Adele will sing alongside Burt Bacharach
The BBC Electric Proms today announced the line up for this years festival taking place in London and Liverpool from Wednesday 22nd to Sunday 26th October 2008. Over 60 acts will perform at the event, which is bigger than ever before and now in its third year. Tickets will go on sale at 10am on Wednesday 17th September. The festival dedicated to creating new moments in music will see legendary American songwriter and performer Burt Bacharach open proceedings at the Roundhouse in London on Wednesday 22nd October when he performs with the BBC Concert Orchestra accompanied by three guest vocalists, Adele, Beth Rowley and Jamie Cullum. Razorlight will treat audiences to the first play of their new material in Liverpools Philharmonic Hall on Saturday 25th October. To mark the 30th anniversary of Saturday Night Fever topping the charts in the UK, Robin Gibb will perform alongside guests including Sam Sparro and Sharleen Spiteri with the BBC Concert Orchestra in Londons Roundhouse. The show will be musically directed by Anne Dudley, the Oscar-winning composer, arranger and producer. John Peel Night will debut in the legendary DJs spiritual hometown of Liverpool, featuring punk electronica outfit 2 Hot 2 Sweat, experimental grime producer Milanese and Sheffield-based quintet Rolo Tomassi. Steve Lamacq will also host an afternoon dedicated to exploring the rich musical heritage of the city by presenting his 6Music show from BBC Radio Merseyside with special guests.Festival Director Lorna Clarke commented, This is the third year of the BBC Electric Proms and it is great to be able to celebrate by bringing the event to Liverpool, making it a dual city event for the first time. The BBC Electric Proms is committed to new moments in music, and we are delighted to be hosting an increased line up of unique collaborators and inimitable performances which will be very memorable to audiences, whether they are live in the venue or watching or listening via the BBC.Elsewhere in Liverpool, the European Capital of Culture, the BBC Electric Proms will host their first ever show dedicated to under 18s, featuring artists including Esser, Thomas Tantrum and Kitty Daisy and Lewis. The BBC Electric Proms will also extend its commitment to new music by hosting two nights of new and cutting edge artists in Londons Barfly including Red Light Company, Amazing Baby, Micachu, Bashy, Ny and Chase & Status.The Pool with Dave Monks will also see Howard Eliott Payne and his sister Candie Payne perform a unique set at BBC Radio Merseyside to complement performances from acts already announced, Wave Machines and The Maybes with highlights from the BBC Electric Proms in Liverpool.Keane will introduce their new edgier, harder sound to an intimate crowd in London at KOKO where the three-piece will be joined by extra musicians and a string quartet, while Chaka Khan will take to the stage at legendary London soul and jazz venue Dingwalls for an exclusive intimate performance. Cecil Sharp House, home of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, will be the scene for a stripped down Goldfrapp show accompanied by strings and choir in a unique set built for the one-off performance. Steeleye Spans Maddy Prior will also play Cecil Sharp House alongside friends and collaborators June Tabor and Tim Hart.
More than 60 artists will appear at the BBC Electric Proms 2008 and each performance will aim to create a new music experience. Todays announcement adds to artists already confirmed including The Last Shadow Puppets, The Streets, Nitin Sawhney and Tony Christie. Performers at the BBC Electric Proms are challenged to come up with new and original material or arrangements of their music to reflect the central theme of the festival, that of creating new moments in music. All of this can be accessed either at the venues, watching and listening on the BBC, or by interacting with red button technology and on mobile.
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