It’s not unusual to have fun at Bluesfest. Especially when it’s being headlined by the one and only, Grammy-award winning Sir Tom Jones. Jones proved once again why he is and always will be an enduring legend of the music world with his headlining performance at this years’ Byron Bay Bluesfest. Despite singing about the passage of time and coming to terms with growing old, Jones brought an infectious energy and enthusiasm to the stage that belied his age, captivating the audience from start to finish (my dancing mum included).

It’s a return to her established sound, carrying on the intelligent restraint of her previous album I Know I’m Funny haha with her trademark so-subtle-you-don’t-always-notice-it’s-so-cutting, self-deprecating edge that should appeal to fans new and long-time. If by the time someone is halfway through album opener Thinking About You, they aren’t on board with Webster’s way of storytelling, when the six-and-a-half-minute track finally finishes, they should have gotten the point - …

Just before midday on my favourite day of the year (Laneway day), I find myself in an Uber to Flemington Racecourse. It’s my first Laneway in Melbourne, though I haven’t missed the festival since 2018. Depending on who you ask, I was too early for anyone worth seeing, such as headliners Dominic Fike or Stormzy. But, as I prepared for my fifth Laneway, I knew I was in for a marathon day of the best up-and-coming local acts sharing the stage with some of the world’s finest talent. 

While I overlooked the vibes town stage with the stunning backdrop of Tassies natural beauty, I knew I was in for an adventure.  Exhausted from the 4am plane ride and the 20kg loads of camping gear on our backs, we set up camp in the 30-degree heat, filled with excitement for the day ahead. 

And The Slingers, a group of rag-tag, swoon-worthy, romantic bushrangers, well, they refer to this modern age through dualities and dichotomies; an age of both “great compassion and crucifixion” of both “creature comfort and constant pain and numbness,” an overall age of loneliness.