Wignalls blues fest makes welcome return

The return of the Wignalls Vintage Blues Festival over the weekend has been heralded by its organiser as attracting one of the best-behaved crowds in the event’s 18-year history.

Almost 2000 people streamed through the gate on Saturday, keen to enjoy live performances from a diverse line-up, featuring popular Albany bluesman Jeremy “Moondog J” Jongsma, Perth country-infused folk band Ruby Boots, young Perth singer-songwriter Morgan Bain, Donna Simpson and Vikki Thorn of The Waifs fame’s new side project The Stray Sisters, rootsy blues musician Ash Grunwald and Perth indie pop act Timothy Nelson and the Infidels.

Families arrived early in the afternoon to spread out blankets on the grass, with only a few bare patches left by 3.30pm when Ruby Boots took to the stage, led by dynamic front woman Bex Chilcott, who sang the praises of Cosy Corner beach she had visited earlier in the day.

The dance floor started to fill as the sun set behind the pine trees, with young singer-songwriter Morgan Bain and his band The Swoop upping the tempo with their rockier vibe and Bain’s impressive vocal range.

The most enthusiastic round of applause was reserved for when The Stray Sisters hit the stage just after 6pm, with the well-known siblings delighting their audience with banter and singalongs.

An energetic and charismatic Ash Grunwald had the crowd rollicking to tracks from his back catalogue as well as his new album, during his foot-stomping, wailing set, while Perth six-piece Timothy Nelson and the Infidels rounded out the evening of live music.

Wignalls Wines managing director Rob Wignall said the concert’s tentative resurrection after its cancellation last year because of dwindling crowd numbers would “go down in history” for those in attendance.

“It was an awesome night,” he said.

“We were exceptionally happy with the crowd — it was one of the best we have ever had.

“We are ranking it as one of the top two shows we have held here.”

Mr Wignall said the crowd was “drastically different” from previous years, with plenty of young children on the dance floor and a non-aggressive atmosphere among drinkers.

However, he could not guarantee the festival would return to Albany’s events calendar next year and estimated the festival would only break even financially.

“The problem is not the numbers, those are sustainable. It is paying the accounts that is the problem,” he said.

“At this stage, we won’t know until springtime if we will throw it again.”

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