Three more Aussie acts added to The Great Escape

Image: Confidence Man

The Australian contingent at a major UK festival grows to 16, with three more acts added to the showcase line-up of the UK’s The Great Escape (May 18 to 20).

Of the latest 130 acts added from around the world were Jack Ladder, Confidence Man and Alex Cameron.

The Great Escape now has the reputation for being the major European event where the global music industry can check out the latest emerging acts.

Among the 130 announced early this morning were Abra Cadabra, Ásgeir, Childhood, Douglas Dare, Flyte, Ibibio Sound Machine, Jane Weaver, Mystic Braves, Nova Twins, Raye, Superfood, The Amazons, The Districts, Yxng Bane and Zak Abel.

Sydney singer-songwriter Jack Ladder, whose lyrics and social media postings reflect a wry dark humour, is currently road-testing new songs to follow up his Playmates album from 2014.

Alex Cameron, the pop-lounge favourite also known for his work with Seekae, displays a similar dark wit. He’s currently touring through the UK, following sell-out shows in France and a stint of hanging out with his biggest fan, Killers frontman Brandon Flowers, in Las Vegas.

The enigmatic electro-pop act Confidence Man – whose members go by the colourful pseudonyms Reggie Goodchild, Clarence McGuffie, Janet Planet and Sugar Bones – are currently on their Hard Candy tour through Australia.

The other Australian acts playing The Great Escape are Ainslie Wills, Betty Who, Gabriella Cohen, Gold Class, Gordy, Lisa Mitchell, Middle Kids, Olympia, Parcels, Sampa The Great, The Goon Sax, Tigertown and Tired Lion.

Also announced this morning were five more conference sessions as part of the CMU Insights program at the festival. They’ll cover the battle for digital transparency, the question if streaming will kill off the radio star, how to break the global market, why some artists shun collective licensing live, and the impact on the music industry of Brexit.