John Mayer & Dave Matthews Band Lead First Bluesfest Announcement

It's kinda crazy to think that it's time for the first Bluesfest announcement, but, given it's the festival's 25th year, we have already been feeling a little impatient so we're very pleased to be able to reveal the first names right now!

It's the earliest Bluesfest announcement that has ever happened, but given how stacked this bill is no doubt going to be we're sure the team need all the time they can get to announce the enormous bill. Will they top the incredible 2013 line up? Time will tell…

First announcement is as follows:

John Mayer, Dave Matthews Band, John Butler Trio, Erykah Badu, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Iron & Wine, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Devendra Banhart, Morcheeba, Gary Clark Jr, KT Tunstall, Allen Stone, Valerie June

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JOHN MAYER:

Some consider him to be a bit of a pop poster boy, but anyone who has actually seen John Mayer play will attest that he's nothing but an incredible musician. He shocked quite a few people when he was last at Bluesfest seven years back and he'll probably do the same in 2014.

DAVE MATTHEWS BAND:

One massive performance years ago, one false start a few years later and now Dave Matthews Band are finally coming back to Australia for Bluesfest. This is one of the biggest live bands on the planet, their following is so enormous that people travel the world to go and see them as much as they possibly can. Festival Director Peter Noble says he has tried to get them back every single year since 2005 and now it's going to happen. They are playing two shows at Bluesfest and this is going to make a lot of people very, very happy.

THE JOHN BUTLER TRIO:

Honestly, what do you want us to say? The John Butler Trio are possibly the most successful and enduring roots act our country has ever produced, an act that has played Bluesfest so many times (2014 will be their tenth festival) and one that keeps drawing in more and more fans. It's fitting that they help usher in the quarter century milestone for this festival.

ERYKAH BADU:

Make no mistake, Erykah Badu is the best R&B artist on the planet right now, the Queen of modern soul music, an artist that is so captivating it's difficult to put it into words. Even if you're not a fan of so-called “urban” music, you must see her perform; she'll turn your preconceived thoughts about the genre on their head.

MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD:

It will have been three years since Michael Franti & Spearhead hit the Bluesfest stage when they return in 2014, so we hope you've been reserving some energy in that time, goodness knows you're going to need it when they bring their positive party vibes to this event they know so well.

EDWARD SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC ZEROS:

One of many bands making their first visit to the Bluesfest in 2014 is Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. They rose to prominence a few years back thanks to their massive single Home but have since then proved they have plenty more to offer than what they merely served up with that track. The band are, for all intents and purposes, an indie-folk act, but their sound is more diverse than their contemporaries who fit in that same genre.

IRON & WINE:

One of the best songwriters in indie music right now, Sam Beam – aka Iron & Wine – is a name discerning music fans need to know. He has released incredible records for over a decade, the latest of which is the great Ghost On Ghost, which sees him embracing jazz and blues a little more than ever. His entire catalogue is fantastic, though, and you should delve into it in preparation for his Bluesfest debut.

DEVENDRA BANHART:

He is still considered to be a “freak-folk” artist, but pigeonholing Devendra Banhart is a futile exercise. Nothing holds this unique artist back when it comes to making music and his records are generally quite expansive and perhaps a little schizophrenic in nature. This year's Mala is less so, however, with Banhart achieving a sense of cohesion we've not exactly come to expect in the past. He's a brilliant artist who puts on a brilliant live show and a worth addition to the Bluesfest alumni.

MORCHEEBA:

This band hasn't been on a Bluesfest stage in ten years, but their smooth and sultry brand of light trip hop is going to be blaring from one of the stages again in 2014. They're releasing their eighth record Head Up High in October and it will be a pleasure to see them again after all these years.

GARY CLARK JR:

Gary Clark Jr has done a lot of cool shit over the years, from playing on Friday Night Lights to making a guest appearance with The Rolling Stones, to playing Big Day Out this year and now he can tick Bluesfest off his list of achievements. He is set to be one of the biggest names in modern blues music and it's going to happen very shortly.

KT TUNSTALL:

Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall has been celebrated with Grammy nominations, appearances on Later... with Jools Holland, a BRIT Award and a whole stack of records sold. She plays alt-rock, indie pop and contemporary folk, with a little blues thrown in for good measure as well.

ALLEN STONE:

One of the artists who blew us away in 2013 is on his way back for a second visit in a row. He has to be one of the most endearing and energetic live performers out there and he has a hell of a voice to boot. Allen Stone will win even more fans over with his second Bluesfest slot.

VALERIE JUNE:

She's just released her latest album Pushin' Against a Stone, which has already proved to be her most successful piece of work to date; Valerie June has arrived. Dan Auerbach produced the latest LP and he's just one of many people who believe we're about to see something very special as June matures as an artist. We look forward to seeing her for the first time at Bluesfest 2014.

NIKKI HILL:

Roots rock'n'roll powerhouse Nikki Hill has been described as “The Staple Singers meet AC/DC”, and if that's not enough to get you incredibly excited about seeing her live then we just give up. She's one of those artists you might not have heard much of, but rest assured Bluesfest have pretty great quality control so you can feel okay placing your trust in their decision to book her.

Tickets are on sale from the Bluesfest website right now, grab them now while they're a bit cheaper, because there's plenty more to come!