GROUNDBREAKING music festival the Electric Proms is coming to Liverpool this autumn – the first time the event has ventured outside London.
The city will co-host a line up of top stars from October 22 to 26, with gigs that aim to create a new musical experience.
The Last Shadow Puppets, featuring Miles Kane of Liverpool band The Rascals and Arctic Monkey’s Alex Turner, will play the Philharmonic Hall, while Tony Christie will launch the event on the River Mersey, aboard the Royal Daffodil Ferry.
BBC Radio Merseyside's Dave Monks will introduce sets from local bands Wave Machines and The Maybes in the ferry’s performance space and other bands will play at The Barfly and BBC Radio Merseyside.
Festival Director Lorna Clarke said: “The BBC Electric Proms is centred on new moments in music, and we are delighted to be able to join the celebrations of the European Capital of Culture by bringing the festival to Liverpool for the first time.
“Hosting a dual city event is completely new to the BBC Electric Proms and will help us reach an even wider audience with an extended line-up.” London will host Mike Skinner’s The Streets and Mercury Music Prize nominee Nitin Sawhney at the Roundhouse, along with other gigs across Camden.
Rising stars XX Teens and Wild Beasts will also perform in the capital.
Further acts will be announced for both cities in coming weeks, with more than 80 artists appearing in total.
Each performance will aim to create a new musical experience, through collaborations between new and established acts and the performance of new material.
The festival will be televised on the BBC, and viewers will be able to interact by pressing the red button on their remote control.
The event has also commissioned three new BBC New Music Shorts for 2008.
Film makers were invited to submit ideas for inventive and original short films inspired by tracks from Roots Manuva, XX Teens and Wild Beasts earlier this year.
The three successful commissions will premier at the event.
Tickets will go on sale in mid- September, and more information is available at www. bbc.co.uk/electricproms
