With Aunty Meredith selling out thanks to its wondrously eclectic selection of delights and last night’s news that Soundwave Festival 2013 has sold out in all states bar Perth, it just goes to show that a festival’s lineup is king.
If there’s one music festival that knows it, it’s the organisers behind St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival, the indie fan’s festival du jour held annually during summer, which has been growing in size and stature ever since its inception in 2004.
For Laneway 2013, the festival’s ninth iteration, organisers this morning have teased they’ve got a “mega dream lineup” up their sleeve, though their yet to reveal any names, they have revealed their touring schedule (along with some awesome new claymation artwork); with the announcement of the national festival’s 2013 dates across Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and, for our international brethren, Singapore and Auckland, NZ.
Laneway 2013 will also be continuing its commitment to the Yiriman Project, an initiative managed by the Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre [KALACC], conceived and developed by Elders, which supports young Aboriginal people facing issues of self-harm and substance abuse by reconnecting them with their cultural roots.
The Yiriman Project was first brought to the attention of Laneway organisers by the Linda Bosidis, wife of the late Magic Dirt bass player, Dean Turner – for whom Laneway constructed a tribute stage last year, raising $20,000 in charity for the Yiriman Project.
On the musical side, Laneway has promised that they’ll be announcing “our mega dream line-up for the Australian and NZ events in its entirety on September 26 2012;” and who can we expect to turn up on the lineup?
Well, there’s already been a few predictions thrown about, to which Laneway tweeted:
So much line-up speculation, keep it coming! A few have guessed correctly (of course we're not going to disclose who just yet) #Laneway
— Laneway Festival (@lanewayfest) September 6, 2012
Those rumoured for Laneway 2013 include Cat Power aka Chan Marshall, after the Atlantan singer-songwriter let slip to Triple J that she would indeed be heading to Australia for a summer tour.
“I just confirmed it,” Marshall told the station’s Music Director Richard Kingsmill, “the last Australian date is February 9th, that’s all I know.” Which puts her final date in very close proximity to the Australian tour dates now announced for Laneway.
Combine that with Laneway’s recent tweet that they’d be following on from 2011’s strong female-centric lineup:
#Laneway 2013 clue…. Once again the ladies take centre stage at Laneway
— Laneway Festival (@lanewayfest) September 3, 2012
…and we can safely bet that Cat Power will be turning up on the bill.
Other acts similarly rumoured based on leaked Australian tours include new indie supergroup Divine Fits, Brooklyn boho-popsters Yeasayer and the old-school guitar assaulters Japandroids; all who have let slip that they’ll be touring Australia early next year.
You can check out the full list of Laneway 2013 dates below
ST. JEROME’S LANEWAY FESTIVAL 2013 DATES
Singapore – Saturday 26 January 2013
Auckland – Monday 28 January 2013
Brisbane – Friday 1 February 2013
Sydney – Saturday 2 February 2013
Melbourne – Sunday 3 February 2013
Adelaide – Friday 8 February 2013
Perth – Saturday 9 February 2013