Three AMP shortlisted acts to recreate iconic AC/DC moment in the back of a truck

Three of the Australian Music Prize (AMP) shortlisted artists will showcase their albums with a free gig in Melbourne on Wednesday March 7 – two days before the AMP winner is announced.

The concept of the concert is reminiscent of AC/DC’s iconic video for ‘It’s A Long Way To The Top’ when they played on a flat-truck driven along the city’s main thoroughfare Swanston Street.

Rapper Sampa The Great, HTMLflowers (Grant Gronewold) and electronic singer-songwriter and producer Darcy Baylis will perform on the back of a truck in the Arts Centre Melbourne forecourt.

Sampa The Great aka Sampa Tembo said, “I am very excited to perform some of Birds And The BEE9 at the AMP showcase in front of some amazing musicians.

“It’s always exciting to bring the record to life and share more about the project with everyone.”

Baylis was “Overwhelmed with excitement to be performing at such an iconic location with some of my favourite Australian artists.

“Being shortlisted still feels like a dream. Hope you can join me in it.”

HTMLflowers was more succinct: “I look forward to Sampa and Darcy Baylis making me look a talentless loser on the back of a truck.”

The show is compered by AMP judge and News Corp music columnist Mikey Cahill.

The concert also stresses that Arts Centre Melbourne is also home to the free Australian Music Vault, and which should also be checked out before or after the show.

As noted by TMN, the Vault drew 100,000 visitors in its first two months.

The AMP winner announcement will be made in Melbourne on Friday March 9, with the winner receiving $30,000 in prize money courtesy of Principal Partner PPCA.

As part of a new partnership with the Victorian Government, the AMP will call Melbourne home in 2018 and 2019.

The 13th AMP Shortlist in alphabetical order is:

Beaches – Second of Spring

Darcy Baylis – Intimacy & Isolation

HTMLflowers – Chrome Halo

Jen Cloher – Jen Cloher

Jordan Rakei – Wallflower

Liars – TFCF

Paul Kelly – Life is Fine

Sampa The Great – Birds and the BEE9

The Vampires – The Vampires Meet Lionel Loueke