Hi guys. We know a lot of you already checked out the first lineup announcement for Big Day Out 2012 because our server crashed. Stretched across several hours last night and this morning, Big Day Out drip-fed the announcent, revealing the acts one by one. There was a mixed response to the tantric reveal technique and, as usual, there’s been a similarly mixed response to the acts themselves. There’s a couple of Australian first-timers are on the bill, including Norweigan electro/dance duo Royksopp and Kentucky swampy rock guys Cage The Elephant, but most of the other international headliners have played in Aus before (some more regularly than others). No complaints though! Here is why we’re happy to have them back:
SOUNDGARDEN
Seattle’s grunge/alt-rock specialists played the third Big Day Out in 1994 and then again in 1997 before breaking up later that year. They reunited in 2010, so there is definitely going to be a lot of stoked, more mature festival goers who’ll be pleased to say they moshed hard at all three appearances.
KANYE WEST
By all accounts Kanye’s performances for the 2008 Good Vibrations tour were lame. But his epic show at this year’s Splendour In The Grass was, alone, worth the price of admission.
GIRL TALK
This looks pretty fun:
MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE
Shakespearean pop-punk done with Brian May-style guitar solos and rousing call-to-arms lyrics performed with utmost sincerity? What’s not to like!
ODD FUTURE
Despite all the tiresome “fuck you”‘s and “swag”‘s and the below-average sound, when it comes to showmanship it’s hard to argue with Odd Future as a compelling live act.
FOSTER THE PEOPLE
It was pretty clear just how popular this band has become when a huge afternoon crowd packed in to watch them play their Splendour In The Grass set in August. When the band played “Pumped Up Kicks” the entire crowd sang along in unison. To every word. This was it:
BATTLES
The only option at a Battles live show is just drop your bag (and your hangups) and be a jellyfish.
