The Coachella 2014 lineup dropped last week and as it seems to do every year, it set the music blogosphere alight with its huge three-day bill (which features a number of Aussie artists).
Alongside the presence of festival headliners Muse and Arcade Fire (in Australia in a matter of days for Big Day Out), the biggest buzz was for the return of hip hop duo Outkast for the April music festival.
Following on from their Coachella confirmation and a headlining spot at the Governors Ball in New York, the Atlanta twosome of André 3000 and Big Boi have now revealed plans for a full-blown 2014 tour of music festivals across the world, which is likely to include an Australian leg.
Meaning fans Down Under are in for a chance to catch the influential catalogue of hits – including ‘Ms. Jackson’, ‘B.O.B.’ and Song of the Millennium: ‘Hey Ya! – at an Aussie music festival in the near future, which given the proposed timing of Outkast’s tour schedule has them pegged for a spot on the lineup at Australia’s biggest winter music festival: Splendour In The Grass.
“After headlining performances at Coachella in April, the influential group will be the marquee act at over 40 festivals around the world throughout the Spring/Summer of 2014,” reads a post on the official Outkast website, in order “to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their unique and influential sound.” (Re: the release of their 1994 debut album Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik.)
“It’s truly an honor to celebrate 20 years and still be free to do music the way we choose,” writes Big Boi of the fully-fledged tour. “Don’t just think outside the box, know that there is no box. I’m looking forward to rocking the stage with my Bro Ski and to all the fans—stank you smelly much, this is for y’all!” “…the influential group will be the marquee act at over 40 festivals around the world throughout the Spring/Summer of 2014.”
André 3000 adds: “And imagine, all we wanted to do was rap! I am thankful to have been a part of a group that allowed me to explore anything that came to mind and have fun doing it. Returning to the stage together is the most exciting way for us to thank everyone for their 20 years of supporting Outkast.”
Exact dates and details of the 40-plus dates of the Outkast festival tour are still forthcoming, but the American spring/summer months converge with Australia’s own winter/spring season, which given the timing, throws Outkast straight into the rumour mill for a headline spot at Splendour In The Grass 2014, as FasterLouder points out.
Further strengthening the speculation is the fact that it isn’t the first time Splendour has secured a reunited band for Australian audiences; At The Drive-In settled their differences to reform for a headline slot at Coachella 2012 before jetting over to play exclusively at Splendour In The Grass the same year.
Despite it still being a full six months away, a number of bands have already been heavily rumoured for the Splendour In The Grass 2014 lineup. Irish singer-songwriter James Vincent McMorrow and British electro trio London Grammar have both just concluded Australian tours and each has hinted at their possible return for Splendour.
Both acts’ whistle-stop tours were also presented by Splendour promoters Secret Sounds, which also puts Mikhael Paskalev – a new signee for associated Brisbane label Dew Process – up as another Splendour In The Grass 2014 contender following his forthcoming tour of Australian in March.
