The Bruthen Blues Festival is a popular music event on the annual music calendar. This year they celebrated the first festival back post covid. Connect Well supported the Walk Your Blues Away activity for the festival. Participants joined one of several guided walks and be entertained by some great musical acts, stationed along the way. The walk was attended by families, individuals, and small groups.
The groups were guided along the rail trail (a small loop walk about Bruthen) and experience a variety of intimate performances and experiences at their own pace. The walk promoted mental wellbeing through social connection and the Connect Well team were there to hand out showbags with information to support better mental health.
The Walk Away Your Blues also provided musicians and other artists with an important opportunity to re-establish regular public performances and engage with live audience, opportunities that have been severely limited over the past several years.
Misty Henderson a well know East Gippsland singer song writer, entertained the walkers with her original song called Swinging. Her country blues vibe had everyone tapping their toes to her upbeat tune.
Melbourne based band Southbound Snake Charmers were another performer on the trail. A four-piece dirty blues band, with a deep south psychedelic vibe entertained the crowd with their song Heart of Corruption.
In response to the prolonged impacts of bushfire and subsequent COVID-19 pandemic, which have had major impacts upon both the local community and economy, the Bruthen Blues Festival 2022 was an opportunity to reinvigorate the local area and encourage visitors and tourists to renew their interest in the area. With the recent launch of the ‘Discover Hidden Gems at Bruthen’ website, the Bruthen Blues Festival and Walk Your Blues Away was a special feature that was a valuable contributor to recovery for the local region and tourism, both economically and on an individual basis, for locals and visitors alike.
WALK AWAY YOUR BLUES
