Festival fun jazzes up airport arrivals

VISITORS will get an extra warm welcome at Gold Coast Airport this week, with live music to enliven the arrivals terminal during Blues on Broadbeach.

The festival is set to attract more than 180,000 people over four days of free live jazz and blues entertainment, with many guests expected to flood through the airport.

One-man band Uptown Brown will greet visitors over the next couple of days with his unique theatrical style of music. His whimsical, 1920sinspired performance drew gleeful crowds yesterday as he sang and danced around surprised passengers.

“I mostly get a good reaction!” he laughed.

“On stage you’re often quite removed from the audience so something like this is quite special, someone’s reaction can really make a difference.”

Gosford’s David Winiata joined the Melbourne musician for an impromptu duet after flying into the city for a cricket convention.

Mr Winiata said live music was a great idea for the city.

“It’s awesome to see when you’re hanging around waiting to get your baggage – it’s great fun, everyone’s laughing and dancing,” he said.

Uptown Brown’s 25kg antique-inspired musical contraption houses six instruments including a guitar, drums and clarinet, along with a variety of quirky sound effects.

“The microphone is an old telephone exchange operator’s microphone which is probably close to 100 years old and some of the handles I’m using are from an old pianola,” he said.

It’s the fourth year he has appeared at Blues on Broadbeach, after also performing outside Carrara Stadium during last year’s Commonwealth Games.

He will be at the airport tomorrow and Saturday, and at stage shows and roving performances in Broadbeach as part of Blues on Broadbeach.

Broadbeach Alliance CEO Jan McCormick said it was the first year the festival had teamed up with the airport.

“We wanted to extend the experience for the fans … having live music here sets the energy of the festival as soon as people arrive,” she said.

Organisers are expecting massive crowds, with hotel bookings in the precinct now sitting at about 87 per cent.

Ms McCormick said these days the majority of music fans came from interstate.

“Last year approximately 68 per cent of people were from Sydney, Melbourne or New Zealand,” she said.

“When people experience the festival they come back the next year with friends. We have a group from New Zealand who have been coming for 15 years and this year they’re a group of 30.”

Blues on Broadbeach officially kicks off today, with free performances on multiple stages all weekend.