David Byrne has just revealed the first batch of names for this year’s Meltdown. The mighty, mighty Sunn O))) will be heading to London in August, playing with support from Phurpa, a group whose style is based on Tibetan overtone chanting and use instruments made of human bones. Elsewhere, Cardiff post-punk luminaries Young Marble Giants will be turning in a rare set and Anna Calvi will be playing backed with a 12-piece choir. There’ll also be a performance of the stage show Atomic Bomb!, which explores the music of Nigerian synth-funk supremo William Onyeabor and promises to be bolstered by special guests, while the rest of today’s names include Matthew Herbert, Dirty Projectors’ David Longstreth, Francois & The Atlas Mountains, Zun Zun Egui, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Benjamin Clementine and Lonnie Holley, as well as We’re Gonna Die, a theatre piece performed by Brooklyn-based actor and director Young Jean Lee and her band, which will feature Byrne himself.
David Byrne’s Meltdown takes place from August 17 to 30; for full details and tickets, head to the festival’s website here.
