Festival Announcements Aplenty (Falls, Queenscliff, Peats, Golden Plains)

With the festival season in an early swing thanks to festivals like Bellingen and Blueprint, announcements for New Years festivals have began and gone rampant. In the interests of convenience, the big name roll-outs for Summer are all in this tidy little package.

Hold onto your headwear; it's a line-up bonanza. From a new Falls line-up bolstering it's already impressive list of acts to an immensely huge first announcement from Golden Plains of such quality that it can consist of a single band...we will absolutely spoil you.

Falls Festival (2009/2010)
Falls has announced a wealth of top acts including; The Vasco Era, Dan Sultan, the Bag Raiders, Grrilla Step, Whitley, Naysayer and Gilsun, Catcall, The Scare and the Paper Scissors.

That's adding to a list that already claims names like the Yeah Yeah Yeah's, Grizzly Bear, Moby Emiliana Torrini, Editors and Seasick Steve. All that equates to 70 acts and 27 internationals, and one heck of a good looking festival.

Peats Ridge (2009/2010)
Peats have also announced a pretty sizeable line-up on par with that of the cancelled festival back in '07. Bolstered by a successful turn-out last year, the people from Glenworth Valley have assembled a fantastic group of acts for this one.

The new announcement just released includes headlining trip hop duo Lamb, including the magical Lou Rhodes who toured solo only a few years ago. Alongside Lamb comes an announcement that looks something like this:

Lamb (UK) * Jeff Martin (CAN) * Lost Valentinos * Telepathe (USA) * Mount Mocha Kilimanjaro (Japan) * Ripperton Live (Switzerland) * Mama Kin * Passenger (UK) * The Barons of Tang * Christian Vance Live * OKA * Kid Sam * Tom Ugly * Dan Mangan (CAN) * The Strides * Dizz1 * Oakley (OG) Grenell (NZ) * Tinpan Orange * Sacred Earth * Mic Conway's National Junk Band * Greg Sheehan * Seekae * The Crooked Fiddle Band * Marshall and the Fro * Fergus Brown * Saritah * Deep Sea Arcade * Brian Campeau * Castanets (USA) * Ernest Ellis * Jack Shit * Monkfly * Meem (DJ) * The Medics * Kira Puru and the Very Geordie Malones * Chase the Sun * Darth Vegas * Emma Davis * Peret Mako * Pan Electric (UK) * Sarah Humphreys * Melatonin * Abbie Cardwell * Royal Chant * Bushwalla (US) * The Paper Scissors * The Levitators * Tommee * Goldie Feather * Leroy Lee * Monkey Boy: Mick Hart * Jason Lowe * Cabins * Cameras * Miso * Leena * The Sins * Seagull

Of course, that's before you even consider the fact that they've already collated Sarah Blasko, The Panics, Liam Finn, Dappled Cities, Whitley, Jeff Lang, Ash Grunwald and Bertie Blackman for the festival.

Queenscliff Music Festival (November 2009)
Some big murmurs came out of Queenscliff's mouths with their announcement, including Djan Djan (the Jeff Lang, Mamadou Diabate, Bobby Singh trio) and Peter Combe, of yesteryear's fame.

Included in that announcement is: The Pigram Brothers, The Badloves, Leeder Cheatah, Grace Barbe, Jimi Hacking, Howl, The Junes, Blue Heat, Gun Street Girls, Black Market Rhythm Co, Bonja, Mat Joe Gow and The McClymonts.

That's alongside the Wailers, Tim Finn, Little Birdy, Nano Stern, Dan Sultan, Whitley and a whole stack more.

Golden Plains (2010)
Now, if that picture on the main page didn't give it away, or you are somehow untrusting of us and think we're pulling your leg as fast as we're pulling the other one, then we'd like to pass on the news out of Golden Plains that the first announcement is none other than Pavement.

Pavement, masters of decade defining album 'Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain' are on their way to Australia for their first shows for ten years. With Golden Plains awarded Best Festival 2009 in last year's Australian Festival Awards, it's shaping as one very fine place to be in March next year. More acts will be announced for Golden Plains in the coming months, but hey, it's hard not to be happy with the reformed Pavement.

Stay in touch with us at Soulshine in the next while as we bring you every inch of Australian festival news that comes our way. In the mean time though, why not consider heading along to our Feature Festival, the potentially brilliant High and Dry? It's a wicked way to apply that premature festival enthusiasm in preparation for the Summer ahead...