Blues sounds Ballarat bound

THE soulful twang of the United States’ south is set to reverberate throughout the region with the return of the Ballarat Blues Festival.

Following a four-year hiatus, the event’s organiser and Clunes-based musician John McNamara is reviving the event with fuller chords and bigger bands.

Gigs are set to played at four main venues and McNamara said the festival’s return will outdo its predecessor.

“We’re basically throwing the kitchen sink in,” he said. “2019 was a dipping of the toe.

“We had a lovely headline show with three acts. We had more than 200 people in at The George and you couldn’t move at Aunty Jacks. It pretty much took up that whole alley.

“The main difference will be the main event at the Wendouree Centre for Performing Arts.”

Taking place over two days at the end of next month, side shows will be held at Volta, Aunty Jacks, and Hop Temple.

The lineup will include Chain’s Phil Manning, Jimi Hocking of the Screaming Jets, Jarrod Shaw, Shane Gilbert, and Riding Northbound, as well as Brett Garsed, and Joe Creighton, both from the John Farnham Band.

Ballarat Grammar and Clarendon College students will also perform in the event.

The 2019 event’s three headline acts of the McNaMarr Project, the Lloyd Speigel Trio, and Geoff Achison and the Souldiggers will return for the festival.

With Blues Music Victoria’s People’s Choice Blues Legend Winner 2022 Andrea Marr MCing, McNamara said the main gig will set the event apart from other offerings in the genera.

“We’ve got blues in bars, blues in cafes, all that kind of thing, but this is putting the acts on a big stage with big sound, great seating,” he said.

“We’ve got so many acts to squash into the four-hour show, every act’s doing 15 to 20 minutes so it’s short showcase sets.

“The last portion of the show will be a massive all-star jam with everyone on stage. There’ll be seven or eight guitarists up there. It’ll be a one-of-a-kind experience.”

The Ballarat Blues Festival will run from Saturday 26 to Sunday 27 August.

With the rest of the gigs free, Saturday’s Volta event will be $25 at the door while Sunday’s Wendouree show will range from $55 and $62 and can be booked via bit.ly/3qioTgq