A Legacy of Blues and Community
B.B. King’s live performance of How Blue Can You Get? at Cook County Jail in September 1970 is a testament to the power of blues music. The first three minutes feature a duelling solo between King on his Gibson guitar and Ron Levy on piano, followed by the brass section and the lyrics. The song’s opening lines—“I let you live in my penthouse; you said, ‘It was just a shack,’”—are both humorous and heart-wrenching, ending with the punchline: “I gave you seven children, and now you wanna give ’em back!” The track captures the emotional depth and spontaneity that define the blues, making it a timeless piece.
For Josh Teskey, lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the Teskey Brothers, this song was a pivotal moment in his journey into the world of blues. “That was one of our earliest influences,” he recalls. “It’s the way the band moves around B.B., and the fluidness of it all, the feeling behind it. It’s not mathematical at all. It’s really just feeling music, and B.B. being such an amazing singer with his guitar.”
The Teskey Brothers are Australia’s most prominent blues-rock act, known for their Otis Redding-like vocals and raw emotion. Josh and his younger brother Sam began playing guitars as kids in rural Victoria, learning their craft through busking. They maintained day jobs as tradies while forming their band in 2008. Their debut album, Half Mile Harvest, released in 2017, helped grow their audience exponentially, and their live album Live At The Forum topped the ARIA charts in 2020—making it the first live album by an Australian act to do so since AC/DC.
Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the Teskey Brothers have continued touring Europe and the US since 2017. Their performance at the Blues on Broadbeach festival in May will be their debut there, marking a significant milestone for the band. “It’s been a long time coming,” Teskey says. “We’re finally making it happen this year, for the festival’s 25th anniversary, which is really exciting.”
Blues on Broadbeach artistic director Mark Duckworth has been trying to book the Teskey Brothers for over eight years. “At the time they were an emerging act. And then they had to go overseas, and said, ‘Can we postpone till the following year?’ And they never came back, because the trajectory those guys went on was massive.”
The Teskey Brothers will perform at a ticketed event within the otherwise free festival, which takes over Broadbeach streets and parks from May 14–17. Emma Donovan and Ash Grunwald will support them on stage.
On the other end of the spectrum is legendary New Zealand-born guitarist Kevin Borich, whose band, Kevin Borich Express, is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Borich, who lives in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, has played with icons like Bo Diddley, Joe Walsh, and Carlos Santana. He’ll be performing at his 20th Blues on Broadbeach, a festival he describes as one of his favorites. “It’s free, and you don’t have to wear your gumboots,” he says. “It can rain and that doesn’t matter, because it just goes down the gutter. It’s quite neat playing among the skyscrapers, and you look up and people are hanging out on the balconies. It’s a great vibe.”
Blues on Broadbeach began in 2002 with just two stages and 5,000 attendees. Conceived by Experience Gold Coast as a way to promote visitation during the shoulder season, the festival has grown to cover about four blocks, with local cafes, restaurants, and bars joining in. This year, Duckworth expects more than 160,000 people to attend, with over 60 acts performing across local, national, and international stages.
One of the festival’s most devoted fans is “Big” Geoff Verey, who first attended in 2005. Now 75, he plans to fly to the event in 2026, bringing his new walking stick with a seat attached. “I consider it the best five-day party on Earth,” he says. The free nature of the festival allows him to spend more in local businesses, contributing to the community’s growth.
Verey recalls a memorable moment in 2016 when he sat outside a restaurant on Surf Parade with friends and family, enjoying performances by Eric Burdon and the Animals. “One of my mates who was up there said, ‘This is one of the best days of my life.’” This year, he looks forward to seeing Karen Lee Andrews, Robert Finley, Lachy Doley, and Ruthie Foster, among others.
Duckworth emphasizes that the festival retains a unique community feel. “The whole city gets on board. It’s not a green-field site that’s fenced off, locals can just pass through it. That city-festival vibe gives us a point of difference, and I hope to see it continue for a long time.”
Blues on Broadbeach runs from May 14–17. The Teskey Brothers play on Sunday, May 17, while Kevin Borich Express performs on May 14 and 16.
