Over the weekend of 10-12th March, the Otago Peninsula will be swinging to the sound of rhythm and blues. Cafés, restaurants and more unusual venues will open their doors to talented local, national and international musicians.
The Festival has grown this year, with many more venues wanting to be involved and this, from both sides of the Otago Peninsula. Festival goers will be able to catch the ‘Wheels Over Water’ water taxi service to get from one side to the other, and move around safely whilst enjoying a wee shandy. A Blues Cruise, run by the Otago Heritage Bus Society will also run from and to Dunedin on Friday and Saturday evening to make coming to the Festival a no-brainer as far as responsible transport is concerned.
“It is really pleasing to see so many cafés, restaurants and even an art gallery embrace the Festival spirit and getting involved. The idea is to recreate something similar to the music ‘rallies’ that are so popular in Europe,” says, Isabelle Prosser, Festival Director. “It’s also a great way to bring more focus to Portobello as the gateway to the most amazing wildlife and scenery this country has to offer. People are travelling from as far North as Auckland for the weekend and many have never been to the Peninsula before, so this is a great introduction to this precious area.”
The younger crowd will have the opportunity to enter the Talent Quest (for 11-21 year olds), with the first prize winner getting the opportunity to play on the main stage on Saturday night.
The highlight of the Festival is Stevie Ray Vaughan Tribute concert performed by Tony Painting & the Power who are known as Australasia’s top SRV cover band, recreating an incredible likeness in sound and style to the great legend himself. That concert is on Friday night and tickets are selling fast. Also, not to be missed are the English duo ‘The Fabulous Murray Brothers’, who began playing together over 25 years ago and pretty much all over the planet. Their talent have been recognised internationally when playing alongside members of Van Morrison, Tom Jones, Queen, ACDC, Simply Red, to name a few.
There’s plenty of national and local talent too, with the Strait Shooters – collaboration between ‘The Federation’ and ‘Strange Brew’. Popular Dunedin bands also feature on the programme: ‘Bluestone’, ‘Jules & the Jam-Man’, ‘Bulletproof Convertible’, ‘Ambulant’ and ‘Valley Bluegrass’.
A good festival wouldn’t be complete without delicious food and drinks. The Street Food Village will serve up an array of appetizing morsels ranging from pork sliders to samosas, and from paella to chimney cakes. Brand new Canterbury boutique brewery Southpaw will run a beer tasting and their delicious American Pale Ale and IPA will be on tap for avid beer lovers to enjoy.
More information on www.portobellobluesfestival.co.nz
