SCOTTISH rockers Franz Ferdinand are set to headline this year's Falls Festival, where they will join other artists such as The Hives, Gomez and The Kooks.
THE first line-up of bands for this year's Falls Festival has been announced.
Glasgow's Franz Ferdinand return to Australia for the event, at Lorne and Marion Bay in Tasmania from December 29 to January 1.
Franz Ferdinand have hit the festival circuit in Europe this year while preparing their third album.
The album has been pushed back to a January 2009 release. Grabs of new songs feature on www.franzferdinand.co.uk
The band started recording the album with producers Xenomania, best known for working with pop acts Girls Aloud, Kylie Minogue and Gabriella Cilmi.
But those sessions were aborted, leading to the album's delayed release. A new single is due at the end of this year.
Swedish rockers The Hives will return to the Falls, as will Donavon Frankenreiter, Gomez, Jamie Liddel, the Mystery Jets, Tegan and Sara, and soul act Eli ``Paperboy'' Reed and the True Loves.
The Kooks, who play a sold-out show at the HiFi Bar on August 26, will make a swift return for the Falls.
Also on the bill are the Cat Empire, French act Soko, Faker, Tzu, Architecture in Helsinki, Atmosphere featuring Brother Ali, the Grates, the Dodos, A-Trak, Wolf and Cub, Liam Finn, the Drones and TZU.
All artists in this first announcement will play at the Lorne and Marion Bay events. Playing times will be announced on the Falls website.
Subscribers to the Falls website will get the first chance to buy tickets. Subscriptions close on August 27. Tickets left over go on sale to the public on September 9.
Last year the event sold out in 20 minutes, after which organisers adopted a balloting system.
Rumours the B-52s would play at the event have been nixed by organisers. More bands will be announced during the next few months.�
More info available at �www.fallsfestival.com
More info
