Below is a response to Martin Jones’ Rhythms November editorial on festivals, posted by Bluesfest Director Peter Noble on the Bluesfest website forum.
As requested, we have granted Mr Noble a public right of response. It is not our intention to involve the public in a personal conflict. We would hope, as was the original intention of the editorial, that this spawns some constructive discussion. If you care to comment, you can head to the Bluesfest Forum HERE.
You can read Martin Jones’ full editorial, HERE.
From Peter Noble:
Here at Bluesfest I am attempting to deliver a mix of the best artists available on a number of levels, this includes artists who are popular and sell the tickets to make Bluesfest viable, as well as to present new artists, and to cover our festivalgoers tastes. This is not an easy task – it depends on artist availability, their guarantee requirements, ability to tour on a viable level – so many things.
When an artist such as Gary Clark jr, reports he wants to come and play Bluesfest 3 times, on an almost ‘artist in residence’ basis – of course I am going to jump at this opportunity, knowing full well he played Bluesfest 2014. However, he is also one of, if not, THE hottest new artist in Blues today – to me this is a no brainer. Same with Beth Hart, her 2014 performance DEMANDED a return as soon as possible. How can anyone dispute this – unless you simply were not AT Bluesfest this year.
Michael Franti has not been available to play Bluesfest for three years prior to this years performance this year he was on fire – and again, I say he is possibly the Best festival artist on the planet for mine, he ignites an audience, and leaves it in a joyful, uplifted almost transcendental state, and, with his Soulshine Festival will introduce a whole new concept to Bluesfest 2015.
The reformation of Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, and their wanting to play Bluesfest for their first major performance is an honour, and shows how highly he holds his history with us, as well as Bluesfest audiences. This premiere could easily have occurred at Coachella, Bonnaroo or Glastonbury festival. It is a coup for Bluesfest – and something we are proud to have achieved for our audience.
Other artists play Bluesfest every 2, 3 or 4 years – such as Xavier Rudd, who, in my humble opinion is doing his best most creative work in his career right now. He simply CAN move his audience to tears, as he did at The Boomerang festival. An absolutley stunning Australian artist at the top of his game.
Zac Brown Band has gone to be one of the top 10 grossing bands in the US since he last played Bluesfest in 2013. They are at No 10 this week on the Pollstarpro list of top grossing bands in the US.
All the above artists more than qualify to return based on the statements above, in my estimation as festival director.
They are the Music Makers – that is the classic Blues artists who comprise the Music Maker group who perform yearly at Bluesfest every year with a different group of musicians in the frontline – and again I am proud to support Tim Duffy from Music Maker and his selfless work to cause classic artists who otherwise risk obscurity to be seen and heard. This is the beginning of our second decade working together, and I KNOW, this will continue to be one of Bluesfest’s highlights once again – presenting absolutely stunning performances of great legendary Blues artists. this is truly about Keeping the Blues Alive.
Playing For Change will return for the third year in a row. This is a GREAT band, made up of street musicians from all over the world – who come together ONLY for events like Bluesfest – and to present their mission also to build music schools all over the world in third world countries to literally give children the skills to play their way out of poverty. Please drop by their stand at Bluesfest, learn more about them, become involved, get on board – let’s build a better world – inch by inch – day by day. Playing for Change are currently working toward starting a music school in Bali s for kids there to get the skills they can be taught in music to give them something they can take forward in life.
Mavis Staples is returning after 2 years, so is Trombone Shorty and Jimmy Cliff – each one for a special reason – Mavis and Jimmy are sensational live and genre defining legendary artists both reaching the latter years of their stellar careers – and I will continue to present them for as long as they want to return to Bluesfest – they ARE the greats – there is no apology whatsoever in presenting them at Bluesfest – the opposite in fact – we are humbled by their ongoing support and praise of the event.
Trombone Shorty is the future of Roots music – a young genre bending artist – who has now replaced the Neville Brothers as the closing artist of New Orleans Jazzfest yearly – to miss his performance next year at Bluesfest is to miss a future GREAT of the music we love, in his prime and fully in development to legendary status.
There are many, many, many artists who are performing at Bluesfest 2015 for the first time, or the first time in many years- around 40 announced so far with many more announcements to come.
You only need to refer to the artists announced to see Bluesfest 2015 has already announced one of our best lineups – after only 3 announcements.
Many people, scores in fact, have listed next years festival as the best bill currently announced anywhere in the world.
I remain a little, well more than a little, disappointed in Marty Jones recent editorial in the current issue of Rhythms bi monthly magazine.
My association with Rhythms goes back to it’s beginnings – and a 20 years + association with it’s founder Brian Wise – and a much shorter one with Marty who took over the mag a few years back when he bought it from Brian. Bluesfest & Rhythms grew up together – both championing Roots music – and fighting to survive for so many years.
Marty is yet to be given by me, the respect that Brian Wise built over decades – and I still view him a little as the new boy on the Rhythms block, for mine still building credibility.
You can buy this great magazine – but in the end, can you take it forward and continue it’s greatness as created by it’s founder remains the question for me.
Marty, in a thinly veiled editorial describes festivals as ‘predictable, having a ‘lack of imagination’, he goes on to say it is ‘disheartening’ seeing the same Australian and international artists playing the same festivals ‘year after year’, whilst espousing Rhythms magazine’s virtues stating Rhythms success stands on ‘credibility’ and inferring through his editorial that the festivals he refers to are losing theirs in his estimation- he goes on by stating that in Rhythms case bigger is not better – and linking that thinking to other new festivals such as the recent Love Police event – Out on The Weekend – a festival of Americana music which recently occurred in Melbourne.
Marty goes on to say that ‘conservative, unimaginative programming’, is going to cost festivals.
It is not abundantly clear in his editorial which exact festivals Marty is referring to – although as he specifically refers to Womadelaide, Port Fairy and Bluesfest as presenting a ‘fairly predictable balance of the tried and trusted’ , it seems these three events are the ones he is singling out for his damnations.
I state here that my relationship with Brian Wise – the founder of Rhythms was a great one – and that I have not achieved that level of relationship with Marty. Further, I DID pull Bluesfest advertising from Rhythms last year for a number of issues, due to what I believe was poor coverage of the Boomerang festival, the indigenous festival, held at the Bluesfest site last October.
The reasons Boomerang did not receive the coverage I believe it most certainly deserved, as outlined to me, were not acceptable – without going into detail here. However, for me, they struck at the heart of Rhythms impartiality in providing it’s editorial content to it’s readers.
Rhythms were not invited to Bluesfest 2014 to do the artist Q&A sessions they had been doing for the past few years, or to do the programme which they had been doing , it seems like, forever- and our relationship, for the record, although cordial, is light years from where it was when Brian was the editor.
I think Marty has delivered a fairly negative editorial, and one I would be prepared to take part in a rebuttal should Marty be prepared to grant me the equal opportunity in Rhythms to take him to task.
Surely as an event that has grown up beside Rhythms, and has been it’s most prolific advertiser for over 2 decades, I as festival director of Bluesfest, deserve no less.
I issue that challenge through Bluesfest’s forum today – and trust readers who are also Rhythms readers to pass this information on to them.
In the meantime, I fully believe, that the most artistically challenging Bluesfest is the next one, and we are currently meeting that challenge. We have had some great years especially the 2011, 2013 and 2014 festivals recently. It is always a challenge to build on this – and I continue to welcome that opportunity
Thanks for reading – especially if you got this far
Peter Noble
Festival Director
Bluesfest