Big Day Out Reveals 2013 Line Up

People who don't get at least a little bit excited about the reveal of a Big Day Out line up any given year aren't worth spending time with, well, at least not tonight. It's still an enormous festival and a rite of passage, and this year there are heaps of hot acts that'll make it sound awesome. Here it is!

Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Killers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Vampire Weekend, Band Of Horses, The Bloody Beetroots (live), Kaskade, Animal Collective, B.o.B, Sleigh Bells, Foals, Alabama Shakes, 360, Crystal Castles, Pretty Lights, OFF!, Grinspoon Against Me!, Gary Clark Jr, Nicky Romero, Morgan Page, Logo, Every Time I Die, Delta Spirit, Childish Gambino, Me, Hunting Grounds, Jeff The Brotherhood, Death Grips, Adventure Club, Jagwar Ma, House Vs Hurricane, Avalanche City, Toucan, Helena, Nina Las Vegas, Sampology (AV/DJ Show)

LISTEN:

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS:

Okay, first up is the worst kept secret in Australian music for the past month or so; the Red Hot Chili Peppers will be headlining Big Day Out 2013, their first appearance at the festival since they headlined in back in 2000. They're an iconic beacon of alternative rock and have managed to not just survive through decades of different musical fads, but thrive. They remain one of the biggest bands in the world and are a fitting headliner for this year's Big Day Out, no doubt they'll give us a set that's part nostalgia, part fresh and exciting. These will be their only Australian shows, so get onboard.

THE KILLERS:

They're one of the biggest things to come out of Vegas in a very long time and there's no doubt that The Killers are going to re-ink their stamp on popular culture with the release of their new album Battle Born later on in the year. Their live shows are not dissimilar to their music; big, bombastic displays of musical wonderment that'll give fans of the band a real warm, fuzzy feeling inside; Brandon Flowers showing why he's considered one of the greatest frontmen on the planet. They're back as one of the headliners for Big Day Out 2013 and let's hope nothing has changed.

YEAH YEAH YEAHS:

This little New York trio that could burst out of the whole coolsie “new rock” explosion from their home city at the start of the millennium, but were quickly able to separate themselves from that scene, the Karen O led group establishing themselves as a band who were arty and emotional but fun and catchy at the same time. Ever since their first visit with the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion around a decade ago, Aussies have loved the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and their return is a welcome one for sure.

THE BLOODY BEETROOTS:

Who would have thought Italian electro smashers The Bloody Beetroots could get as big as this? They headline the Boiler Room this year and it's well deserved; the dance punk collective run by Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo incite crowds to do crazy things sometimes and you can bet that there'll be plenty of loose people going mental at the traditional conclusion of every leg of the Big Day Out when these guys smash it up in the room where dreams are made.

VAMPIRE WEEKEND:

Preppy guys playing African inspired indie-rock is probably not the kind of thing you'd expect to see at a Big Day Out after its first event in the early 1990s, but hey, a lot has changed. Vampire Weekend exploded out of the blocks with a whole heap of hype surrounding them and their unique sound, but they have managed to not just maintain but build their following over a couple of albums. Their third album is apparently not far off, so expect a bit of new material from the New York quartet when they are here to make you dance like it's a Paul Simon film clip next January.

ANIMAL COLLECTIVE:

An unlikely success story, Animal Collective shot up the US charts with their stunning Merriweather Post Pavilion record of 2009. While up until then the band were ridiculously prolific, they haven't given us a studio album proper since then, but they will be back in Australia for Big Day Out early next year with a new album called Centipede Hz having been out a few months, and we can't wait to see what wild aural ride the band take us on this time around. Their live shows are pretty captivating, it'll be exciting to see how they use Big Day Out as a canvas.

CRYSTAL CASTLES:

Alice Glass and Ethan Kath have the indie world in the palms of their hands and it's all built from the chaotic live performances and shambolic and miserable productions they produce as Crystal Castles. Their third album (we're going to guess it's called Crystal Castles just like the other two) is currently being made and should be out this year, so there'll be a new energy pumping through their veins when they return to Big Day Out for a session in the Boiler Room next year.

B.O.B:

It will be very interesting to see how B.o.B goes down at the Big Day Out next year. If you're looking at chart performance, Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. should be close to the top of the bill. He's been rapping for years, but hit mainstream pay dirt in 2010 with his debut album The Adventures Of Bobby Ray. His recent collaborations with Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift, Rivers Cuomo and Hayley Williams have seen him recognised in plenty of different circles and considering he's a bit of a festival favourite in the USA, we're looking forward to see what he brings to Big Day Out.

ALABAMA SHAKES:

They are the hype band of 2012, so Big Day Out have scored big by securing the first ever Australian tour of Alabama Shakes. They're a band still in their relative infancy, but you can already tell that they'll be huge, such is the quality of the sounds they pull on their debut album. It'd be ridiculous to not mention the incredible voice of Brittany Howard when discussing what makes them so good, she'll lead her group with force at Big Day Out 2013.

GRINSPOON:

With a new album and a brush with the most powerful woman in the country making their lives particularly interesting of late, Grinspoon can add a return to Big Day Out stages to their list of recent achievements. It's really gonna feel like a festival with Grinners back on board.

360:

The man is unstoppable and in 2012 he has shown that he has what it takes to be the biggest star in Australian music. When 360 hits the stage of Big Day Out 2013, he does so with an enormous following egging him on and that's gotta be good for his confidence. An unsurprising addition to the bill, but one that'll make a lot of people very happy.

NICKY ROMERO:

Tech house young gun Nicky Romero has some pretty powerful supporters; when your music is being championed by the likes of David Guetta, Tiësto and Hardwell, among others, you know that you're good at what you do. With a huge string of releases pumped out over the past couple of years, there's plenty for Romero to choose from when he drops by the Boiler Room in 2013; we imagine there'll be more than a few gurners pleased to see him there.

BAND OF HORSES:

Ben Bridwell and the long line of musicians who make up Band Of Horses have been pumping out classy southern rock inspired indie fare for eight years now and their fourth album Mirage Rock has been slated for a mid-September release. If the first track taken from it is anything to go by then we might be in for something a little different from them this time around. One thing we're pretty confident about though is that the band are going to be giving us another flawless demonstration of fine music in the live arena as they have on every visit they've made here when they're back for Big Day Out 2013. New single is here.

AGAINST ME!

No one saw it coming, so when Tom Gabel – frontman of punk rockers Against Me! - decided that he was going to become a woman a couple of months ago, the band became one of the most talked about on the planet. This is a band that has changed a lot over the years, that can't be denied, but no change has been as drastic as this one. We don't know if they're any good with a female out the front, but we're so very happy we get a chance to find out for ourselves when they come back to Australia for Big Day Out next year.

EVERY TIME I DIE:

They're one of the trustiest bands in hardcore today and Every Time I Die have once again delivered in spades with their new album Ex Lives. Anyone who has witnessed this band live will tell you that they are one of the best in the business as far as sending a crowd crazy and going crazy themselves, while still managing to deliver their impassioned brand of super fun metalcore and hardcore that they've pumped out do brilliantly for the past decade and a half.

SLEIGH BELLS:

We were all a little worried that Sleigh Bells were a bit of a one trick pony after the hype that surrounded their debut album Treats died down, but following the release of their follow up Reign Of Terror this year, we're very pleased to report that they have a bit more staying power than many may have expected. Part sugary pop, part hardcore, part electro, this is a band that couldn't have been born out of any other period of time in the past or future; will the Big Day Out stage be kind to them? We'll see.

OFF!:

It's pretty hard for us to hide our feelings about punk rock supergroup OFF! Fronted by original Black Flag and Circle Jerks frontman Keith Morris and featuring members of Burning Brides, Redd Kross, Rocket From The Crypt, the band showed with their four EP releases shortly after their formation that they were ready to bring real punk rock to the masses. They've just released their eponymous debut record, which is one of the best releases of the year so far, and they'll destroy Big Day Out stages in 2013.

CHILDISH GAMBINO:

Donald Glover, Childish Gambino, Troy Barnes from Community; call him what you will, he is hot property right now. If you even think about doubting that then we suggest you take a look at who he enlisted to help him with his latest mixtape. Uh huh. But he deserves the hype, he's a great rapper who has a seriously sharp wit and can spit out those excellent verses with aplomb. Big Day Out 2013 is his first Australian visit, let's hope he can bring it on the live stage.

DEATH GRIPS:

This noisy Californian industrial hip hop crew have been getting a lot of good press lately. We're not going to lie and guarantee that you'll dig what they do, but if experimental hip hop is your cup of tea and you don't mind things a little rough and raucous, Death Grips are no doubt a huge addition to the Big Day Out bill for you.

LOGO:

French production duo Logo haven't been around for very long, but they've churned out some pretty tasty music. A series of high profile remixes have put them in the spotlight, but their original compositions are more than worthy on their own. As far as their live show goes, we're not sure what they're going to Bring to Big Day Out, but we're excited to find out.

FOALS:

One of the few UK representatives on this year's Big Day Out bill, Foals are still riding high on their hugely successful 2010 album Total Life Forever, and so they should! It was a fine display of the band's growth since their debut album, which makes us excited to hear where they go when they eventually release another album. Will they have new songs for us when they play Big Day Out? Who fucking knows? Who fucking cares?

ADVENTURE CLUB:

Did you seriously think one of the biggest festivals in the country was going to get away without at least a little bit of dubstep? No way, Jose. Canada's Adventure Club are one of the biggest names in the world of dubstep these days and it's not hard to see why when you listen to their stuff. There'll be drops galore when they smash the shit out of Big Day Out next year.

KASKADE:

Ryan Raddan was a little bit of a late starter when it came to DJing, but, as Kaskade, he established himself pretty damn quickly with a slew of massive singles in the middle of last decade. He now has seven albums of choice house music to his name and he just keeps getting more and more popular, his Fire & Ice record of last year debuting in the top 20 of the Billboard charts. He's a big get for the Boiler Room this year and one that shows the direction they've taken with regards to their booking of this particular stage.

PRETTY LIGHTS:

Pretty Lights is Derek Smith, he's an artist that utilises elements of funk, soul and hip hop to make a glorious melange of forward thinking electronic music that it's wildly unpredictable. If you don't know him already, now is a great time to discover his music.

HOUSE VS HURRICANE:

They just dropped a new record last week and Melbourne hardcore dudes House Vs Hurricane will have a lot of support when they line up at Big Day Outs around the country. They might have a new vocalist but the spirit is still the same and the songs might be even better than before.

GARY CLARK JR:

Is Gary Clark Jr. the saviour of blues? It's a comment that has been thrown around about him in recent years and whether or not it's true, it must be said that he has some serious talent. His guitar tone absolutely kills, his voice will melt your heart and he incorporates modern musical elements into his music in a way that might make blues more appealing for a younger generation, but won't piss the traditionalists off too much. He also surrounds himself with pretty awesome musicians, so his first visit to Australia for Big Day Out 2013 is bound to be electric.

DELTA SPIRIT:

The very soulful indie rock of Delta Spirit seems to be catching on in a very organic manner all around the world. Their recently released self-titled album, which is their third longplayer, has done pretty nice business for them in the US and further established them as a band of great quality. Apparently they were really good at Coachella, we reckon they'll be even better at Big Day Out.

MORGAN PAGE:

Progressive house master Morgan Page has produced a handful of tunes that could be considered defining tracks for the genre in our day and age. A couple of Grammy nominations, a couple of killer remixes and a reputation for delivering sets that will take you on an epic journey, he's an inspired choice for this year's Boiler Room line up.

JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD:

They destroyed stages at Meredith and in Sydney and Melbourne just recently and it became obvious very quickly that Jeff The Brotherhood were the kind of band that Australia was really going to understand. They're loud and brash and fun and obnoxious and just a wonderful rock'n'roll group who know how to make good music and make it joyous. They continue their quest to convert the world to their ways by taking on Big Day Out next year.

ME:

Hardly known in Australia but deadset killing it over in the UK at the moment, Melbourne-born, London-based epic rockers Me are going to have a whole heap more fans in Australia by the time Big Day Out 2013 is over.

HUNTING GROUNDS:

These young fellows, who used to go by the name of Howl, have just released their debut album In Hindsight and you can bet they'll be building up a whole heap of steam in the lead up to a triumphant showing at Big Day Out.

JAGWAR MAR:

Jono Ma from Lost Valentinos has been cooking up some tasty tunes as Jagwar Mar; now we get a experience them in the live arena.

TOUCAN:

These Sydney kids are making tropical indie-pop with a fair amount of soul; Big Day Out could be the leg up that makes Toucan step to the next level.

SAMPOLOGY:

Brisbane's Sampology is starting to become a bit of a festival favourite, and with AV/DJ sets like his, it's not hard to see why.

HELENA:

She's one of our finest EDM talents and we imagine Helena is going to hold things down in the Boiler Room very comfortably indeed.

NINA LAS VEGAS:

She's ingratiated herself to the Australian music loving community pretty easily through her triple j gig and her DJ sets, so expect a dedicated bunch to be there when Nina Las Vegas steps up to the wheels.

AVALANCHE CITY:

He's one of the biggest selling acts in his native New Zealand at the moment, but will Dave Baxter and his Avalanche City be able to replicate that success after a stint on the Big Day Out bill?

So, there you have it. A little something for everyone. If you head to General Pants tomorrow you can pick up a limited edition holographic ticket, or you can wait until Thursday evening and grab one from the Big Day Out website. Tickets are $165, no fees, unless you want to get the full VIP treatment, in which case you can pick up the Like A Boss ticket for an extra $100 which will give you full VIP access and make your Big Day Out just that little bit more epic.