The Black Keys Lead Bluesfest Massive First Announcement

The first artist announcement for Bluesfest 2015 has dropped, with The Black Keys, Zac Brown Band, Alabama Shakes, Michael Franti & Spearhead and more leading an eclectic, talent-packed line-up.

Celebrating their 25th anniversary earlier this year, it seems Bluesfest were on a mission to deliver a bill just as impressive, and the first artists revealed for next year’s event have gone a long way to ensure the five-day festivities are another one for the books.

Here are the artists who grace the first announcement:

The Black Keys, Zac Brown Band, Alabama Shakes, Train, Michael Franti & Spearhead, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Paul Kelly Presents The Merri Soul Sessions feat. Dan Sultan, Kira Piru, and Vika & Linda Bull, Xavier Rudd & The United Nations, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Rebelution, Soja, The Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Beth Hart, Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, Mariachi El Bronx, G. Love & Special Sauce, Pokey Lafarge, Band Of Skulls, Rockwiz Live

It all goes down at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, Byron Bay on Thursday 2 April to Monday 6 April, and tickets and camping packages are on sale now via bluesfest.com.au.

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The Black Keys

The perfect headliner in so many ways – and not just because their latest album is titled Turn Blue – The Black Keys last graced the Bluefest stage back in ’06 and were a completely different beast. The duo’s eighth record has spent a number of weeks on the charts, and debuted at #1 on the ARIA charts. It follows 2011’s El Camino, which also saw a large amount of international success. But, as the Dan Auerbah told us back in May, the two records are completely different.

UPDATE: The Black Keys have also announced their own headline tour dates here.

ZAC BROWN BAND

Four-time Grammy winners, Zac Brown Band made a name for themselves at Bluesfest in 2013 when they rolled into town with their intriguing blend of country, rock, bluegrass, metal and reggae and proved why they’re the fifth highest grossing band in the US. Their last record, The Grohl Sessions Vol. 1, was produced by Dave Grohl and described by the man himself as “fucking great”. What more do you need?

ALABAMA SHAKES

A Bluesfest debut for Athens-bred rockers Alabama Shakes, their name is indicative of their raw, roots-fuelled style. The quartet formed only back in ’09, and with only one album, Boys & Girls, under their belt, they’ve been conquering audiences across the globe with their magnetic live show and hits Hold On and Rise To The Sun. Uplifting song names that deliver uplifting lyrics, melodies and more.

MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD

We saw them here earlier this year, and there’s a reason Michael Franti & Spearhead grace the bill so frequently. Their live show is engaging to the point where it feels like you’re watching them in a small club, regardless of the crowd. Franti spends more time mingling with punters in the mosh and back of the room than he does on stage, and it works.

PAUL KELLY PRESENTS THE MERRI SOUL SESSIONS

A great concept by an Australian music legend, The Merri Soul Sessions will see Paul Kelly released a series of 7” double-A-side vinyl singles over the next six months with some stellar guest appearances. All thanks to Bluefest, the venture has been given a stage to unfold on, and you can catch Dan Sultan, Kira Piru, and Vika & Linda Bull providing assistance throughout the set. Here’s the man himself explaining the concept and a taste of what to expect of the 7" releases:

SOJA

The fifth record from much-hyped Virginia reggae and dub outfit SOJA, Amid The Noise And Haste, drops next week and encompasses all the vibes you’d expect from a Bluesfest act. Its lead single, I Believe, features fellow Bluesfest-goer Michael Franti, and is a short but sweet number that just makes you want to be a better person – or at least dance like crazy.

REBELUTION

Born through a mutual love of the genre in Santa Barbara back in ‘04, California’s Rebelution will bring their brand of chilled reggae to Bluesfest punters. Without any label backing or media push, the band broke free from the small college town in which the formed and kick-started a healthy career by playing 100 shows a year. The band’s fourth record, Count Me In, dropped earlier this year, marks the band’s third consecutive #1 Reggae Album on the Billboard charts and, has seen them spearhead the new US reggae movement.

FRANK TURNER & THE SLEEPING SOULS

Don’t be fooled by the name, Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls’ set will by no means be a time to sit back and relax. The folk punks have built up a steady Aus fanbase over the years with regular albums and accompanying tours, and selling out Wembley Arena, headlining Leeds and Reading, they also made an appearance at the 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony. By contrast, any future gig is now intimate. You don’t get to the Olympics without award-winning material, and that’s indeed what they’ll deliver. Turner’s fifth record, Tape Deck Heart, dropped last April.

MARIACHI EL BRONX

Punk rock and mariachi unite for Mariachi El Bronx's Bluesfest debut. The band is the alter ego of US hardcore punks The Bronx, who formed in LA in 2002. They were requested to tone things back for an acoustic TV performance, and decided to somewhat take the piss by wearing sombreros and completely reinviting their tunes. It worked well – very well. And the band has since been touring the world, altering between both styles.

BAND OF SKULLS

Southampton stalwarts Band Of Skulls were here in June for short run of East Coast dates to showcase tracks off their third record, Himalayan, with a full-throttle live show that few three-piece rock outfits could deliver. We gave the new record four-and-a-half stars, and their trademark raucous blues riffs and raw vocals and effect-drenched guitar tones translate perfectly to the big stage.