Jungle and Johnny Marr join the line-up for Nile Rodgers' Meltdown at Southbank Centre
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Date: Tuesday 11 June 2019, 10.00am
Contact: Phoebe Gardiner, phoebe.gardiner@southbankcentre.co.uk / 020 7921 0967
Alexandra Shaw alexandra.shaw@southbankcentre.co.uk / 020 7921 0676
Images: available here
Full festival listings: available here
Jungle and Johnny Marr join the line-up for Nile Rodgers’
Meltdown at Southbank Centre
(L-R) Jungle; Johnny Marr © Niall Lea
Also featuring: Kero Kero Bonito, Nicky Siano, Onyx Collective, Nakhane,
V**gra Boys, Azekel, Radiant Children, Anaïs, Yael Naim, Peter Cat Recording
Co., Richard Norris, and a special evening with Nile Rodgers and Merck
Mercuriadis in conversation.
Today Southbank Centre announces further names for this year’s Meltdown festival curated by Nile
Rodgers, including five days of the hottest parties in London, open to all and totally free. The longest
running artist-curated festival in the world returns for its 26th year taking over the 17-acre site on the south
bank of the River Thames from 3-11 August with nine days of unmissable music.
Tickets go on sale to Southbank Centre Members on 12 June and to the general public on 14 June at
southbankcentre.co.uk/meltdown. A limited number of tickets to previously sold-out events will also be
released.
Joining the line-up today are: Jungle, the West London duo Tom McFarland and Josh Lloyd-Watson, who
have gained a reputation for one of the most exciting live acts today, joined on the Royal Festival Hall stage
by their seven-piece band for a high-energy night of aspiration, escapism and modern soul (5 Aug, RFH);
guitarist and co-songwriter of The Smiths, Johnny Marr, who brings his legendary guitar and hits both old
and new for a very special evening in Royal Festival Hall (8 Aug, RFH); and a host of the hottest new
sounds from across the globe, including London-based synth pop experimentals Kero Kero Bonito, high
energy New York jazz from Onyx Collective, transatlantic trio Radiant Children, Franco-Israeli
singer-songwriter Yael Naim and the powerful, emotionally-charged South African singer, Nakhane.
Rodgers sets the mood of his festival with five big free outdoor parties running each weekend until 1am on
Southbank Centre’s sunny Riverside Terrace and across the site. Disco Wonderland is a free day-long
disco honouring the curator’s own sequin-spangled career, featuring a mass disco anthem singalong led by
London’s Some Voices choir, and DJs spinning dance hits until 1am (3 Aug). Sunday afternoon is carnival
time, as Meltdown Mardi Gras comes to town, with a battalion of brass, a riverside parade, lindy hopping
and a breakdance battle with the public crowning the winner.
Rodgers’ commitment to supporting emerging talent is showcased in And The Beat Goes On (9 Aug): an
afternoon of free performance from the best young musicians across the UK, including rising stars at the
world-famous BRIT School (whose alumni include Amy Winehouse, Adele and Loyle Carner), topped with a
showstopping headliner.
On Saturday (10 Aug) Meltdown c elebrates CHIC’s place in the original underground LGBTQ ballroom
culture, as the soundtrack for a generation to dance, vogue and pose, in the C’est Chic Vogue Ball. In this
Meltdown e xclusive, groups - known as ‘Houses’ - from London and beyond ‘walk’ - i.e., compete - on the
riverside runway in a host of extravagant categories for trophies, prizes, and ultimate glory.
The final day goes back to Rodgers’ roots and showcases one of his first loves - jazz. Ministry of
Meltdown ( 11 Aug) celebrates the explosion of activity and innovation in the genre from South London
featuring some of the most exciting names on the scene playing out the festival on the Riverside Stage until
1am.
Nile Rodgers, Curator, said: “In curating Meltdown I’m effectively creating my own live concert playlist of
my favourite artists, new and old. I’m delighted to announce the addition of Jungle and my great friend
Johnny Marr to the lineup as well as new artists like Kero Kero Bonito, Anaïs and Nakhane. Alongside the
incredible artists previously announced such as Eurythmics Songbook, KOKOROKO, SOPHIE and CHIC
every night is going to be special.”
Artists announced today:
● NICKY SIANO: The original resident weeknight DJ at Studio 54, Siano joins the line-up for A Night
of Studio 54 (3 Aug, QEHF). For one night only the Queen Elizabeth Hall foyer is transformed into
the notorious New York nightclub complete with state-of-the-art soundsystem, roller-skating go-go
dancers and legendary DJs. A limited number of tickets to this currently sold-out event to be
released 12 and 14 June.
● ONYX COLLECTIVE: The elusive, nebulous ensemble bring their energetic punk jazz sounds from
New York to London to support Thundercat in Royal Festival Hall (4 Aug, RFH)
● YAEL NAIM: In her only live performance of 2019 announced to date, Franco-Israeli
singer-songwriter, producer, pianist and guitarist brings her pop-folk sounds in English and Hebrew
to Purcell Room (4 Aug, PUR)
● ANAЇS: London-based singer and musician Anaïs is one to watch. She brings her epic 90s pop-soul
vibe and impressive vocal skills to Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room in a not-to-be-missed chance
to catch her on such an intimate stage (5 Aug, PUR)
● AZEKEL: The Nigerian-born, East London-based singer-songwriter, musician and producer with a
co-sign from the late Prince, and collaborations with Gorillaz and Massive Attack under his belt,
brings his personal, confessional and soulful R&B to Purcell Room for one intimate evening (7 Aug,
PUR)
● RICHARD NORRIS: London-based musician and producer brings his ambient, deep listening and
experimental grooves to support Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein performing the music of cult TV hit
Stranger Things (7 Aug, RFH)
● NEW FRONTIERS IN MUSIC: In an enviable opportunity to hear from two music industry
heavyweights, Nile Rodgers is joined in conversation by his manager and business partner, Merck
Mercuriadis, former manager of globally successful artists such as Beyoncé, Elton John and Guns
N’ Roses, and founder of Hipgnosis Songs Fund, the only fund listed on the London Stock
Exchange that invests and offers shares in the songs and associated intellectual property rights of
songwriters. The event, New Frontiers in Music, will be recorded live for a very special edition of the
Sodajerker On Songwriting podcast, hosted by Liverpool-based songwriting team Simon Barber and
Brian O’Connor, and featuring some of the most successful songwriters in the world (8 Aug, QEH)
● KERO KERO BONITO: Synthpop clashes with Japanese rap and indie rock influences for this
Queen Elizabeth Hall debut from experimental London trio Kero Kero Bonito (9 Aug, QEH)
● NAKHANE: Love, joy and self-acceptance emerges from trauma in Nakhane’s enchanting and
emotionally charged music, revealing a truly unique voice in modern pop. The South African-born,
London-based trailblazer comes to Meltdown f or his only 2019 London show announced to date (9
Aug, PUR)
● PETER CAT RECORDING CO.: In a M eltdown special edition of Southbank Centre’s regular
free-gig Friday slot, Peter Cat Recording Co. perform their genreless blend of gypsy jazz,
psychedelic cabaret, ballroom waltzes and epic space disco in Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer (9 Aug,
QEH Foyer)● V**GRA BOYS: Fresh from the release of their critically acclaimed full album, Street Worms, this
Swedish six-part make their Southbank Centre debut, bringing their punk rock sound from
Stockholm to London for a night of unadulterated raw energy (11 Aug, QEH)
● RADIANT CHILDREN: Creators of one of the most original releases of the year, Tryin’, t ransatlantic
trio Radiant Children join the Meltdown l ine-up with their blend of R&B, soul, funk and jazz,
infectious melodies and captivating lyrics, for a Southbank Centre debut (11 Aug, PUR)
Full festival listings available here.
Southbank Centre’s award-winning Meltdown festival is famous for bringing to life the vision of a different
musical legend each year as Curator. Nile Rodgers follows in the footsteps of 25 artists selected to share
their vision – from the very first curator, British composer George Benjamin in 1993, though other luminaries
such as Laurie Anderson, John Peel, David Bowie, Nick Cave, Patti Smith, Massive Attack, Ornette
Coleman, Yoko Ono, David Byrne, M.I.A and, in 2018, Robert Smith.
#ENDS#
Nile Rodgers’ Meltdown: 3-11 August 2019
Southbank Centre, London, UK
Tickets will go on sale to Southbank Centre Members on 12 June and to the general public on 14 June
www.southbankcentre.co.uk/meltdown / 0 203 879 9555
Press images can be downloaded here.
Full listings can be seen here.
For further press information please contact:
Phoebe Gardiner phoebe.gardiner@southbankcentre.co.uk / 020 7921 0967
Alexandra Shaw alexandra.shaw@southbankcentre.co.uk / 020 7921 0676
For more information about Nile Rodgers, please contact:
Fran DeFeo - frandefeopr@gmail.com
Join the conversation:
#meltdownfest
@meltdownfest
@southbankcentre
www.southbankcentre.co.uk/meltdown
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Nile Rodgers + CHIC
Among music legends, Nile Rodgers is truly exceptional. He amplifies his legacy as a multiple GRAMMY-winning
composer, producer, arranger and guitarist by constantly traversing new musical terrain and successfully expanding
the boundaries of popular music. As the co-founder of CHIC and the newly elected Chairman of the Songwriters Hall
of Fame, Rodgers pioneered a musical language that generated chart-topping hits like “Le Freak,” (the biggest sellingsingle in the history of Atlantic Records!) and sparked the advent of hip-hop with “Good Times”. Nile Rodgers transcends all styles of music across every generation with a body of work that’s garnered him inductions into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (2017) and the Songwriters Hall of Fame (2016). Most recently, he was appointed as the first ever Chief Creative Advisor for the legendary Abbey Road Studios to cap off a year that has included “festival best” performances at both Glastonbury and Coachella that resulted in the BBC nominating the band for the BBC Music Awards as “Best Live Performance Of 2017” and the LA Times stating “Nile Rodgers influence stretches all over Coachella, beaming the sound of a better future”. His work in the CHIC Organization and his productions for artists like David Bowie, Diana Ross, and Madonna have sold over 500 million albums and 75 million singles worldwide while his innovative, trendsetting collaborations with Daft Punk, Avicii, Sigala, Disclosure, and Sam Smith reflect the vanguard of contemporary music. Nile Rodgers & CHIC recently released their first new studio album, “It’s About Time” in over 26 years to critical acclaim and a Top 10 position in the UK album charts. Meltdown, 1993 – present Southbank Centre’s award-winning Meltdown festival has been running annually since 1993 and is the longest-running artist-curated festival in the world. Each year Southbank Centre invites a different cultural figure to act as curator and select performers and events of their choosing. Previous curators include George Benjamin, Louis Andriessen, Elvis Costello, Magnus Lindberg, Laurie Anderson, John Peel, Nick Cave, Scott Walker, Robert Wyatt, David Bowie, Lee Scratch-Perry, Morrissey, Patti Smith, Jarvis Cocker, Massive Attack, Ornette Coleman, Richard Thomson, Ray Davies, Anohni, Yoko Ono, James Lavelle, David Byrne, Guy Garvey, M.I.A and Robert Smith. Meltdown has a reputation for staging one-off performances and collaborations by legendary artists. Patti Smith performed ‘Horses’ in full for her Meltdown; Ray Davies re-staged the TV pop show ‘Ready Steady Go!’; Jeff Buckley played his final UK show at Elvis Costello's Meltdown; The New York Dolls reunited for Morrissey; Nick Cave, Grace Jones and Pete Doherty sang Disney songs with Jarvis Cocker; and a rare live performance from Cocteau Twins’ Elizabeth Fraser was part of Anohni’s Meltdown. Other previous performers include Philip Glass, Lou Reed, Ivor Cutler, Sonic Youth, Nina Simone, Blur, Radiohead, David Gilmour, Coldplay, Television, The Polyphonic Spree, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Nancy Sinatra, Bert Jansch, Jeff Beck, John Cale, Iggy & The Stooges, Motorhead, Massive Attack, Moby, Nine Inch Nails, The Libertines, The Cure and Femi Kuti. Robert Smith’s in 2018 Meltdown was nominated for Music Week Awards Festival of the Year and won the AIM Independent Music Awards ‘Act of Independence’ Award. It is overseen by Southbank Centre Senior Contemporary Music Programmer, Bengi Ünsal, and produced by Rhodri Jones. About Southbank Centre Southbank Centre is the UK’s largest arts centre and one of the UK's top five visitor attractions, occupying a 17 acre site that sits in the midst of London’s most vibrant cultural quarter on the South Bank of the Thames. We exist to present great cultural experiences that bring people together and we achieve this by providing the space for artists to create and present their best work and by creating a place where as many people as possible can come together to experience bold, unusual and eye-opening work. We want to take people out of the everyday, every day. The site has an extraordinary creative and architectural history stretching back to the 1951 Festival of Britain. Southbank Centre is made up of the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room and Hayward Gallery as well as being home to the National Poetry Library and the Arts Council Collection. It is also home to four Resident Orchestras (London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, London Sinfonietta and Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment) and four Associate Orchestras (Aurora Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, Chineke! Orchestra and National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain). Southbank Centre Venues RFH - Royal Festival Hall
QEH - Queen Elizabeth Hall PUR - Purcell Room HG - Hayward Gallery
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