As previously reported, the Splendour In The Grass lineup is dropping this week, but even with the official announcement now just hours away, that hasn’t stopped a few loose lips leaking more of the 2013 bill ahead of its official unveiling.
Another band you can expect to see announced for the winter festival, which is headed to its new permanent residence in the picturesque forestry of North Byron Parklands, is Californian act Wavves.
Earlier in the year, the group already confirmed via Twitter they’d be in the country sometime this year, but another exchange on the social media site has now confirmed what many already suspected.
Speaking in a reply to Sam Gill – aka Gilsun of DJ duo Naysayer and Gilsun, Wavves frontman Nathan Williams confirmed the band’s appearance:
https://twitter.com/wavves/statuses/325652102640709633
Wavves will arrive in the country in support of their latest album Afraid Of Heights, which our Tone Deaf reviewer called an “impressive fourth offering [that] showcases the band’s more brooding side as they shift into the realm of powerful pop-punk.” It will be the band’s third Splendour showing in as many years,
Another band who have jumped the gun slightly on their Splendour commitments is The Growl. In a forthcoming interview with Tone Deaf, frontman Cameron Avery – who is also the drummer for Pond and one-half of Avery/Allbrook with Tame Impala’s Nick Allbrook – discussed the band’s plans for another national tour following opening for fellow Perth band Tame Impala for their American dates earlier this year.
Having released their debut album, What Would Christ Do??, Avery confirmed the band would be embarking on a second national tour, with July dates in Byron that include a spot on Splendour’s 2013 lineup.
Wavves and The Growl join The National, James Blake, Airbourne, The Polyphonic Spree, and Cold War Kids on the roll call of acts who have already confirmed their place on the three-day festival for July. Don’t be surprised if you see Of Monsters And Men, Alt-J, Chvrches, Deap Valley or Jake Bugg on the official announcement either.
Brooklyn’s The National confirmed their plans to hit Byron in an interview for Triple J Magazine in which frontman Matt Berninger confirmed the five-piece for Splendour in light of their “immediate and visceral” sixth album, Trouble Will Find Me.
Meanwhile, English producer-performer James Blake became Splendour’s worst kept secret during his recent brief trip Down Under. Between playing his intimate shows that sold out in a matter of seconds, Blake freely announced to various media sources he would be returning for the July festival. Cameron Avery confirmed The Growl would be embarking on a second national tour, with July dates in Byron that include a spot on Splendour’s 2013 lineup.
The 40-strong Texan pop army The Polyphonic Spree were even easier to crack, only taking one inquisitive fan on Twitter asking about any future plans to tour Australia for lead singer Time DeLaughter to confirm, “we’ll be there for Splendour.”
Of Monsters and Men rose to the top of the rumour mill after singer Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir locked in national tour dates for the mysterious month of July; while Scottish electro-pop group Chvrches similarly booked in a string of shows for early August, conveniently timed with a week’s break after the end of Splendour.
Then there’s Alt-J (∆) who simply just can’t get enough of Australia, announcing their third return in a year with three shows that oh-so strangely match up with Splendour’s winter dates, and Californian stoner-rockers Wavves who used Twitter to confirm they’ll be in the country sometime later this year.
Big Boi sparked whispers when he tweeted he’ll be “doing a tour in Australia in July” to Theophilus London and to ”holla at ya people”. Cali female duo Deap Valley have just played a two-date run in Sydney and Melbourne – which could have been a warm up for Splendour’s winter weather. Not to mention Jake Bugg who found his track ‘Lightning Bolt’ being used as the soundtrack in a recent Splendour trailer.
Unfortunately the Splendour rumour mill presents just as many band that won’t be playing Splendour; chief among them – Bob Dylan.
Despite a spurious Sydney Morning Herald report in January that suggested that Dylan would be part of the Splendour 2013 lineup, including a headline date at the Sydney Opera House in July, the 72-year-old has just announced dates for a new tour that clashes directly with Splendour’s three-day weekend.
Few believed the claim that the man born Robert Zimmerman would be topping the Byron Bay bill, but now the news of the Americanarama Tour, featuring Dylan alongside Wilco, My Morning Jacket, and Ryan Bingham, can finally put that particularly juicy rumour to rest.
Sadly, the hotly-rumoured Phoenix have also been ruled out, hushing rumours of a possible headline spot that began to circle after guitarist Laurent Brancowitz said an Australian tour in support of their latest album, Bankrupt! (released today) was “a priority.” But frontman Thomas Mars later confirmed that they would head Down Under “either at the end of this year or very early 2014.” (Re: not Splendour, but possibly Harvest or Big Day Out).
Don’t hold your breath for The Cure, Nine Inch Nails, Björk, and especially the Postal Service to make an appearance in the Splendour 2013 lineup either, all ruled out due to touring commitments to other festivals.
Specifically Japan’s Summer Sonic and Fuji Rock in some cases, which also provides some last minute wild cards that are up for speculation; including Beady Eye, Fall Out Boy, Pet Shop Boys, M.I.A., Sterephonics, The Weeknd, John Legend, Palma Violets, and Cyndi Lauper.
We’ll know for sure this time tomorrow morning when the full Splendour lineup drops, so if you have any last minute bets with the bookies, now’s your chance to put that outside bet on Frank Ocean
Splendour In The Grass 2013 Dates & Location
Friday 26, Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 July
North Byron Parklands
