Australian Blues & Roots Airplay Charts

FRIDAY

We start today catching one of the acts that was definitely on our Bluesfest highlight must-see list. Marc Broussard, with a voice as smooth as silk, singing some soulful blues. We arrange to do nothing else and therefore catch the whole set. He had a crack guitarist in Bobby Schneck Jr. who added further depth to this already wonderful set, along with the only Australian musician in the band in Clayton Doley, who as you would imagine fits in effortlessly, along with Terry Scott Jr. on Drums and vocals and Devin Karrigan on bass and vocals.

Marc and the band perform songs from his soul cover album S.O.S. 2 Soul on a Mission. He mentions towards the end of the set a new blues album they are currently recording and will be coming out later this year after having so much fun making the S.O.S. 4: Blues For Your Soul album. The band finishes off with the track Fire from their latest album Time is a Thief (yep, that hour set went quick, we will need to catch their next set on Saturday evening on Delta Stage).

We next amble over to the Jambalaya tent, in its new spot, to check out the Memphis Three. All 3 musicians have won at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. Fiona Boyes, Jimi Hocking and Frank Sultana spend the set sharing stories and songs, songs about exes; Fiona’s double entendre laden track Old and Stiff, a tribute to the Preacher; Jimi Hocking’s, I hate uke, Frank's The Devil's Hooch are all in the setlist.  Jimi tells a lovely anecdote about his father, who was a musician in his own right and as Jimi mentions, you may not of heard of him but you know his music as he wrote the Countdown theme song.

Chicago musician, Neal Francis settled into his second Bluesfest gig for the weekend. Joining him on the Delta stage for this one was the Cat Empire horn section. Neal Francis is a singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is influenced by classic New Orleans artists such as Dr. John, the Meters, and Allen Toussaint, in addition to Sly Stone, Billy Preston, and Curtis Mayfield.

George Thorogood at 75 & his current Destroyers celebrating over 50 years as a band. The Mojo was packed to the rafters with the crowd itching for the 80s back catalogue.

The large crowd buy in big time to the “Bad Daddy” show - plenty of sing-a-longs with Get a Haircut, I Drink Alone, One Bourbon One scotch one beer & of course, Bad to the Bone all getting an airing during the 1 hour 15 minute set. The band admirably back up George with saxophonist Buddy Leach, guitarist Jim Suhler, Jeff Simons on drums and Bill Blough on bass.  They finish the set with, in my opinion an odd choice of track, Gloria.

Gary Clark Jnr heated up the Mojo stage with a cool funk/bluesy set. Throwing in some beautiful Northern African drone style blues tracks to start with and also going back into his catalogue of bluesier songs was a delight. Don’t owe you a thang, Bright Lights, When my Train Pulls In all get a guernsey in the set list.

The band has been expanded since last time he visited Australia in 2019 King Zapata (with arguably the best headwear of the festival) on guitar is still there, Elijah Ford on bass, Dayne Reliford on keys, J.J. Johnson on drums, and Gary's sisters, Shawn, Savannah, and Shanan as the backing singers.