March 2026 - BASEQ

Is Byron Bluesfest a mess? If not, it will do until a mess comes along

By Dennis Atkins As Brisbane blues music fans gather at the Goodna Royal Mail this weekend for our regular jam afternoon, it’s likely that many will discuss the most significant story for our community in 2026. The recent collapse of the Byron Bay Bluesfest company, just over two weeks ago, is not only about the 36th event—scheduled to be headlined by Buddy Guy and Split Enz—not going ahead. This marks the end of the festival, and unless a wealthy benefactor comes to the rescue, there seems [...]

Buddy Guy and Sinners

By Dennis Atkins Buddy Guy didn’t take much convincing to accept a role in the Oscar-winning, Grammy-winning, and BAFTA-winning film Sinners, but he did need to understand why he should participate. The film's driving force—writer, producer, and director Ryan Coogler visited Guy, now 89 years old and touring with his new record Ain’t Done With The Blues, at his famous Chicago club, Legends, to make his case. As it turned out, it wasn't a hard sell. Guy recounted, “Well, he came in there, and I don’t [...]