We're sure that a number of you out there getting ready to hit the streets of Fortitude Valley next week are old hands at this whole BIGSOUND game by now.

However, for the benefit of our readers who might be heading along for the first time — hell, even those who have been before but simply can't remember it — we've gone back through our past years of covering the three-day industry conference and showcase to pull together a handy preparatory field guide to help you get on top of where to go, what to do and how to handle the smorgasbord of music on offer.

Star-Spotting, Aussie Pride & Other Reasons To Go To BIGSOUND

If you're still umming and ahhing about whether you're even going to head along to this year's event, reacquaint yourself with some of the best reasons to make it a personal destination, such as the ream of parties, chances of seeing your favourite band just hanging in the Brunswick St Mall, and claiming back the Valley from the usual "donks and dolls". The acts might be from last year, but the message is as timely as ever.

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If you need even more reasons, we've got some to spare.

get educated with industry speakers

This year's BIGSOUND has gathered a highly impressive cabal of artists and industry folk to populate its numerous keynote speeches and panels across the events, including Aussie music legend Peter Garrett, who led the charge of announcements when they started back in May, followed hotly by international activist and rapper Brother Ali.

In the intervening months, the list has grown in a big way, with a stream of high-profile personalities now destined to be speaking their mind next week, including Pitchfork editor Jessica Hopper, Lollapalooza co-creator Marc Geiger and a significant group of local label/publisher/management/booker types.

the artists - oh, god, the artists

One-hundred-and-fifty musical acts will hit the stages of the Valley over the course of BIGSOUND Live's two-night duration, and the final list is a veritable who's who of emerging and established acts from all around the country.

Among this year's cadre of performers are darlings of the moment such as Harts and Tired Lion, stalwart acts such as A Breach Of Silence and The Belligerents, buzzworthy up'n'comers such as Green Buzzard... and they were just the names that came at us during the final line-up announcement, much less thinking of earlier-announced outfits like Cosmic Psychos, Stonefield, Gang Of Youths, Grenadiers, City Calm Down, Ben Salter, Babaganouj, WAAX, Born Lion, Koi Child, Pearls, Slum Sociable... the list goes on.

plus...

artist timetables

Plan your adventure and avoid clashes as best you can - it's just like a game, where the price for failure is being forced to live with a niggling sense of disappointment in yourself for the rest of your days.

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speaker schedules

Make sure you're across who'll be saying what, and when, with the full schedule of speakers and panels below - more information is available at BIGSOUND's website.