One of Australia’s longest-running and most popular music festivals turns 21 this year, and to celebrate the milestone the Big Day Out is undergoing some radical changes for its 2013 iteration.
Along with the radical reinvention of the music festival there is the bold changes to the food and culinary services on offer, with the announcement of Chow Town – named after its Lollapalooza brethren – that sees renegade Porteno/Bodega chefs Ben Milgate and Elvis Abrahanowicz as the ‘Culinary Outlaw’ ambassadors, delivering food that’ll be music for your mouth.
The latest news from the Big Day Out camp is the addition of one final band to the bill, though this one may require far less from the touring rider than the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers or The Killers. Demanding only hydraulic fluid, engine oil, and a forklift!
Standard procedure for German trio Compressorhead, the all-robot (literal) metal band who have been added to the Big Day Out 2013 lineup.
Compressorhead are three machines programmed to rock harder than any other act, touted as “the world’s heaviest metal band” (and definitely it’s shiniest). The ‘founder’ of the group is internet sensation and metallic drummer Stickboy (inception date 2007), who debuted in 2008 and quickly became a hit online as his YouTube views clocked up more than fellow Big Day Out sets from headliners Rage Against The Machine, Bjork and Arcade Fire.
Stickboy now returns with 78-fingered guitarist, the appropriately named Fingers, and Bones on bass, the youngest member of the band (inception date 2012). Together the trio are “guaranteed to shake and rattle the world of meatbag music,” with a reminder that “oil is thicker than blood.”Together the trio are “guaranteed to shake and rattle the world of meatbag music,” with a reminder that “oil is thicker than blood.”
Compressorhead join such meatbags as Animal Collective, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Alabama Shakes, Grinspoon and many more on the bill for Big Day Out 2013, a lineup which Ken West has already stated he’s extremely proud of.
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West says of the bill “I think the freshness with it is there… I know the dynamics of the day and the flow from the time sheets I’ve done…we want to make sure bands get to play their full sets this year. Animal Collective will play for an hour and a half. Chili Peppers will play for an hour and a half.”
West has also said that a sell out in Sydney was imminent, also confirming that the 2013 ticket sales have surpassed last year’s troubled event,
After licking his wounds from the disastrous Big Day Out 2012, that saw the cancellation of stages and acts as it limped across the country, after which West’s co-promoter and business partner Vivian Lees walked out; the promoter is now positive about the brand’s pulling power and the new creative partnership with C3 – responsible for Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits.
“We felt the result of last year was that the brand was damaged, but not unrepairable. Otherwise I wouldn’t be sitting here doing it and C3 wouldn’t have foolishly gotten involved,” says West.
Tickets are still available for each date of Big Day Out 2013. Full dates, lineup, and details below.
BIG DAY OUT 2013 // FULL LINEUP & TICKET DETAILS
Tickets are one sale now at www.bigdayout.com for the all-inclusive price of $165 or $265 for the Like A Boss ticket. Until September 23 Big Day Out is offering Pay Over Time Ticketing where you can pay for your ticket (GA & Like A Boss) in 4 instalments, with the final instalment happening just in time for the Christmas stocking. Visit www.bigdayout.com and follow the ticket links for your city. Then choose the Pay Over Time option.
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS (Exclusive Australian Shows) / THE KILLERS / YEAH YEAH YEAHS / VAMPIRE WEEKEND / BAND OF HORSES / THE BLOODY BEETROOTS (LIVE) / KASKADE / ANIMAL COLLECTIVE / B.o.B / SLEIGH BELLS / FOALS / ALABAMA SHAKES / 360 / CRYSTAL CASTLES / PRETTY LIGHTS / OFF! / GRINSPOON / AGAINST ME! / GARY CLARK JR / NICKY ROMERO / MORGAN PAGE / LOGO EVERY TIME I DIE / DELTA SPIRIT / CHILDISH GAMBINO / ME / HUNTING GROUNDS / JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD / DEATH GRIPS / ADVENTURE CLUB / JAGWAR MA / HOUSE VS HURRICANE / AVALANCHE CITY TOUCAN / HELENA / NINA LAS VEGAS / SAMPOLOGY (AV / DJ SHOW) / COMPRESSORHEAD
Friday 18 January – SYDNEY – Showground
Sunday 20 January – GOLD COAST – Parklands
Friday 25 January – ADELAIDE – Showground
Saturday 26 January – MELBOURNE – Flemington Racecourse
Monday 28 January – PERTH – Claremont Showgrounds
