Now in its 9th year, SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS returns on Sat July 25th and Sun July 26th at Byron Bay’s Belongil Fields to present its much anticipated annual mid-winter music celebration. With offerings from around the globe, the 2009 line-up packs a punch with a flock of Splendour first timers, festival favourites and exclusive one-off performances to boot.
TICKETS ON SALE
9.00am sharp on Thursday May 14th – Internet sales only – www.qjump.com.au
SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS 2009
Sat July 25th and Sunday July 26th
Belongil Fields, Byron Bay
SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS 2009 – 1ST LINEUP
BLOC PARTY (IN THEIR ONLY AUSTRALIAN SHOW)
THE FLAMING LIPS
JANE’S ADDICTION
MGMT (ALSO IN THEIR ONLY AUSTRALIAN SHOW)
HILLTOP HOODS
GRINSPOON
MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS
THE SPECIALS
SARAH BLASKO
AUGIE MARCH
JOSH PYKE
FRIENDLY FIRES
LITTLE BIRDY
BIRDS OF TOKYO
THE GUTTER TWINS
MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA
YUKSEK
BOB EVANS
WHITE LIES
KRAM
YVES KLEIN BLUE
DECODER RING‘>DECODER RING
LOST VALENTINOS
LEADER CHEETAH
JACK LADDER‘>JACK LADDER‘>JACK LADDER‘>JACK LADDER
THE MIDDLE EAST
POLAROID FAME
AND GLASS TOWERS
SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS 2009 TICKET PRICES
Event ticket: $240.00 (inc gst) + bf
Carbon Offset Ticket: $245.95 (inc gst) + bf
Camping ticket: $132.00 (inc gst) + bf
But first, to the all-important ticketing information.
This year all tickets to SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS will again be sold online through the ticketing service, Qjump, via www.qjump.com.au. As has been the case for the past 3 years, all ticket-holders will need to supply their name and date of birth so these details can be printed onto their ticket.
Tickets go on sale at www.qjump.com.au from 9am on Thursday 14th May.
As part of its support for the high demand event, Qjump has implemented innovative ticketing technologies, increased staffing support levels and introduced Westpac as its merchant partner – all aimed at improving the customer experience. In addition, Qjump has developed new technology that enables the legal resale of tickets, allowing any festival ticket purchaser who is unable to attend the event the chance to secure a refund via a secure online facility. All such tickets are then re-sold at face value online to deter ticket scalping.
As well, Qjump has also created a virtual box office, which allows customers to access tickets via a secure and unique URL, rather than being emailed a traditional pdf file. This will make lost pdf files and bounced emails a thing of the past.
And in our ongoing commitment to lighten the load on the environment, for a third year running Splendour will be offering its CARBON OFFSET TICKET to punters. Over the past two years we have had an amazing take up rate and audience members have offset nearly 1,500 tonnes of carbon. Australians generate on
average 77kg of greenhouse gas emissions a day. By purchasing a CARBON OFFSET TICKET you will offset 144kg of carbon (i.e. covering two days) thereby wiping out your carbon footprint whilst at the festival.
Splendour is again partnering with Climate Friendly who was voted Australia’s #1 carbon offset provider in 2008. We took another huge step towards offsetting all of Splendour’s carbon emissions last year. This year with your help we hope to get even closer to our goal of being 100% carbon neutral. To find out more about becoming carbon neutral visit www.climatefriendly.com.
So let’s get down to business. From France to L.A. and all the way to the U.K here’s the run down of the first acts lined up to thrill at SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS 2009.
In their ONLY Australian appearance, SPLENDOUR warmly welcomes the return of the almighty BLOC PARTY. Known for their hyper-kinetic live shows, their performance at Splendour 2007 still goes down as one of the best sets by any band in the event’s history – and that’s saying something! When BLOC PARTY released their debut album Silent Alarm back in 2005, they released a second album just a few months later with remixed versions of all the original tracks. They’ve just announced they’ll do the same thing with album number three, Intimacy. Intimacy Remixed will be released May 11 on CD and a triple 12” vinyl pack and will include remixes by Gold Panda, Mogwai and Filthy Dukes and will lead off with a remix of Signs by Armand Van Helden. They’ll blow your mind at SPLENDOUR 09!
One of the standout acts of the 2004 Big Day Out, THE FLAMING LIPS return to fire up the love pheromones at SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS 2009. After 20 years of recording and touring, the Flaming Lips – led by the holy trinity of singer Wayne Coyne, drummer Steven Drozd and bassist-guitarist Michael Ivins – have
managed to grow their audience base through stylistic changes that have seen them evolve from punk beginnings to the more symphonic, psychedelic alt-rock sounds of today. In a perfect merging of artist and audience, THE FLAMING LIPS live are a mixture of tech savvy complex stage light configurations
and video projections along with the more simple but equally effective balloons, giant disco balls, funny costumes, puppets, giant hands and large amounts of confetti. Get ready to feel the love at SPLENDOUR 09 with THE FLAMING LIPS.
Twenty-one years after the release of their seminal debut album Nothing’s Shocking, the original line-up of JANE’S ADDICTION are confirmed to perform at the 2009 SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS. Formed in the late eighties, the band stood out as an incomparable force with their aggressive melding of avant-garde, funk,
metal, and punk with raw sexual energy. Early performances gained the band a reputation for legendary live shows and many still regard those first-run Jane’s concerts as almost religious experiences. In the seventeen years since the original line-up’s last performance, there has been an ebb and flow of band formations and side projects until… In April 2008, Perry Farrell, Dave Navarro, Stephen Perkins and Eric Avery reformed to play again when British music magazine N.M.E. honoured the band’s legacy with their Godlike Genius Award. Don’t miss the beautifully gothic, romantic, decadent, hypnotic, swirling, bohemian celebration that is JANE’S ADDICTION.
Super hot Manhattan duo MGMT return to Australia for ONE SHOW ONLY at SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS 09. Voted as one of the nations’ most popular acts on triple j’s Hottest 100, the duo’s first full-length album Oracular Spectacular is an enigmatic and prophetic collection of hallucinatory sounds and hook-riddled
pop tones for the new millennium. With relentlessly experimental songs like Kids, Electric Feel and Time to Pretend have literally captured the imagination of our music-loving nation. MGMT invites you to open your mind to the multi-dimensional vibrating Technicolor sounds of Oracular Spectacular at SPLENDOUR 09.
With songs sung in broad Australian accents, nimble flows and stunning beats, HILLTOP HOODS live by an ethos that is innovative and fearless. They are continuously singled out as one of Australia’s hottest live acts by press, industry insiders and fans alike. The Hoods’ phenomenally successful 4th album, The Hard Road, debuted at number 1 on the ARIA Album chart, and won them 2 ARIA Awards’>ARIA Awards in the process. The Hard Road: Restrung, incorporating the 31 piece Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, also took home the 2007 ARIA Award for Best Urban Release. Now HILLTOP HOODS fans can brace themselves for a brand new album called State Of The Art, (released June 12th). The first taste of the new album will be single Chase That Feeling, (out May 8th). Don’t miss the Aussie kings of hip-hop when they carve it up at SPLENDOUR 09.
It’s been a while between drinks but SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS favourites GRINSPOON are set to return to their spiritual homeland of Northern NSW to rock the house. On their most recent album Alibis and Other Lies, GRINSPOON push the extremes producing a record filled with classic riff-heavy Grinner’s tracks to please old fans, while still offering a fresh new sound for the band. And fans will be stoked to know that GRINSPOON have just finished writing their next album, which they’ll be recording in early June. Standby for a single release just before SPLENDOUR 09 because after a year of song-writing the boys have come up with a ‘rifforama rock album’ that sees them back playing to their strengths! Live, the band is heavy as ever so may this be a warning. Listening to a hard rockin’ GRINSPOON set may induce nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, nystagmus, drooling, loss of balance, and dizziness.
The MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS are ready to trip the light fantastic at SPLENDOUR 09! The band released their debut album Dystopia last year to critical acclaim that has been unrelenting. The album topped several ‘Best of the Year’ polls in Australia and around the world including publications such as the NME and
Drowned In Sound. Live, the Juggernauts have impressed audiences from Los Angeles to London, with tours taking them from arenas to festivals to small warehouse gigs playing with bands such as Klaxons, !!!, Crystal Castles, The Pixies and others – and they’ve done it all on their own. With the recording of album number two now under way, expect the most thrilling journey yet from the band. The final destination may still be a mystery but it’s guaranteed to be an exciting ride. Jump into the MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS black hole when they hit the sweat-soaked, heaving dance floor at SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS.
In their very first visit to Australia, SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS is proud as punch to welcome British ska legends THE SPECIALS to the 2009 line-up. Formed in Coventry in 1977 they are regarded as true innovators of the punk era with highly danceable ska and rock-steady beat with punk’s energy and political attitude. The original line-up of Terry Hall (vocals/co-writer), Lynval Golding (rhythm guitar/vocals), Neville Staple (toasting, percussion, backing vocals), Sir Horace Gentlemen (bass guitar), Roddy Radiation (lead guitar) and John Bradbury (drums) will celebrate their 30th Anniversary by performing in Australia including a special appearance at SPLENDOUR. With an internationally successful recording career that featured seven top ten singles in the UK charts including Gangsters, A Message To You Rudy and Ghost Town, don’t miss THE SPECIALS in all their glory at SPLENDOUR 09.
The divine SARAH BLASKO is set to join the SPLENDOUR party. ARIA-Award winning artist Sarah Blasko has ensconced herself in Sweden’s legendary Atlantis Studios in Stockholm with producer Bjorn Yttling from Peter, Bjorn & John to work on her third studio album As Day Follows Night. Ms Blasko will spend six weeks in Sweden rehearsing, doing pre-production, recording and mixing the album. The follow up to her highly acclaimed platinum accredited albums, What The Sea Wants, The Sea Will Have and The Overture & the Underscore is due on July 10th and is highly anticipated as her best work yet. Be sure to be front
and centre at the G.W McLennan stage to watch her unique and captivating theatrical performance at SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS.
We warmly embrace the glorious AUGIE MARCH as they prepare to the grace the SPLENDOUR audience with one of their last shows before a long break. After building a solid fanbase and critical acclaim with their first two albums, Sunset Studies and Strange Bird, success came in a big way with their third album. Moo, You Bloody Choir won the 2007 Australian Music Prize, was nominated for 7 ARIA awards and achieved platinum sales. The single One Crowded Hour took out the coveted top spot on Triple J’s Hottest 100 countdown and wordsmith Glenn Richards won two APRA awards, including Song of the Year and Songwriter of the Year. Now comes AUGIE MARCH’s current masterpiece, Watch Me Disappear, recorded at Neil Finn’s Roundhead studios in New Zealand and produced by Joe Chiccarelli (The White Stripes, My Morning Jacket, The Shins). At the heart of AUGIE MARCH is Glenn Richards’ distinctive voice, which coupled with his incisive, literary lyrics and the band’s unpredictable blend of rock ’n’ roll, has taken them around the world and attracted an ever-increasing and loyal fanbase in Australia and beyond. Step into the beautiful world of AUGIE MARCH as they showcase their much loved songs at SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS, as part of
their last national tour for some time.
Australian troubadour JOSH PYKE joins the SPLENDOUR 09 line-up off the back of his critically acclaimed 2nd album Chimney’s Afire. The album (which is the follow up to the ARIA Award winning debut Memories and Dust) is filled childhood reminiscences and stories – ideas and thoughts about everyday concerns, with stability and the notion of making up your own mind emerging as overriding themes. Widely regarded as one of the finest songwriters in the country, Pyke’s
unique way with words, sense of melody and quirky song structures set him apart from his peers. Be sure to check out the world class JOSH PYKE at SPLENDOUR 09.
UK trio FRIENDLY FIRES are ready to pull you onto the dance floor at SPLENDOUR 09. Featuring Ed Macfarlane on vocals and keyboards, Edd Gibson on guitar, and Jack Savidge on drums, FRIENDLY FIRES began making a splash on the UK music scene in 2006. After scoring a following for their live work, they released their debut recording, an EP Photobooth, followed by a second EP Cross The Line. Playing a mix of dance-oriented music with the feel of indie pop and disco, the energetic three-piece from St Albans have delivered their debut self titled album and it’s 37 minutes of melodic indie-disco euphoria. Get your sequins ready for the party set of SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS.
With two great albums up their sleeves and a third on the way, the wonderful LITTLE BIRDY are set to make a welcome appearance at SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS. The lead song Brother, a wonderful acoustic balladromp which features Paul Kelly on guest vocals, sees the band go back to their alt – country roots and is a
sure indicator that LITTLE BIRDY are set to deliver another sublime album this May with the self produced Confetti. With their trademark blistering live performance get on the LITTLE BIRDY ship at SPLENDOUR 09.
Joining the SPLENDOUR line-up for the first time is Perth outfit BIRDS OF TOKYO. Formed in 2004 from a collaboration between members of other well
known Perth acts including Karnivool and Tragic Delicate, their music marries soaring vocal melodies with catchy rock based guitar hooks and a driving rhythm section. They released two Eps in 2005 and their critically acclaimed debut album Day One in 2006. The band recorded their second album Universes (2008) in Margaret River, Western Australia and it was debuted at No. 3 on the ARIA album charts and at No. 1 on the AIR album charts. Not bad for a band less than 5 years old. With a live show filled with energy as raw and exposing as it is energetic, emotive and fun, the BIRDS OF TOKYO will be a band to watch at SPLENDOUR 09.
In their very first visit to Australia SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS proudly presents THE GUTTER TWINS, a collaboration featuring two of alternative rock’s most important frontmen – Mark Lanegan and Greg Dulli. Mark Lanegan rose to fame as singer for the much-loved Seattle band Screaming Trees and Greg Dulli as the magnetic leader of the Afghan Whigs. Following the break up of both groups, Lanegan and Dulli went on to achieve significant successes on their own. Their debut album as THE GUTTER TWINS was 2008’s Saturnalia a record that landed on several ‘Best Of 2008’ lists. Of the album Uncut said “With Lanegan at his stentorian best and Dulli in full confessional mode, Saturnalia is a feast, certainly – but one where the dishes are served delightfully raw”. In what will be a huge treat for SPLENDOUR audiences, do not miss this special performance by these dark brothers in arms.
Indie rock band MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA hail from Atlanta Georgia, USA, not the U.K as their name might suggest. And there’s really nothing orchestral about them! The bands second album Mean Everything To Nothing, is everything you want a rock record to be: raw, urgent, emotional, and 100 percent authentic.
Indeed the band’s chemistry is palpable on Mean Everything To Nothing, perhaps because after more than a year of touring with such artists as Kings of Leon, Brand New, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Say Anything, and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, as well as performing their own headlining shows, the band has become
a powerful and well-oiled machine. In their first visit to Australian shores, don’t miss the fast and furious MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA at SPLENDOUR 09.
French performer YUKSEK gets set to bring his hip hop/electro fusion sound to SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS for the very first time. With a sound that combines the rawness of hip-hop with electronica YUKSEK has created a sound that slots in well with the current wave of electronic music coming out of France. His debut
album Away from the sea is out now and features the single Tonight. Combining the use of keyboards, microphones and vocoders, he’s scored himself a reputation for his dynamic live shows. Mixing sonic strength and sensibility, sexy images and impromptu noisiness, we invite you to get ready to dance up a storm with YUKSEK at SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS.
Goodbye Bull Creek! Hello SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS! BOB EVANS is the name Kevin Mitchell uses to record and perform his critically acclaimed albums, Suburban Kid, Suburban Songbook and his new album Goodnight, Bull Creek! Fans of the singer-songwriter greats – Elvis Costello, Elliott Smith, Neil Finn, Tim Rogers, even Neil Diamond, will find much to admire in Goodnight, Bull Creek! The album’s sound is reassuringly familiar yet bolstered with sophisticated arrangements and instrumentation including organ, flutes, strings, a toy piano and Moog. Lyrically this album is heavier and deeper than the last record.
It’s more twitchy and uncomfortable and maybe a little more restless, which sums up the way Mitchell was feeling leading up to making it. Not just your average singer songwriter, be sure to catch the electric BOB EVANS at SPLENDOUR 09.
SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS welcomes WHITE LIES to the 2009 carnival. A dark-edged trio hailing from London, the trio take sonic cues from the likes of Joy Division the Teardrop Explodes, and Echo & the Bunnymen. Singer and guitarist Harry McVeigh, bassist and lyricist Charles Cave, and drummer and keyboardist Jack Lawrence Brown (originally known as Fear of Flying), changed musical directions in 2006, creating doomy material which included the funereal murder ballad Unfinished Business and Death. The band’s debut album, called To Lose My Life arrived in January 2009 to much critical acclaim. Bask in the darkness of WHITE LIES at SPLENDOUR 09.
Wam, bam, here comes KRAM! The all singing sensation best known as drummer and co-songwriter of the seminal Australian band Spiderbait, returns as a solo artist to perform at SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS. With Spiderbait currently on hiatus KRAM has released his debut album Mix Tape – a potent reminder of how he
has long been a creative force. With the freedom to explore new perspectives, the musical palette is sparse but unexpectedly audacious with a deceptively simple philosophy. “I wanted it to be like a radio station where all the songs sound like different bands but its all played by one person,” he explains. With a whole bunch of new snappy tunes including the super catchy Silk Suits, come jam with KRAM at SPLENDOUR 09.
Brisbane boys YVES KLEIN BLUE get set to join the SPLENDOUR fun ship. With their clashy blend of classic pop, old punk, indie rock, gypsy jazz, 70’s glam and rock music of all eras, the band was briefly named “Exploding Heads’ before becoming Yves Klein Blue. Their 2008 EP, Draw Attention to Themselves, received
much critical acclaim and national radio airplay as well as a lot of love for the hugely catchy tune Polka. The band has now recorded their first full-length album (titled Ragged and Ecstatic) in L.A with producer Kevin Augunas (Cold War Kids), which is due for release this June. For a sneak preview get a taste of what’s to come with brand, spankin’ new single Getting Wise. Relentlessly fun and dynamic, let the good vibes wash over you with YVES KLEIN BLUE at SPLENDOUR 09.
Since their formation in 2001, DECODER RING‘>DECODER RING have captured the hearts and minds of music lovers everywhere and have effortlessly moved to the forefront of Australia’s experimental electro rock movement because of their ability to work big ideas and realise grandiose imaginings. They create hypnotic beats and
electronic meanderings in a psychedelic musical journey that is both emotive and cerebral. A live set by Sydney outfit DECODER RING‘>DECODER RING is a wonderful thing – a mix of emotive and ambient sounds capes delivered along side hypnotic rhythms that combine to envelop and entrance the listener. With a brand new album
due mid this year and current single Beat The Twilight out now, the luscious, ambient soundscapes of DECODER RING‘>DECODER RING are not to be missed at SPLENDOUR 09.
Formed in Sydney in 2005 LOST VALENTINOS quickly established themselves as one of the hottest acts in on Sydney’s indie scene. By the time their self-titled EP (produced by Kim Moyes of The Presets) hit record stores later in the year, their up-and-coming reputation was rock solid, with the EP’s initial pressing selling out in its first week of release. Their next EP, Damn & Damn Again, nailed their reputation as a gang of rogue’s intent on forging their own original sound was cemented. Current single Serio is out now and taken from their forthcoming debut album Cities of Gold due out mid 2009. With punk intensity and noise-drenched melodies, the LOST VALENTINOS set is for young adventurers seeking a new treasure. Dig deep with them at SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS.
From Adelaide’s foothills SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS welcomes LEADER CHEETAH to the party. Tapping the classic sounds of America’s glorious rural rock heritage, whilst imbuing it with a vitality that is unmistakably their own, this group is doing “the ‘70s sound” with more guts and more soaring melodic highs than ‘most all that have come before them. The band flew in legendary US producer Kramer (Galaxie 500, Low, Robert Wyatt) to record their debut album. The result is The Sunspot Letters, a mix of soulful upbeat rockers, slow-cooked jams, and smoky moonlight ballads, all tied together by the band’s love of majestic vocal harmonies and rough-hewn, and workmanlike arrangements. The album features triple j favourite Bloodlines and live staple Alibi. Be sure to get swept up in their wake at SPLENDOUR 09.
Sydney troubadour JACK LADDER‘>JACK LADDER‘>JACK LADDER‘>JACK LADDER joins the SPLENDOUR line-up for the first time. Scoring rave reviews for his debut album 2005’s Not Worth Waiting For Ladder’s sound has undergone a transformation on his new album Love Is Gone. While there are still strong traces of the brooding, lovelorn balladry remain, this new album has a distinct sense of swagger, sanguine and a touch of raunch. Citing a broad, unlikely mix of influences, Ladder subsumes them all with his rich blend of alt-country, folk and blues. With a wordsmith’s talent for creating poignant, occasionally humorous and always honest songs, JACK LADDER‘>JACK LADDER‘>JACK LADDER‘>JACK LADDER is not to be missed at SPLENDOUR.
Townsville outfit THE MIDDLE EAST are purveyors of gorgeous indie folk music and they are set to perform at SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS for the first time. Citing influences as diverse as Bob Dylan, Starflyer 59, Sigur Ros and Sufjan Stevens, their current EP Smog has sold out through the band’s website – their next EP is set for release in May. Unearthed by triple j THE MIDDLE EAST have got some guitar riffs, some percussion, some keys, and some harmonies which they use in snug orchestrations. Be sure to check out the new kids on the block at SPLENDOUR 09.
POLAROID FAME hail from the laidback surfing mecca that is Byron Bay, but this is not another acoustic rootsy band singing about the ocean. Their catchy upbeat tunes feature pop-rock hooks and lashings of electric/synth riffs. There are influences of early 80’s pop tunes combined with their own modern take. With an EP and single already under their belt, theyhave teamed up with renowned producer Anthony Lycenko for their debut album. With the album due to hit the streets toward the end of the year and 3 of their tracks scoring airplay on triple j, be sure to catch local boys POLAROID FAME as they charm at SPLENDOUR 09.
Also from Northern NSW is four-piece indie outfit GLASS TOWERS (formerly ‘The Stains’). Though still only in high school, the bands’ music possesses a maturity that has quickly captured the attention of the local music scene and already massed a dedicated fan following. Set for release this year their independently produced debut EP features a selection of the group’s tunes including local radio favourites Adventures in Hedgerows and Castles as well as a taste of the bands newer material. Drawing influences from artists such as The Velvet Underground, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Pink Floyd, Sonic Youth and more, be sure to check out GLASS TOWERS as they present their perfect indie pop at SPLENDOUR 09.
In addition to a stellar line-up of music talent, our usual features will return to delight punters at SPLENDOUR 09. In addition to the visual arts program, the HEALING ELEMENT will make a comeback with its cornucopia of alternative therapy and lifestyle outlets, market stalls and global food fair. The hugely popular TIPI CIRCLE will return to its home in the forest and punters can also pay a visit to the SPLENDID LOUNGE BAR.
In keeping with SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS tradition, each year event organisers handpick local community organisations to be the beneficiaries of funds raised through a $2.00 (per ticket) contribution from every event ticket sold.
Further line-up details in coming weeks!
Proudly supported by triple j, FasterLouder.com.au and in partnership with Climate Friendly.
For all event info and updates please go to:
www.splendourinthegrass.com