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Every summer thousands of Londoners thrill to a series of concerts in the lovely Somerset House courtyard. The Summer Series has become a fixture of the London music calendar partly because of the gorgeous neoclassical setting, but also because of its reputation for booking spectacular live acts. Here’s the very first look at the line-up for Somerset House Summer Series 2016.
Things kick off on July 7 with a headline show by Hiatus Kaiyote, the Australian neo-soul band whose ‘Choose Your Weapon’ was one of the best albums of 2015. They’re followed by ex-Beautiful South duo Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott and then last year’s Mercury Prize winner Benjamin Clementine, who’s a spinetingling singer and pianist.
Brummie soul singer Laura Mvula will play from her new album ‘The Dreaming Room’ and her 2013 smash ‘Sing to the Moon’ the following evening. Then it’s time for Manchester’s synth-grinding art-pop weirdos Everything Everything, who headline on July 11, and James Morrison on July 12.
Courtney Barnett provided another of last year’s best records, her full-length debut ‘Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit’. The Aussie singer-songwriter will be playing selections from that on July 13. Up next are electro-swingers Caravan Palace, followed by husky crooner Jack Savoretti.
Gallic groovemaster St Germain, whose recent comeback album had a Malian desert blues influence, performs on July 16 before the festival’s closing night, headlined by James Lavelle’s UNKLE project. His UNKLE:Redux show, which made its debut at Meltdown festival in 2014, features a host of special guests and eye-stretching visuals. Its revival at Somerset House should be just the thing to round off another sensational summer of music.
Discover more about this year’s Somerset House Summer Series.