First Acts Announced for Summertyne Americana Festival 2016!

Now firmly established in the summer calendar, SummerTyne Americana Festival is a three day jamboree between 22 and 24 July,  that celebrates American roots music and brings together some of the finest and most exciting performers from both sides of the Atlantic. Presented in and around Sage Gateshead, one of the world’s leading concert venues on the stunning south bank of the river Tyne in the North East of England, the event now attracts around 12,000 people every year to revel in a weekend of country, folk, bluegrass, rockabilly, blues, soul and roots music.   With the UK’s appetite for country music steadily growing we are thrilled to be kicking off with an exciting transatlantic double bill of two of the hottest young acts to break on to the scene in the past two years, with an exclusive appearance by Nashville’s Striking Matches and the UK’s Ward Thomas. We are also delighted to be throwing a party on the Saturday night headlined by vintage and rockabilly queen Imelda May and we’re also presenting two of the Americana scenes most influential and award winning singer songwriters, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Gretchen Peters.   Across the rest of the weekend, there will be something for everyone. Indoors there are many hidden gems for the Americana aficionados including rare appearances by Texas’ favourite country duo Kelly Willis & Bruce Robison plus Brennen Leigh & Noel McKay, New York’s new folk pioneers The Mike + Ruthy Band and Gill Landry from Old Crow Medicine Show. There’ll be dazzling bluegrass styling’s from Ron Block (Alison Krauss and Union Station) with mandolin protégé Sierra Hull and a highly anticipated bluegrass rework of The Who’s rock opera ‘Tommy’, by The HillBenders, plus we’ll be getting down to the raw, authentic  blues, soul and southern rock of The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Lucky Peterson and The Kentucky Headhunters. On our free outdoor stage, country appetites will be further sated by Eve Selis, 10 String Symphony, Luke & Mel, Urban Pioneers and Mary Jean Lewis plus soaring country gospel from Yolanda Carter and Mississippi blues from Little Victor.   With street food, a film programme, exhibitions and many more acts still to be announced, we defy you not to find something to blow you away, get your feet tapping and put a huge smile on your face.  It’s SummerTyne time!   Tickets on sale from 12noon on Friday 8 April with an Early Bird Multi-Buy Offer available.  For more details go to summertyne.com or call Ticket office on 0191 443 4661.