As previously announced, Australian heavy and hardcore record label UNFD is helping present Push Over’s huge 21st birthday bash, with many of its signings appearing on the festival’s March lineup, including the ARIA-topping The Amity Affliction, Dream On Dreamer, Northlane, Hand of Mercy, In Hearts Wake, and D At Sea.
Now rumours are circulating that UNFD are planning a festival event of their very own, with both the label and many of those aforementioned artists teasing something called Singularity 2013.
It’s not clear yet exactly what Singularity is, but the thread is definitely the hardcore label, which first posted a link on its Facebook page, with a number of bands on its roster following suit, including The Amity Affliction, The Bride, Buried In Verona, Northlane, In Hearts Wake, Deez Nuts Hand Of Mercy, Dream On Dreamer and D At Sea.
The link leads to a page with zero information, but a website with a countdown timer – which at the time of writing 21 days, and a few hours. Which points to a reveal at midnight on February 21st ticking over to the 22nd.
Though purely speculation at this point, each of the bands from the UNFD roster linking to the countdown would make for a fairly impressive touring festival lineup.
The Feb 22nd reveal for whatever Singularity 2013 turns out to be, is also curiously timed to be just one day ahead of Australia’s biggest hard and heavy rock festival, Soundwave 2013, the sold-out touring festival kicking off on Saturday 23rd Feb at Brisbane’s RNA Showgrounds.
It’s not clear yet exactly what Singularity is, but the thread is definitely the hardcore label [UNFD]… with a number of bands on its roster following suit.A new festival from UNFD may also be to fill a gap in the market to support the strong hardcore and metal scene in Australia, who are under-represented at Soundwave 2013, which contains just four Australian acts among the 73 bands booked for the festival (namely Brisbane’s Milestones, Melbourne’s Confession, and UNFD artists Northlane and The Amity Affliction).
Soundwave/Harvest Festival boss and serial twitterer AJ Maddah has come under fire before for the lack of Australian talent on the popular Soundwave bills, having previously stated “we only have international bands at Soundwave. They might be Australian, but they have to be international.”
When the promoter was questioned about his preferences during his appearance at the Face The Music conference last November, Maddah replied “Soundwave is not Australia’s Got Talent.”
“Soundwave is not the place – and I do get emails, bless ‘em, from kids looking to play,” Maddah said at the time, saying that he only chooses “serious” bands for his handpicked lineups, following follies from local bands backstage in the early years that forced him to introduce his personal policy.
“Soundwave is not Australia’s Got Talent.” – AJ Maddah, Soundwave“If you were there in 2007… the cockhead that’s sneaking people backstage – that’s inevitably the Australian band… We want serious bands who aren’t using it as a last chance to party,” he said.
“Soundwave used to be 50/50 Australians and internationals. Being with a niche festival you don’t have a great pool of talent to draw from. If you’re serious about your band and it is your life, those are the bands we want,” said Maddah. “If you have a day job or are doing it for a laugh, or I don’t think you have the right experience, we can’t put you on Soundwave.”
Interestingly UNFD, are part of the Staple Group, which also includes the music label’s sister touring and promotions company Destroy All Lines, who host the various, successful club nights around the country (like Pizza, Bang, Snitch), and were the team that helped put together their own Soundwave competitor, the No Sleep Til festival, back in 2010.
Despite featuring its own punk, metal, hardcore lineup featuring Megadeth, NOFX, Dropkick Murphys, Parkway Drive, Heroes For Hire and House Vs Hurricane, the festival quietly folded, never to be seen again, so while having Destroy All Lines would seem a good fit to promote a UNFD-backed festival like Singularity, the promotions company hasn’t listed the mysterious doomsday clock link in its own social media.
This could also indicate that the UNFD-related teaser may in fact be a compilation or new album release celebrating its roster.
Either way, all will be revealed once that clock strikes zero.
