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We attended the 22nd Annual Byron Bay Bluesfest held over Easter.
Bluesfest, held on a 120-hectare tea farm just outside of beautiful Byron Bay and 45 minutes south of the Gold Coast, remains one of Australia’s most acclaimed and respected Festivals.
It prides itself on being an all ages family event, and artists included Ben Harper, John Legend, Michael Franti, and Xavier Rudd amongst others…
Many thanks to our friend Amar from Gap Year Escape who provided us the opportunity to attend with full media passes which was AMAZING, as it included entrance to the photographer’s pit (section between front row and the stage).
Below are a selection of photographs highlighting our experience…
Ben Harper Rehearsals…
A highlight was a private performance from Ben Harper as he prepared for his live show. He has a special place in our heart. We played two of his hit songs at our wedding, and we have seen him perform live before at the Greek Theatre in LA.
Once again he was special…
Ben Harper Live…
Michael Franti…
The artist with the most energy who really brought the crowd alive was Michael Franti. He was engaged with the audience, a lot of fun, and you could tell he just loves performing.
John Legend…
It’s no wonder this 6 time Grammy Award winner was the star of the show. He was sensational. The best singer vocally and the best performer. He was just a step ahead of everybody, and oozed class..
Xavier Rudd…
Our Aussie favorite, Xavier is coolness and plays the didgeridoo like no other. It’s always a treat to see him live, and the appreciation and passion he has for his fans is to be applauded…
Food, People, and Boots…
You’ll never go hungry at Bluesfest, with options to satisfy everyone’s needs.
Our favorite was this bean nachos. Tasty and filling. It really hit the spot…
Some of the thousands of passionate fans watching on…
The experienced Bluesfest fans all wear gum boots to keep the feet nice and dry. Luckily we had no rain during the festival, but the farm was a little wet from previous rain and gets churned up fairly easily…
Boots anyone? A colorful selection for sale on site…
Have you been to the Byron Bay Bluesfest? Tell us about YOUR experience in the comments section below. And if you haven’t, we highly recommend you add it to your list of things to do down under.
Details: www.Bluesfest.com.au
GREAT photos! Have to love that camera! I used to be a huge fan of music but I hardly listen to it anymore or even go to concerts. However, what a great experience to be a part of!
Turn your music up Jeremy!! Actually I don’t listen to it as much as I used to, now that Disney playhouse needs to be on more. Today I am going to crank the volume. Thanks for the little push 🙂
Lucky! You get to take awesome pictures at the pit. My pit days are over due to fear of getting squished by the crowd.
This pit was sectioned off from the crowd though so Craig had loads of space and freedom to run around. I was really jealous
Incredible pictures! These are some of my favorite musicians. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you! Craig did an amazing job and had a ton of fun while doing it. I think he learned a lot about photography from it.
Incredible photos of some amazing acts. I love that last photo of Franti, great shot. We were lucky to see Ben Harper in Chicago at Lollapalooza 2007 and Eddie Vedder jumped up and performed with him for some of the show.
I’m hoping that we will get to attend this festival soon. Maybe 2012??
i would love that! Eddie is also one of my favourites. I think I have a couple of their songs together in itunes. Well let us know if you’ll be there in 2012, we’ll meet up! Franti was simply amazing!
Looks like a great festival.
Those boots are so cute! Great photos!
Awesome pictures!I was there when it happened but I was not lucky to be in that pit. The popularity of the festival draws attention to the big names in the music industry and fortunately enough when the festivities happened I was on vacation booked through Experienceoz.com.au and enjoyed the concert and among other activities.
Awesome pictures, lucky you were able to take your camera inside, mine was banned
We had media passes so were given special access with the cameras, thank goodness!