'Ready Steady Go!' acts & more announced for Meltdown

The line-up for a special Meltdown version of 60's iconic TV show 'Ready Steady Go!' has been announced. This special re-creation will see performances by stars from the era alongside contemporary artists, specially chosen by the show's original editor, legendary TV producer and Dusty Springfield's manager Vicki Wickham at the Ray Davies curated festival at London's Southbank Centre.

Saturday 11th June will see the Royal Festival Hall play host to the re-creation of 1960s British TV pop show 'Ready Steady Go!', a pioneering music programme that featured legendary performances from The Beatles, The Stones, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Otis Redding, Dusty Springfield as well as many appearances by The Kinks. The Royal Festival Hall set will be created by the show's original designer Nicholas Ferguson.

Guests confirmed so far include The Animals' Eric Burdon, Sandie Shaw, Paloma Faith, Nona Hendryx of Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles and Labelle, The Ronettes' Ronnie Spector, and The Manfreds. Ray Davies claimed recently that it was The Kinks' first-ever appearance on the show that propelled All Day and All of the Night up the charts in 1964.

Ray Davies, the 18th Director of Southbank Centre's Meltdown, said, "Ready Steady Go! broke The Kinks. We have X-Factor now, but Ready Steady Go! allowed the performers to be themselves. They weren't manufactured. There was no coaching. No judges. It's something missing from our culture now."

Vicki Wickham, original editor of Ready Steady Go!, said, "As well as the fashion and the look of the show, one of the reasons Ready Steady Go! was such a hit was that viewers got to see stars like The Kinks - who appeared on the show many times - The Stones, The Who, The Animals and Dusty alongside the American legends who inspired them. John Lee Hooker, Nina Simone, Otis Redding, Ike & Tina Turner all came on the show. It was such an exciting time and I am thrilled to get the chance to recreate the spirit of Ready Steady Go! with some of the original stars and creators."

Other acts just confirmed for Ray Davies' Meltdown include one of 2011's most hotly tipped artists Anna Calvi who appears on a double bill with Canadian songwriter Ron Sexsmith.

Former Brick Lane busker Lewis Floyd Henry will appear at the Royal Festival Hall, where he plays support to The Fugs.

On Sunday 12 June, Queen Elizabeth Hall plays host to Los Angeles' Cambodian poppers Dengue Fever. David Tibet's visionary vehicle Current 93 perform on Sunday 19 June, joined by performance artist, multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Baby Dee, Alex Nielson of Trembling Bells, James Blackshaw, Andrew Liles of Nurse With Wound and master Oud player Eliot Bates.

Meltdown takes place over all 21 acres of the Southbank Centre, including the riverside, Royal Festival Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall. The dates for Meltdown 2011 are confirmed as Friday 10th until Sunday 19th June 2011.

Ticket prices vary depending upon event. To buy tickets, click here.

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