With Melbourne Festival now done and successfully dusted, its time for the other states to announce their own arts and cultural festivals and music lovers have plenty to get excited about with their eclectic programs.
Following on from Sydney Festival, and the city of churches’ diverse offerings in Womadelaide’s swelling lineup and Adelaide Festival’s riveting selections, its now time for Western Australia to get in on the action with the full program announcement for the 2013 Perth International Arts Festival.
Taking place between February 8th to March 2nd next year, the Perth Festival will have its biggest every program next year with more than 500 artists from Australia and around the world join hundreds more from WA. Artistic Director Jonathan Holloway says, “since the world’s great festivals began over 60
years ago, they have always combined sensational programming with a strong sense of the city in which they are based.”
“Perth in the summer has been the place to go for 60 years. Our program marries international excellence with the beauty, talent and energy of Western Australia,” says Holloway, and for music fans there’s certainly a lot of excellence to take in.
First off the musical highlights, in conjunction with the announcement of her Australian Tour next year, is Atlanta, Gerogian singer-songwriter Cat Power, who will be heading to Australia despite her health and financial stuggles, to play two shows at the Perth Festival in support of her latest album, her ninth, Sun, which is, according to our Tone Deaf reviewer, “without a doubt the most assured and invigorated Cat Power has sounded yet.”
The enigmatic and seminal post-rock collective Godspeed You! Black Emperor are also among the mix, beginning their first ever visit to Australian shores at the Perth International Arts Festival, before their appearance at the resurrected All Tomorrow’s Parties in Victoria. They’ve also got their first new album in a decade, ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! to play from as well.
Another group making their long-awaited return to the music world is Melbourne darkwave duo Dead Can Dance, who are on the comeback trail since releasing the brilliant Anastasis, Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard’s first album together in 16 years, an album our Tone Deaf reviewer called “glorious and poetically grand” that “churns with an intensity woven throughout its eight tracks, with stories of rebirth, isolation, stoicism and identity.” Their live show should be no different, bringing their signature ambient, ethereal, and neoclassical sounds to the Perth Concert Hall.
Folk troubadour The Tallest Man On Earth (a.k.a Kristian Matsson), who is returning to Australian shores for Golden Plains festival, will also be bringing his sparse acoustic guitar sounds and distinctive vocals to Perth Festival, playing a special show at Chevron Festival Gardens.
Fellow Swedish singer-songwriter Jens Lekman will be joining Matsson, bringing his sweet and infectious melodies to Perth, filled with adorably romantic and at times heartbreaking lyric. The indie-pop darling recently released his third full-length record I Know What Love Isn’t, and is also embarking on a full Australian tour early next year.
Texan songstress Chrysta Bell, possessing exquisite and soulful vocals, is collaborating with the director behind Mulholland Drive, The Elephant Man, and Eraserhead, David Lynch, in a special show at the festival which will also serve as the Australian premiere.
Prolific Canadian indie-icons Stars are venturing to Perth Festival on the back of the release of their critically acclaimed seventh album The North, which prominently displays their sharp, intricate and expansive pop sounds. Joining them at the festival will be the much-hyped Jose James, who is fast rising becoming an underground sensation in the modern jazz and DJ scenes, creating a cohesive blend of jazz, hip-hop, RnB, and electronica.
Blues rock pair Two Gallants will be joining forces with Deer Tick for an explosive show of distorted guitars, harsh vocals, and eloquent lyrics, while hip-hop duo Macklemore And Ryan Lewis are also bringing their renowned anthems featuring live instrumentation to Australian shores.
Also gracing the Concert Hall will be American experimental pioneer (and Mrs. Lou Reed) Laurie Anderson, joining forces with the contemporary string ensemble the Kronos Quartet, in their Australian premiere before heading to the Adelaide Festival to perform together once more. The Kronos Quartet, the string quartet who have worked with everyone from Dave Matthews Band to Nine Inch Nails, will also be playing their own concert as part of the program.
Other musical selections worth noting are a performance from Archie Roach with the glorious Noongar choir on the banks of the Swan River, neoclassical pioneer Philip Glass, who will be offering a symposium as well as concert performance, legendary funk and soul saxophonist Maceo Parker; and a whole host of other musical delights.
The full music program is available at PerthFestival.com.au
Perth International Arts Festival 2013 Dates
February 8th – March 2nd, 2013
Tickets and bookings available at: PerthFestival.com.au
Perth International Arts Festival 2013 Lineup
Dead Can Dance
Cat Power
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Jens Lekman
Sleepy Sun
Stars
Tim Rogers & The Bamboos
Father John Misty
Laurie Anderson & The Kronos Quartet
Philip Glass
Norman Blake & Joe Pernice
Dirty Beaches
Archie Roach
Jose James
Hiatus Kaiyote
The Tallest Man On Earth
Buke And Gase
Soul Rebels
David Lynch Presents Chrysta Bell
Antibalas
Future Classic
Macklemore And Ryan Lewis
The Raah Project
Deer Tick
Two Gallants
James Carter Organ Trio
How To Dress Well
Axolotl
Phronesis
+ More
