Splendour in the Grass has expanded its output this year to accommodate for the little’uns – if you’ve got kids keen to get amongst the festivities, Little Splendour is here. Justine Clarke is holding reign over the event at the North Byron Parklands on the Saturday of Splendour, performing from 3:30pm. Dress ups, sandpits, arts, crafts,…
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US quartet Bully are no strangers to Australian shores – though it’s been a while between drinks, over two years in fact since we welcomed them to AU HQ. But hot off the heels of their sophomore record Losing, the Nashville group are currently touring the UK and will be back in Australia for Splendour…
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I first met Ben Schneider of Lord Huron at Bluesfest, during the band’s first tour of Australia in 2016. Two years on, the band are set to return, with a new album (the brilliant Vide Noir) just released, and plans to play Splendour in the Grass and a couple of sideshows along the way. I caught…
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One of Australia’s premiere festivals – the one and only Splendour in the Grass – announced its line up for 2018 and man, is it stomper. There is a slew of international and local talent locked into perform at the North Byron Parklands this July including Kung Fu Kenny himself, Kendrick Lamar. Lamar joins the likes of Lorde, Miguel, CHVRCHES and Girl…
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Margaret Court Arena on Thursday night looked very different to the Margaret Court Arena on Wednesday night. Gone was the disco ball that hung over LCD Soundsystem’s stage; in its place was a full lighting production and screens on to which brilliant computer-simulated visuals would eventually project. We are here for Sigur Rós and we…
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While she was in the country last week for Splendour in the Grass, I took rising star Bishop Briggs – fresh from celebrating her birthday – around Kings Cross, on a cold Sydney afternoon. You’re in town for Splendour, and a few sideshows – including one where you’re supporting Catfish and the Bottlemen in Wollongong!…
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For Melbourne music fans, Splendour sideshow week is like Christmas, the abundance of exciting international artists hitting the city is like no other, Banks at The Forum being a particular standout on the schedule. Opening the evening was Zimbabwe-born, NZ-raised rapper TAPZ who revelled in the eager early-comers converged on the floor. Recent single “Run…
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I tell ya what, Margaret Court Arena is going to be going through it over the next few months or at least, until the Melbourne venue is renamed. With Sigur Rós‘ much-anticipated show at the arena taking place this evening, an event that has directly called Margaret Court out herself and has taken steps to actively support…
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Time helps build a cult of personality; a paradigm in which how you remember things can be altered dramatically from how they actually are. With more than six years since their last visit, plenty of time has passed since LCD Soundsystem had the chance to play to a Sydney crowd. And while the music industry…
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Continuing our interview coverage from our time with Royal Blood in Sydney recently, Mike and Ben talk more on the development of their live shows and preparing for some of their biggest festival appearances yet, notably CalJam alongside Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age. “I think with another 10 songs that we get to play, obviously the set is going…
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Non-headliners ruled Splendour in the Grass this year, and if anything defined the festival for 2017 it was that interest is shifting towards locals who are giving it their all, swiftly outshining headliners for what has become the proving ground for many a homegrown musician over the years. As a festival, Splendour is one of…
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You know that old rule your mum used to tell you: ‘If you can’t say anything nice, then don’t say anything at all’? While it sure is nice to be spoken to politely, Sigur Rós must have listened really well to their mums, as they played the nicest and most awe inspiring of sets you’ll…
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While out in Australia for Splendour in the Grass (and some cheeky headline dates of their own), British duo Royal Blood found some time to catch up with us in Sydney. Also during their time out in Australia this month, Mike and Ben dropped the details of their largest Australian tour yet, which will see Royal Blood…
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Saving the best for last – even after that Powderfinger reunion – Splendour 2017 closed out with what very well may be its single best day in years. The quality on offer from start to finish was undeniable, upheld by both locals and internationals who were clearly set on not letting Bernard Fanning own the…
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Day Two kicked into hyper-drive, starting off with an energetic bang! Opening in the Amphitheatre were NSW boys Hockey Dad, whilst Gretta Ray and Mallrat took to the Mix Up Stage and GW McLennan tent. Coming in like an energy drink, Confidence Man followed with an animated performance filled with little outfits, bubbly tunes and frantic dancing. “Boyfriend (Repeat)” saw the whole…
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The Metro Theatre is one of the more intimate venues but on Friday night people were definitely getting close and personal for Rag’n’Bone Man’s Splendour Sideshow. I walked in to a purple haze of the packed theatre with support act hip hop artist L-FRESH the LION signing off after spitting what I’m sure were some fire…
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Just after 5:30pm yesterday, Bernard Fanning noted to his Splendour in the Grass crowd that it had been 10 years since his former band, a little known Powderfinger, had played the event, so why the hell not, let’s get a reunion happening. Now, for many Australian music fans, the ‘Finger will have had some kind of presence in their childhoods,…
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The sky is clear, the sun is shining, and a giant replica of Kanye West‘s head is beaming in front of an enormous rainbow. The first full day of Splendour in the Grass 2017 is upon us, packing North Byron Parklands with the kind of life and energy that only comes with one of this…
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As the usual circus that is Splendour In The Grass rolls through this vast country of ours, so too does some of the best bands currently walking the earth. One of these said bands is HAIM, and I’ll tell you what, they know how to play a live show. Here at their only headline date…
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While most people wait to start their Splendour weekend on Friday, plenty of festivalgoers – especially the campers – know that heading along to the festival’s official kick-off on Thursday is well worth it. This year even moreso as Red Bull Sound Select came on board to curate a program at the Mix-Up Stage that…
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Got your Splendour schedule locked in? You might want to leave a few spots open. One of Australia’s biggest and best music festivals is a gold mine when it comes to discovering new music or watching that mid-card act completely own the entire festival and make you wonder why they weren’t top-billed in the first…
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Future Islands have returned to Australia for an exclusive performance at Splendour in the Grass this weekend, but not before stopping by AU HQ for a catch up in Sydney. Having not been in Australia for a few years, the band reflects on previous tours out this way, where they have built up a strong and loyal fan…
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Currently in the country in advance of their exclusive performance at Splendour in the Grass this weekend, we sat down with Future Islands today to talk about their long awaited return off the back of their new LP The Far Field. While talking about the Splendour show, the band let slip that they’d be back…
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As is tradition with Splendour in the Grass these days, the festival still has changes and surprises up its sleeves, even weeks out from playtime in North Byron. Today, the official set times and maps were released, but not without a sneaky line up change. Unfortunately for George Ezra fans, the British musician has had to cancel his…
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Festivals are, of course, the perfect opportunity to see some of the world’s biggest artists perform live, and this year’s Splendour in the Grass is no exception, with some of our favourite headline acts performing. However, there’s nothing better than discovering an act that you haven’t heard of before, so here are a few of our…
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Jake Smyth, best known for Sydney’s cult-burger joint Mary’s and award-winning pub The Unicorn Hotel, and his team will once again be bringing their mega popular fare up to this year’s Splendour in the Grass. Representing just how far festival food has come in the last few years, both Mary’s and The Unicorn will be…
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Our very own Larry Heath had a one-on-one backstage at Coachella 2017 with emerging superstar Bishop Briggs to reflect on her amazing year, look ahead to her Australian debut for Splendour in the Grass this July, talk about her new tattoos and much more… You can watch our chat here: Don’t miss Bishop Briggs when…
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We all know how much damage ex-Tropical Cyclone Debbie left strewn down the east coast only months ago and to help those who needed it, the crew behind Splendour in the Grass announced a fundraiser to get some much-needed funds together. The initiative saw a limited amount – fifty, to be exact – specially made…
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Deep breaths, everyone. Break the cowbells out, LCD Soundsystem have finally dropped details of their long awaited headline Australian shows this winter. We got excited when there appeared to be no ‘Exclusive’ note next to the band’s name on this year’s Splendour in the Grass line up and today, we can confirm that the band will…
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Queens of the Stone Age, aka “the best rock band on the planet”, have just announced their anticipated Splendour side shows, and the reaction is as immense as you’d expect. The gods amongst men have announced four headline shows across Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne and Darwin. Yep. QOTSA are playing in Darwin. This is not a drill. One of the…
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