Spin doctor: Rolling Stones, Dylan, McCartney, Young, the Who and Waters team up

What a line-up. Six acts of unprecedented collective pedigree have agreed to appear at a festival in California.

Bob Dylan will perform at the Desert Trip festival. Picture: Getty Images

Quote of the week comes from Paul Tollett, chief executive of US company Goldenvoice, which promotes one of the world’s biggest rock festivals, the annual California desert knees-up, Coachella.

Tollett and his colleagues confirmed this week that a second festival is to be held at the Coachella site, Empire Polo Grounds, in October, featuring six acts with an unprecedented collective pedigree. The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Neil Young, the Who and Roger Waters will share the same stage for the first time at the Desert Trip festival, to be staged across three nights from October 9 to 11. Oldfella, as it could be called, came together only after all six acts agreed to do it.

Tollett, who has been working on the idea for two years, told each act that it would happen only if they all said yes. The only one he didn’t get to talk to directly was Dylan. “I live out near him,” Tollett told Rolling Stone, “but he’s not the type of guy you run into at 7-Eleven.” The Stones and Dylan play on the first night, followed by Young and McCartney on the second evening and finally the Who and Waters. No other acts will be on the bill.

Applications are open for the annual Vanda and Young Songwriting Competition, which offers a first prize of $50,000. The competition is designed to raise funds for not-for-profit music therapy organisation Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia and is a joint venture between industry body APRA AMCOS and music publisher Alberts. Previous winners of the top prize include Megan Washington, Kimbra, the Preatures and Husky Gawenda. There are cash prizes also for the second and third-placed entries. Entries close on July 13. If you think you’re in with a shout, you can find out more here: vandayoungsongcomp.com.

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