Last year I gave credit to the organisers of the Point Nepean: A Music
Experience event and called the location ‘a stroke of genius.’ That is
still the case because the Quarantine Station at Portsea on the tip of
Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula remains one of the best settings
imaginable for a festival.

The main stage overlooks Port Phillip Bay and offers such a spectacular
vista that most of the artists comment on the view. On the other side
of the arena (which was once an army parade ground) is a row of huge
pines that offer shade to hundreds lucky enough to stake their claims
early in the day. Apart from the large and unsightly tent for the
mixing desk planted right in the middle of the arena it is an
unparalleled site.


Some of the technical problems from last year have been attended to as
well. The second stage, set amongst the old buildings, was turned
around to avoid sound bleed from the main stage. This worked some of
the time but there was still annoying interference at times. Acoustic
acts such as Ruthie Foster and John Hammond do not want to battle noise
emerging from behind them.


Parking on the broad fields that host polo in the summer is
well-organised with few hold ups or bottlenecks. Getting back to
Sorrento on Saturday and Sunday nights took a mere 10 minutes. The
toilet blocks are better and more copious – and they are frequently
cleaned – but they still need more for the women who still have to line
up in lengthy queues.


Port Phillip Bay under a threatening sky. 

So far so good. To add to that, there were some fine performances that made the two-day adult ticket price pretty much of a bargain. Highlights included a slashing set by John Fogerty on Saturday night, Galactic’s New Orleans funk and Mavis Staples’ battling through illness to complete a shortened set. The following evening there was Jools Holland’s spectacular big band with Ruby Turner and Louise Marshall singing up a storm followed by Sinead O’Connor’s beautiful voice drifting across the fields.

John Fogerty turned out to be the perfect headliner for Saturday. He looks great, sounds great, has a terrific band (with Kenny Aronoff on drums) and his catalogue of hits is seemingly endless. Not only that, as he took the stage there was a moon, most possibly bad, rising.

Fogerty brought out Keith Urban on stage for a couple of songs – ‘Broken Down Cowboy’ and ‘Cotton Fields’ - and, in a seemingly jocular reference to Urban’s recent problems, mentioned how his life had been changed by finding a ‘good woman.’

That was only a brief hiatus in a twenty-two song set that included three songs from Green River (‘Green River’ and ‘Bad Moon Rising’); three from Bayou Country (‘Born On The Bayou,’ ‘Proud Mary,’ ‘Keep On Chooglin'’); three from Cosmo’s Factory (‘Travelin' Band,’ ‘Lookin' Out My Back Door’ and a sensational ‘Ramble Tamble’ with some amazing drumming from Aronoff); one song from Pendulum (‘Have You Ever Seen The Rain’); and a massive five songs from Willy & The Poor Boys (‘Cotton Fields,’ ‘It Came Out Of The Sky,’ ‘Midnight Special,’ ‘Down On The Corner’ and ‘Fortunate Son’).

Along with those there was the material from his past solo albums. ‘Rockin' All Over The World’ was dragged up from 1975’s John Fogerty). ‘Old Man Down The Road’ and ‘Rock And Roll Girls’ came from Centerfield, while ‘Hot Rod Heart’ was from 1997’s Blue Moon Swamp. Fogerty’s latest album, Revival, yielded ‘Broken Down Cowboy,’ ‘Don't You Wish It Was True,’ ‘Somebody Help Me’ and ‘Creedence Song.’

That is quite a spectacular set list and certainly one that had audience members of all ages singing along.

As for Keith Urban, I am not so convinced. His band is able to recreate that big arena rock sound that goes down a treat in America and he has a charisma on stage that appeals to certain sections of the audience. He is much better than a string of similar but non-descript American singers of the same ilk and as such deserves all the success he gets. However, I am hard pressed to name any of his songs, many of which seem to be ballads that build to dramatic and possibly heart-rending crescendos. I did recognise his version of Steve Miller’s ‘The Joker'; however, when he started to play Marvin Gaye’s ‘Let’s Get It On’ I nearly threw myself into the bay. (Luckily, he desisted after a  few bars).

 
Newton Faulkner - opening Saturday

Patty Griffin preceded Mavis Staples and put in a set of appealing and delicate songs that impressed. She no doubt gained a whole batch of new fans. Staples was a trouper and, despite being obviously ill, she completed her set and sounding brilliant at times and out of breath on other occasions. Her band is tight and with Rick Holstrum on guitar she can launch into early Staples Singers’ classics or songs from her latest Ry Cooder-produced album, We’ll Never Turn Back. It wasn’t quite as good as her Womadelaide set but still had people raving.

Rodrigo Y Gabriella’s flamenco versions of ‘Stairway To Heaven’ and ‘Pink Floyd’s ‘Wish You Were here’ had everyone singing along in time and while the duo might have been unknown when they arrived made many converts.

After hearing Jeff Lang on the Quarantine Stage one has to wonder what he must do to get to the next level of popularity, having inspired people such as John Butler. It would seem he has to make it in the US before he can move up a rung. Lang’s new album Half Seas Over contains a bonus CD of cover versions of songs by Melbourne songwriters.

Brandi Carlile might be best known for having a song on the TV hit Grey’s Anatomy but she proved that she has the talent to back it up, receiving lots of rave reviews from audience members for her compelling set following Jeff Lang on Saturday evening. Not easy to do either when the sound from Keith Urban’s band is in the background for some of the set. Other festival directors were seen reaching for their notebooks to jot down a reminder to book her next year.

Sunday started with the charming and amusing Newton Faulkner, who was pleased at the power of radio by singing his only well-known song and getting a response.

This was followed by Seasick Steve, who certainly got the seated audience’s attention by telling us that we were lazy and boring. An array of instruments, including the home-made ‘diddley bow’ were produced along with what Steve called the world’s worst guitar (all of three strings) for an entertaining set. Steve was named Mojo Magazine’s Breakthrough Artist last year, a title that is puzzling now that I have seen him; however, a long queue of fans greeted Steve at the CD signing tent.

Jason Mraz’s put in a light-hearted and ‘jaunty’ (as he labelled it) set. On the Quarantine Stage, Ruthie Foster proved why she had won hearts at festivals all round the world. Later, John Hammond and Charlie Musselwhite would complete the blues component.

One of the most pleasant surprises of the weekend was Jools Holland’s Rhythm & Blues Orchestra – a big band in every sense of the word ‘big.’ There were saxophones, trombones, and singers everywhere along with Holland’s brother on keyboards and Jools himself tickling the ivories. It has to be said that Holland’s voice was a revelation too as he energetically tackled Willie Dixon’s ‘Seventh Son’ like a Mose Allison on speed and ‘Snowflake Boogie’ (which he wrote for Edwin Starr to perform).

Vocalist Louise Marshall provided a fine version of ‘Georgia On My Mind.’ Rico Rodriguez was enthusiastic on Prince Buster’s ‘Enjoy Yourself. But it was Ruby Turner who blew everyone away with songs such as ‘Able Mabel,’ ‘What Would I do Without You’ and ‘Peace In the Valley.’ In between, Holland would boogie away with his 20-piece band pumping away in perfect time. It was the perfect way top bring in the Sunday evening.

Sinead O’Connor’s music might be an acquired taste for some but her voice sounded glorious in the evening air wafting across the fields and out onto the waters of the bay. Here version of ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ confirmed the greatness of the song while the rest of her set, naturally enough, had a distinct Celtic tone to it at times.

I am assured by folks much younger than myself that Xavier Rudd’s closing set on the main stage and KT Tunstall’s closer on the Quarantine stage were splendid.

Our Keith on Saturday evening. Later he guested with John Fogerty. 

On reflection, Point Nepean: A Music Experience still has enormous potential. It is in a great location and, like Byron Bay, a popular holiday resort. So there is a ready-made crowd. It is also only an hour and a half drive to Melbourne.

Some might suggest that everyone was caught by surprise by an early Easter and the fact that you could still get accommodation as late as a few weeks prior lends some credibility to that argument. However, it seems to me that the main reason for the slightly less than sell out crowd is that the line-up needs to be tweaked.There remains a feeling that the event could have been more solid and should have sold out months earlier.

The other undoubted problem is the procession of acts that have come through town to do sideshows as part of the Bluesfest caravan. In the days prior to the event we had Loudon Wainwright, Jon Cleary, Buddy Guy, Ron Sexsmith, Maceo Parker, Ray Davies, Don Mclean, John Hammond  & Charlie Musselwhite, The Bellrays and more.

This week there are side shows from Mavis Staples, Jools Holland, G Love and Ozomatli, George Duke & Stanley Clarke, Michelle Shocked, Seasick Steve Sinead O’Connor (also at Rod Laver), Galactic, Weddings Parties Anything, John Hiatt and The Black Crowes.

That’s crazy. If you went to only six of those shows you would be up for over $400 and still have to pay for the Point Nepean event. Much better to pick the best of the tourists and locals and put them at the festival. For example, add Buddy Guy, Jon Cleary, Ron Sexsmith Maceo Parker, Weddoes, The Black Crowes, Ray Davies and John Hiatt  to the festival and you would have a killer event. (You would also save people a lot of money).

As the school holidays kick in my second year report for Point Nepean would be ‘Doing quite well so far. Must try harder.’