Tuesday, August 21st 2012
Festivals: Soundwave Festival
Australia’s Soundwave Festival Announces (Almost) Every Band Ever
Despite living in a country with a strong economy, universal healthcare and near-perfect weather, ask any Australian music fan what the downside to it all is and they’ll be quick to point out that due to being a huge island on the bottom of the planet bands hardly ever tour there. “Nay,” says Oz’s touring Soundwave Festival to that assertion, however, announcing a lineup for its early 2013 edition that kicks most local and European festivals square in the balls.
Headlined by arguable “biggest-band-in-the-world” contenders Metallica, the lineup also features two other members of the Big Four in Slayer and Anthrax, as well as Linkin Park, Blink-182, Garbage, Tomahawk, A Perfect Circle, Cypress Hill, The Offspring, Stone Sour and an undercard that seems to feature every band your best friend and/or 15-year-old sister has gushed over from the 90s to now.
What started as a small punk festival in Perth, Western Australia almost ten years ago has grown into one of the mainstays of the summer festival calendar down under, with previous headliners including Nine Inch Nails, Jane’s Addiction, Faith No More, Iron Maiden and System of a Down. This success has come either due to or in spite of (depending who you talk to) heavy promotional pushes by the presenters, including a drip-feed lineup release and a strong social media presence led by a head promoter who is seemingly addicted to twitter.
The Soundwave Festival tours most Australian capital cities from the 23rd of February 2013, with tickets on sale this Wednesday night local time from their website.
I’ll be there!
Metallica may have been a contender for that title 20 years ago…
Oh, fuuuuuuuck you. Like them or not, Metallica are still one of the biggest, and most consistent, draws in the world. Not sure what other criteria for “Biggest Band in the World” you would be looking for.
I know this is irrelevant, but is anyone else confused as to why the poster for a festival in Australia has pictures of native americans, tipis, totem poles and bald eagles on it?