The Southbank Centre has revealed the first selection of acts playing David Byrne’s Meltdown.
The Talking Heads frontman has put together an eclectic line-up for his festival, including gigs from drone titans Sunn O))), Dirty Projectors’ virtuoso David Longstreth and the roof-raising Hypnotic Brass Ensemble.
Matthew Herbert will perform songs from his new album The Shakes and 2001’s Bodily Functions, while a cast of special guests will pay tribute to Nigerian synth-funk discovery William Onyeabor in the stage show Atomic Bomb!.
Seminal Cardiff post-punk band Young Marble Giants are another obvious highlight, along with the unique American artist Lonnie Holley and toytronica specialists Psapp. Actor and director Young Jean Lee will perform with David Byrne in the theatre piece We’re Gonna Die, while a special commission from John Luther Adams will see 64 French horns playing across the Southbank Centre.
Anna Calvi, GABI, Bianca Casady of CocoRosie, Carmen Consoli, Marie Rodes, Gabrielle Herbst, Francois & The Atlas Mountains, Zun Zun Egui, Benjamin Clementine and Spanish flamenco star Estrella Morente are among the other acts announced, while the support for Sunn O))) is Phurpa, a Russian collective who play Tibetan chants and instruments made of human bones.
Meltdown takes place from August 17-28 at the Southbank Centre in London. Get tickets and more information from the Meltdown page.
