Ben Harper, Santana, The Stooges Lead First Bluesfest Announcement

It's about six weeks earlier than we're used to, but the team at the Byron Bay Bluesfest has a solid list of bands who have confirmed their commitment to the festival's 24th event, so lo and behold, they're laying the first 16 acts on us tonight!

The festival will have four major announcements that will be loosely themed – for example, you'll notice this one is a little lighter on as far as blues acts go, taking more of a modern, young focus – and Festival Director Peter Noble has assured us that this is just the beginning of things to come.

The first line up announcement is as follows:

Ben Harper, Santana, Iggy & The Stooges, Chris Isaak, Bonnie Raitt, Wilco, Dropkick Murphys, Steve Miller Band, Glen Hansard with The Frames, Tedeschi Trucks Band, William Elliott Whitmore, Newton Faulkner, Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls, Grace Potter, Playing For Change, Ben Caplan

Listen to the line up here:

BEN HARPER:

The mutual relationship between this artist and this festival is so immense, we can't really think of another quite like it. Ben Harper was practically a nobody when he first played Bluesfest in the mid-1990s, but he soon made the festival his own with a number of headline sets over the past decade and a half that have become a thing of legend. We are told he will have a band with him at Bluesfest in 2013, but we don't know who is in it yet!

SANTANA:

No doubt a real coup for the festival, Carlos Santana and his band have been to Australia a number of times before but have never played the country's biggest blues and roots event – that is, until now. There are few guitarists more revered, few musicians more versatile and few names that command as much respect. He has dominated the pop, Latin, jazz, blues and rock'n'roll worlds since his earliest musical forays back in the late 1960s and Bluesfest will be all the richer having felt his presence.

IGGY & THE STOOGES:

What can be said about Iggy & The Stooges that has already been preached a hundred times over? One of the original punk rock bands, with a couple of the most enduring, well loved rock'n'roll records of all time, this is a band that you need to see before it's too late. And it's going to be too late soon, as this is going to be the last ever tour of Australia that Iggy & The Stooges embark on. The past two visits have both been absolutely incredible – we're not just saying that – and we have no reason to believe that it will be any different this time around; shame on anyone who misses this inimitable rock band for the last time.

STEVE MILLER BAND:

Another massive coup, no doubt, seeing as the Steve Miller Band haven't been to Australia in what must be decades. While everyone knows the hits, the band has really earned a reputation for their live performances in their native United States over the years, regularly packing out massive venues and dominating festival main stages at some of the country's most prestigious events. Whether you're a longtime devotee, a casual fan or a newcomer to the work of the Steve Miller Band, this is a very exciting addition to the Bluesfest bill.

WILCO:

Ask anyone who knows and they'll happily tell you that Wilco are one of the world's best live bands right now. Yes, their records are almost completely unflappable from right across their 18 year career, but in the live environment they offer something that is just completely mind boggling and utterly amazing. Tight, loose, musical, noisy, loud, intricate, brash… just see them. For Christ's sake just see them. Their latest record The Whole Love was one of last year's truly fine records and we can't wait to see them performing songs from it in the live environment. They dominated Bluesfest a number of years ago and they're gonna do it again.

CHRIS ISAAK:

Australia has always been fertile ground for the very smooth Chris Isaak and it's about time we witnessed him at the country's premier blues and roots event. You can't deny how slick this guy is but at the heart of it there are some great songs and great performances when you look back at his quarter of a century in the game. Oh and Chris, if there's any chance that you might be able to bring Helena Christensen over to reenact the Wicked Game film clip on Belongil Beach then that'd be pretty good. No pressure, of course.

BONNIE RAITT:

The last time the great Bonnie Raitt played Bluesfest she closed the Crossroads Stage in scintillating form; as far as female blues singers and guitarists go, she has to be one of the best that's ever been around. Her Slipstream record of earlier this year was very good indeed and we just know she's going to have a band packed with some of the world's best players when she makes her return to Bluesfest in 2013.

DROPKICK MURPHYS:

After the raging success of The Pogues' appearance this year's event and a solid showing from Flogging Molly a few years back now, Dropkick Murphys kinda seem like a logical choice for the Bluesfest bill, even though they might have something of a harder edge than the bands you generally associate with the Bluesfest. This massive Celtic punk band have an enormous Australian following and their countless visits to packed houses have proven to us the quality of their enormous live show. Not a show for the faint of heart, but one that will no doubt stir up plenty of punks of all ages.

GLEN HANSARD WITH THE FRAMES:

Glen Hansard is a familiar Bluesfest name; he appeared with his band The Frames way back in 2005, blowing away their audience in the Mojo tent with a hugely energetic set. While it's been nice to see Hansard with his hugely successful The Swell Season in 2010, but it's nice to have the rock band back in the country and back at the festival where they'll no doubt get our blood pumping just like the first time. The shows he plays for Bluesfest in 2013 will be a celebration of his new solo record Rhythm & Response and we know his band will bring them to life.

TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND:

Boy wonder Derek Trucks had played with Buddy Guy and gone on the road with The Allman Brothers by the time he was 13-years-old. Twenty years on he is considered to be one of the world's finest guitar players and it's hard to argue with that when you see him in action. His missus Susan Tedeschi is no slouch with the six string in her hand and has a pretty wonderful voice as well; together as the Tedeschi Trucks Band they are unstoppable and, if nothing else, they add a good dose of typical blues to this first announcement.

WILLIAM ELLIOTT WHITMORE:

William Elliott Whitmore is one of those kinds of modern bluesy artists who is embraced by any number of different musical communities. It's not uncommon to see him sharing a bill with a heavy punk rock band like Converge, a more mainstream artist like Chris Cornell or a rock band like Clutch. He's prolific, having released a whole swag of records since beginning his career towards the end of the 1990s and we get the feeling a few people will walk away from his set at Bluesfest having made an exciting new discovery.

NEWTON FAULKNER:

In his native UK, Newton Faulkner is a bona fide superstar, his latest record Write It On Your Skin rocketed to the number one position on the UK album charts upon its release, his second of three records to do so. He's done pretty good business in Australia too, with his 2007 debut record Hand Built By Robots achieving platinum sales status. 2013 will be the third Bluesfest for Mr Faulkner – who just so happens to be in Australia right now – and we reckon there'll be more than a few mad fans pretty excited about it.

FRANK TURNER AND THE SLEEPING SOULS:

Here is another great example of an artist who, in his native UK, is a larger than life musical character. Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls regularly pack out enormous venues around the UK, his often brash, working class inspired folk music really connecting with a wide audience in his homeland. His latest record, 2011's England Keep My Bones, has been widely praised and word that he'll have a follow up released in 2013 augers well for the possibility of new material at Bluesfest 2013.

GRACE POTTER:

The fourth album from Grace Potter & the Nocturnals is called The Lion the Beast the Beat and it sees them embracing a wider palette of sound than ever before; getting somewhat more experimental than the folk rock that has been their specialty over the years. Potter is heading to Australia to show why American media have been falling over themselves in response to her voice, her songs and her general star power.

PLAYING FOR CHANGE:

Playing For Change is a very special group; an act that includes nine musicians from four different continents, playing a mish mash of amazing music that is the ultimate fusion of musical styles, with each and every musician bringing their expertise in any given style to the table. These are some supremely talented musicians and they are frequently joined by some massive names from the world of contemporary music. Perhaps the best part of it though is that the band put their money where their mouth is; funds raised from their tour go to keeping music and cultural programs in underprivileged areas afloat.

BEN CAPLAN:

Young Canadian musician Ben Caplan has been touring since 2006, developing his voice, his songwriting and his spirit, which some say is akin to Tom Waits or Seasick Steve. He has done any number of festivals in and around his home country but he comes to Australia to give us a taste of what he has to offer; he's something of an unknown entity over here but he comes pretty heavily backed so we look forward to seeing what the big deal is all about.

Bluesfest once again takes place at the Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm over the Easter weekend, which, in 2013, is Thursday 28 March to Monday 1 April. Tickets are available through the Bluesfest website right now.