Features
Bluesfest Scores Ben Harper Reunion
Australia’s Bluesfest scored the first major global show by the reunited Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals. It’s not surprising for its director Peter Noble, who pointed out, “Bluesfest is their spiritual home.”
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They played the festival in 2007, one year before a seven-year hiatus. In 2011, Harper surprised the crowd by unexpectedly re-forming the band for a one-off Bluesfest appearance.
Others in the April 2-6 event’s second artist announcement included Paolo Nutini, David Gray, Ben Howard, Counting Crows, Gary Clark Jr. doing three sets, Angelique Kidjo, Jimmy Cliff, Mavis Staples, Dispatch making its Australian debut, Ruthie Foster, Nigeria’s Keziah Jones, Sheppard, and Playing For Change returning to the festival for the third time.
They join the previously announced The Black Keys, Zac Brown Band, Alabama Shakes and Train.