Every one loves a leak, and there’s little in the local music scene that trumps the annual anticipation surrounding the list of rumours, spills, and potential acts featuring at one of Australia’s biggest music festivals, Splendour In The Grass.
But rumour will soon cease as acts are being increasingly confirmed to feature on the July festival’s lineup, with the official bill announcement expected to drop in the next week or so. Splendour 2013 is to be held in the newly renovated location of North Byron Parklands, just 20 minutes north of central Byron Bay.
The most recent announcement? Our very own Warrnambool formed hard rock band Airbourne, who confirmed unwaveringly their place on the bill on Triple M radio.
“We’ll be back in Australia for Splendour In The Grass and a few other shows,” singer Joel O’Keeffe said on the station’s music show Home Brew. “We come with all the amps in the world… It’s gonna be loud, it’s gonna be bright, we’re here to have a good time. You only live once!”
Airbourne released their third studio album Black Dog Barking in February of this year, a long awaited release after having first announced in 2011 that they were starting work on the project. The first single from the album “Live It Up,” and accompanying video were also recently revealed via the band’s website.
This month, the four-piece commence a tour of the US and Canada, before traversing the Atlantic to knock off multiple European dates. Then, as it is now officially confirmed, comes their second SITG performance, having featured in the 2007 lineup alongside the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, Kaiser Chiefs, and The Shins. “We come with all the amps in the world… It’s gonna be loud, it’s gonna be bright, we’re here to have a good time. You only live once!” – Joel O’Keefe, Airbourne
Another new contender for the Splendour 2013 lineup are Scottish synth-pop group Chvrches, who this morning announced Australian tour dates for early August. Their two-date Melbourne/Sydney tour looks more like Splendour sideshows, a week after the festival’s July weekend and the Glaswegian trio were recent signees to Artist Voice’s international representation roster. (Maybe they’ll even give the Byron crowd a taste of their Game Of Thrones tribute?)
Other musicians that are all but confirmed for Splendour 2013 is English electronic producer James Blake, who released his second album Overgrown this month, and embarked on a super brief tour late last month, touching down in Melbourne and Sydney, confirming he’d back in July for Splendour to multiple Australian media.
Icelandic troupe Of Monsters and Men are also all-but confirmed, with singer Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir already locking in national tour dates for late July, ridiculously close to the dates of the weekend long festival. Similarly, Jake Bugg is another likely candidate for the bill, with his track ‘Lightning Bolt’ being used as the soundtrack in a recent Splendour trailer.
Then there’s Californian indie rockers Cold War Kids and 40-strong Texan outfit The Polyphonic Spree, with frontman Tim DeLaughter dropping the news free of fanfare on Twitter earlier this year. A fan simply inquired when the group would next be in Australia, to which DeLaughter replied, “we’ll be there for Splendour.”
Minimal-character update forum Twitter also revealed the prospect of a Big Boi appearance (half of hip-hop duo OutKast), who tweeted ‘at’ Trinidadian-born Brooklyn rapper ‘Theophilus London’ that he’ll be touring Australia come July too. Other strong contenders 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.
…With the 2012 Splendour line-up dropping on the 19th of April last year, each day and slipped name surely brings us closer to a line-up announcement.The final cluster of rumoured acts include Deap Vally, the Californian female rock duo who may have been priming audiences for a mid-year performance with the two shows in Sydney and Melbourne respectively last weekend.
Wavves are also a good lock, confirming a vist to Japan and Australia in support of their latest album Afraid Of Heights, which our Tone Deaf reviewer called and “impressive fourth offering [that] showcases the band’s more brooding side as they shift into the realm of powerful pop-punk.”
Then there’s the vague suggestion of those appearing at Japanese festival’s Summer Sonic and Fuji Rock festivals, including Pet Shop Boys, Beady Eye, Fall Out Boy, Cheap Trick, M.I.A., Stereophonics, Earth Wind & Fire, The Weeknd, John Legend, Palma Violets, and Cyndi Lauper – all are feasibly all up for speculation.
Alternately, acts – perhaps sadly – definitely not appearing at Splendour 2013, despite hitting Japan, include 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.
Though heavily rumoured, The Cure, Nine Inch Nails, Björk and Postal Service have also been ruled out, primarily due to already scheduled tour commitments, or in the latter’s case because they aren’t interested in an Australian tour, according to Harvest Boss AJ Maddah who allegedly tried to book them for the November festival.
Whether there’s any truth to these rumours, or a case of punters being happy to indulge in their elaborateness (Bob Dylan headlining anyone?), with the 2012 Splendour line-up dropping on the 19th of April last year, each day and slipped name surely brings us closer to a more comprehensive, official line-up announcement.
Splendour In The Grass 2013 Dates & Location
Friday 26, Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 July
North Byron Parklands
