Category: Festivals

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Splendour Tickets Sell Out

If you haven’t got your Splendour in the Grass tickets yet it looks like you might be out of luck. All 17, 500 tickets were snapped up yesterday by enthusiastic fans … or at least the ones who didn’t suffer the online glitches.

Many customers experienced lengthy delays using the ticketing website Qjump, while others got bank error messages when they tried to process their payments.

“Around 70,000 people logged on simultaneously to purchase 17,500 tickets,” Neil Ackland from Qjump told AAP.

“There was an unexpected technical issue with the bank’s payment system and we are contacting any customers that were affected.

“At this point we are working closely with the bank to understand why this occurred. We’d also like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

Sounds like a whole lot of excuses to me. The promoters know demand for these tickets is going to be massive, and they simply should have the online infrastructure to cope with it. Last year there were dramas when OzTix managed things. Now it seems like more of the same.

But event organisers have defended Qjump and said they’re pleased with the site’s service.

“Qjump have done very well managing our complicated ticketing process with its anti-scalping features and carbon offsetting option,” they said in a statement.

“At this point we are pleased to say there are zero tickets on eBay and a healthy uptake of green tickets. From our end, this is a great result, cheers for your patience and continued support.”

But when the fans aren’t happy, that seems to matter little.

“I can’t believe we’ve been so naive for so long thinking Splendour is some magical festival to be enjoyed and put on for lovers of music,” said one music fan known as Sneal. “No, it’s been created by the sadists who think it’s funny to put 30-odd-thousand people through hell!”

Ouch. At the end, if people have attempted to buy tickets all day and still couldn’t get them, I think it’s safe to say there’s a problem. Splendour organisers aren’t going to win any fans by burying their heads in the sand.

If you received an error message at any point you should log a help request at http://help.qjump.com.au and a representative from Qjump will be in touch. I think you’d be well within your rights to yell and scream at them once they do make contact.

Big name acts like Devo, Wolfmother, The Living End, The Wombats, and Pnau will hit Byron Bay’s Belongil Fields on August 2 and 3 for this year’s festival.

Did you try to buy Splendour tickets? I’d love to hear about your experiences!

Image source: Bradii @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Splendour Lineup Announced

Are you dying to know who’s playing Splendour in the Grass this year? Well I won’t keep you in suspense any longer!

The international acts are always the biggest drawcards, and this season’s no exception. We’ve got 80s flower-pot wearing icons Devo, Iceland’s finest Sigur Ros, and British rockers The Music. Add Vampire Weekend, The Wombats, and Band of Horses to the bill and it’s all very tempting.

But that’s not all, with world-class Aussies Wolfmother, The Vines, and The Living End joining them. Some of our happiest musical outfits, Operator Please, The Grates, and Ben Lee are also on the lineup, as are the chart-topping Gyroscope and electro superstars PNAU.

Splendour in the Grass is happening at Byron Bay’s Belongil Fields on August 2 and 3. Standard weekend tickets are $199, but consider digging a little deeper and buying the $206 green tickets. The extra cash will help buy carbon credits to offset the impact of this mega music festival. The tickets go on sale at 9 am on May 22 from QJump.

Image source: I, ELOdry @ Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

We Love Sounds, Yes We Do!

The line-up for Sydney’s only winter festival, We Love Sounds, has just been announced. And it’s a doozy, with plenty of global stars and local acts on the bill.

The international acts are headed up by The Bravery, The Beastie Boys’ Mix Master Mike, Utah Saints, Scribe, and Grand National.

They’ll join Aussie artists The Potbelleez, Van She, Kid Kenobi and MC Shureshock, and The Outlaws.

We Love Sounds will hit the Hordern Pavilion on Sunday 8 June. Last year’s event sold out a month in advance, so make sure you gets your from Ticketek when they go on sale tomorrow.

Image source: Foshydog @ Flickr 

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Midnight Juggernauts Sign International Deal

Melbourne indie outfit Midnight Juggernauts are poised for world domination after signing an international licensing deal with EMI.

The band’s own label Siberia Records will continue to produce and control all the Midnight Juggernauts work, but EMI will distribute their music outside Australia. This allows the band to stay true to their indie sensibilities while distributing their electrorock tunes to a global audience.

International fans will have a chance to catch the Midnight Juggernauts doing their thing in Australia, the UK, North America, and Japan in the coming months. Here are all the dates.

25 January 2008 – Big Day Out, Sydney
28 January 2008 – Big Day Out, Melbourne
1 February 2008 – Big Day Out, Adelaide
3 February 2008 – Big Day Out, Perth
1 March 2008 – Duranbah Beach, Gold Coast
11 March 2008 – Enmore Theatre, Sydney
12 March 2008 – Forum Theatre, Melbourne
14 March 2008 – The Tivoli, Brisbane
20 March 2008 – Scala, London
23 April 2008 – Mezzanine, San Francisco
29 April 2008 – Hi Dive, Denver
2 May 2008 – Double Door, Chicago
3 May 2008 – Anti, Toronto
4 May 2008 – Les Saints, Montreal
7 May 2008 – Johnny Brendas, Philadelphia
9 May 2008 – Bowery Ballroom, New York

Image source: Simon Ryan @ Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Ray Davies, Cruel Sea, and More Announced for Bluesfest

The latest announcement of bands for the East Coast Blues and Roots Festival is enough to make any self-respecting music fan drool (or at least start planning their trip to Byron).

Since he squashed those rumours of a Kinks reunion, the Blues and Roots Festival may be your best opportunity to see Ray Davies live. Newly reformed rockers The Cruel Sea will also be there.

Then we’ve got international stars John Hiatt, Jason Mraz, Last Town Chorus, Bunny Wailer and more, alongside local legends The Cat Empire, Weddings Parties Anything, The Beautiful Girls, and Kasey Chambers’ newest project Lost Dogs.

Add to that the musos we already knew about like The Black Crowes, Buddy Guy, John Fogerty, Sinead O’Connor, Keith Urban, and KT Tunstall and a trip to Byron is looking pretty good right now.

Luckily there are still some tickets available online. The East Coast Blues and Roots Festival plays Byron Bay’s Belongil Fields from March 20-24.

Image source: W. Veenman @ Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

It’s All About the Music: Duck Duck BOOM

In summer most of us suffer from festival overload. After shelling out cash for The Big Day Out, V Festival, the upcoming Blues and Roots shows most of us are too broke to even think about another one. But what if you heard about a festival that actually gives back to the music industry? I’m not talking about lining Richard Branson’s wallet; I mean really supporting the biz at a grassroots level. That festival is Duck Duck BOOM.

“You can think of a major music festival as a tertiary graduation day of sorts with pomp and fanfare, but it’s your local venues who are the underpaid and underappreciated primary and secondary school teachers and childcare workers of the music industry. And really there aren’t a lot of major events groups who are acknowledging this and putting something back,” explained Duck Duck BOOM coordinator, Dave Dreimann.

“I’ve got nothing against major music festivals. I think they are awesome. They bring in some incredible international talent and often take local bands who are doing well that one more step out into the public eye. They definitely serve an important purpose. But on a day-to-day basis it’s your local music venues, not these guys, who are giving the bands that go on to greater things their start and their education.”

In keeping with its altruistic aims, Duck Duck BOOM isn’t travelling to your local showground or stadium. Instead, this one-day festival will hit North Fitzroy’s Empress Hotel. This Victorian institution has worked tirelessly to support local bands for decades, a job that’s just become even tougher under Yarra Council’s noise restriction laws.

Duck Duck BOOM features a fantastic lineup of artists from all around the country, including local indie darlings Plastic Palace Alice and Number Station, Queensland folk rockers Yves Klein Blue, and Western Australia’s Will Stoker and The Embers. Sherlocks Daughter, Tonight is like Space Invaders, Plague Doctor, The Vice Chancellors, and Quiet the Few round out this impressive bill.

Strictly limited tickets are available now from Moshtix. At just $35.60 including booking fee, it’s a small price to pay to see some awesome bands and support the local industry.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Scribe, Faker, and Pnau Play BACARDI Express

All aboard the BACARDI Express! This travelling festival will carry five of Australia and New Zealand’s hottest acts, and a bunch of keen music fans from Melbourne to Sydney next February.

Rock outfit Faker, New Zealand rap king Scribe, and dance duo Pnau are already confirmed to play alongside two bands to be announced later this month. The bands will perform on the train as it travels from Melbourne to Albury, Wollongong, and Sydney.

“We’re looking forward to getting off the road and onto the tracks; off the wagon and onto the rails; out of the frypan and into the BACARDI Express of fire! Choo Choo Huzzah!” said Faker’s Stefan Gregory.

He’s obviously excited, and if you are too make sure you check out the BACARDI Express website. Money can’t buy these tickets, but the site details the ways you can get your hands on them. Of course, since this event is sponsored by Bacardi it’s strictly adults only. Sorry kids!

Image source: Trent “Raichase” Nicholson @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Smashing Pumpkins, Duran Duran and More Play V Festival

A real mixed bag of bands are heading our way for the second annual V Festival next year.

Whiny ’90s rockers The Smashing Pumpkins will headline the event, alongside 80s supergroup Duran Duran, and the cooler-than-cool popster Mika. The eclectic bill also includes Jesus and the Mary Chain, Air, Queens of the Stoneage, and The Presets.

The V Festival hits Sydney’s Centennial Park on March 29, the Gold Coast on March 30, Melbourne Showgrounds on April 5, and finishes up in Perth on April 6. Tickets are on sale this Thursday from the V Festival website.

Image source: V Festival website

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Feist, Gotye and More Play Laneways

An eclectic collection of international and local acts will play the 2008 Laneway Festival.

Feist, Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah, Kevin Drew, Okkervil River, and Dan Deacon and The Brunettes will visit our shores for the travelling festival. They’ll join local stars Gotye, The Panics, The Devastations, Little Red, Via Tania, The Holidays and Bridezilla. More acts will be announced in the coming months.

The festival will kick off in Adelaide on February 23. This is the first time the event has played the South Australian capital. It’ll then travel to Melbourne and Brisbane, before concluding in Sydney on March 2.

Tickets for the Laneway Festival go on sale tomorrow at www.lanewayfestival.com.au.

Image source: Laneway Festival website

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

New Acts for Sold Out Homebake Show

A whole lot of new acts have just been added to the already stellar Homebake lineup. But if you haven’t already grabbed your tickets, you’re too late. This year’s show sold out in record time. We did warn you!

If you got in early, you can now look forward to seeing Scribe, Architecture in Helsinki, Blue King Brown, Kisschasy, Old Man River and heaps more.

They’ll join original headliners including the Divinyls, Miss Higgins, Gotye, Sarah Blasko, and Paul Kelly. It all happens in The Domain in Sydney on December 8.

Image source: Michael Spencer @ Flickr.com