When it comes to music festival debuts, Stone Music Festival has made quite the splash. First announced a month ago, seemingly out of nowhere, with Van Halen and Billy Joel as headliners for its inaugural showing, Stone Music Festival then continued capturing attention both for the controversy surrounding the little-known promoters behind the event, Sydney’s Ardline Media, and also for the addition of a host of Australian rock acts to bulk up the festival bill.
Just before heading into Easter hibernation, Stone Music Festival promoters took to their official Facebook page to tease a “major addition” to the lineup for the two-day music festival, held at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st of April.
The post reads: “Standby! We are close to confirming a major addition to the line up which will make Stone Music Festival even bigger with an Australian, and possibly a world first occurrence! Stay tuned for more news following Easter!!!”
Considering the talk of it being an Australian debut, evidence points towards an international act being the latest to the lineup. The best lead is in one of the other international acts already on the bill, Kings of Chaos – a heavy rock collective that includes Guns N’ Roses/Velvet Revolver alumni Matt Sorum, Duff McKagan, and Gilby Clarke, Def Leppard’s Joe Elliot, guitarist Steve Stevens, former Deep Purple bassist Glenn Hughes, and Skid Row vocalist Sebastian Bach.
Many of those musicians and bands have toured Australia in some configuration, but there’s still the possibility that any of the rock stars moonlighting from their current band rosters will be bringing their bandmates over for the trip.
All will be revealed soon enough, but considering Stone Music Festival already has over 20 bands booked to play its single, arena-sized stage across two days, any addition is simply the proverbial cherry on top. “Standby! We are close to confirming a major addition to the line up which will make Stone Music Festival even bigger” – Stone Music Festival
Alongside Kings of Chaos, other international acts include Buckcherry, Illumination Road, and Richie Ramone, joined by domestic heavyweights like Jimmy Barnes, The Living End, Icehouse, Noiseworks, Choirboys, Diesel, Mark Seymour, the newly reformed Superjesus, and more.
The biggest drawcards of course are Sunday night headliner and Mr Piano Man himself, Billy Joel, and a Saturday night spectacular from American rock legends Van Halen, performing exclusively at Stone Music Festival in their first Australian show in over two decades.
A major coup for festival promoters Ardline Media, in scoring ‘Diamond’ David Lee Roth and the Van Halen family for a promised 90 minute headline show, without any sideshows to complement their Aussie visit; the show every arena rock fan has been gagging for ever since they famously canned their last promised visit Down Under – their September 2011 appearance as headliners for Soundwave’s Revolution Festival over in-fighting, bringing the entire event to a miserable end.
The playing times and final lineup for Stone Music Festival’s imminent launch are also locked, including adding four local acts to the bill. Namely, Sunday openers Stone Parade, and three bands from Ardline Media’s own management roster: the female-fronted five-piece Atlantis Awaits, Perth pop-punk outfit My So Called Life, and Sydney’s The Art, who will be opening Saturday’s proceedings.
Stone Music Festival 2013 Playing Times
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Stone Music Festival 2013 Dates & Tickets
Saturday 20th April and Sunday 21st April, 2013
ANZ STADIUM, SYDNEY
Gates open: 11.00am
All Ages event
Tickets available online from www.ticketek.com.au, www.StoneMusicFest.com and all Ticketek outlets or phone 132 849
Ticket Prices (all including GST but exclusive of Transaction and Credit Card fees):
Arena GA Standing and GA Seating:
Single Day – $179.00
Two Day Package – $319.00
Platinum Zone (GA Standing):
Single Day – $279.00
Two Day Package – $429.00
Official Premium Ticket & Hotel Packages www.showbiz.com.au or 1300 414 697
