John Bulter prepares for return to Good Day Sunshine Festival with ‘timeless’ performance

All you want is what you can’t have. It was the feeling a lot of musicians had during the COVID-19 pandemic, with health restrictions barring most from performing live in front of crowds. But amid desperation comes creativity. The solution for the organisers of the inaugural Good Day Sunshine festival in October 2020 was to split the crowd into four and have the artists rotate lazy Susan-style on a repurposed car display turntable. Legendary WA musician John Butler was the headline act for the 5000-capacity event, which was described at the time as a “world-first”. Looking back now, Butler admits he felt like he was in a show booth. “I hope I never do it again,” he said. “It is weird when you are playing to one audience and they just move out of sight. “At one point of time, you’ll be looking directly inside the stage at all the crew who are working and you’re just playing your ass off while they’re looking at you.” Butler is set to have a more traditional live music festival experience in April when he returns to headline the third incarnation of Good Day Sunshine. He said it was great to be making his return. “I was looking at the line-up and I was like holy s...,” Butler said. “I am a little biased.” Among the artists to be performing alongside Butler is his daughter Banjo Lucia, with a revamped The Cat Empire, The Bamboos, Caravãna Sun and Tijuana Cartel the other acts set to hit the stage. Butler is no stranger to the South West, having lived in Margaret River for the past nine years. His connections to the region stretches back further, including spending a lot of time camping in the area during his formative years. When asked whether he felt like a local yet, he hesitated slightly. “I suppose,” he said, before letting out a laugh. “I’m acting like a local because I am like ‘oh, all these bloody tourists’, so I sound like a local.” Audiences are being told to expect a dynamic performance, with Butler hoping to create a “wall of sound” mixed with “really beautiful pin-drop moments”. After decades of performing, he feels privileged to still be doing what he loves. “I’ve been doing it for a while and I just love that I can be on stage,” he said. “I’m very grateful that after 30 years I can be on stage with great contemporary artists and those people want to hear this music and it still has a currency to it that I’m very thankful for. “Music is timeless and I love that I haven’t stopped being hungry.” Good Day Sunshine will be held at 3 Oceans Winery in Metricup on April 6. Details and tickets are available at gdsfest.com.