Harvest: A Civilised Gathering

Portishead

The songs you know: ‘Numb’, ‘All Mine’, ‘Sour Times’
What’s the big deal? There was an eleven year gap between their self-titled second album and 2008’s Third, so the mere fact they’re doing stuff is noteworthy. That said stuff includes a live performance in Australia is downright astonishing. And let’s be honest: just imagine Beth Gibbons’ voice drifting across the field in the summer twilight…

The National

The songs you know: ‘Bloodbuzz Ohio’, ‘Mistaken for Strangers’, ‘Apartment Story’
What’s the big deal? They’ve become the latest Alternative Band That People Who Aren’t Really Into Alternative Music Like, including one Barack Obama who gave 2010’s High Violet a public thumbs up. They also have eerie predictive powers, as demonstrated in their Dark Was the Night contribution ‘So Far Around the Bend’, which contained the couplet “You’ve been humming in a haze forever/Praying for Pavement to get back together” a good six months before the reunion announcement came through.

Flaming Lips

The songs you know: ‘Do You Realize???’, ‘Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots’, ‘She Don’t Use Jelly’
What’s the big deal? If you haven’t seen the Lips live, you need to amend this before you die: Wayne Coyne in an inflatable ball over the audience, people dancing on stage in animal costumes, loads of fake blood, puppets – oh, and a whole lot of amazing songs. If you have seen them before, then obviously you’re already on board.

Harvest: a Civilised Gathering also includes Bright Eyes, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Holy Fuck, The Family Stone, Mercury Rev, Death In Vegas, The Walkmen, Dappled Cities, PVT, This Town Needs Guns, The Holidays, Phosphorescent, Foxy Shazam and Kormac’s Big Band. But that's not all: the second announcement includes TV On The Radio, Mogwai, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Kevin Devine and Seekae - and check out our interview with the Walkmen at [city-appropriate website].