As each day passes, we all get tantalising closer to the Splendour In The Grass 2013 lineup announcement, which dropped on the 19th of April last year.
But besides a handful of leaks, the bulk of the lineup is still a mystery to most of the public. Which has only fuelled the annual rumour mill which is really being whipped into overdrive in the last month or so.
One of the first acts to be rumoured was The Postal Service, who back in January announced they were reforming for their 10th anniversary to do a run of shows performing their debut Give Up. The reformation shows looked like a perfect fit for Splendour, especially considering the pair of Ben Gibbard and Jimmy Tamborello have never toured Australia before.
But dashing the hopes of Splendour line up speculators around the country, bandmate Tamborello revealed he hasn’t seen any Australian dates on their tour calendar in an interview with Triple J’s Richard Kingsmill.
“Sadly I don’t think we’re gonna make it there”, said Tamborello. “We have a pretty small window of time where this is possible and I haven’t heard anything about any dates there. It’s sad we don’t have any more time to do more of the world. I’ve never been to Australia!”
The Postal Service aside, a number of other acts are still in hot contention for what has become one of Australia’s most beloved music festivals. As usual, the lineup for Japan’s Fuji Rock festival has been keenly analysed by rabid Australian fans, although tight schedules make a number of their headliners highly unlikely for Splendour this year. As each day passes, we all get tantalising closer to the Splendour In The Grass 2013 lineup announcement, which dropped on the 19th of April last year.
Clashing dates puts Nine Inch Nails out of contention for Splendour, especially considering Trent Reznor’s recently reunited lineup are due in South Korea again on the 28th for the Ansan Valley Festival. The Cure were also speculated, however they too have dates booked in South Korea on the 26th and Japan on the 28th which would make a sojourn down to Byron Bay incredibly difficult.
Also featured on the Sunday Fuji Rock lineup are another folk-styled group, and Australian favourites, Icelandic collective Of Monsters And Men, with singer Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir already confirming an Australian tour for later this year, insinuating the possibility of a Splendour presence, which would make it two for two for the ARIA-topping group.
On top of the poorly kept secret of James Blake’s return, another new name being tossed about is LA’s Deap Valley; the female rock duo are performing a two-date Australian stopover this April, presented by Secret Sounds, who regularly book acts for Splendour and have just down the same whistlestop promo for James Blake.
Other strong contenders for the Splendour 2013 lineup include celebrated English four-piece Alt-J(∆), who are headed back to Australia for their third visit within a year, playing three dates that line up suspiciously well with the July dates, while Twitter has provided a bucketload of possible Splendour bean-spilling.
Including San Diego surf-wave kings Wavves, who are visiting Japan and Australia sometime this year, Big Boi (the active half of Outkast), tweeting he’ll be in the country in July, while The Polyphonic Spree’s Tim DeLaughter confirmed the cult-sized psychedelic pop ensemble would be heading to Australia for Splendour this July.
Jake Bugg is also likely for the 2013 lineup after his track ‘Lightning Bolt’ was used as the soundtrack in a recent Splendour trailer, then there’s the juicy – but really iffy – rumour that Bob Dylan could be headlining the festival.
The rumour mill also has a whole host of names added to the mix with the announcement of another Japanese music festival, Summer Sonic 2013, which bookends Splendour’s dates in early August – namely the 10th and 11th.
Some of the big names are obviously out, such as Metallica, Linkin Park, and Bullet For My Valentine who were already in Australia for Soundwave, Muse – who have confirmed an Aussie trip for December, and The Smashing Pumpkins, who played Splendour last year.
Everything else on the Summer Sonic bill however, including Pet Shop Boys, Beady Eye, Fall Out Boy, Cheap Trick, M.I.A., Stereophonics, Earth Wind & Fire, The Weeknd, John Legend, Chvrches, Palma Violets, and Cyndi Lauper (!) – are all up for speculation.
With Splendour’s 2012 lineup unveiled in mid-April last year, all should be revealed soon enough.
