Sled Island Festival 2012

Sled Island Festival is a 4-day long, multi-venue festival with 17,500 people that attend the various rooms and the central venue over the course of the festival. Artists will be compensated $100. Last year, Sled Island hosted 200+ acclaimed artists, including 90 artists selected via Sonicbids.

This year, there are at least 60 guaranteed slots for Sonicbids artists. Recent performers include Broken Social Scene, Yo la Tango, Wire, RZA, Of Montreal, Jonathan Richman, José Gonzalez, King Khan & the Shrines, Monotonix, Mogwai, No Age, Tegan and Sara and The Gutter Twins, alongside local and national independent acts.

/n/nJust Announced: FEIST, THE HOLD STEADY, STEPHEN MALKMUS & THE JICKS, ARCHERS OF LOAF, THURSTON MOORE, GRIMES, and TIMBER TIMBRE have been confirmed to perform at Sled Island 2012.

Sled Island Festival is a 4-day long, multi-venue festival that showcases a wide variety of emerging and established talent. This year, the festival is being curated by Andrew W.K. and Danny Vacon. It has hosted musicians such as Girl Talk, Broken Social Scene, Yo la Tango, Wire, RZA, Of Montreal, Tegan and Sara, Portastatic, and many, many more. Approximately 17,500 people attend the various rooms and the central venue over the course of the festival.

Sled Island is looking for a wide range of bands that stray outside the boundaries of commercial rock from emerging to established artists. 60-120 compensated slots are reserved for Sonicbids artists. Last year, Sled Island hosted 200+ acclaimed artists, including 90 artists selected via Sonicbids.


Here’s what selected artists get:

• Artists will be compensated $100.



• Excellent exposure through Sled Island's website, international media partners and extensive marketing campaign.



• Artists will receive full passes for the festival.



• A sound system will be provided at the venue, but artists are responsible for bringing their own instruments, backline and any additional equipment.

Selected artists will be provided the opportunity to perform in unique, intimate venues to music fans from around the world who will be making the trip to Calgary. Please note: Touring artists will have to provide their own travel and lodging accommodations, though some billeting will be provided.



More about the festival:


In addition to the performers listed above, past musical acts include José Gonzalez, Okkervil River, Secret Machines, the Dodos, Drive-By Truckers, Deerhunter, Dan Deacon, Blitzen Trapper, The Bronx, Jonathan Richman, King Khan & the Shrines, Monotonix, Mogwai, No Age, The Gutter Twins, Woodpigeon, Chad VanGaalen, Jain Vane & The Dark Matter and Women. Previous guest music curators have been Scott Kannberg (Pavement, Spiral Stairs) and Colin Newman (Wire), Fucked Up, King Khan, and Quintron and Miss Pussycat to name a few.



Participating venues include Broken City, The Ship and Anchor, The HiFi Club, #1 Legion, and many more centered in the Beltline and Downtown districts of Calgary.

About the curators:

Andrew W.K. is the KING OF PARTYING. Infamous for his bloody nose, and famous for his high-life attitude, Andrew's true will is to use all forms of entertainment to create feelings of pure joy, fun, love, freedom, and possibility. His presence both on stage and throughout the festival will broaden the range of Sled Island and send us all to new party heights.

Danny Vacon, a Calgary troubadour and The Dudes' frontman, is Sled Island's 2012 local curator. Known for their heartfelt delivery and wild style it didn't take long for the rest of Calgary to notice the special talent that was in Danny Vacon. Since then Danny has grown to become a permanent fixture in the Calgary music scene, touring around the world in several projects including The Dudes, his own Dojo Workhorse and most recently HighKicks.

Sled Island Media:

SLED ISLAND | PROMO from deluxe design group on Vimeo.

Austin Tufts of the band Braids, selected to open for Deerhunter at Sled Island in 2007, reflects on