Rain, hail or shine, nothing could dare stop the thousands of determined music fanatics from attending this diverse festival. Now, with 25 years under its belt, this invigorating concept of the best of blues and roots has shown to be one of the largest ongoing events in Australia’s history.

As I stood under a rather large tent, with water dripping on me, mud engulfing my shoes and a sweaty smelly man yelling in my ear to his mate behind me, I knew I was at home. Considered as a “must attend” event on the social calendar, I was lucky enough to attend the final day’s proceedings.

The one and a half hour drive was taken on the Sunday so we could not miss anything on the bill and it payed off well. As the festival goers were still in awe of John Butler’s performance the night before, some earlier acts created small riots. The Bamboos held a terrific set as the group produced some of the best dancing the festival will ever see. The jazz band, all dressed in stylish and attractive suits, not only set the day’s vibe but involved the audience and left us begging for more after every song. A killer cover of Kings of Leon’s classic “King of the Rodeo” can still be herd if you walk around the Belongil Fields with stranded campers still calming its ‘good time to roll on’.

Gold Coast band Blind Lemon also surprised their audience with a vibrant set mainly consisting of finger blistering guitar solos and glass shattering vocals. Fans stood in anticipation at least 10 minutes before the band walked on stage and once this 5 piece completed their first song, located on the APRA stage near the main entrance, a rather large number of people gathered and remained till the end.

One of the highlights of the day was easily given to the truly breath-taking and inspirational performance by Xavier Rudd. While supporting a SaveTheKimberley flag throughout his set, this veteran was not shy of incorporating socially conscious themes such as aboriginal and land rights into the show. Whilst performing, the audience remained focused on this young man from start to finish, some may not have even blinked. This toe-tapping, multi-instrumentalist is definitely an act you must witness live, without a doubt.

Teeny-boppers rejoice, Jason Mraz played his hit “I’m Yours” at this years Blues Fest. However, this musically gifted, American acoustic sensation brought more to the table than first expected by most of the crowd. As a fan of this chilled spirit, an incredible energy filled the tent as Mraz entered the stage. With his own hilarious yet genius rap lyrics sung between each song, it was clear that this man is nothing less than a pure entertainer. As the set mainly consisted of songs off his new album, older fans did not mind as crowd favourites “The Dynamo of Volition” produced synchronized dancing throughout the chorus while “A Beautiful Mess” brought on the tears. Bring on 3 years in a row Mr. A-Z!

Leaving the final closing spot for 2009 for the god father of Blues Fest was a brilliant idea. Without his original Innocent Criminals, Ben Harper sported a new band with the Relentless 7 proving that they are just as good, if not better. Just because Harper sat for most of the show, it did not mean the performance was dull. Playing for near 2 hours, Harper and his band teased us with new material from their album which hits shores in May. Highlights include the new songs “Shimmer and Shine” and “Why Must You Always Dress in Black”. Unfortunately, promoting the new band was on his agenda as a lack of classic old songs were found, however an unbelievable cover of “Under Pressure” by David Bowie and Freddie Mercery gave the crowd something to finally sing along with.

As the people left in their droves on the once was walkways now nothing but mud pits, the crowds could not stop smiling from the days events. With most recalling their favourite moments before actually leaving the field, the 25^th anniversary was a complete success and will continue to grow every year. The only few with some sort of depressed look were the ones that had to retreat to their flooded camp sites, only to be made worse by young chaps screaming “sleep well in the lake” as they walked past.

- Jimmy Russell