Motor City Music Festival – what a blast!

Musicians. I have spent my life surrounded by them. My high school music teacher is a great blues and big band composer (and did some top 40 stuff while he was teaching us), and live music has always been one of my favourite ways to enjoy life.

For quite some time, I had a small selection of concert photography on my events page, before I decided to concentrate on wedding photography for events. From small local cover bands, to international acts, I have been SO fortunate to be allowed to capture their energy and passion. THANK YOU to all the promoters and artists who were kind enough to grant the wish of a total unknown.

I emailed the Geelong Motor City Music Festival with my meagre credentials and they agreed to give me a pass – if you have ever wondered if a middle aged woman could dance like Fred Astaire, while yelling yippee, wonder no more!

This festival is incredible. Run by the same company that organises the incredible blues train, the organisation that goes into this event is detailed and the people are passionate. The performers are just there to enjoy themselves in front of their fans, and it shows.

Friday night is all about the rock and party music. Both Friday and Saturday are 18+, and the atmosphere is fantastic. There are free carnival rides (yay for dodgem cars!!), five stages, plenty of areas to chill, and everyone is out for a great rocking time. There are static displays that last the entire weekend from local car enthusiasts, car dealers and accessories (it IS Geelong, after all) and service organisations, along with an incredible array of food vendors, from vegan through to indulgent desserts – truly a one stop shop for a weekend getaway.

Saturday is cover band city and blues music galore. Oh my goodness, the line up of tribute bands just blew my mind! Sudden family illness meant I couldn’t stay for the evening fireworks spectacular, but oh wow! The daytime bands just blew my mind. Cover bands are one of my passions, they prove my point that good music is timeless and always appreciated. The crowds settle in front of their favourite stage and the atmosphere is VERY laid back, aussie party style. GOOD blues music is the perfect way to spend a saturday afternoon, I can’t stress enough the wealth of talent, both local and imported that gets together for this festival. You NEED to take a weekend away for this and spend some time on the Bellarine as well, the drive is WELL worth it!

Sunday is a totally different scene, it’s country music day and family day. The rides really get a work out (still free!) There are spaces at the front of the stage for kids to dance, and dance they do! Many of the performers travel with their family, and it’s a delight to see them all out and about enjoying the other acts. There are balloons, face painting, lots of great areas for picnics, honestly, all ages would have a great time!

I honestly don’t think that I could pick a favourite act from the many that I was privileged to enjoy and capture, from the exuberance of the Painters and Dockers, through to the rocking sounds of the Black Sorrows, and then the early morning joyful singing of James Blundell, the whole weekend was just one of the best I have ever been to. Thanks again to all the organisers and behind the scenes staff who made this festival such a great weekend of music, laughs and fun for everyone, and a huge thank you to the artists and performers.

The Motor City Music Festival is an annual event. Look for it in Google or on Facebook, and I hope to see you next year!