Index page * Friday 2nd April, 1999 * Saturday 3rd April, 1999 * Daily Line-up

Sunday 4th April, 1999

1:45pm - Ramblin' Jack Elliot

I didn't realise how much of a legend Ramblin' Jack Elliot was till after I saw him. He has been involved with some amazing artists over the years, too. In the early 1950's he first heard Woody Guthrie and was inspired by this encounter. He arranged to visit Guthrie and ended up staying with him for two years. Elliot then traveled around playing Guthrie songs, and he eventually became part of a group of people dedicated to spreading the music of Woody Guthrie. Among the group were the likes of Joan Baez, Judy Collins and Pete Seeger.
When Bob Dylan was still and up and coming folk singer, Elliot is said to have been a great influence on the artist in the early years. Now, Elliot seems to be getting something back from the legendary musician, as he performed the Dylan composition 'Don't Think Twice, It's Alright' in his rough, southern voice. The first experience I had with Elliot was him telling everyone that he didn't want photos taken of him with a flash. This made a lot of people curious as to why, but his simple explanation was that it disrupts him, causing him to stuff the song up. I was amazed that after all the years he's been in the entertainment industry, and on the road, that he can openly say this. It was quite frustrating, though, when people came in midway through his set and starting clicking away with the flash on. The photo I took isn't the result of a flash being used so, I'm glad I had a fast film in my camera.
This well weathered folk singer delighted the audience with his 60's adventure's in Greenwich Village, and his cowboy, truck driving adventure's. He has become quite a skilled story teller over the years, hence the name Ramblin' Jack Elliot.

3:00pm - Paul Kelly/Gerry Hale's Uncle Bill

I had seen both of these groups perform separately, and seeing them together was a bit of a treat. We hadn't really planned on seeing them, but the temptation got to us. It was great to see Paul Kelly get back to his roots, in the bluegrass sense, and at the same time looking more relaxed and casual, wearing a cap and playing an acoustic.
Having recently recorded with the bluegrass band, Paul Kelly has admitted "A lot of my songs are secret bluegrass songs. Uncle bill have blown my cover." Paul Kelly obviously thinks a lot of Gerry Hale's Uncle Bill and is a big fan, as he is quoted as saying, in the April 99 issue of 'Rhythms' magazine, that "When Gerry Hale plays, melodies flow out of him naturally."

4:15pm - Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter

Archie Roach is one of the finest singer/songwriters in Australia, with his inspiration largely stemming from his roots. Roach's work has found it's place in Australian culture as a living legacy of a unique indigenous artist. Roach's unique vocal style, with its undulating and smokey tone, is in many ways as much a signature as his work is itself. In his albums you can find a lot of variety and a number of different styles. He has a wide range which includes country, blues and rock, plus one's that are a combination of all or some.
When writing a song, Roach tends to write about the important issues facing Australians, such as identity, native title and the legacy of the 'stolen children' (Roach, himself, experienced this first hand). Archie Roach's success has resulted in his very personal songs, and we can learn of the hardships and the good times in his life through his songs.
Seeing Archie Roach and his artist wife, Ruby Hunter, perform live was a great thrill, as they pumped their heartfelt songs. Ruby also had a very distinguished voice. It was very deep and beautiful. These two artists are great ambassadors for Australia, as they travel the world, with their presence being felt where ever they go.

6:00pm - Vika and Linda

After seeing Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter, we went and got something to eat, coming back to the Crossroads stage mid-way through Vika and Linda's set. In all honesty, I had never really heard of this duo until, the blues festival. What I did end up catching, though, was fantastic. The voices on these two sisters were amazing. Their set was very energetic, which had the crowd dancing and clapping throughout. There was also a gospel feeling there, as they did renditions of their childhood favorites. A highlight was at the end when Paul Kelly came on and played with them (he has produced and co-produced two of their albums), along with the very talented Gerry Hale. Having all of these amazing artists on stage together was unbelievable and the comradery between them all was something very special, and rare, to see.

7:30pm - Keb' Mo'

I have funny memories of the lead-up to seeing Keb' Mo' this time. After Vika and Linda's set a lot of people cleared out, leaving gaps here and there. I seem to recall pulling my two friends through the crowd, and ending up in the second row. This was a pretty amazing feat, considering the crowd that was within that tent at that time. Happy with our accomplishments, we settled in waiting for Keb' Mo' to come out on to the stage.
Out of the two days I saw Mo' I found that today's was my favorite. There wasn't the restriction of the media pit, therefore we were very close to Keb' Mo' and Guitar Shorty, who followed after Mo'. I think the crowds had heard of his amazing set the night before, and it felt as though everyone had flocked to see this amazing musician. He brought the house down with his song 'She Just Wants To Dance' - A definite crowd pleaser! It was fantastic as he cheekily varied the words slightly and put so much fun into the song.
After Mo' finished, he sat to the side of the stage and watched Guitar Shorty put on his show, then after a while Angelique Kidjo came and sat next to him and watched Shorty, as she was up next. This sort of thing is unreal to see. I would never miss a Keb' Mo' set if I had the opportunity to see one, and I can't wait to see him again next year, if he comes.

9:15pm - Guitar Shorty

Like the night before Guitar Shorty was amazing! To me, he seems fairly under rated as the guitar skills he showcases are phenomenal. It was even better than Saturday night, as we were very up close to him a number of times, as he pranced around the stage. At one stage he even started serenading the girl right in front of us, by talking with his guitar. He was very entertaining like the night before, doing his trademark flips and turns on the ground. He even did a few extra things by playing his guitar with his teeth, feet and butt.
The most memorable moment, though, as when he started sprinkling his personal guitar picks into the crowd, mainly the first two rows. My friends and I all managed to get one, as he was pulling them out by the dozen. They were all green with his signature printed on them. Mine looked as though it had been used, as the print was all smudgy.
Guitar Shorty's band seems to get a little buried by the out-going artist. The bass player sang a song before Shorty came on and it was fantastic. He even came along and shook all of our hands at the end of the set. Then there was his blind keyboardist, who played brilliantly throughout the set.
In the end it was great to go out on a fun note with Guitar Shorty. Overall, I was sad to see the blues festival end, but I will be back there next year. It was three of the best days of my life and I will remember them forever.

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Index page * Friday 2nd April, 1999 * Saturday 3rd April, 1999 * Daily Line-up

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