PHARRELL WILLIAMS Joins FUTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL 2014 Line Up +Announces Brisbane & Perth Sideshows

Summer’s biggest line-up just got a whole lot hotter! Future Music and Frontier Touring are thrilled to announce that one of the most influential and groundbreaking artists in modern music, Pharrell Williams, will tour Australia in March as a headlining addition to 2014’s Future Music Festival in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.

“Australia is such a fun place for music – I’ve always had amazing experiences there. Looking forward to seeing all the fans come out for Future Music Festival – can’t wait to perform and show them my gratitude.”

Williams has two colossal award ceremonies coming up: The Grammys on Sunday 26 January (where he’ll celebrate an incredible seven nominations, including Producer of the Year), and the 86th Academy Awards, which take place on Sunday 2 March. Williams is nominated for Best Original Song (‘HAPPY’ from Despicable Me 2) at the Oscars – “I used to stare at the TV as a child watching your actors and favourite actresses take it home,” he told ABC in America regarding the Oscars, “I cannot believe we get to go.” Future Music Festival wishes him all the best!

As Pharrell will be attending the Oscars, Brisbane and Perth fans will be treated to two special sideshows. Future Music Festival ticket holders in these markets will be offered an exclusive discount to the sideshows via an emailed pre-sale offer.

“It’s been 30 years since ‘Thriller’ first showed us how ambitious a pop promo could be … 2013 has belonged to Pharrell.” – NME

Singer, rapper, producer, fashion designer, entrepreneur: is there anything Pharrell Williams can’t do? The 40-year-old was behind the two biggest tracks of 2013: Robin Thicke’s gigantic ‘Blurred Lines’ and Daft Punk’s mammoth ‘Get Lucky’. With millions of copies sold, Williams holds the honour of being only the 12th artist in US Billboard chart history to simultaneously hold both the number one and two positions. Then, in November 2013 he rewrote the rules yet again, delivering another chart-topper in solo single ‘Happy’.

In another world first, Williams also unveiled a stunning 24-hour video clip to ‘Happy’ (view it here), starring Magic Johnson, Steve Carrell, Jamie Foxx and Jimmy Kimmel. To date, in Australia ‘Happy’ has gone platinum and spent two weeks at the top of the ARIA Singles Chart, while it’s also reached number one in the UK, USA, and countries such as Belgium, New Zealand, Ireland, France and beyond.

GQ Magazine’s ‘Hitmaker of the Year’ is currently working on his highly anticipated second solo album, due out via Columbia/Sony Music Australia. It will be the follow-up to 2006’s In My Mind. Williams is also currently slated to do production work on brand new cuts by Ed Sheeran, Jennifer Hudson, Major Lazer, T.I., Pusha T, and Busta Rhymes. Come April 2014, he’ll headline the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California.

From Mystikal’s ‘Shake Ya Ass’ to Snoop’s ‘Drop It Like It’s Hot’, Williams has stamped his imprint on an amazing number of hits. Together with Chad Hugo, he makes up one half of production duo The Neptunes – the Grammy-winning pair enlisted by a virtual who’s-who of music’s biggest names: Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Usher, Britney Spears, No Doubt, Madonna and many more.

He’s also the frontman of N*E*R*D, an outfit formed in 2001 and responsible for dance floor classics such as “Rock Star”, ‘She Wants To Move’” and ‘Hot N’ Fun’, the group behind highly acclaimed LPs such as 2004’s Fly Or Die.

Williams’ creative aesthetic doesn’t stop at music. He’s designed jewellery for Louis Vuitton; collaborated on furniture with Domeau & Peres and Emmanuel Perrotin Galerie; created bicycles and more. In 2013 Williams celebrated the 10th anniversary of his Billionaire Boys Club / Icecream clothing brand, and he’s also launched his creative collective, i am OTHER, which includes an original content YouTube channel, www.iamother.com. Williams is also a partner in Bionic Yarn, a textile firm dedicated to developing environmentally sustainable fabrics.

From writing/producing in the studio to scoring The Amazing Spider-Man 2 alongside Oscar winner Hans Zimmer, Pharrell Williams is the busiest man in music! “The impetus for all of my music is ‘What is missing?’” he told Billboard. “I don’t want to do what sounds like other people… Joy is something that the world needs more of right now.” Check out Pharrell Williams performing ‘Happy’ on ‘The Ellen Show’ here.

PHARRELL WILLIAMS – FUTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL

MARCH 2014

Tickets on sale now via www.futuremusicfestival.com.au

Saturday 8 March Sydney | Royal Randwick Racecourse (18+)

Sunday 9 March Melbourne | Flemington Racecourse (18+)

Monday 10 March Adelaide | Adelaide Showground (18+)

Also performing at two special headline shows

General public on sale from Mon 3 Feb (noon local time)

Wednesday 12 March Bris | The Marquee, RNA Showgrounds (All Ages)

Moshtix.com.au | Ph: 1300 GET TIX (438 849)

Friday 14 March Perth | Challenge Stadium (All Ages)

Ticketmaster.com.au | Ph: 136 100