Bluesfest Adds Australian And New Zealand Acts To Line-Up

The Byron Bay Bluesfest event has captured the imagination of large parts of the Australian music public in recent months with a line-up that boasts the likes of Robert Plant and Paul Simon, and now the festival has added an Australian and New Zealander contingent featuring the likes of The Cat Empire, Fat Freddy's Drop, Xavier Rudd and Beasts Of Bourbon.

Without further discussion, here's the line-up added today:

The Cat Empire, Fat Freddy's Drop, Xavier Rudd, Rockwiz Live, The Break, Beasts Of Bourbon, Karise Eden, The Bamboos, The Beards, Melbourne Ska Orchestra, The Snowdroppers, King Cannons, Grey Ghost, Busby Marou, Saskwatch, The Wilson Pickers, Round Mountain Girls, Hat Fitz & Cara, Mason Rack Band, The Songs Of The Haight Ashbury Stage Show, Lil Fi & The Dirty Rascals and Wards Xpress.

Festival director Peter Noble said of the announcement, “We are not calling it quits yet. There are around four more announcements yet to come, and we will be rolling some of them out just before Christmas, so yeah, the majority of Bluesfest will be announced by then. It's never been this early and I love it.”

He also noted that neither Robert Plant nor Paul Simon will be playing in Queensland, so the only way you'll see them is a Bluesfest.

Here's a bit more on some of the main acts.

The Cat Empire

A favourite of the Byron Bay event, The Cat Empire lads will be bringing their infectious energy once again to their old stomping ground. Fans can expect some new material with a new album in the works. For now, here's one of their classics The Car Song.

Fat Freddy's Drop

One of New Zealand's premier bands will be bringing their eclectic reggae dub mix to the festival. Fat Freddy's Drop have featured previously at Bluesfest and fans will no doubt be expecting their high energy and smooth beats when they take the stage. Here's their track Wandering Eye.

Xavier Rudd

The earthy and chilled sounds of Xavier Rudd will once again descend upon Bluesfest and he will definitely be one to watch. His latest album Spirit Bird has proven to be his most successful yet, even garnering plenty of attention in Europe and the US. The first track off the LP Follow The Sun has received a lot of commercial airplay.

The Bamboos

The guys are undoubtedly leading the way in the local funk scene and you'll be able to see why at Bluesfest. The Bamboos have had a stellar 2012 and it doesn't appear that they are slowing down as we head into 2013. Their latest album Medicine Man is continuing to impress. Check out their slick collaboration with the iconic Tim Rogers, I Got Burned.

Beasts Of Bourbon

The legendary pub rock outfit have had a few line-ups since their formation in 1983, but they've got the original line-up, including Tex Perkins, Spencer Jones and Kim Salmon and will play their first Bluesfest. As the festival's announcement says itself, it's been a long time between drinks.

If you need a reminder, here's the line-up so far:

Paul Simon, Robert Plant presents Sensational Space Shifters, Santana, Ben Harper, Iggy & The Stooges, Steve Miller Band, Status Quo, Madness, Chris Isaak, Bonnie Raitt, Wilco, Rodriguez, Rufus Wainwright, Roger Hodgson, Jimmy Cliff, Joan Armatrading, Robert Cray, Jon Anderson, Dropkick Murphys, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Glen Hansard With The Frames, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, The Blind Boys Of Alabama, Mavis Staples, Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, Allen Toussaint, Wanda Jackson, Grace Potter, Fred Wesley & The New JBs, Bettye Lavette, Sweet Honey In The Rock, Playing For Change, Ruthie Foster, Newton Faulkner, Tony Joe White, Luka Bloom, The Duke Robillard Band, Michael Kiwanuka, William Elliott Whitmore, Shawn Colvin, Seth Lakeman and Ben Caplan

Bluesfest is held over the Easter Long Weekend, from Thursday 28 March to Monday 1 April. Tickets are available for the event through their website.