Two international artists will be joining a “star-studded” local line-up of bands at Old Mutual’s “Acoustic Encounters” music venue at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown from the end of June. British-born singer/songwriter Lloyd Cole – who first shot to fame with his band the Commotions in the eighties – has been secured for three “up close and intimate” performances in the small 200-seater venue, as has American songster Michelle Shocked.

Cole’s debut album Rattlesnakes set the tone for a career that has shunned the trappings of mainstream pop, but that has won him critical acclaim and a solid core of loyal fans. VH1.com calls him “one of the most articulate and acute songwriters of the postpunk era”.

Shocked, meanwhile, has her musical roots in political activism and has developed a reputation for taking on surprising new musical challenges – her list of album releases embrace a range of styles from folk, to Swing, to Gospel.

This will be their first visit to South Africa, and each artist’s three shows at Die Taphuis venue are expected to sell out fast. The venue will, for the duration of the Festival (Thurs 28 June – Sat 8 July), host Old Mutual’s “Acoustic Encounters” series, which also boasts a strong lineup of local artists.

“The Encounters concept is about nurturing collaboration between musicians, and giving them the space to develop new material and stage unique performances in intimate venues,” Old Mutual Sponsorship Manager Tony Lankester said. “For the Festival we have paired up some awesome musicians – Neo Muyanga will be performing with Gloria Bosman; Wendy Oldfield with Paul Hanmer; and Steve Newman with Albert Frost. We’ve also thrown in some wildcards – folk-rocker Robin Auld is inviting a range of friends to perform with him on certain nights, and each evening will end with a massive Louis Mhlanga Jam Band collaboration,” he said.

Cole’s three performances will be opened by a collaboration between Chris Chameleon (ex-lead singer of Boo!) and author-poet Rian Malan.

“Apart from the local musicians, we wanted to use the opportunity to showcase two solid international singer-songwriters, and that is why we booked Lloyd Cole and Michelle Shocked to round off the lineup,” Lankester said.

Both artists have one thing in common – while the world of music has tended to reward those who follow the herd and produce synthesised boyband pop, both Cole and Shocked have stuck to their guns and remained true to their own musical roots.

“While they are brave enough to explore their own limits and push themselves, they do so with integrity – and including them in a festival venue that rewards and celebrates exploration is a logical step for us,” Lankester said.

Cole’s many hits include his debut “Perfect Skin”, “My Bag”, “Brand New Friend” “Jennifer She Said”, and “So you’d like to change the world”. Shocked, meanwhile, has won acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic for her work and staunchly independent musical stance, and has become a familiar performer at various festivals. Her biggest hit single from the 80s, “Anchorage”, still gets airplay on radio stations around the world.

The Accoustic Encounters line-up for the duration of the Festival looks as follows:

Thu 29 June
Neo Muyanga & Gloria Bosman
Robin Auld & Friends
Louis Mhlanga Jam Band

Fri 30 June
Robin Auld & Friends
Michelle Shocked
Louis Mhlanga Jam Band

Sat 01 July
Neo Muyanga & Gloria Bosman
Michelle Shocked
Louis Mhlanga Jam Band

Sun 02 July
Robin Auld & Friends
Michelle Shocked
Louis Mhlanga Jam Band

Mon 03 July
Wendy Oldfield and Paul Hamner
Neo Muyanga & Gloria Bosman
Louis Mhlanga Jam Band

Tue 04 July
Wendy Oldfield and Paul Hamner
Steve Newman & Albert Frost
Louis Mhlanga Jam Band

Wed 05 July
Wendy Oldfield and Paul Hamner
Steve Newman & Albert Frost
Louis Mhlanga Jam Band

Thu 06 July
Chris Chameleon and Rian Malan
Lloyd Cole
Louis Mhlanga Jam Band

Fri 07 July
Chris Chameleon and Rian Malan
Lloyd Cole
Louis Mhlanga Jam Band

Sat 08 July
Chris Chameleon and Rian Malan
Lloyd Cole
Louis Mhlanga Jam Band

Note: Doors open 7pm, show starts approx. 7:30pmwith artists appearing in the order outlined above. Lineup subject to change without notice.

Bookings for Lloyd Cole, Michelle Shocked and all the other shows at Die Taphuis is open at Computicket, and a full line-up for each night of the Festival can be found at www.oldmutualencounters.co.za

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