Bluesfest adds Mick Fleetwood, Eagles of Death Metal, 10 more

With only seven weeks before Bluesfest gates open, the Byron Bay festival which could draw 100,000 over five days, announced its final additions this morning.

These included the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band, Eagles of Death Metal, Playing For Change Band and Chain, among others.

The Mick Fleetwood Band features former Fleetwood Mac member Rick Vito, and once featured the late Billy Thorpe. When Fleetwood was in Australia last year with Mac, he was reportedly trying to contact Jimmy Barnes about the possibility of joining the Fleetwood Band tour.

Californian band Eagles of Death Metal are making their Bluesfest debut.

The Playing for Change Band is returning to Bluesfest for the fourth time in a row, as part of its strategy to bring peace to the world through music. The line-up coming to Australia next month are singers Grandpa Elliott (US), Clarence Bekker (Denmark), Titi Tsira (South Africa) and Tula (Israel). They are joined by guitarists Mermans Mosengo and Jason Tamba (Congo), Roberto Luti (Italy), drummer Peter Bunetta (USA), bassist Juan Carlos Portillo (Venezuela) and keyboard player Keiko Komaki (Japan). 

Other additions announced this morning were veteran Australian blues bands Chain and The Backsliders, New Orleans born Eugene ‘Hideaway’ Bridges for his eighth Bluesfest appearance), Irish-born Canada-based Irish Mythen whose recent Woodford Folk set drew standing ovations and multiple encores, Canadian award winning aboriginal duo Digging Roots, and Canadian soul folk and country singer songwriter Frazey Ford.

Three other Australian additions are Byron Bay’s Marshall Okell, 19-year old Sahara Beck whose May-due album Panacea was recorded in Byron Bay, and Deadly winning Emma Donovan & The PutBacks. 

Previously announced were Kendrick Lamar, Joe Bonamassa, The National, City and Colour, D’Angelo, Jackson Browne, Melissa Etheridge, Brian Wilson performing Pet Sounds, UB40 featuring Ali Campbell, Astro and Mickey Virtue, The Tedeschi Trucks Band, Tom Jones, Graham Nash, Taj Mahal, Steve Earle & The Dukes, Richard Clapton, Russell Morris, The Wailers and The Residents.

Bluesfest is staged between Thursday March 24 to Monday 28 over the Easter long weekend.