Rick Steward

Hailing from Wangaratta in country Victorian, Rick Steward gave a stand-out performance of his blues-rock, with electrifying guitar playing and grimey vocals. Comparisons to John Butler Trio and Xavier Rudd are deserved, with his foot-stomping roots tunes sure to get you grooving. The crowd, which had started to fill out by this stage, got right into it, with some dancing in front of the stage. Steward used two microphones to great effect, one of them with heavy distortion which added another dimension to his bluesy sliding vocals. For most of his set, he performed alone with an amplified acoustic that never slipped into the often dull territory that it can, helped in part by a harmonica. Switching to an electric guitar for the latter part of his set, he was joined on stage by a drummer, rocking out harder and breaking a serious sweat. There was something in his sound that reminded me of Kings of Leon circa Youth & Young Manhood, perhaps his husky, slurred vocals. With his long blonde locks, Steward looks more like a surfer than a blues musician, which may make him a hit with teenage girls. The guitar was almost bigger than him, but he nonetheless owned the stage, and showed off his well-honed blues skills.

Rebecca McCann - The 59th Sound