The Bluesfest 2014 lineup grows again, as another major announcement adds 11 more artists to the event’s 25th Silver Anniversary Edition.
Following on from last year’s pre-Christmas announcement, bulking up the award-winning festival’s bill with the likes of Jeff Beck, KC & The Sunshine Band, Chali 2na, and Kate Miller-Heidke, the latest lineup announcement puts the focus on Australian artists along a small mix of international artists.
Taking place at the Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, north of Byron Bay, over five days in Easter 2014, now joining the international contingent on the Bluefest 2014 lineup is sizzling soul singer Joss Stone, returning to Bluesfest seven years on from last rocking the Byron event as a teenager, Grammy-winning Creole crusaders Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience, 17-year-old Blues guitar prodigy, Matthew Curry, and Apache/Puerto Riacn/Filipino musician Nahko and his band, Medicine For The People.
Leading the charge of Aussie acts in the new announcement is Joe Camilleri and the Black Sorrows, one of the country’s most successful touring bands, influential Blues masters Chain, the powerful songwriting trio of Mia Dyson, Liz Stringer, and Jen Cloher – under their Dyson, Stringer & Cloher banner – Adelaide’s hairy rock heroes The Beards, the funky Public Opinion Afro Orchestra, the pan-Asian sounds of the Cambodian Space Project, plus Glenn Cardier And The Sideshow. “It’s our birthday year – and we have pulled out all the stops to present our best ever Bluesfest.”
For those following the multiple Bluesfest 2014 lineup announcements, this latest batch is the sixth for the 25th Silver Anniversary Edition. The first featured headliners John Mayer, Dave Matthews Band, and John Butler Trio, before adding The Doobie Brothers, Aaron Neville, Dr. John, Steve Earle, then Elvis Costello, Jack Johnson, Buddy Guy, Jake Bugg, Booker T Jones, and then the aforementioned pre-Christmas announcement. That’s not to mention the raft of multiple Bluesfest 2014 sideshow announcements.
Three months out from its Easter kick-off, Bluesfest promoter says the event is close to a sell out thanks to its enormous birthday bill.
“It’s our birthday year – and we have pulled out all the stops to present our best ever Bluesfest,” says Noble. “If ticket sales are the indicator of a great event – we must be right on target – as we are tracking toward a sellout, so don’t miss out.”
“As the guy who gets to go through the thousands of bands from local artists through to a large number of the world’s biggest who want to play our big birthday this year- the task is enormous – it’s a huge challenge and very rewarding,” adds Noble.
Last year’s Bluesfest brought huge audiences with “capacity crowds” of 17,000 per day and a total attendance of 85,000, generating millions for the local economy and nabbing a Helpmann Award in the process.
The festival’s multiple awards include scoring Gold in the ‘Best Major Festival & Events’ category at the NSW Tourism Awards, an eco-minded nod from UK not-for-profit A Greener Festival, and is in the running for the International Music Festival of the Year award (for the second year running) from Pollstar.
The same US stats trackers also ranked Bluesfest’s Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm home at #44 on their list of 2013’s top selling venues in the Festival/Outdoor sites category, selling a combined 104,244 tickets from the site’s flagship Bluesfest and the inaugural launch of Indigenous arts, music, and culture festival, Boomerang, last October.
Bluesfest 2014 Lineup
Joss Stone
Joe Camilleri & The Black Sorrows
Chain
Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience
Dyson, Stringer & Cloher • The Beards
Glenn Cardier and the Sideshow
Nahko & Medicine For The People
Public Opinion Afro Orchestra • Cambodian Space Project
Matthew Curry
Joining the already announced lineup:
Jack Johnson • John Mayer • Dave Matthews Band
Jeff Beck • Elvis Costello & The Imposters
Buddy Guy • Erykah Badu • Doobie Brothers
John Butler Trio • India.Arie • Michael Franti & Spearhead
Aaron Neville • Passenger • Iron & Wine
Gregg Allman • Boz Scaggs • Dr John & The Nite Trippers
Gov’t Mule • Morcheeba • Gary Clark Jr
Steve Earle & The Dukes • Kasey Chambers • Jason Isbell
Jake Bugg • Devendra Banhart • Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
The Wailers • WAR • Sly & Robbie and The Taxi Gang
KC & The Sunshine Band • Seun Kuti & Egypt 80
The James Cotton Blues Band • Booker T. Jones • Robben Ford
Jimmie Vaughan • Beth Hart • The Charlie Musselwhite Band
Suzanne Vega • Kate Miller-Heidke • Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Ozomatli • Chali 2Na • CW Stoneking • Allen Stone
Larry Graham & Graham Central Station • Eric Bibb • KT Tunstall
The Magic Band • Grandmothers of Invention
Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes • North Mississippi Allstars • Walter Trout
Trixie Whitley • The Soul Rebels • Valerie June • Devon Allman
Seth Lakeman • Nikki Hill • The Paladins
Candye Kane Band • Saidah Baba Talibah
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
