How Broadbeach became a blues mecca

Blues On Broadbeach celebrates its 25th anniversary this weekend. (Supplied: Blues On Broadbeach) Link copiedShareShare articleThe walk from Kurrawa Park to the edge of the ocean should only take a couple of minutes, depending on the tides. So anyone getting their fill of live music at the Blues On Broadbeach festival this weekend has plenty of time for a quick dip between sets. That laid-back, beachside energy is central to the Gold Coast's ever-growing celebration of the blues, a festival that has steadily expanded over the past 25 years. Surf Parade was the old home for the Blues On Broadbeach main stage, where fans would watch on from hotel balconies. (Supplied: Blues On Broadbeach) This weekend, tens of thousands of music fans will descend on Broadbeach for the event's 25th edition. The first festival, in 2002, was a comparatively humble affair. While Cold Chisel axe-slinger Ian Moss headlined — and will return this year — the undercard leaned heavily local, with acts like Bondi Cigars, The Hipshooters and Mojo Webb rounding out the bill. Growth came quickly. Broadbeach began attracting Australian favourites including Renee Geyer, Mia Dyson and The Black Sorrows, and audiences followed. Part of the schedule for the first Blues On Broadbeach festival in 2002. (Supplied: Blues On Broadbeach) By the time current festival director Mark Duckworth came on board in 2012, it was clear the event had further room to expand. "The shape of the festival was a well-attended, very Australian-focused blues event that was growing to a point where it needed to extend out," he says. Bigger acts were part of that evolution. But bigger acts meant bigger crowds, and accommodating them required rethinking the festival's footprint. "It was very much celebrated in Surf Parade, where there was two stages, one at either end," Duckworth explains. "We needed to consider what does it look like if we remove some of those stages, push them out into some of the green spaces and just give some breath and space for people. "So, the first part of my work was to sort of redesign the footprint and make it what it was. To be honest, I probably stressed that whether it was the right decision for like a year before I got to see it in action." Festival changes rarely arrive without debate. For longtime attendees, Surf Parade remains a defining image: hotel balconies overflowing with revellers watching the action below. "Punters would rent out rooms and were all on their balconies looking down on this amphitheatre," Aussie blues performer and festival veteran Ash Grunwald says. "Then you have thousands of people in front of you, and it's such a vibe. You don't have that at any other festivals anywhere in the world." For many, though, the essence of Blues On Broadbeach hasn't shifted. Gold Coast local Buzz Powyer has attended every edition alongside his wife Karen since that first event. "One thing that hasn't changed is the atmosphere," he says. "It's still a great atmosphere, great culture, great bands, great music. The set-up's changed, but it's still music at its best." Across the years, the festival has lured international icons like Eric Burdon, Robert Cray and Canned Heat to its free stages. This year, The Teskey Brothers headline the ticketed Sunday event. It has grown in scale, but the blues have remained central. "It's sustainable because it's stayed true to its cause, which is blues music," Powyer reckons. "That's the big attraction for us. The introduction of national artists and then international artists has just taken it to the next level." Ash Grunwald played his first Blues On Broadbeach in 2004. (Supplied) "It's been really impressive to see," Grunwald says. "It just got bigger and bigger, but it's a natural growth, which is really cool. I have so many good memories." For Buzz and Karen, one of the pleasures has been watching local artists evolve in real time. They saw Lachy Doley early on — now he's keyboardist for Joe Bonamassa. They caught Grunwald in 2004, as he began his rise to become one of Australia's most respected blues artists. While American axe-slinger Robert Cray's 2018 performance remains a highlight, it's Australian talent that keeps them coming back. "I mean, it's great to bring the internationals over and see them, but we've got a lot of talent in Australia," Buzz says. "Sometimes I think some of the kids don't know that we've got great talent." A defining strength of Blues On Broadbeach is its accessibility — both culturally and physically. It's a festival where you can settle in at a local bar with a steady run of schooners, or stretch out on a blanket with family in the park. "One of our parks now has a play park in it," Duckworth says. "We put a stage there, there's no bar or anything in that space, we specifically made it a family-friendly zone. Expanding the festival into Broadbeach's parks has allowed more space for music lovers to stretch out. (Supplied: Blues On B

How Broadbeach became a blues mecca

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