Launceston will throw off its "sleepy" reputation with a loud line-up of over 25+ local and national music acts as part of Junction Arts Festival from 10 - 14 September, 2014. The best of Tasmania will play alongside Australia's best chart-topping bands, including The Babe Rainbow, The Royal Jellies, Tiger and Me and Pete Cornelius' jazz band King Cake.
Junction Arts Festival's music program will take place across two main venues: The Junc Room, a Festival stalwart housed in an abandoned CBD warehouse in 2014, and The Gospel Hall, a 1930s style prohibition-era speakeasy in a secret location and designed by Canadian artist Dean Baldwin.
The Junc Room is where Junction Arts Festival goes after dark. Situated in an abandoned warehouse, music lovers, late-night revelers, night cappers and those that just want to dance will be treated with some of Tasmania's and Australia's hottest live music acts. The lineup includes The Babe Rainbow (NSW), The Royal Jellies (VIC), The Tiger and Me (VIC) and Tassie artists DJ Randall Fox, Emma Anglesey, Younger Dryas, Violet Swells, The Stayns, Joe Nuttall (Enola Fall), Bansheeland, Gentle Hurst, Josef Josef, Marty Kooistra, Paper Souls and Siobhan Corcoran.
Canadian installation artist Dean Baldwin has been commissioned by Junction Arts Festival to create the environment for the Festival's 1930s prohibition-era style speakeasy venue The Gospel Hall, an alternative late night Festival club for those who want to enjoy a fine Tasmanian tipple, relax and sway the night away to cool-swinging jazz and funk sounds from three resident bands. In a secret CBD space requiring a password access, audiences - who are absolutely encouraged to dress the part - will be treated with the sound of Australia blues icon Pete Cornelius's New Orleans jazz band King Cake as well as local legends The Mercenary Funk Bandits and JUNK.
Baldwin will also create a stunning backdrop to The Junc Room stage: a bandstand made entirely out of discarded cardboard liquor cases.
For the first time in 2014, Junction Arts Festival will also present its inaugural intimate Backyard Bands series, presenting two well-known Tasmanian bands in the backyards of two of Launceston's most historic and high-profile homes.
As part of Backyard Bands, from 6:30pm, Friday 12 September, enjoy the sexy cabaret-esque sounds of Lulu and the Paige-Turners at Hatherley House, a National Listed 1830s grand mansion with an expansive English-style parkland garden with snowy mountain vistas.
From 4:30pm, Saturday 13 September, catch the reggae, folklore, hip hop and seedy blues swings of The Embers while perched high on the hills of West Launceston at the early 20th century electrical sub-station with dramatic views over Launceston.
Junction Arts Festival will energise Launceston, Tasmania from Wednesday 10 - Sunday 14 September, 2014 with five days of unexpected art adventures weaving through the city. From a lightning fast birthday party, to bands playing in household backyards, to 7 metre-tall inflatable bunnies and bicycle-powered karaoke machines, Junction Arts Festival offers intimate one-on-one encounters, high energy spectacles and an all manner of things in-between.
Junction Arts Festival runs 10 - 14 September, 2014 in sites all over Launceston, Tasmania. For more information and tickets visit
junctionartsfestival.com.au or call 03 6331 1309.
