, and a conjoined chai kitchen, with free chai made every morning.
And finally, there was the Flash Camp Glamping. For an extra $1000 you get a huge canvas bell tent, private toilet and shower facilities, fresh towels every morning, private kitchen, charging facilities, private parking, bamboo furniture, skin care and toiletries when you arrive, a rug, ‘mood lighting’ and ongoing staff assistance on site throughout the festival.
As I mentioned before, my family aren’t really used to camping, the last time we went being nearly five years ago, but we’re also not up for spending $3000+ on accomodation for five nights, so we found ourselves at the Rainbow Tipi Village. Which is where we reach our first hiccup. As I mentioned, we had a hire car for our trip, a Toyota Kluger, which made it a whole lot easier for us to move around Byron. However, it’s more of a city 4WD rather than a rural, off-road kind of car, and we were definitely not driving on roads. The rain the day before also meant that once we reached the Tipi Village, we encountered a little bit of mud on the roads. When I say ‘encountered’ I mean, we followed the road too far around the village, found ourselves bogged, had to leap out from the car to avoid landing in the mud, call for help from the nearby Tipi Village staff and get our car dragged out by a tow-bar. It was an experience. But within half an hour we were sorted and assigned to our five-person tipi.
/dad and sis roaming the ‘village’/
For five people, there wasn’t a whole lot of room, but it was cosy. Since we had arrived the day before the festival started, which began on the Wednesday, we had majority of the day to ourselves, sorting out our bags, making ourselves comfortable. However, the humidity was pretty intense, meaning we were all pretty worn out from the early flight and ready to lie about and generally do nothing. Which is basically what we did for majority of the Tuesday. Kate and Sonali, my sister, and I explored the village a bit more, especially the chill out area, and discovered that our prime spot would be opening up the car boot and sitting inside to let the occasional breeze pass us by, while we battled through relentless games of Uno, chewing through a whole pack of gum.
/chill out area, behind the Rainbow Tipi Village/
Our afternoon naps turned into deep sleeps, and we eventually woke up right about dinner time. To cater to the early arrivals who were making use of the early camping availability like us, there was a Campers Cafe just outside the festival grounds, serving food and drinks, so we made our way there for dinner, enjoying burgers and coffees, before heading back to our tipi for an early night.
DAY 2
Day 2 heralded the first official day of BluesFest, which started at 3PM that day. Being woken up early by activity around the campsites meant we had plenty of time to eat our breakfast out of the boot of the car, shower and suss out the amenities. Pleasantly surprised, the showers and toilets available for campers were actually really great and clean. A whole lot better than I thought they would be. This followed through for the rest of the festival. The toilets and showers were regularly cleaned and washed down at the end of every day and it was one of the best experiences I’ve had with portable showers and toilets.
After our showers we changed for the day and made our way back to the Campers Cafe for lunch.
And that’s when the rains started. We had been warned, Byron can be known for stop and start weather, and we experienced it in bucketloads during the first day, where it rained, like literally poured, on and off for the duration of the whole day. A little bit after 3, we made our way into the festival to begin our five days of BluesFest.
/a wet opening day for BluesFest, as indicated by Kate and my dad, equally as drenched/
One of the first acts I saw with my family was the Bali Blues Brothers, a blues bands from Bali who were playing in one of the smaller tents on the site. I thoroughly enjoyed their set, the frontman was entertaining and my family and I really enjoyed having a boogie to the music they were playing. Their guitar players were fantastic, hypnotic to watch and their guitar solos were amongst some of my favourites.
The next act we saw was on my mum’s list. She’d been raving about Caitie Baker from the moment we had woken up, so there wasn’t a way she was missing her set. I have to say, I really enjoyed her set as well. She was dancer performer as well, which is something I love when I watch singers live, and her band were very talented as well. I got huge Amy Winehouse vibes from her, and there were several jaw-dropping moments within the crowd hearing such a huge voice come out of such a small woman.
We had a four hour break between Caitie and our next act, so Kate, Sonali and I took the opportunity to roam around and have a look at the stalls. Jewellery, candles, clothes, headbands, artwork, henna, hair pieces, boutiques, it was all available, and we also took the chance to choose out something to have for dinner when we met up with my family. The food was in excess. So many options, we were genuinely spoilt for choice, there was so much on offer. Jambalaya and chicken baguette’s with a side of cajun spiced cone of fries was the move for the first day, and even today, there are no regrets. It was amazing.
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Our final act for the day was Leon Bridges in one of the biggest tents of the festival. He filled it up quite well and his set was a great mix of high energy stage presence and the crooning he’s become so well known for. His back-up singer was equally as beautiful to watch as he was, and I loved his movement and marching around the stage. My dad found it a little amusing, but his in-tempo pacing and marching up and down the front of the stage was really fun to watch for me.
That brought our planned acts to an end, and we met up in the Crossroads Cafe, infront of the Crossroads tent to have a coffee. The early morning and slow day from Tuesday was still catching up to us, as well as a slight frustration with the amount of rain and slush we were having to put up with, so we called it a day around 10:30, and headed back to the tipi.
DAY 3
Day 3 began nice and early again. It became apparent that daily activity at the tipi village started very early in the morning, so we made the most of it and took our time showering, getting changed, having our car boot breakfast, smashing out a few games of Uno, then walking over to the grounds at 12:00. We did’t have any acts scheduled until 3:00 that afternoon, so wandered around a bit more, finally stumbling upon the Delta tent, where a young girl was sitting on stage with a guitar and a stamp pedal. I have to say, Molly Millington, soon became one of favourite new acts from the bill, and a discovery who I’ll be sharing more of soon…
After a few stop and starts around the tents, as well as some more browsing, we made a pit stop for 15 minutes to watch All Our Exes Live In Texas. Now this is where I have to say that I’m being completely, 100% honest about how I feel about each artist that I saw. I enjoyed the fifteen minutes that I saw, but when my dad suggested we move to another tent to see another act, I agreed straight away, purely because it got a bit slow and it dragged on a little bit for me. There’s no denying that they all have incredible voices and the blend of their harmonies combined with a mandolin, ukulele, accordion and guitar was lovely to listen to, but I couldn’t say that they were a stand out for me. It was one of the slower acts, and when considering how long the days were and how much time was spent standing around, I really wanted to utilise my time well and see acts that excited me, though I definitely understand why so many people flocked to the Crossroads tent when they were performing.
Next was a favourite of mine who I had been preparing to see since the lineup came out; Darren Harts, better known as Harts. He played a lot of the favourites that I’ve enjoyed since I saw him a couple of years ago at council music festival for a gold coin donation entry, PLUS all the new stuff he’s released. He’s a machine on the guitar and his production style is incredibly unique. His bass player and drummer were equally as well rounded, filling in all the places that he couldn’t perfectly. However, I had to collect my jaw up from the floor when he mentioned that this might be the last year for his Harts project. His performance definitely left a lasting impression when he ended the set smashing his guitar due to a ton of built up frustration and uncertainty about his career as he’s gone on to say on Twitter and in the follow up interviews he’s done since. I’m definitely glad I got to catch him before anything changes.
Between Harts and the next act we had another four hour break, as we grabbed a late lunch and moseyed around some more, looking at the stalls. I purchased a ring for myself and my mum stocked up on cotton head bands that I have been using to death recently.
/the cutest dresses that I still regret not buying for myself/
At 8:00 we made out way back to the Mojo tent, to catch The New Power Generation, a collective made up of Prince’s past band members, as well as three vocalists joining them for their performances. Hands down, this band are in my top five of all the people we saw at BluesFest. I was obsessed with two of the singers; the young girl who had this ridiculously huge voice, was full of sass and power, and the ‘young cat’ who had one of the best voices I’ve ever heard, and was an amazing dancer. They both grabbed my attention every time they came on stage to sing a song, and all the musicians in the band were so talented and entertaining to watch. The first time I saw them we were all there off to the side a bit, dancing along and singing with the other families, but I couldn’t stop just staring at all the magic going on onstage. When they performed Purple Rain, the entire tent exploded and everyone roared in the audience, singing along and cheering at all the right moments. It was a fantastic moment to experience.
The final act of Day 3 was an act I had been waiting for, ever since she was announced as a final late addition to the bill earlier in the year and that was Ms. Lauryn Hill. I’m a huge Lauryn Hill and The Fugees fan, so I’d been counting down to seeing her set at BluesFest for quite a while. While dad, mum and Sonali were elsewhere, Kate and I grabbed a quick bite to eat for dinner, then made our way back to the Mojo tent to get in nice and early. While the crowd was still pretty strong, we managed to get in quite close with a decent view. Now this is where the audience was split. Lauryn has a DJ who comes on before her, to get her in the mood and hype up the audience. I love this aspect of a lot of RnB and hip hop live acts. Kehlani did it at her concert, and I’ve seen countless others. He played a ton of classic RnB, rap and hip hop songs, old and new, which I was loving. However, with a crowd who are running back and forth between tents and trying to stick to a schedule, you have to remain pretty tight on time, which was something that was never going to happen with Lauryn, who is notorious for running overtime due to coming out pretty late. While I was having the time of my life, it became apparent that a lot of people were quickly becoming fed up of waiting, and as well as a chant for her to come out starting up, there was also some mild boo-ing to the DJ. Eventually at 10:30, a half an hour after she was scheduled to come on, Lauryn made an appearance and began her set.
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/lauryn hill, an true icon/
In a split second, the frustration pulsing from the crowd turned into screaming and cheers, as she began her set. She was like a conductor up on stage, directing her band and back-up singers with the flick of her wrist, all the while periodically dabbing at her forehead with a towel to keep up with the heat and humidity that had only heightened during the evening. She sang so many classics and my voice cracked only half-way through Killing Me Softly, making my screaming and cheering pretty much useless up until she closed the set with Doo Wop.
At the same time, my mum and sister were at the Crossroads Cafe tent, my dad inside reliving his childhood listening to Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin. As well as a ton of the original LZ songs that the huge crowd were waiting out to hear, he also shared some bluegrass tunes and new originals. On his return my dad couldn’t stop talking about the intensity of the crowd, how grown men were crying and how all he could think about were some of the first songs he got on record. At the end of the show he joined us at the Crossroads Cafe, we all enjoyed an ice chocolate and made the walk back to our tent with the thousands of people leaving too.
DAY 4
Day 4 was another early start, as we headed to the smaller Delta tent to watch the Byron Bay Busking Finalists for 2018. Due to several pitstops at food stalls, market shops and other tents along the way, we managed to catch the last two performances. One was a young girl, Cecilia Brandolini, who was a talented piano player and had a really beautiful, haunting folk voice, and the last performers were my favourite, the winners, SameTime. The band comprised of two brothers, one on guitar, one on a standing drum arrangement and both on vocals assisted by two of their mates on bass and electric guitar. I 100% recommend that you listen to the one song they have on Spotify. They are incredible. They both have amazing voices for a 16 and 19 year old, and all their songs were catchy and interesting to listen to. The younger of the two, on the drums, was an insane singer, harmonised incredibly, and smashed it on the drums as well. My whole family thoroughly enjoyed their set, especially the medley at the end that included You Need Me, I Don’t Need You, Ice Ice Baby, Africa, Thriftshop and a ton more songs that had the audience cheering and singing along each time a new tune was introduced.
The next act my family were all keen to see were The Wailers, another tribute band, made up of past members of Bob Marley’s band. They were incredible to watch. Despite some of them being well into their 60’s and 70’s they performed the songs so well, and with so much passion. It was clear to see the love in the tent, hearing, seeing, smelling, all the things Bob Marley was about and is known for. It was an interesting experience, my mum, dad and I enjoying it especially, being huge reggae fans.
When we were done at The Wailers, we stopped for lunch in the food court, enjoying Vietnamese that afternoon, and making use of the huge amount of spare time we had yet again, looking at more stalls, stopping in between tents to see what was on and chatting in the food courts. A popular stand was the Byron Music Shop, a sponsor for the festival, and everyday at 7 they had jam sessions, right after some live performances from locals. It was incredible to watch people jumping up from the audience that was steadily growing around the shop, and after chatting to one of the musicians who had sang a song with the Bali Blues Brothers during their set I even jumped up and sang Superstition, my absolute favourite Stevie Wonder song and it was a ton of fun, especially having a couple of interesting people approaching me after to tell me how much they enjoyed the song. After sticking around for a bit more of the jam, Kate, Sonali and I headed back to the Mojo Tent to meet up with mum and dad.
The next act we saw was a repeat that was agreed upon by the entire group and that was The New Power Generation. This time, mum and Sonali stayed back at the side, and somehow Kate, dad and I found our way to the front of the mosh pit that had doubled in size for their final show.
/NPG ft my faves/
Their entire set was yet again, a huge party and honouring of Prince and all that he was, and it’s still one of my favourite sets I saw at BluesFest.
The final act we ‘saw’ for the night was The Original Blues Brothers Band. I say ‘saw’, because like I mentioned, it was a long day, and Sonali, Kate and I were slowly winding down. So while my mum and dad headed over to the Crossroads tent, Sonali situated herself right outside at the Crossroads Cafe with a hot chocolate, and Kate and I went to the food hall to grab some dinner, before we all met up with Sonali at the end and headed back to our tent for another sticky, warm night.
DAY 5
Keen to get the day started, we made our way back to the Delta stage nice and early to catch the Busking Competition Winner’s, SameTime, do their own set. Due to a longer time for performing we got to hear some more songs from them, and of course, enjoyed the medley at the end. The boys were definitely too humble for their own good. Sam, the younger brother, especially was not shying how low his expectations for their own set was, stating he would have been happy with 20 people coming as he had expected. We managed to get right to the front, and every time I glanced behind me, the crowd had grown by a good thirty people. By the end of the set they had over 300 people stopping in the Delta tent watching them.
We didn’t have much planned at all for Day 5 until later in the evening, so it was another day spent sitting on the lawn, moving between food halls, market stalls, and the Byron Music Shop again. Kate and I mainly roamed around ourselves for the rest of the day, until we moved to the Mojo Tent to catch the end of Ziggy Alberts. The couple of songs we saw were all so beautiful and he left a lasting impact on the crowd as he got us to join in with his last couple of songs, and dance and jump around in a folk dance. And then the rains came. It was five minutes of the most intense torrential rain I’ve ever experienced and Kate and I had only been out there ten minutes before it started. Thankfully it stopped towards the end of his last song, and we made our way back to the Mojo food tent to grab a really quick dinner, before running back for one of our highlights, Tash Sultana.
Tash’s set, was unreal. It was one of the sets at the festival where people really didn’t care and just let loose, me included. Tash’s music, if you haven’t somehow heard it, is this huge build-up of intricate layers and steps that she sets up with her artillery consisting of a monster of a guitar board at her feet, her insane guitar skills, percussion pads, trumpet, mandolin and several synths. Her entire set up stations her in the middle of the stage, on a bohemian carpet, several salt lamps behind her, surrounded by her instruments and half the show is watching her build each song with the array of loop pedals at her feet.
/tash sultana mixing up the magic/
Not only is her artistry fantastic, but her voice is amazing. It’s incredibly powerful, but at times it would feel like she was even crying as she reached for insane high notes. It was an emotional set, euphoric and high in spirits. We made friends in the mosh pit, danced with strangers and spent several entire songs with our eyes completely closed feeling the music, or wide open in a trance of awe, watching the woman on stage create such magic. It’s easily in my top three sets.
DAY 6
Day 6 marked the final day of the festival, and we headed to the far corner tent, Juke Joint to watching the Local Area High School Showcase, which showcased several bands from high schools in and around Byron Bay. I swear it’s something in the water because even the kids in Byron are talented. All the bands were crazy good, like on par with some bands we were seeing during the festival, yet all incredibly humble and visibly excited to be on stage.
After a quick stop for our final lunch, Kate and I headed back to Juke Joint to see the Bali Blues Brothers again, and stayed on for Ryan McMullen, a singer/songwriter from Ireland. Fans of Ed Sheeran, Niall Horan, James Morrison or James Arthur…give this guy a listen. Ryan has one of the most soulful voices I heard at the festival. He was so understated and humble, yet all his effort and emotion went into his songs, whether he was on the guitar or the piano. It was just him and a drummer on stage, but they managed to fill the tent entirely with their sound and the soon the audience size reflected that as well. It was big enough to the point where his attempts to get the crowd involved paid off beautifully, with us singing entire lines with a nod of his head. It was a lovely set to watch and I left the show after get shivers several times, just because of how much I was loving his voice.
The final act we actually saw was Benjamin Booker, which was a discovery for Kate and I. Having only heard of the New Orleans singer here and there around the festival, we decided to catch his last set at the Jambalaya Tent. We were pleasantly surprised as we were able to walk right up to the barrier, considering we were about twenty minutes early, but turning around five minutes before the show, we were definitely surprised to see his audience consisted of a lot of older men. During the soundcheck for the instruments, Benjamin and his band were all on stage for the test, and not only was he this little, cute dude in jeans and a white t-shirt, but he was chatting and joking with the audience, grinning widely for photos and laughing whenever a white middle aged man called out to him.
But dude.
He started singing and we were both mind-blown. This little dude with his soft-spoken, mid to high range talking voice, literally growled into the microphone with every word he spoke and had this intense stare that honestly hypnotised you for the entirety of his performance.
/benjamin booker everyone/
It was so crazy to watch and hear, having just seen him five minutes before during the soundcheck. His songs were all so easy to groove to and bang your head a little, and his topical content was catchy and easy to sing along to, even for the two of us who weren’t all that familiar with his music. It was a very proud find for us.
The last couple of hours of the day were spent at food tents with the family, watching Lionel Richie up on big screens due the absolute zero chance of squeezing into the tent, and just generally enjoying the final evening at BluesFest.
Omg the waffles. Incredible. Kate and I shared a plate of waffles with maple syrup, swipes of Nutella, ice cream and jelly babies and most definitely did not regret it, even with the sugary mouths we were left with.
It was a great ending to a great long weekend, and we were all thoroughly satisfied as we made our way back to the tipi for the final time.
DAY 7
Day 7 was nothing crazy. We packed up the car and left the farm around 10, driving back into Byron Bay for breakfast at The Hideout again, roaming the streets, checking out some shops, making a stop at the Byron Bay Lighthouse at Kate’s great recommendation, taking some photos, driving along the beach and finally heading to the airport, where we whiled away another three hours before our flight, charging our phones and catching up.
I swear, if any of you find yourself in Australia around Easter Time, make it a priority to head the the Byron Bay BluesFest. It was an insanely fun weekend, especially considering my family booked the tickets on an impulsive whim, something we rarely do, that left mum panicking from that moment on. There’s so much on offer, good food, good markets, good stalls, amazing people and incredible music. Heck, my family already took advantage of the early bird sale prices and bought our tickets for 2019 at the festival itself, so you know it’s something worth checking out.
As the lady who sat next to Kate and I on the flight home said to me after we swapped our experiences at BluesFest, I’m probably hooked for life, hun.
//source//
YOU SHOULD HEAR 