Australian Blues Music Festival 2015
The very best of Australia’s blues music artists will be heading to Goulburn next year to celebrate it’s annual Australian Blues Music Festival in February 2015.
The festival originated in Goulburn and each year showcases some of the best arising blues talent, as well as the pioneers of blues music in Australia.
As well as some incredible jazz acts in venues from the Astor Hotel to Belmore Park, festival goers will be treated to a plethora of different activities such as workshops with the artists, a weekend long open mic, the West Coast showcase, the Black Market Music showcase, Youth in Blues Jam, buskers, markets, vintage guitar and amp shops, industry meet and greet breakfast forum, all Star Pro Jam and an After Party & Die Hards breakfast.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRlZV-r2330
This festival’s reputation as being the “Australia’s peak blues event” and “the top Australian blues venue” is sure not to disappoint this year with it’s incredible lineup and activities for all blues lovers everywhere.
When: Thursday 5th to Sunday 8th of February 2015
Where: Goulburn NSW (in all it’s best venues!)
Price: All shows are Free Entry!
For more information check out the website here!
Line-up for Blues Music Festival
The History of the Australian Blues Festival
Local publicans George and Maryanne Lipman and Richard Simmer of the Tattersalls Hotel, founded the Australian Blues Music Festival in 1997 with the first Festival held at the Goulburn Recreation Area (showground). Besides celebrating their love of Australian Blues Music, the Festival was seen as an opportunity to increase the level of visitation to the Goulburn District during a time of year in which numbers were traditionally low.
In 1999, due to increasing infrastructure costs of the Festival, it was sold to Goulburn City Council. As a Council-run event the format changed to a multi-venue Festival held in various venues throughout the historic Goulburn CBD including pubs, clubs, restaurants, cafes and Goulburn’s beautiful Belmore Park (with artistic direction provided, firstly by Geoff Bell who devised and planned the move from the Recreation Area and into the CBD, and then Stephen O’Connell then Terry Lockwood).
Council licensed the running of the Festival to private enterprise in 2005, then resumed management of the event from 2006-2009 when it was coordinated by Jenny Falconer and Sarah Dawson with the Tourism Business Unit of Goulburn Mulwaree Council.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4pq_DXUIiI
The format of the Festival in this period focussed on showcasing the best of emerging and established blues acts from around Australia. The program included a variety of ticketed and free performances commencing with blues performances in the region prior to the Festival and a large opening night associated with the presentation of the Australian Blues Music ‘Chain’ Awards. Activities over the Festival weekend included workshops with the artists, a weekend-long open mic, West Coast Showcase, Black Market Music Showcase, Youth in Bues Jam, buskers, markets, vintage guitar and amp shop, industry meet and greet breakfast forum, All Star Pro Jam, After Party and Die Hards’ Breakfast.
Over this time, the Festival’s reputation as the National Festival of Australian Blues Music attracted the widespread support of the Australian blues music industry, appreciation societies, patrons and volunteers. As a friendly little festival/industry event with intimate performance spaces and plenty of opportunities to have a chat with the artists, the Festival enjoyed a very high patron loyalty rate of dedicated blues music enthusiasts and gained a reputation as “Australia’s peak blues event” and “the top Australian blues venue”.