Friday 8 November 2013 - Benalla Festival, Benalla (#78)
For the third year running, Pans on Fire played at the Benalla Festival. This year, they were part of a multicultural theme of "We are One", and played as a warm-up act for the main performer in Nicky Bomba & Bustamento, along with groups from Africa, South America and the South Pacific.
![](images/friday-8-november-2013---benalla-festival-benalla-78/On Tour-BF2013.jpg)
Threatening weather meant a last-minute switch to the main stage in the park, and this had the advantage that we were miked-up instead of playing acoustic. It was great for the band to be able to hear what everyone else was playing, through the fallback speakers.
![](images/friday-8-november-2013---benalla-festival-benalla-78/BenallaFestival2013.jpg)
Since Lennox Jordan, the regular pan player for Bustamento, was still away in Oman teaching the Sultan's Steelband a few numbers, Rita Seethaler got a call-up on the night to play with Bustamento.
![](images/friday-8-november-2013---benalla-festival-benalla-78/BenallaBustamento.jpg)
Despite not having played (or even heard) many of the numbers beforehand, she did a great job when called upon to play a couple of impromptu solos.