Byron Bay Bluesfest 2015

Overview

It's time to air out the tent and throw those novelty gumboots in your backpack, Bluesfest is here for another music-filled Easter long weekend. While The Black Keys, Ben Howard and Lenny Kravitz are no longer heading to Byron this year, Bluesfesters can placate their blues (ugh) with Alabama Shakes, Jurassic 5, the Zac Brown Band, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, Sticky Fingers, Boy and Bear, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Paolo Nutini, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Angus and Julia Stone, Steve Smyth, The Black Keys' replacement British India and more.

There’s more of an emphasis than usual on young blood and recent charttoppers this year. That said, the legendary George Clinton with his Parliament/Funkadelic will be delivering an ample dose of '70s psychedelic, roller-skating-worthy funk and Paul Kelly (who seems perpetually both classic and contemporary) will be serving up some Merri Soul Sessions, in the star-studded company of Dan Sultan, Kira Puru and Vika and Linda Bull.

Then there’s Train, Xavier Rudd and the United Nations, Trombone Shorty and New Orleans Avenue, Rebelution, Soja, The Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Beth Hart, Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls, Mariachi El Bronx, G. Love and Special Sauce, Pokey Lafarge, Band of Skulls and Rockwiz Live.

The only difficult news in all of this is that ticket prices have crept up (you can’t say you weren’t warned!).

BYRON BAY BLUESFEST 2015 LINEUP:

The Black Keys
Angus & Julia Stone
Boy & Bear
Sticky Fingers
Frank Yamma
Delta Rae
Wagons
Skipping Girl Vinegar
Marlon Williams & The Yarra Benders
Kristy Lee
Genevieve Chadwick
Dewayne Everettsmith
The Bella Reunion
Luluc
James T.
Matt Andersen
Shaun Kirk
Eddie Boyd & The Phatapillars
Hozier
The Waterboys
Switchfoot
Hunter Hayes
Fly My Pretties
Music Maker Presents Super Chikan And Vasti Jackson
Diesel
Jeff Lang
Phil Wiggins & Dom Turner
Watussi (Final Performances)
Nikki Hill
The Rumjacks
Lenny Kravitz
The Gipsy Kings (feat. Nicolas Reyes & Tonino Baliardo)
Rodrigo Y Gabriela
Jurassic 5 (Now also performing on Thursday night)
John Mayall
Keb Mo
Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin with the Guilty Ones
JJ Grey & Mofro
Tony Joe White
Jon Cleary
Trevor Hal
Serena Ryder
Jake Shimabukuro
Music Maker Foundation (feat. Cool John Ferguson, Little Freddie King, Alabama Slim, George Stancell)
Michael Franti's Soulshine
Ben Harper and The Innocent Criminals
Paolo Nutini
David Gray
Ben Howard
Counting Crows
Jimmy Cliff
Mavis Staples
Gary Clark Jr
Dispatch
Ruthie Foster
The Beat
Keziah Jones
Playing For Change
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 Puru, & Vika And Linda Bull
Xavier Rudd and The United Nations
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
Rebelution
Soja
The Chris Robinson Brotherhood
Beth Hart
Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls
Mariachi El Bronx
G. Love & Special Sauce
Pokey Lafarge
Band Of Skulls
Rockwiz Live
Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires
Augie March
Donavon Frankenreiter
Melbourne Ska Orchestra
Justin Townes Earle
Declan Kelly Presents Diesel n’Dub (Featuring Emma Donovan, Alex Lloyd, Pat Powell, Radical Son, Tony Hughes)
Ash Grunwald
Blue King Brown
The Beautiful Girls
Steve Smyth
Karl S. Williams
British India

Bluesfest 2015 will run April 2 – 6 2015 at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, Byron Bay. More details and ticket info here.

Image: Bluesfest.