Buzzing with the blues

IF YOU’VE got bad news, you want to kick them blues, when your day is done, and you want to run . . . Echuca-Moama is the place to be.

Eric Clapton would be proud of the twin towns this weekend, they’ve gone full blues — and not just because it’s cold.

It’s because it’s the second biggest weekend of the year — Winter Blues.

The town is already buzzing and it’s not even 24 hours into the fourday festival, kicking off last night with performances at the Star Hotel, Antonio’s and the American Hotel.

This year 43 acts will perform across 24 stages over four big days.

Almost half of the line-up is new to the festival.

‘‘It’s been growing progressively, Winter Blues,’’ organiser Peter Williams said.

‘‘At first it was a half day event and now it’s just exploded.

‘‘As we hit capacity we realised we couldn’t make it taller but we can make it wider and that’s what we did with the Thursday launch.’’

The weekend is free, with almost every venue in town finding space and time for a talented blues performer.

Up to 15,000 people will be squeezed into every nook and cranny eager to grab a gig, and Mr Williams thinks if you try hard enough, you could catch them all.

‘‘But it’s much easier to just see your favourites and stroll your way throughout town from venue to venue,’’ he laughed.

It’s one of the safest weekends in town, police said in previous years.

‘‘It’s gone from one of the quietest weekends to one of the busiest it’s a massive turnaround and the growth is mostly coming from out of town,’’ he said.

‘‘Of course, locals are a core part of it but tourists bring amazing things for accommodation, restaurants and shops; the new money is game changing.’’

He said one of most exciting gigs was White Lightning — the band of Barham’s Sean McConnell.

‘‘He came through the bootcamp program and is a real success story, that’s more of what we want to see,’’ Mr Williams said.

‘‘Kids being trained and getting performance experience and that leading to paid acts.’’

Music river cruises will show guests the true Echuca-Moama experience, with paddlesteamers including the PS Hero running 1.5 hour blues cruises on Saturday and Sunday at 11am and 1pm. Tickets are $59 per person which includes a 1.5 hour luxury cruise along the Murray River with sweet tunes from renowned guitar soloist Nick Charles and blues inspired catering.

Sunday will see Murray Esplanade transformed into a kids’ fun station with family fun for all.

‘‘We want to make it as inclusive as possible,’’ Mr Williams said.

For more information visit winterblues.com.au