Named after The Velvet Underground song, and conceived as a counterpoint to large commercial rock festivals, All Tomorrow’s Parties is a music event unlike any other.

Individual artists or bands are invited to draw together some of their favourite performers to play in unique and relatively intimate settings. 2009 sees the first ATP in Australia, curated and headlined by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. The full festival line-up will be performed twice in the centre of Sydney Harbour on the beautiful Cockatoo Island.

With its characteristic industrial and maritime landscape and set in the picturesque Sydney Harbour, Cockatoo Island is the perfect setting for the Sydney Festival debut of this unique event.  Performances will take place across four outdoor stages with a number of indoor and outdoor bars (including cocktail and wine bars), food outlets (including tapas and global cuisine) and plenty of seating and chill out areas.

As well as performances by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, the festival includes seminal international artists such as British transcendentalists Spiritualized and US avant-bluesman James “Blood” Ulmer, alongside celebrated Australian bands The Saints (featuring original members Ed Kuepper, Chris Bailey, Ivor Hay and Archie Larizza), Laughing Clowns and The Necks. Others joining this extraordinary family include F*** Buttons (UK), Michael Gira (US), Bridezilla (AUS), former Go-Between Robert Forster, Silver Apples (US) and Harmonia (GER). 

Also featured on the bill are Australian 1980s rock darlings The Reels, US psych-rockers Dead Meadow and the avant-rock freak out Japanese twopiece Afrirampo, alongside former Birthday Party guitarist Rowland S Howard, Melbourne bands, The Stabs and Beaches, Sydney outfits Hunter Dienna and Passenger of S**t, Bad Seed Conway Savage and Greek legend Psarandonis, as well as ATP DJs and the exotic Sounds of Seduction to round off the festivities.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds are Nick Cave, Mick Harvey, Warren Ellis, Martyn P. Casey, Conway Savage, Thomas Wydler and Jim Sclavunos. Over a career spanning 14 albums the band has become one of the most revered and influential forces in rock music. Their 2008 album Dig Lazarus Dig!!! is widely regarded as one of their finest releases and recently won Mojo Magazine’s ‘Best Album Award’.

Ticket price includes return boat trip to Cockatoo Island.
Over 18s only.

To download the ATP PROGRAM featuring line-up and playing times, click here.

For the All Tomorrow's Parties MAP, click here.

For the All Tomorrow's Parties BOAT TIMETABLE, click here.

For All Tomorrow's Parties FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS, click here.

To All Tomorrow's Parties ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES, click here.

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WHAT THE PRESS SAID

"The garage sound is still there, the deep baritone is still there, the sideburns are still there, but what's new is a pyschedelic, farfisa-driven swirl as well as a more stable, traditional rock feel … more" - BBC (re Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds)

"Nick Cave is a connoisseur of words, a collector of arcane and delicious language...more"- The Sydney Morning Herald

"The Bad Seeds remain the most versatile and distinctive supporting cast imaginable, blessed with an ability to essay a baffling variety of musical styles while always sounding exactly like the Bad Seeds …more" - The Guardian

“After spending an evening in the company of former Saint, Aint, and Laughing Clown, Ed Kuepper, it becomes glaringly obvious what an important figure this man has been in Australian music... more” - The Age

“A typical Necks show and, for that, a typical Necks album, is one piece of improvised music, developing as a reflection of the interaction between Swanton, Abrahams and Buck...more” - The Sydney Morning Herald

"BRIDEZILLA – the classical/alternative/melodramatic pop ensemble from Sydney that officially “sound like no other band on the planet”...more - Rave Magazine

"...it is a tribute to how far Silver Apples were ahead of their time that, to this day, you will find serious young men emulating this sound in venues around the country...more" - Scotsman.com News

 “[F*** Buttons] Think Throbbing Gristle with feelings or Telepathe with balls...more” - Three D World

“With a career spanning over 40 years, James 'Blood' Ulmer has dipped his toes into gospel, funk and free jazz.” - The Drum Media

“A recently reunited Harmonia sounds as fresh today as they did 30 years ago – both on stage and in recorded form.” The Drum Media 

"The grand debut of All Tomorrow’s Parties in Sydney now has more acts to make you swoon...Those two balmy nights on Cockatoo Island are shaping up to be very special indeed…more" - Faster Louder

"The industrial and maritime landscape together with the picturesque backdrop of Sydney Harbour make this urban island the perfect setting for this unique event...more" - Faster Louder

"As its choice of venues and line-up reveals – ATP is about the ‘experience’. Going to a unique location and watching bands hand picked by highly respected musician such as Nick Cave." - Faster Louder

"Conceived as a counterpoint to large commercial rock festivals, All Tomorrows Parties is a music event unlike any other." - mX (Sydney)

"It's truly refreshing to see the wild line-up for All Tomorrow's Parties."- Rhythm

"UK duo F*** Buttons are gradually achieving a level of success far beyond anyone could have expected of an art-noise outfit." - Drum Media

"TZU's third album Computer Love was released earlier this year and as well as a barrage of samples from the eighties, it also features intelligently crafted lyrics." - 3D World

"There's a thread of inspiration winding its way through the guests Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds have invited to their Australian parties next month...more" - The Australian

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COMMENTS

Sarah 02/12/08

This is definitely the best festival coming up this summer. the rest just attract clones of kids wearing fluro. Nick Cave would never allow it!

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John 02/12/08

I'm looking forward to this one!

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md 02/12/08

He has sons born in the early 90's. I'm sure he is OK with kids wearing fluro :)

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Babs 04/12/08

Where the heck is The Dirty Three for Sydney?????????????????????

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Nat 08/12/08

This looks great! Can't wait to go.

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Jeff 10/12/08

What a line-up!

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Meh! 10/12/08

Got my tickets - looking forward to this one. Should be a great venue!

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ab 11/12/08

md, you sound like a fluro wearing imbecile

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Penny 12/12/08

2 words: woo hoo!!!!! Cockatoo Island, how beautiful! Cave n his Seeds, just brilliant! the rest is extra greatness!

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