Vance Joy Pulls Out Of Meredith 2013 Lineup Due To Illness

With the set times locked in, tents and tinnies packed and purchased, all systems are go for Meredith Music Festival to kick off it’s 2013 edition this Friday 13th December.

That is unless you’re Melbourne singer-songwriter Vance Joy, who was set to kick things off in the Supernatural Amphitheatre as the second act (behind Warped) in the first afternoon of the much-loved three-day festival.

But some unfortunate news from the benevolent festival matriarch, Aunty Meredith, confirms that James Keogh, the performer behind the Vance Joy alias, has cancelled his performance at Meredith 2013 due to illness.

A statement from the Award-winning artist’s representatives reads:

“Following doctors orders & to prevent the risk of permanent damage, Vance Joy has been placed on vocal rest for the foreseeable future. As a result Vance Joy has to cancel his performance at Meredith Music Festival.
We want to thank you for your understanding & well wishes. James and band are absolutely shattered, but his long term health has to be our priority here & therefore must follow doctors orders. This has been a really tough decision to make, given James’ personal affinity with the festival.”

Aunty Meredith gives the singer-songwriter her well wishes to return to “full voice very soon” and the “speediest of recoveries,” while organising a speedy recovery of her own, announcing that Castlemain’es D.D. Dumbo “has agreed to join the lineup for Meredith23, at short notice. We thank him very much for that.”

The brains behind D.D. Dumbo – Oliver Perry – has built considerable buzz off the back of their sole, five-track EP and a series of hype-worthy live dates; a worthy addition to the eclectic Meredith bill, which features the likes of Nile Rodgers with Chic, Courtney Barnett, Deerhunter, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Jon Hopkins, and many more.

In related Meredith news, a member for Western Victoria has called for an investigation into possible legal action against ticket scalpers targeting the festival, which this year once again sold out in record time. Meredith region politician David O’Brien has called for a Parliamentary request to examine ways to safeguard the annual event through anti-scalping legislation.

“We are excited about the prospect of anti-scalping laws in Victoria,” a telegram from Aunty Meredith tells Tone Deaf. “It is outrageous that people can simply buy something, with no intention of using it, then withhold it from its intended market and only offer it an exorbitant prices, without adding any value to the process. Scalpers are bottom-feeders. They infuriate decent gig-going folk.”

In other words, people who are in clear breach of the festival’s famed ‘No D!ckhe@ds policy’, with Aunty Meredith’s stern words following closely after a public warning was issued to those looking to ‘jump the fence’ and sneak into the event for free, with the festival enforcing its ‘Zero Tolerance’ policy against 18 festival trespassers who could face jail and fines.

So bless your lucky stars if you’ve managed to obtain a ticket to Meredith 2013 (or even its already sold out sister event, Golden Plains)