Day 2 duff,duff,dance-offs!!

Entering the Artists tent on day 2 saw the walking wounded setting up all necessary equipment to entertain the slightly hung-over, moderately unkempt masses. We embark on a full day of hard yakka of remedial massage on both the tireless behind the scenes workers with their aching legs and feet, to the drummers and guitarist's with ailments with their shoulders, arms and lower backs. It's about now that I am very happy in my career choice, overhearing band members' discussing that 2 hours of sleep is totally acceptable as long as you can get a hot shower!

Ian Wood and I are assigned to this tent again and now I am prepared adorned in my shirt, to be signed, by anyone that I think is worthy of becoming part of my history of this long weekend escape.  This is my mission to have a memento of the 8 hours x 3 days of massaging artists including members from Ziggy Marley, Ollie Brown, Blitzen Trapper, James Vincent McMorrow and even the girls from Eagle and the Worm.

Santas from Ziggy Marley

Scheduled short breaks let me emerge into the sunlight of another glorious Bryon day, to hear the resonant duff, duff, duff of the bass guitars, woofers and other electronic devices echoing through the sound systems. This sound reaching deep into the core of our body's which I realise is the beating heart of the festival.

To my right I hear the amazing tonal qualities of Keb Mo, to my left Blitzen Trapper and their high energy reach my ears and in the distance the familiar beauty of Ashleigh Mannix tries to draw me in. I have already decided on an old favourite of mine as I weave my way to the front of the Crossroads tent to listen to David Bromberg and was NOT disappointed. This man though no longer in his youth has not lost his distinct vocal qualities, and assisted by electric fiddle, bass and drums to recite his emotional past lives in song.

We packed up our tables and sports tape as the sun set, eager to join in the fever that had already infected the hundreds of blues fans today. Upset that I missed the Tijuana Cartel I paced towards Steve Earle and grooved to songs including his famous "Copperhead Road". Next on my agenda to find the perfect beat was Angelique Kidjo and at an unknown age she way out did most of her junior singers in energy and enthusiasm.

The cruising sounds of Donovan and his old favourites kept the older groups and the "narley" smokers in their zone but I marched towards the beat of a different drum.... Rockabilly!!

Brian Setzer's Rockabilly Riot was aptly named and did not disappoint. You may not be familiar with the band but you will know the songs - "Stray Cats Strut", "Runaway boys", "Folsom Prison Blues" (Johnny Cash) to name just 3 from the 90 minute set. His famous green guitar, 2 bass guitarists, pianist, and drummer did not stop swinging, dancing, and dualling instruments to the exhilarated crowd. A 3 double bass play-off had to be the winner for this author and will go down in my top 100 things of the long weekend.

Finishing off the night with the powerful voice of John Fogerty and most of all of the best known songs of Credence, the strength of his voice was amazing and everyone joined into each and every song that we knew (which was most of them).

Day 3 emerges to see what the previous days damage has caused to artists, administration and support groups. But if one picture says it all it is the crowd, and I am happy to say I'm one of them.