Rowland S. Howard/The Avalanches Tributes Lead Melb Fest

Tribute shows to the late, great Rowland S. Howard, slow-moving but beloved outfit The Avalanches, and a mixtape curated by Urthboy stand out as must-see appearances among the truly esteemed and freshly announced live music program for the 2014 Melbourne Festival.

Although the event line-up is peppered with some genuinely A-list names — techno trailblazer Jeff Mills, who will collaborate with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Brisbane's own living treasure Ed Kuepper, Canadian rapper Buck 65, Texan wildman Josh T. Pearson, Pop Will Eat Itself founder-turned-Hollywood composer Clint Mansell, 19-time Grammy Award winner Pat Metheny and his Unity Group, and funk fusion veterans Snarky Puppy — the triumvirate of local tributes stands as a truly enticing prospect indeed.

For Pop Crimes — which celebrates Howard's life and work on what would have been his 55^th birthday — former collaborators including Mick Harvey, Harry Howard, Adalita and more will play two special concerts in his memory. Meanwhile, Since I Left You celebrates The Avalanches' acclaimed (and older than you'd think) debut album via a 17-piece orchestra headed by multi-instrumentalist Jonti; and Urthboy's Make Me A Mixtape takes a close look at the fine art of the mixtape, which genuinely seems like it'll be a fascinating show.

So, too, does Murru: 10 Songs Of Freedom For John Pat, a collaborative performance paying tribute to the young man killed in custody in 1983 by Western Australian police officers, who were later acquitted, between the likes of Archie Roach, Lucky Oceans, Emma Donovan, John Bennett, Donna Simpson (The Waifs) and many others.

And, although the festival is understandably chuffed to have netted itself some of the personalities that appear on this year's list of names, it's evident that they're truly proud of the shows celebrating the work of three very different but similarly renowned local acts.

Melbourne has a deep and rich musical heritage that has long been renowned all over the world, and we’re delighted to celebrate this with some legacy shows like Pop Crimes, celebrating the music of Rowland S. Howard, and Since I Left You, which pays homage to The Avalanches’ classic album," festival director of contemporary music Declan Forde enthused in a statement.

The 2014 Melbourne Festival runs from Friday, October 10, until Sunday, October 26. Ticket prices start at $25, and will be available for purchase from 9am tomorrow, Tuesday, July 29, via the event's website.

Full Melbourne Festival music line-up:

A Moving Sound
Buck 65
Clint Mansell
Ed Kuepper
Jeff Mills
Josh T. Pearson
Mihalis Hatzigiannis
Mikelangelo
Murru: 10 Songs of Freedom for John Pat
Nils Frahm
Pat Metheny Unity Group
Pop Crimes: The Songs of Rowland S.Howard
Since I Left You: A Celebration of The Avalanches
Snarky Puppy and Kormac’s Big Band
The Bamboos
The Gloaming
Tuba Skinny
Urthboy: Make Me A Mixtape