Well you can call me Al! After blowing the minds of Australian punters by announcing that Robert Plant would headline the Saturday night of the Byron Bay Bluesfest, organisers have continued to amaze, adding two massive heavyweights to the ranks. Late last night, organisers dropped the bombshell that the famed half of Simon & Garfunkel would close the festival on the Monday night.
25 years after releasing his seminal album, Graceland, Paul Simon will take the stage, sure to wow punters as they gaze upon this historical performance. Simon will play a majority of his own solo material; however, he is renowned for throwing in the occasional Simon & Garfunkel track during his encores, most notably The Boxer and The Sound of Silence.
Joining Paul Simon is another famous singer/songwriter, Rufus Wainwright, renowned for his harmonious vocals and perfect combination of piano and guitar utilisation. Wainwright will join Simon in closing the night, playing prior to Wilco. This addition of two artists solidifies the claim of the 2013 Bluesfest being the biggest and the best, sporting a dense and astounding lineup, which covers more than just the simple genres of Blues and Roots. The presence of Wilco, Iggy Pop and the Stooges, Madness, Dropkick Murphys and Status Quo only acts to show the expansive and unstoppable nature of the festival.
Bluesfest kicks off early 2013 with Ben Harper and friends starting the event on 28th March, leading into five days of musical celebration. Tickets are still on sale; however, after this announcement many are predicting a complete sell-out event, and what makes it even more enacting is that more artists are still to be announced.
Bluesfest 2013 First Lineup Announcement:
Ben Harper
Santana
Iggy & The Stooges
Steve Miller Band
Chris Isaak
Wilco
Bonnie Raitt
Dropkick Murphy’s
Glen Hansard with The Frames
Tedeschi Trucks Band
Newton Faulkner
William Elliott Whitmore
Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls
Grace Potter
Playing For Change
Ben Caplan
Madness
Second Announcement
Jimmy Cliff
Joan Armatrading
Rodriguez
Robert Cray
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
The Blind Boys Of Alabama
Mavis Staples
Allen Toussaint
Wanda Jackson
Fred Wesley & The New JB’s
Michael Kiwanuka
Bettye Lavette
Luka Bloom
Ruthie Foster
Tony Joe White
Sweet Honey In The Rock
The Duke Robillard Band
Shawn Colvin
Seth Lakeman
Bettye Lavette – Just Announced
Third announcement
Robert Plant (With Band, The Sensational Space Shifters – ‘Playing Led Zeppelin tracks’ )
Status Quo
Roger Hodgson
Jon Anderson
Fourth Announcement
Paul Simon
Rufus Wainwright
