The second Big Day Out 2014 lineup announcement landed this week, with the likes of Primus, Vista Chino, CSS, and The Drones joining the already announced lineup featuring triple headliners Pearl Jam, Arcade Fire, and Blur.
But there was one band, already announced for the Big Day Out 2014 lineup to perform for the Aussie touring festival next January, that was conspicuously absent from the fresh lick of paint that festival organisers had given to the new artwork and lineup details.
New York’s shoegaze-inspired indie outfit, DIIV, are currently missing from the Big Day Out 2014 lineup as it appears on the official website and on social media (though, the band’s artist page is still tucked away on the festival website).
Festival organisers had initially told Tone Deaf that they had withheld the band from artwork while awaiting confirmation from the band’s management, but now Life Or Death, the New York & LA mgmt company, have now confirmed that DIIV have pulled out of the Big Day Out 2014 lineup, but rather than it having anything to do with their frontman’s involvement in a high profile drug bust, they say it’s so the band can continue work on the follow-up to 2012 album Oshin.
“DIIV has canceled all upcoming tour dates outside the US to focus on recording a new LP. We apologise to our fans in South America and Australia and will be back with new material shortly,” reads a statement from the band’s management as FasterLouder reports.
DIIV’s position on the Big Day Out 2014 lineup has been in jeopardy ever since their frontman, Zachary Cole Smith, was arrested in a drug bust this past September. “DIIV has canceled all upcoming tour dates outside the US to focus on recording a new LP.”
The singer-guitarist was arrested for possession of a “plastic bag containing 42 decks of heroin” and driving with a stolen license plate through upstate New York with his girlfriend, singer/model/actress Sky Ferreira – who was also charged with possession of ecstasy and resisting arrest.
The pair, who were on their way to perform at the Basilica Soundscape Festival, were pulled over, arrested and charged, then transported to Ulster County Jail before being released on bail in order to make their live performance (where they played a live cover of Cat Power’s ‘Nude As The News’ – semi-appropriate).
Shortly after the incident, a tweet from the DIIV frontman proclaimed the pair’s innocence ahead of court proceedings.
Ferriera then spoke about the drug arrest in October, claiming the New York police “were out to fuck with us,” in a candid interview where she maintained her innocence while downplaying the media backlash that portrayed the indie singer as an addict.
“I legally can’t say much about what happened, but it’s not what it all seems,” said Ferreira at the time.
“They were out to kind of like fuck with us,” added the ‘Everything Is Embarrassing’ singer – who released her debut album Night Time, My Time in October; “I’m scared to say more… I don’t want them to arrest us anymore – No one actually knows what happened besides Cole and I and the Saugerties police.”
It’s the latest in a string of controversies that have orbited around next year’s edition of the Big Day Out, including the cancellation of the second date for the Sydney leg owing to poor ticket sales and rumours that the future of the festival was in a dire state after a Fairfax media article citing anonymous sources claimed the event was “tipped to lose up to $10 million, potentially making the event unsustainable in the future.”
Following the report, Big Day Out CEO Adam Zammit lashed out at the Fairfax journalist and his editorial team for the article for its rumour-mongering and unprofessionalism, including claims that long-term Big Day Out promoter Ken West had been booted from the Big Day Out team in light of Soundwave boss AJ Maddah buying a stake into the event.
But at the Face The Music conference this week, Ken West said the future of the Big Day Out was not in doubt, while commending Maddah as the “logical choice” for the event moving forward.
“I don’t believe there’s a crisis on any level,” said West of the Aussie music festival market “It might be fragile, but generally the sales are all there… They’ve been reallocated for the time, we’re in a competitive business. But we just want to put on the best show possible, everybody.”
Big Day Out 2014 Lineup
Primus
Vista Chino
The Drones
CSS
Kerser
Bluejuice
Violent Soho
Jungle Giants
All Of The Colours
Bliss N Eso (Not playing Adelaide)
360 (Adelaide Only)
Joining the already announced lineup of:
Pearl Jam * Arcade Fire * Blur
Snoop Dogg aka Snoop Lion * Major Lazer * Steve Angello (Swedish House Mafia) * Flume * The Lumineers * Tame Impala * Dillon Francis * Mac Miller * Ghost * Grouplove * Flosstradamus * Portugal. The Man * Toro Y Moi * DIIV * The Naked And Famous * Big Gigantic * PEZ * Mudhoney * Cosmic Psychos * Northlane * The 1975 * Loon Lake * Kingswood * Bo Ningen * The Algorithm * DZ Deathrays * Peking Duk * Ben Morris * Rüfüs
Big Day Out 2014 Dates & Venues
Friday 17th January ~ Western Springs, Auckland*
Sunday 19th January ~ Metricon Stadium & Carrara Parklands, Gold Coast
Friday 24th January ~ Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne
Sunday 26th January ~ Sydney Showgrounds, Sydney
Friday 31st January ~ Bonython Park, Adelaide**
Sunday 2nd February ~ Claremont Showgrounds, Perth**
*For New Zealand Big Day Out 2014 lineup and ticketing details, please refer towww.bigdayout.com and choose AUCKLAND
**Subject to council approval
