Bluesfest is celebrating its 25th Silver Anniversary Edition this Easter, but one act unfortunately will no longer be making it to Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm this April to help with the music celebrations.
Blus guitarist Walter Trout has cancelled on his Bluesfest 2014 commitments, his health issues forcing the 63-year-old American musician to pull out of the massive Bluesfet 2014 bill as well as his accompanying sideshows with Robbern Ford.
“It is with sadness that Bluesfest announce Walter Trout is not able to perform at Bluesfest in 2014 or his Sydney and Melbourne shows with Robben Ford due to health reasons,” read a media release from Bluesfest organisers issued this morning.
Trout has suffered from issues with his liver for some years and was conspicuously absent from the recently revealed Bluesfest 2014 playing times.
“I was really looking forward to playing in Australia. However, our health insurance company took forever to approve the treatment for my liver problem and so it kept getting delayed,” explains the blues guitarist in a statement, adding:
Now finally approved, treatment is underway, and the specialists and doctors expect me to be ready to take the stage again when the treatment is complete. I certainly want to do so. I still love to play for people – and now more so than ever! However, due to the delay in treatment, I will still have part of the treatment left by the time I would have played in Australia, and me and my team of doctors didn’t want to risk a set-back due to the extensive amount of travel included in getting to Australia, and also for me to be far away from my specialists at that time.
I am truly sorry for letting my fans down. I looked very much forward to getting back to Australia, a land I learned to love all the way back in my Canned Heat days. It is my sincere hope that I will be able to get back to Oz next year.”
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Bluesfest Festival Director Peter Noble said “we at Bluesfest wish Walter all the best and we look forwarding to presenting him in the future.”
Trout’s Bluesfest 2014 sideshows will now see Robben Ford perofming with Devon Allman in Melbourne and Matthew Curry in Sydney (dates and details below) while all ticketholders looking for a refund can contact their point of purchase for details.
The news follows the addition of the likes of Matt Corby, Tim Rogers, Foy Vance, Saskwatch, and Skunkhour among 11 more acts added to the already enormous Bluesfest 2014 lineup, and there’s more on the way.
In a to-be-published interview with Peter Noble, the Bluesfest Director confirmed that there were a “few more announcements” in the pipleline for the multi-award winning Byron Bay music festival, bolstering the seven-stage, five-day event before its kick-off for this April’s Easter long weekend – likely filling out the ‘to be announced’ blocks in the recently unveiled Bluesfest 2014 playing times.
Robben Ford Bluesfest 2014 Sideshows
ROBBEN FORD with his band & MATTHEW CURRY
The Factory, Sydney – THURS 17 APRIL 2014 bluesfesttouring.com.au 02 6685 8310
ROBBEN FORD with his band & DEVON ALLMAN with his band
The Corner, Melbourne – FRI 18 APRIL 2014 bluesfesttouring.com.au 02 6685 8310
–Also appearing at Bluesfest Byron Bay 2014 –
Bluesfest 2014 Lineup
View the Bluesfest 2014 set times here
Jack Johnson • John Mayer • Dave Matthews Band (two exclusive performances)
Jeff Beck • Elvis Costello & The Imposters
Buddy Guy Two Outstanding Performances • Joss Stone • Erykah Badu •
Passenger • Iron & Wine • India.Arie• Aaron Neville • Doobie Brothers•
Boz Scaggs • Gregg Allman • Dr John & The Nite Trippers •
Matt Corby • Tim Rogers • Foy Vance • Kim Churchill • Skunkhour
Saskwatch • Dubmarine • Watussi • Tijuana Cartel • Lime Cordiale
Michael Franti & Spearhead • Gary Clark Jr • Jimmie Vaughan •
Eric Bibb • Steve Earle & The Dukes • Kasey Chambers • Jason Isbell •
Gov’t Mule• Morcheeba • Devendra Banhart • Playing for Change
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros • Jake Bugg • Ozomatli •
KC & The Sunshine Band • WAR • Larry Graham & Graham Central Station
The Wailers • Sly & Robbie and The Taxi Gang • Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 •
Chali 2Na • The James Cotton Blues Band • Booker T. Jones •
The Black Sorrows • Devon Allman • Suzanne Vega • Beth Hart •
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals • KT Tunstall • Trixie Whitley •
Garland Jeffreys • The Charlie Musselwhite Band • Robben Ford •
CW Stoneking • Kate Miller-Heidke • Allen Stone • The Soul Rebels •
North Mississippi Allstars • The Magic Band • Grandmothers of Invention •
Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience • Dyson, Stringer & Cloher •
Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes • Nikki Hill • Valerie June •
The Beards • Matthew Curry • Joanne Shaw Taylor • Ray Beadle Band •
Genevieve Chadwick • The Paladins • Backsliders • Chain •
Candye Kane Band • Glenn Cardier and The Sideshow•
Nahko & Medicine For The People • Saidah Baba Talibah •
The Mojo Webb Band • Daniel Champagne • Eugene “Hideaway” Bridges •Walter Trout • Hat Fitz & Cara • Seth Lakeman • Shaun Kirk •
Claude Hay • Marshall OKell and The Pride • Public Opinion Afro Orchestra •
Cambodian Space Project • Music Maker Foundation Feat. Pat Wilder, Cool John Ferguson, and Little Freddie King
RocKwiz Live
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
