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Artist News Festival Line-Up Update Gigs & Festivals
Festival line-up update – 15 Mar 2012
By CMU Editorial | Published on Thursday 15 March 2012
LONDON BLUESFEST, various venues, London, 26 Jun – 6 Jul: The capital’s foremost jazz and soul celebration – which for the first time is held parallel to a sister edition in Manchester – this year hosts concerts from seasoned bluesmen George Benson, Eric John Hiatt and Robert Cray, with relative genre novice Hugh Laurie also prominent in the programme. Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones is also to curate an all-star tribute to Chicago’s classic Chess Records roster, while Van Morrison will ‘Sing The Blues’ during a unique retrospective at London’s Hammersmith Apollo, and Tom Jones will appear at the same venue on 1 Jul. www.bluesfestlondon.com
CAMBRIDGE FOLK FESTIVAL, Cherry Hinton Hall, Cambridge, 26-29 Jul: Recent additions Dry The River, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Raghu Dixit, Angelique Kidjo and The Staves join longstanding line-up fixtures Joan Armatrading, The Proclaimers, June Tabor & Oysterband, Roy Harper, Billy Bragg, Seth Lakeman and Lau. www.cambridgefolkfestival.co.uk
ISLE OF WIGHT FESTIVAL, Seaclose Park, Newport, Isle of Wight, 22-24 Jun: I’ve never seen Downton Abbey, but I hear it’s the TV show all the kids are yapping about these days. So, good news kids, you’ll be able to see Elizabeth McGovern from the show sing twice at this year’s Isle Of Wight Festival. She’ll appear as a special guest of Big Country on the main stage, and with her own band, Sadie And The Hotheads, on the Garden Stage on the Saturday. www.isleofwightfestival.co.uk
MELTDOWN, Southbank Centre, London, 1-12 Aug: Mercury Prize victor Anthony Hegarty is to take curatorship of Meltdown’s alternative arts and performance showcase this year, thus forming the latest figure in a succession of hosts that have included Jarvis Cocker, Patti Smith, David Bowie and Ray Davies. He says of his plans for the prestigious placement: “I want to create a kind of paradise. I want to walk through the forest and see and hear the hardcore beauty and strength in art and music that makes sense to me”. meltdown.southbankcentre.co.uk
ØYA, Gamlebyen, Oslo, Norway, 7-11 Aug: In contrast to the festival’s ancient medieval setting, Øya organisers announce an initial line-up of such music contemporaries as headliners The Black Keys, St Vincent, SBTRKT, The War On Drugs, Frank Ocean and First Aid Kit. Last but not least on the line-up so far are veterans Bob Mould, Thurston Moore and Mazzy Star. www.oyafestivalen.com
SIMPLE THINGS, various venues, Bristol, 6 May: Simple Things marks its second coming with news that beat specialists Squarepusher, Hudson Mohawke, Ghospoet, Death In Vegas, Simian Mobile Disco, Lone, Factory Floor, Forest Swords and Grimes will all appear as part of its one-day programme. www.simplethingsfestival.co.uk
SUMMER SUNDAE WEEKENDER, De Montford Hall And Gardens, Leicester, 17-19 Aug: Ocean Colour Scene, Death In Vegas, Adam Ant and Billy Bragg top a moreish portion of acts now part of the Summer Sundae bill, with Friends, Datarock, Akala and Jack Beats also sweetening the deal. PiL, Katy B, Tune-Yards, Willy Mason and Francois And The Atlas Mountains fall amongst the festival’s existing bookings. www.summersundae.com
