I have most of Santana on dvd, and cd music,and seen him back in the mid 1980's in the entertement centre in Perth, firsty, my wife andf I paid for VIP tickets and top price, and felt we were well treated since we walked into the tent, where good amount of food and drinks were supplied. Secondly, going to our plastic seats , 5th row from the front and sitting with people we did not know, and being able to compare knowledge of Santana was good fun, and being able to sit, or stand and head bang with a bottle of wine, was even better. But to see the Santana Band from what ever angle you like and being fixed on his guitar playing, and being able to here the timing in the whole band, and listening to almost all of his old tunes, and to here his wife on drums, and to soak it all in and then go back to the tent, and have a bit more to drink and or have coffee and cake, was our best experience that counted the most. BUT WHAT SPOILT THE NIGHT WAS TO HERE A WINGER SAY THAT SANTANA SHOULD OF PLAYED MORE SONGS OF HIS NEW ALBUM. TO THAT WINGER, SANTANA'S EARLY MUSIC IS WHAT MADE HIM, AND HIS 1999 ALBUM, SUPERNATERAL, IS WHAT MADE HIS RETURN TO STARDUM. I VERY REGULAR STILL PLAY THAT ALBUM AND RATE IT AS ONE OF HIS FINEST, AND THAT NIGHT HE PLAYED A FEW SONGS OFF THE ALBUM. IF YOU WANT TO HERE HIM PLAY AN ALBUM WITH ALL COPY SONGS, AND NOT KNOCKING SANTANA, THEN YOU SHOULD DO THE READ UP AND WHO THE ORIGINAL ARTISTS ARE AND LISTEN TO ORIGINAL TRACKS, BECAUSE AS AN EXAMPLE, CREAM SOUND BETER WHEN YOU LISTEN TO THEM PLAYING THERE OWN SONGS. HOW MANY ARTISTS THAT TRY TO COPY SANTANA SOUND AS GOOD AS SANTANA?????????????????????????????????????????????????

I will keep my concert tickets along my others, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, BB king, Dire Straits, ETC< ETC !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will be back to Sandlefords th only way, VIP

What a fantastic show at Sandalford Estate last week.Saw Santana in NZ about 8 years ,was fantastic then however like a true great wine he and his band improve with age.Looking forward to his next visit to Perth - lets hope it is at  Sandalford  in the Swan Valley !!

The whole of the evening was, as always at Sandalford superb with the one downside being the view from the higher numbered chairs in the front (few) rows. Very little vision of the band from behind the keyboard player had to watch many of the band on screen only, and a significant imbalance of the spread of the band on the stage - 80% to stage left. Poor stage management I'm afraid. Everything else .......  great! Looking forward to the 2011 / 2012 season.

What a magnificent night. The Venue and the entertainment.

We flew all the way down from Kununurra not having been to Sandalford beforewasn't to sure what the setup would be like. THe seating the stage, the food, drink moving people in and out was eleven out of ten. Well doen Sandalford.

The entertainment was second to none. As a guitarist it was Guitar Heaven. John Butler showed Australia is still producing world class standard musicians. Then Santana was just amazing. It wasn't just Carlos I realised you see when go to a Santana concert but the "band" Santana. Mind you Carlos' playing was everything I wanted it to be. Those long sustained notes and the guitar sound of Carlos - fantastic.  I can't recall seeing a concert before which was this good.

We saw Carlos & his band just over 3 years ago in Hong Kong and he seemed tired and jaded and I was most disappointed. But last night - Wow what a difference love makes! Thanks to Cindy the man was back to his brilliant, vibrant, magical best - and we all felt the Light and Love. Personally I was glad he played the old stuff - it's his best and still brings a tear to the eye, and a swivel to the hips. The evening too was perfect for a concert - warm and balmy - just wonderful. Very different to the cold October concert for Simply Red - and much better value than the meagre 90 minutes Mick Hucknall deigned to grant us. This time we sat in general admission on foldaway event chairs and we had as good a view, if not better than from the more expensive plastic chairs at the front. John Butler was excellent on his own and also later with the band - a special moment indeed. Transport in and out of the carparks was far better than we expected - it seems a bit of a lottery but we had no problems. Finally I'm not sure where I found these fotos, but it seems Sandalfords want us to post them even though they didn't permit us to take them. Ah well!  More of the same please Sandalfords - excellent work - just ease up on the silly rules - we're all grown-ups now - and we'll come back again and again.
 

Would be nice if Sandleford arranged a free shuttle bus for those who book into hotels within the swan valley to get to and from the concert.

Wow.. absolutely fantastic both John Butler and the master himself Carlos...also what a wild filly his new wife is on those drums! Venue amazing. Weather perfect...caught the bus to and from Midland..much easier than driving there trying to get in and out for those who had to wait! The most amazing aspect other than the music for me was the open and vibrant spirituality coming from them all. Cant wait for us all to glow with the same love!! Keep up the great work. Thanks to all

What a fantastic night.  I bought my first VIP tickets as a birthday treat for hubby who has been a Santana fan for over 40 years.  The VIP parking was well organised and proficient.  The entry to the venue was prompt and the service friendly.  The food, drink and staff in the marquee were good, and plentiful on all counts.  The complimentary bottle of wine to take to our seat was also appreciated.

As we had front row seats we were in 'guitar heaven' and enjoyed John Butler who is always exceptionally good, and the legend that is Carlos Santana.  How can you describe perfection?  Or music that just reaches something way deep down inside of you?  We had a fantastic night, enjoyed a nightcap after the show, and easily exited the venue.

Negatives?  The couple who were obviously well over the limit and aggressive, bordering on violent with each other.  Security intervened promptly and removed them before it turned any uglier.  Oh and my sore hands, from all the clapping!  Fantastic effort Sandleford on a job well done.  Oh, and Carlos.......I love you man.

Congratulations to everyone involved in putting this event together. The weather, venue, organisation and the music were a memorable combination. The highlights for me included

- no congestion at the entry gates, friendly security and ticketing staff ensuring everyone flowed through into the venue, and plenty of room to move around once inside.

- minimal food and drink queues. Some queuing is to be expected at this type of event but overall was much better than previous experiences at Sandalford and elsewhere

- the music itself (which is what we had all come for) was excellent. However, I would have hoped for more of Santana's recent music. There was too much of a similarity with his last performance in Perth. When you come back to see a performer again, it is reasonable to expect significant new material - he has plenty to choose from!

- I've had some very long waits to get out of the car park at Sandalford in the past - this time, I was out of the gate in about 10 minutes and free of traffic queues on the road within a further 5 minutes.

Loved the show, Carlos and his band...WOW felt the love!!  and John was brilliant, wonderful to see him on home soil

Love the open concerts at Sandalford, however this time we felt the General Admission layout wasn’t the best. 

Only one walk way created, which lead directly to the VIP/Reserved seating area there no additional walkways provided in the general admission area. 

In previous concerts, walkways were created in the general admission area that were parallel to the stage which allowed concert goers easier access back to their seats – we noticed a number of lost people, who ended up sitting by themselves!   Also having to walk over people wasn’t the nicest feeling!

Also having to have your bags re-checked when leaving.... never had that happen before?

Apart from that loved it

How do you define such an experience.  The man is still supreme after all these years !!!!!!!!!!!!! John Butler just gets better and better and Santana draws you in in only the way he can .............light and love to all.

My only downer of the night was the layout for seating.  It would have been better to have walk ways between groups of seating.  I understand that this has been the case in the past. It makes it a hell of a lot easier for people to find their seats and friends in the dark.  I watched one poor lady wander around for 20 minutes trying to find her place again and eventually just seated herself in a spot because she couldn't find her friends again.

Confirming everyone,s positive comments on John and Santana, was glad he played more old material which my teenage rock guitarist wanted to hear.

Not so at his last concert at Burswood. Have been a fan since Woodstock. Last concert at sandalford for me was Steely Dan (at last, in WA) but the exit turned me off the venue. Decide to risk it by car again, excellent entry and exit. Some cars jammed up not knowing where to go, Maybe more direction within the parking area.

Just one bad note, having not taken alcohol decided to share a glass to match the vibe. Took a chance on Late Harvest with only price and name listed.I buy drinkable wine under $20. This was $24 diluted syrup which would suit a coca cola drinker looking for a sugar fix., Truely yuck, sadly.Not so Corazon Espinado, Guitar Heaven and John Butler. Thanks for a great one.

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Well Yet again a fantastic night with great friends. I have been to Sandleford before for many concerts (only last week for Buble' Fantastic) and for wine tasting  and will do so again and again as it is so relaxing and I feel quite at home there. Santana was fantastic and for his wife she is such a great drummer and what a match made in heaven they were all so great to hear and enjoy with great friends at the best venue I think in Perth. John Butler is great as always and what a treat for him to be with Santana. i was with my nineteen year old son and my friend was with her 72 year young Dad so it goes to show it is great venue and concert for all ages. We all danced the night away.

Best of all wishes to all of Sandalford Staff and workers to make the place what it is today. Great for the Swan Valley of ours. 

Glitch is another lane to get in and out from off West swan Road would be beneficial, but we had no probs in or out.

It would appear that many others who attended the Santana concert had a very different experience to us.

Firstly, I was really dismayed to find that having attended the venue by motorcycle in order to avoid the chaos that has ensued at previous events where the public was left without staff support to negotiate exiting the parking areas, we were confronted by the compulsory, but unwarned of requirement to place our helmets in a secure area.

This was allegedly done for security reasons as helmets could be used as weapons! Give us a break- which car driving nazi truly believes that I am going to use my $800.00 helmet as a weapon? This was made even more absurd by the fact that there was no security checking of individuals who, if they were intent on causing a disturbance, had every opportunity to enter the facility with any number of weapons hidden on their person.

Discrimination? Yes I think so, and based on what evidence?

Interestingly patrons were at liberty to have bottles in their possesion-surely a far more likely cause for concern than someone carrying a helmet.

With respect to the sound quality, or lack therof, who determines that the decibel level at concerts be less than I regularly subject my ears to in my car? Surely as adults we can make thast choice for ourselves, or is this yet another manifestation of the Australian nanny state mentality where faceless others presume to know what is best for us? No doubt working in the same 'think tank' where the helmet safety initiative wwas penned.

For me, a potentially great event ruined by the overzealous interventions of those who shall no doubt remain faceless lest we see their quaking, fear filled beings in the flesh and be able to voice our concerns directly!!

Santana was wonderful as always. I too was disappointed he didnt play from his latest album.... While my guitar gently weeps ...would have been cream on the cake. We ran as soon as it finished and drove out with ease and couldn't beleive our luck.That's always a deterrent from attending anything at Sandalford.Please enlighten me as to why we were searched for alcohol on our way OUT. What next?

I am not a regular concert goer, and I don't even drink and I am just writing to say I was very impressed by the experience. Sandalford did a great job organising the venue and the email sent to use a few days before the event was very helpful. The venue was beautiful and relaxing, so much better than indoors on a chair. I was amazed at the quality of the sound - it was great from where we were aboy 80m away from the stage to the left.

The only hitch to our concert experience is that we were queing at an entrance not realising it was not the box-office. This entrance looke no different in general appearance to the other entrance which had the Box Office. There should be signs and announcements made to people queqing alerting them to go to the Box Office to collect their tickets.

Our first time at Sandalford Estates, and we were extremely impressed, well done everybody fabulous venue...  Fantastic Concert too, the best I have seen Santana outside of the Albert Hall.

Great night and fantastic event and venue. Can you please rectify VIP parking vouchers with Ticketec who insisted on 1voucher for our 10 tickets. The VIP sales data clearly stated VIP parking included and as we had clients travelling in seperate vehicles 1 ticket was not going to be reasonable. Ticketec maintained one per transaction but this was not in the sales data nor does it make sense. 

Can I suggest that presentation of a VIP ticket is all that is required for VIP poarking and you save the prinying costs of parking vouchers.

It was a wonderful night last night - from the perfect weather to the fantastic music of Carlos Santana and John Butler.  We hadn't seen Santana for a number of years, but he can certainly still play and is quite relevant in the world of music - a living legend.  John Butler was simply amazing and was a great bonus to the show.  He played with a lot of passion and technical virtuosity that was mesmorising to listen to.  Overall an amazing night - as well as leaving the venue a little early so as to avoid the major traffic (experienced last year by us) - planning is key...

This was our first Sandalford Concert but it won't be our last. It was a beautiful location, stunning weather and fantastic concert!!!  Getting in and out was no hassle and we are looking forward to our next visit xxxxx

It was our first time to this venue for a concert. It was a perfect evening in every way. The organisation was superb - entry, food vendors, drinks, facilities etc.

There was room to picnic and enjoy the show from general admissions area and the stage, sound and video screen were excellent.

Great advice about parking at Midland Station and taking shuttle.

The concert was mellow and strong and very professional and the 2 1/2 hrs was well worth the cost. Congratulations.

Great night of music and well organised venue but can we not have bright lights flashing towards the audience. I  had to wear sunglasses for most of the concert!

One of the best concerts I have ever been to. Simply amazing.  The set up, loos (!), food, everything was amazing.  Feel it is much better organised than Leeuwin, as you have more than just one gate, and the bag checks were efficient and quick.  Lovely setting, will definitely come to another one.  Getting in and out was easy.  Very impressed.  The concert was just awesome, and what a buzz for John Butler to play with Santana.  His wife is absolutely amazing too.  Well done!

Great night, John Butler always wonderful, and great to see him get up and play with Santana, very special. Great sound, great band but Im with Paul, Id have liked to hear songs from the new album, there was only the overplayed Sunshine of Your Love. To name a tour after an album and play only one song is a bit unusual !!

Not Sandalfords problem, and Im sure the hardcore Santana fans were happy to hear the older songs mainly.

Leaving the car park is always problematic, and although it seemd like a long wait, we were well on our way home less than 30 mins after the concert finished.

Another fabulous night at Sandalford ... John Butler followed by Santana - you can't get more perfect than that.  And as usual, driving in and out of the venue was trouble free.  Definitely a night to remember.  Chris and Trev.

Santana was still wow after seeing him for the first time 35 years ago! Sandalford venue great in every way ....except for the terrible wait to get out! Surely since you've had & plan to have many more concerts at this wonderful venue something could be done to open up another exit so that it isn't so chaotic at the end of a great night!

Great night coupled with brilliant weather and location and though I sincerely like Santana's music, I (paid) and attended last night to mainly hear the music from his new album of which there was (I stand corrected) perhaps only one? Very disappointed in that respect. Oh, and the normal whinge about the price of beer :)

Had a wonderful night grooving with the master and our very talented John Butler  well done people very slick operation hassle free. 

The Young's from Kardy