First 2016 Sideshows Announced!
Music lovers who can’t make it to idyllic Byron Bay over Easter for Bluesfest 2016 will be happy to hear that an impressive array of Bluesfest sideshows will be coming to our major cities and a number of regional venues next March/April.
First up is a hugely talented star on the rise, American Alternative Country artist Sturgill Simpson, who will be in Sydney and Melbourne before making his Bluesfest debut next March. Sturgill Simpson has been heralded as the next Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash all rolled into one and cleaned up at the recent 2015 Americana Awards, taking out the Artist of the Year award and Song of the Year award for ‘Turtles All The Way Down’.
One of America's most celebrated storytellers, Steve Earle and his long-time backup band The Dukes will be returning to Australia for Bluesfest and a huge run of sideshows. His latest release Terraplane (2015) charted higher than his trademark Copperhead Road peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard Blues charts, No. 2 on the Billboard Folk albums chart, No. 3 on the Billboard Country albums chart and debuted at No. 39 on the Billboard 200. Husband and wife Alt –Country duo, The Mastersons, will also be returning to Australia as the special guest on most of the Steve Earle dates, further details can be found below.
Also included in the first announcement are Jamaican Reggae icons The Wailers, led by legendary bassist and long-time band leader Aston ‘Family Man’ who have announced an extensive run of Bluesfest sideshows. The Wailers will be performing one of their classic albums in entirety at each show including; Exodus, Survival, Uprising and Legend (the best-selling Reggae album of all time) plus the big hits like ‘No Woman, No Cry’, ‘Redemption Song’, ‘Is this Love’, and more.
The Selecter will be bringing their legendary live shows to Sydney and Melbourne as well as Bluesfest next March. The Iconic Ska group dropped their best new album release in a decade earlier this year, the highly acclaimed Subculture mixed by UK dub-master Prince Fatty.
Many more official sideshow announcements are still to come in the lead up to Byron Bay Bluesfest, held from 24th- 28th March 2016.