Another Bluefest 2014 lineup announcement has landed, just in time for Christmas.
Following on from revealing another batch of artists to the bill for the award-winning five-day event’s 25th Silver Anniversary Edition – including Buddy Guy, Jake Bugg, Booker T Jones, Charlie Musselwhite, and more – another batch of artists have been added to the Byron Bay festival.
Taking place at the Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, north of Byron Bay, over five days in Easter 2014, now joining the Bluefest 2014 lineup is a list of artists from an array of genres that will provide something for every kind of music fan; from latino rock, disco, hip hop, reggae, funk, jam bands, alt country, sweet soul music, Afrobeat, and one of the greatest guitar slingers of all time.
Those that have been keeping track of the multiple Bluesfest 2014 sideshow announcements may see a few familiar names amongst the latest additions, but the biggest name leading the new announcement is guitar legend Jeff Beck.
Continually hailed as one of the great instrumental players of his craft over the course of his 50 year career, Jeff Beck bring his versatile, skilled, and influential guitar-work for his second ever Bluesfest appearance (following his 2010 debut).
KC & The Sunshine Band, one of the highest selling disco bands ever, will bring their inimitable brand of dance-happy fun and esteemed catalogue of bona fide hits to the Bryon Bay stage, with Bluesfest promoter Peter Noble crediting them with “Bluesfest’s biggest dance announcement ever!”
Aided in no small part by phenomenal Nigerian musician Seun Kuti, son of the one and only Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, who will be joined by him and his father’s 16-piece band Egypt 80. WAR will also be gracing the 25th Anniversary bill in their first ever Australian tour, the ‘Lowrider’ hit-makers (originally led by Eric Burdon) bringing their latino funk fusion and a songbook that’s shifted over 50 million albums worldwide.
Another major addition for hip hop fans is Jurassic 5 MC Chali 2na. The rapper was already playing sideshows with fellow Bluesfest act Morcheeba, but following the news that Jurassic 5 are bringing their reunion tour to Australia in March 2014, the gifted Chali 2na has now been officially brokered into the Bluesfest 2014 lineup.
Similarly, nu-folk luminary Seth Lakeman, who is opening for Bluesfest act Suzanne Vega on her official sideshows, has also been added to the festival bill, along with Aussie singer-songwriter, the newly-independent Kate Miller-Heidke, and alt country favourite Jason Isbell (making a stopover from Boogie 8) performing with his band The 400 Unit for the first time.
Rounding out the new Bluesfest recruits is Southern blues rock jam band, Gov’t Mule featuring Warren Hayes (guitar hero for The Allman Brothers Band), with which, “I believe we have the Jam band component of our 25th Anniversary Festival truly covered,” remarks Peter Noble.
“Just imagine the possibilities of jams on stage – with Dave Matthews, Grace Potter, John Mayer, Beth Hart, Gary Clark Jr, Larry Graham, John Butler, Gregg Allman, Allen Stone and so many others – all performing at the same event,” enthuses the Bluesfest promoter.
If last year’s Bluesfest is anything to go by, with its star-studded lineup bringing “capacity crowds” of 17,000 per day and a total attendance of 85,000, generating millions for the local economy, plus nabbing a Helpmann Award in the process – Bluesfest 2014 will be even more massive as organisers pull out all the stops for their 25th Silver Anniversary edition.
The complete Bluesfest 2014 lineup promises a total of over 200 performances across seven stages, but one artist that definitely won’t be making the trip is 81-year-old Jamaican legend Ernest Ranglin, with his cancellation on Bluesfest causing a bitter war of words between Noble and Ranglin’s French agent.
In more positive news, the latest pre-Christmas announcement follows hot on the heels of Bluesfest receiving yet another major award, scoring Gold in the ‘Best Major Festival & Events’ category at the NSW Tourism Awards in Sydney, adding to its recent trophy cabinet that includes an award from UK not-for-profit A Greener Festival while the Byron Bay event is also in the running for the International Music Festival of the Year award, for the second year running, from international live music stats trackers Pollstar.
Bluesfest 2014 Lineup
Jeff Beck
KC & The Sunshine Band
Gov’t Mule
WAR
Seun Kuti & Egypt 80
Sly & Robbie and The TAXI Gang feat. Bitty Mclean
Jason Isbell
Chali 2na
Kate Miller-Heidke
Seth Lakeman
Joining the already announced lineup of:
Jack Johnson – John Mayer – Dave Matthews Band – Erykah Badu – John Butler Trio – Buddy Guy – Aaron Neville – Passenger – Iron & Wine – Elvis Costello & The Imposters – Michael Franti & Spearhead – India.Arie – Gregg Allman – Boz Scaggs – Doobie Brothers – Dr John & The Nite Trippers Morcheeba – Steve Earle & The Dukes – Kasey Chambers – Devendra BanhartEdward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – The James Cotton Blues Band – Booker T. Jones – The Wailers- Jimmie Vaughan – Gary Clark Jr – Jake Bugg- Suzanne Vega- The Charlie Musselwhite Band -Grace Potter and the Nocturnals – Ozomatli – CW Stoneking – Allen Stone -Larry Graham & Graham Central Station – Eric Bibb – KT Tunstall – Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes – Robben Ford – Grandmothers of Invention -The Magic Band – Beth Hart -North Mississippi Allstars – Walter Trout – Trixie Whitley- The Soul Rebels – Valerie June – Devon Allman – Nikki Hill – The Paladins – Music Maker Foundation Feat. Pat Wilder, Cool John Ferguson, and Little Freddie King- Candye Kane Band Feat. Laura Chavez -Saidah Baba Talibah – RocKwiz Live
+ more to be announced
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
