The Acts You REALLY Shouldn't Miss At Splendour In The Grass

This morning's announcement of the 2015 Splendour In The Grass line-up is a lot to take in, we know — looking at the headliners, it's hard not to get lost among the esteemed names atop the list of more than 90 acts destined for Byron Bay this July.

But, as we all know, Splendour is a three-day festival, with a smorgasbord of live music that extends well beyond your Blurs and Tame Impalas and Wombats, all battling for a spot in your festival schedule, so we've taken a slightly deeper look to come up with a list of must-see acts from among the rank-and-file populating the voluminous roster for this year.

japanese wallpaper

Teenage Melburnian upstart Gab Strum — better known by his stage moniker Japanese Wallpaper — has made all kinds of a splash in the wake of taking out last year's triple j Unearthed High competition, a victory that itself came hot on the heels of his inclusion on the soundtrack for Zach Braff's Wish I Was Here, and the wave is showing no signs of breaking now that he's been announced aboard the massive line-up for Splendour this year. Do yourself a favour and get on board before he's a regular at these sorts of shindigs, because — trust us — that day is approaching with frightening swiftness.

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His newest release, Forces, features Brisbane up-and-comer Airling — have a listen below.

harts

Fellow Victorian solo spark Harts is also enjoying a solid boost to his reputation, having not only delivered a stunning blues-soaked rendition of Daniel Johns' Aerial Love for a recent instalment of Like A Version, but also recently announcing the impending release of his debut collection of songs in the form of the Breakthrough EP.

He'll be setting off on tour in support of the EP ahead of Splendour, which carries him through from early June to mid-July, but if you're unable to get to any of his standalone shows, then you should absolutely be making a beeline straight to whichever tent Harts ends up occupying at the festival, because this is a man on a solidly upward trajectory, with no signs present that it's likely to peter off any time soon.

ecca vandal

The electro-dappled heaviness of ascendant artist Ecca Vandal utterly slays on record, and her full-band-backed live performances are no exception. The in-demand muso stands at a crucial moment in her career, as the buzz that surrounds her approaches bubble-bursting point, positioning her forthcoming performance at Splendour as something of a watershed moment — we could very likely be looking at a set probable to go down in history as one of those classic "I was there when..." moments, so do Future You a favour and make sure you're in attendance for some rough-and-ready rock-tronic wonderment.

Or don't, but, hey, you'll have to live with the decision, and we don't envy that by any stretch.

azealia banks

If Azealia Banks is anywhere near as entertaining on-stage as she is on Twitter, then Aussies are in for a hell of a show when the outspoken singer-songwriter makes her way Down Under for this July's Splendour event. Despite her popularity in scenes around the country, Banks has something of a chequered history with Australia (and Australians) — she brought a Melbourne gig in 2013 to an early close after being pelted with beer, stormed out (twice) at the Listen Out festival that same year, and was even the target of an ill-advised, racially insensitive tweet that caused Closure In Moscow some headaches earlier this year.

In other words, this will either be a polished, world-class performance that goes off without a hitch or be an absolute clusterfuck, and either way, you'll probably want to be within viewing distance of whatever ends up going down.

#1 dads

Splendour promises to be something of a bittersweet affair for Tom Iansek and #1 Dads, having recently announced that he would be putting the project "to rest" after their final run of shows this July. Thus, Splendour could very well be your last chance to see Iansek & Co. in action under this moniker, which — even if they weren't excellent at what they do — would be reason enough to take the time regardless.

Lucky for us that they're so good, as it all but guarantees that their final set at Splendour will be one for the books, and a memory worth keeping for a long time. Bring some tissues in case your emotions get the best of you.

uv boi

Yet another wunderkind in our midst, adolescent producer UV Boi makes the trip from Brisbane to the Splendour stage off the back of a year's worth of steadily growing momentum steeped in not only his mature, considered original compositions but high-profile remixes for the likes of Banks, fellow Splendour buzz act Japanese Wallpaper, Hatch and Yung Lean.

He's on a straight shot to prominence, so it'd be prescient to be in front of his stage when he steps out at the festival this year to catch and support him while he's still solidly on the journey to the top.

total giovanni

Rocketing out of the Melbourne pub scene in recent times to be touted as one of the nation's most exciting 'post-punk funk' bands - hell, one of its most exciting bands in general - Total Giovanni stare down Splendour with the promise of an impossibly catchy, ultra-addictive cache of aural weaponry up their sleeves to make their debut Splendour appearance well worth your time and energy.

Unless you're allergic to fun or something. In that case, seek medical advice, load up on antihistamines and come along anyway.

royal blood

Royal Blood have been on our radar for quite some time now, and for good reason — not only were they Mercury Prize nominees last year, but they only just recently blitzed Aussie audiences with their appearances on the St Jerome's Laneway Festival line-up earlier this year.

So, while this entry is at least a little steeped in prior experience and knowing that punters are in for a treat when the band hit the Splendour stage, they still bear mentioning as a somewhat-less-known standout, one that promises to not just assault your ears in the best possible way but all your senses; this is a band whose live shows are visceral, addictive occasions, a palpable hypnosis descending upon their audiences as they fall in thrall to the head-shakin' dirty-rock goodness.

Step up your gyration game. You'll need it.

the dandy warhols

Duh. Duh. Not only one of the most esteemed veteran acts aboard this year's bill, Splendour will be their only Australian show, so as if you'd be wanting to pass up the opportunity to get freaky with the Dandys while they're in the area. With the band now old enough to drink at home in the States (the outfit turns 21 this year), audiences can expect not only a healthy dose of cuts from most recent studio full-length This Machine, which dropped back in 2012, but likely from across their extensive back catalogue. If you've ever wondered what a bohemian rhapsody actually looks like, head ye olde Warhols way.