Antony's Meltdown

Explore the world of musician and artist Antony Hegarty at the 19 Meltdown Festival from the Southbank Centre.

Antony's Meltdown Festival at Southbank Centre

The 19 Meltdown Festival sees musician and visual artist Antony Hegarty take over the Southbank Centre for a 12 day exploration of his interests, influences and passions.

Best known for leading the band Anthony and the Johnsons, Hegarty has produced Mercury prize-winning albums, collaborated with international artists such as Lou Reed, Boy George and Björk, and produced the highly-acclaimed TURNING with experimental film-maker Charles Atlas. Hegarty's drawings and sculptures have also been exhibited around the world.

Highlights of Antony's Meltdown

Reflecting Hegarty's deep involvement with the New York underground, his synth-pop influences and anti-patriarchal standpoint, the 2012 Meltdown Festival is filled with powerful, pioneering and predominantly female musicians and artists.  

• A rare performance from Scottish singer Elizabeth Fraser, her first full show since she left the Cocteau Twins in 1998
• Marc Almond performs Torment and Toreros, the 1983 album from Marc and the Mambas
• Unique, compelling vocalist Diamanda Galás performs one of her politically-charged works, and premieres her film Schrei 27
• Laurie Anderson performs Dirtday, songs and stories on evolution, families, history and animals in a distinctive sonic landscape
• CocoRosie bring their brand of "freak-folk" back to the UK after a two-year absence.
• Legendary drag performer Joey Arias stages his show Strange Fruit
• The UK debut of punk-metal band The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black
• Music from highly-acclaimed Berlin acts Planningtorock and Light Asylum
• A Lecture for Women, given by Serbian performance artist Marina Abramović
• Canadian activist and musician Buffy Sainte-Marie performs her award-winning songs, which include Universal Soldier and Up Where We Belong
• Myrninerest and Cyclobe perform their hallucinatory music as well as a specially composed soundtrack to accompany a rare screening of super-8 films by Derek Jarman
• An all-star cast, led by Hal Willner who curated the memorable Disney tribute at 2007's meltdown, performs the music of the civil rights movement

The annual Meltdown Festival is a chance for world-renowned artists to take over the Southbank Centre and highlight their favourite artists and influences. Previous curators have included David Bowie, Massive Attack and Morrisey, and the 2012 festival presents a superb opportunity to get under the skin of the influential Antony Hegarty.