The first bands of the Bluesfest 2014 lineup have already been announced in the first of several touted announcements for next year’s edition of the annual Byron Bay music festival.
The likes of John Mayer, Dave Matthews Band, and John Butler Trio are already locked in to play the award-winning event as it celebrates its 25th birthday next year as part of the complete “enormous” Bluesfest 2014 lineup.
But it looks like there’s two more acts that can be added to the 25th Silver Anniversary edition of Bluesfest ahead of the second lineup announcement, which is due in “two or three weeks” according to Festival Director Peter Noble, who has let slip of the two latest additions on the Bluesfest 2014 lineup while in attendance at the BIGSOUND 2013 industry conference this week.
In an industry luncheon in which Tone Deaf were in attendance, Noble revealed that Grammy-winning singer-songwriter India.Arie would be part of Bluesfest’s 25th birthday festivities. Her appearance on the Bluesfest 2014 lineup marks a return to the event after playing Bluesfest 2006.
Also playing the five-day event for its regular Easter showing next year is none other than the New Orleans Night Tripper himself, Dr John, with Noble letting slip in an interview with The Music that he’d been chasing the cajun cajole for last year’s event circulating the release of his critically acclaimed 2012 album, Locked Down. “I still think I’ve got some pretty good aces up my sleeve for Bluesfest in my next announcement, which is two or three weeks away.”
“I couldn’t get Dr John out [in the] last year or so, on a big record that he had all of a sudden. But, Oops, I’ve dropped it, I have him out next year… I haven’t announced that one yet,” said Noble, who also discussed his attempts to wrangle some of ‘bucket list’ acts to play his flagship event, including Ry Cooder and Van Morrison.
“I try every year… of course I’m trying to get him!” he remarked of Cooder, adding, “of course I go to Van [Morrison] every year, ‘will he get on the plane this year?'” he pondered of the Irish legend, who’s been absent from Aussie shores since 1985.
Noble also noted that the next Bluesfest 2014 lineup “will probably be older artists,” adding that, “I still think I’ve got some pretty good aces up my sleeve for Bluesfest in my next announcement, which is two or three weeks away.”
Considering a number of the acts name-checked in the first lineup announcement were rumoured over in the Bluesfest forums, it’s provided a good place to start for guesses over future lineup additions, with the likes of Tom Jones, Trombone Shorty, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, Steve Earle, Willie Nelson, (who all fit Noble’s “older artists” comment), the Black Crowes, and even the Black Keys tossed about.
Meanwhile, Noble has obviously used his time at BIGSOUND effectively, with a post on the Bluesfest forums surfacing confirming that Noble had wrangled the industry conference’s keynote speaker, the Bard of Barking, Billy Bragg – who is due for a full Australian Tour next March (with support from Courtney Barnett) – for Bluesfest… in two years time. “Hi All, we caught up with Billy in Brisvegas last night. He has confirmed his appearance for Bluesfest 2015. so there you have it – first announced artist for that year,” reads the post.
If last year’s Bluesfest is anything to go by, with its star-studded lineup bringing “capacity crowds” of 17,000 per day, a total attendance of 85,000, generating millions for the local economy, and nabbing a Helpmann Award last month; Bluesfest 2014 will be even more massive as organisers pull out all the stops for their 25th Silver Anniversary edition.
Ahead of Bluesfest, next month sees the launch of the inaugural Boomerang Festival at the Bluesfest site, with the full indigenous arts and music festival program containing a deep and diverse selection as well as a musical lineup that includes Gurrumul, Archie Roach, Busby Marou, The Medics, Casey Donovan and many more.
Despite the impressive bill and pedigree of Bluesfest, Noble recently revealed that ticket sales to the event had been severely struggling, comparing the lack of disinterest in Boomerang’s celebration of indigenous culture to a form of “cultural apartheid.”
Boomerang hasn’t been the only festival that’s faced struggles recently, with a recent spate of reports showing an alarming number of high-profile victims – such as Harvest’s likely cancellation, Pyramid Rock fold on its 2013 edition, and the likely cancellation of Summadayze as messy liquidation proceedings await major Aussie promoters Future Entertainment Pty Ltd, along with McManus Entertainment and Fat As Butter promoters Mothership Music.
“If you look at Australia, we have been going through a bit of a shake-up, a fallout, of events,” remarks Noble to The Music, “…I think it’s been happening for a few years actually but it seems to be more recognised now. People see events that they don’t expect to cancel, cancel or go belly-up and I put it that – I’ve been in the business long enough to have seen this happen before – you’ve gotta be out there delivering the best and you can’t be like anybody else.”
Bluesfest 2014 Lineup
India.Arie
Dr John
join the already announced lineup of:
John Mayer
Dave Matthews Band
John Butler Trio
Erykah Badu
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Iron & Wine
Michael Franti & Spearhead
Devendra Banhart
Morcheeba
Gary Clark Jr
KT Tunstall
Allen Stone
Valerie June
Nikki Hill
and many more to come!
Bluesfest 2014 Dates & Tickets
25th Annual Byron Bay Bluesfest
Thursday 17th – Monday 21st April, 2014
All Single Day, Camping, Festival tickets are on sale now through www.bluesfest.com.au and Bluefest office on 02 6685 8310
Tickets are also available through Ticketmaster on www.ticketmaster.com.au
Bluesfest playing schedule is available on www.bluesfest.com.au
