Big Day Out first announcement: as it happened

For 2012's Big Day Out, the promoters took a leaf from the Soundwave festival school of promotion: they leaked the artists one at a time over Twitter. However, unlike Soundwave, they did it over 2 nights, instead of just whenever they hell the feel like it for months at a time. And now, here's the list, with my initial reactions as I sat at my computer:

But before we start, let us not forget what you will see a lot of during your day if you do decide to go: bad patriotism tattoos.

Why yes, that is the map of Australia. And yes, the interior is the Australian flag over a bunch of $100 bills. And yes, apparently Tasmania isn't part of Australia. (I took this picture during Matt and Kim this year. Couldn't stop laughing).

Anyway, the first announcement, with my reactions:

• Best Coast "huh.. first band announced, and I'll probably want to see them. This could be a good year... maybe..."
• Foster the People "Triple J listener's cliche band of the moment at the festival."
• Cage the Elephant "Yes, I'll see them. They're good and a lot of people won't see them! They'll be on a side stage outside of the crowds"
• The Getaway Plan "Christ I saw this band like 100 times in 2004-2008. Pass"
• Girl Talk "An artist that will get me to the boiler room this year!"
• Frenzal Rhomb "Already seen them twice in the last year, they must be desperate for money now!"
• OFWGKTA "Weren't they here a few months back? Probably still trying to cash in their short-lived earning potential. Don't want to see them though"
• The Jezabels "They are becoming one of those Australian bands that play every festival now!"
• Battles "YES! Highlight of a Big Day Out a few years ago... But are they as good without their old frontman now?"
• Architecture in Helsinki "They wrapped up a tour only a few days ago. Back on it already?!"
• Mariachi El Bronx "OH HELL YES. I hope that means the Bronx does a sideshow too!"
• Parkway Drive "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA"
• Boy And Bear "More Australian music content filler. Should not be as high up over some of these great overseas bands"
• Hilltop Hoods "well it's not a Big Day Out unless the Hilltop Hoods play... is it?"
• Royskopp "Was not expecting this... More of a V-Fest or Laneway band, but could be excellent late in the afternoon"
• The Living End "It's not an Australian music festival unless they play it"
• My Chemical Romance "They've never been the same since their first album. Glad I saw them in lots of small club shows when I was younger"
• Kasabian "ohhhhhhhhhhh yes. Excellent festival band"
• Soundgarden "wait.. Back up. WHAT?! They're back together? HECK YES"
• Kanye West "not a logical choice. He was too expensive for Splendour (yet still played it) and they didn't even get close to selling out. Just gives me a reason to leave early"

So will I go? At the start it was a definite no. Now it's a maybe. Soundgarden together again will probably be the one band that tips me over the edge into "fuck it, I'm going." But we'll wait for the second announcement.

January 22. Gold Coast Parklands

Ting Tings

In 2008 this little UK duo put out an annoyingly catchy song about someone getting called the wrong name. It was bloody annoying, but gosh darn if it didn't get stuck in your head. And apparently it got stuck in everyone else's, because they sold out a very hastily organised tour of Australia.

At the time I made the call that they'd be a one-hit wonder band. Time went by, we all forgot about them. Then they announced they were playing Splendour with some new songs in hand, only to pull out merely days before the festival. I took this as validation of my 2 year old theory.

So after taking time off from not showing up to Splendour and to work on their album, you think they'd have dropped their new album by now (and not become a Chinese Democracy farce). But no. Although there is now hope...

...as they have been announced to be playing the Good Vibrations festival, sweeping into the Gold Coast on February 19th next year.

There's a new song on their MySpace, so maybe they'll prove my thoughts of the last 2 years wrong.

Big Day Out 2011

In my bitter old age of 25 now, I tend to huff of each Big Day Out lineup as "shite and past it's prime." But given the announcement of last night, I may actually be forced to eat humble pie and join in the masses to go. The lineup is (I've bolded the ones I want to see):

Tool
Rammstein
Iggy And The Stooges
Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77
Lupe Fiasco
Grinderman
Primal Scream Screamadelica Live
Deftones
The Black Keys
Andrew W.K
The Jim Jones Revue
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
M.I.A
LCD Soundsystem
Booka Shade
Die Antwoord
Vitalic
CSS
Plan B
Ratatat
Crystal Castles ( East Coast only )
John Butler Trio
Wolfmother
Airbourne
Birds Of Tokyo
Kids Of 88
The Naked & Famous

Australia only locals:

Angus & Julia Stone
Dead Letter Circus
Children Collide
Operator Please
Bliss N Eso
Gyroscope
Pnau
Kid Kenobi & Mc Shureshock
Sampology
Blue King Brown
Will Styles
Little Red
Gypsy And The Cat
Lowrider

Sure, it's a slightly washed up and reused old Big Day Out lineup (I'm kind of surprised there's no Living End to be honest), but there are two of my all time favourite bands on there: The Stooges and the Deftones. Not to mention everyone's favourite Tool and Rammstein, the latter of which I've never seen even though I was obsessed with them over 12 years ago. Andrew W.K. is known for the song Party Hard which is apparently what he does when plays live. It may actually be a good day, especially if there's a few good bands thrown in a second announcement. I've now just got to get over my hatred of most of the punters that go to the BDO just to drink and be idiots.

Sunday January 23 at the Gold Coast Parklands

Good Vibrations

It was announced on Friday, but I've been fairly intoxicated since then. So here's the Good Vibrations festival lineup.


This could be the year I actually go to Good Vibes. I love Faithless' electronica, Phoenix are just charming French indie, Cee Lo was great last time I saw him play with Gnarls, Ludacris is my favourite rapper from my teenage years and the Nas and Damian Marley album is my favourite hip-hop album of the year so far.

And it's on my birthday! February 19, at the Gold Coast Parklands. I've just got to convince myself to put up with all of the idiotic festival goers.

Parklife 2010

Parklife is a festival I've yet to attend. It brings out some good bands, but never enough to motivate me to plonk down the money. So what does 2010 hold in store?

I've italicized the ones I've seen and bolded the ones I want to:

• Groove Armada
• The Dandy Warhols
• Cut Copy
• The Wombats
• Darwin Deez
• Ou Est Le Swimming Pool
• Wolf Gang
• Washington
• Gypsy and the cat
• Missy Elliott
• Kele
• Midnight Juggernauts
• Dan Black
• Chiddy Bang
• Mix Master Mike
• Sinden
• Bag Raiders
• Ajax
• Soulwax
• Busy P
• Uffie
• Jack Beats
• The Glitch Mob
• Brodinski
• DJ Mehdi
• AC Slater
• Yolanda Be Cool vs Dcup
• Holy Ghost!
• Memory Tapes
• Classixx
• Delorean
• New Young Pony Club
• The Swiss
• Jesse Rose
• Grum

Obviously, to me, it's probably not worth going. But if you like your dance and electronica music and enjoy the experience of a festival, then this is probably for you (coincidentally, both things I don't like).

September 25, at the Gold Coast Parklands.