Two soulful and bluesy acts will ride the rails on the Saturday afternoon of Bendigo Blues & Roots Music Festival 2018: Soul queen Jo Jo Smith makes a very welcome return, while the ‘BB King of Australia’ Mr Buddy Knox Bluesmakes his Blues Tram debut.
Enjoy the sights of Bendigo’s architecturally stunning CBD from on board the sensationally restored vintage W Class tram, while being serenaded by two great acts:
Buddy Knox:
Buddy Knox is a blues master.
Buddy plays funky Blues with lightning speed licks and promises his show will “smoke ya boots”. He has notched his Blues belt with some of the biggest music festivals in Australia, and has been described as Australia’s own BB King.
He first picked up a guitar at just ten years of age. Despite the challenge of practising on a guitar, which was missing a string he persisted. From humble beginnings, a passion for guitar; his own natural gift, and with music an important aspect of his life, Buddy perfected his guitar ability to an outstanding standard, spanning nearly three decades.
He has demonstrates a complete grasp of the work of the greats from Robert Johnson to Freddie King and BB King to Buddy Guy. But he also brings a subtle infusion of traditional Aboriginal elements of drone and rhythm that makes his music quite unique and special.
Jo Jo Smith:
Jo Jo is an inspirational performer generous of heart soul and musicality. Coming from a roots base of Soul Blues Funk and Jazz steeped in groove and sprinkled with good humour Jo Jo’s material ruminates on love life and all things real. No one leaves a Jo Jo Performance untouched by her vocal ability and magnetic stage presence.
In 2017 Jo Jo celebrated 50 Years of working in the music industry by doing a cracker 50 Gig tour of Australia organised and arranged by her dear friend and colleague / poet / singer /guitarist Lucie Thorne.
Festivals Jo Jo has played of late include The Mullumbimby Music Festival, Port fairy Folk Festival, Bellow Winter Fest, Bendigo Blues n Roots, Eltham Jazz Festival, Whare Flat Folk Festival, Newstead Folk Festival.
Joining Jo Jo onstage is Damien Neil, an outstanding musician in his own right who is no stranger to every festival in the country.
Saturday November 10th
Blues Tram, feat: Jo Jo Smith + Buddy Knox
Departing Central Deborah Goldmine (76 Violet Street) at 2pm, returning 4:15pm.
Tix: $35 from Bendigo Visitor Centre 1800 813 513 or online here: https://www.bendigotourism.com/tours/bendigo-cbd/bendigo-blues-tram
Follow The Blues Tram here: https://www.facebook.com/TheBluesTram
Strictly no BYO. Drinks and snacks available for purchase.
The Blues Tram is organised and staged by Bendigo Blues & Roots Music Festival Inc, a not-for-profit organisation run by volunteers.
Please Note:
This is a music appreciation event – a mobile concert. For the enjoyment of all patrons, any rowdy or loud behavior will not be tolerated. Event management reserves the right to refuse admission or evict patrons if requests to manage behavior are not complied with; in this unlikely event, tickets of offenders will be forfeited and no refund will be available.