Patti Smith and George Benson return, Bon Iver and Jimmy Barnes added as 2021 Bluesfest headliners
It’s a long nine months until 2021 Bluesfest and anything could happen, but promoter Peter Noble is determined the show must go as he releases his first line-up.
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Legendary punk poet Patti Smith and jazz guitar supremo George Benson are coming back and Bon Iver and Jimmy Barnes have been added as headliners for the annual Bluesfest festival which is determined to reboot next Easter.
While no one can predict the status of the COVID-19 restrictions around international borders and mass gatherings next April, promoter Peter Noble said the Australian music industry and fan “need” the Byron Bay event to go ahead next year.
Other artists confirmed in their first line-up announcement on Wednesday are the Teskey Brothers, John Butler, The Cat Empire, Kool and the Gang, the Gipsy Kings, Kasey Chambers, The Waifs, Troy Cassar-Daley and Michael Franti and Spearhead.
Noble said while he had tried to reconfirm all of the international artists who had been booked for the 2020 festival, cancelled in March due to the pandemic shutdown, Alanis Morissette and Lenny Kravitz look unlikely to return.
It is also uncertain if Crowded House, who were to play their only Australian show in April before festivals were shutdown, will sign on for 2021.
And should borders remain shut to international travellers, Noble will retool the line-up to be an all-Australian affair.
“There are still some (international) artists we are working with and we have back-up plans if they are not allowed in. We will book more Australian artists and we are in the midst of those conversations,” he said.
“We are working closely with the State governments to stage a safe event for fans, artists and our staff.
“We have more than a little optimism in that we trust the Government will achieve the goals needed so our business can get back to show business.”
Nine months out from the festival, Bluesfest plans to host a minimum of 7500 people under current NSW guidelines which also dictate festivalgoers would have to be seated at the five stages and may have to be served drinks rather than queuing at bars.
He is hopeful restrictions around the amount of people allowed to gather at large outdoor events will be lifted ahead of the April five-day event.
Noble said ticket prices would be kept at the 2020 levels despite the reduced capacity and had “fairly” renegotiated artist fees.
“We have not budgeted on a sell-out event run at full capacity. We know the public doesn’t have the money so we can’t charge them anymore and you can’t expect artists to come and pay them a pittance to play because they have families and mortgages too,” he said.
“We have to be fair to our fans and to our artists because the music industry needs us to come back safely or we will no longer have a music industry.”
While even the diehard fans of the annual event may hesitate to book early for the 2021 Bluesfest, Noble said last week “there is no risk in buying tickets as all monies will be securely held in a locked account should the unlikely need to refund become a necessity.”
Bluesfest was covered by pandemic insurance and the promoter said they are processing the final 20 per cent of 2020 ticket refunds now.
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He has also confirmed 14 “sideshow” tours with Bluesfest artists including Patti Smith, George Benson, Tori Kelly and Gipsy Kings, who have booked concerts in other States around the April festival.
The full first line-up is:
Bon Iver, Patti Smith and Her Band, Jimmy Barnes, George Benson, The Teskey Brothers, John Butler, Xavier Rudd, The Cat Empire, Kool & The Gang, The Gipsy Kings, Kasey Chambers, The Waifs, Troy Cassar-Daley, Michael Franti & Spearhead, The Wailers perform songs from Legend, Morcheeba, The Black Sorrows, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Tori Kelly, Buffy Sainte-Marie, The Marcus King Band, Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram, Jimmie Vaughan, John Mayall, Melbourne Ska Orchestra, Chain, Larkin Poe, Weddings, Parties, Anything (Exclusive Show), Backsliders, Harts Plays Hendrix, Ash Grunwald, The War & Treaty, Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles, Walter Trout, The Bamboos, Mick Thomas’ Roving Commission, Dami Im, Pierce Brothers, Emily Wurramarra, Roshani, Ray Beadle, Henry Wagons, Hussy Hicks, Pacey, King & Doley, Daniel Champagne, Nathan Cavaleri, Little Georgia.