Gotye will head off overseas in the coming months to play a number of festivals.

Gotye aka Melbourne based musician Wally De Backer will head to Europe this May.

While overseas he will play as part of the UK’s The Great Escape Festival and Japan’s Fuji Rock Festival. Gotye will also play a number of solo gigs.

Meanwhile, earlier this month Gotye joined an impressive list of local songwriting talent honoured at the 2007 International Songwritiing Competition (ISC).

Gotye took out first place in the folk category for his breakthrough single, Hearts A Mess.

Fellow Melbourne singer Clare Bowditch took out second place in the same category for her new single, Peccadilloes.

Eskimo Joe were also big winners. The Perth band were awarded first place in the performance category for their song ‘London Bombs’.

They also took out second place in the rock category for their single, ‘Black Fingernails, Red Wine’ and received an honourable mention for their track, ‘New York’, in the rock category.

Among the other Aussie winners were Abby Dobson (formerly of “Leonardo’s Bride”), and Ian Houston Shadwell (Horses). For a full list of winners go to songwritingcompetition.com/winners.htm

Judges for the contest include Nelly Furtado; Jerry Lee Lewis; Loretta Lynn; Ray Davies (The Kinks); Hinder; Julian Casablancas (The Strokes); Tom Waits; Kenny Wayne Shepherd; Ornette Coleman; Youssou N’Dour; Sean Paul; “Weird Al” Yankovic; Frank Black (Pixies); Robert Smith (The Cure); Cassandra Wilson; David Cross (FOX-TV’s Arrested Development); Craig Morgan; John Mayall; Joe Satriani; Toby Mac; Michael W. Smith; Chris Hillman (The Byrds); John Scofield; Amy Ray (Indigo Girls); Cheech Marin (Cheech & Chong); Darryl McDaniels (Run DMC); Macy Gray; Peter Hook (New Order); Paulina Rubio; and Tiesto.

See below for Gotye’s upcoming international tour dates.

7 May 2008, Les Nuits Botanique with JAMIE LIDELL, Brussels
12 May 2008, Monto Water Rats, London
14 May 2008, Hoxton Bar and Grill (headline show), London
15 May 2008, The Great Escape Festival, Brighton
17 May 2008, The Great Escape Festival, Brighton
26 Jul 2008, Fuji Rock Festival, Niigata

Tags | Gotye, tour