2011 BIG DAY OUT Promoters defend "Hardcore" Lineup

THERE has been much debate about the merit of this year's Big Day Out line-up since it was released earlier this week. Promoter Viv Lees, who runs the event with partner Ken West, says bring it on.
''We have ideas for what we want and a whole world full of brilliant music for us to explore each year,'' he says.

As well as EG cover stars Grinderman, Tool and Iggy Pop, Lees is particularly pleased with the return of Germany's Rammstein.

''Rammstein were here in 2001, co-headlined with Limp Bizkit, and when that act left the tour they took up the slot,'' he says. ''With their fireworks and effects, if you like hard rock, they are going to demolish the place.''

Headliners ... Iggy Pop(above) is back as are Tool (below right), while M.I.A is one of the few women appearing.

Another for nostalgists will be Primal Scream playing their classic 1991 album Screamadelica in full.
''Primal Scream are bringing some female guest vocalists and a brass section,'' Lees says. ''It's a wonderful, uplifting experience.''

As for the newer acts on the bill, Triple J favourites Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and British rapper Plan B will be highly anticipated and, based on overseas reviews, British-Sri Lankan pop star M.I.A. could be great or a disaster. South African freaks Die Antwoord could also go either way.
More reliable will be the Black Keys, who have finally crossed over in the US, and LCD Soundsystem, who return six months after their triumph at Splendour in the Grass.

With Homebake in hiatus, BDO has the pick of the big Australian acts. Angus and Julia Stone, John Butler, Birds of Tokyo, Bliss N Eso and Little Red all make the cut.

BIG DAY OUT 2011 Line Up - Details

IT turns out we were right about Tool, Iggy and the Stooges, Grinderman and Deftones but wrong about Soundgarden for Big Day Out's 2011 line-up. 
 
Instead of the reunited Seattle grunge gods playing their Badmotorfinger record to celebrate its 20th anniversary, it will be the Scottish Primal Scream performing their two-decades-young record Screamadelica, which is just as good.
The Big Day Out team had more than a few surprises in their first-round announce, which was scheduled to hit the interweb at midnight.

For Sydney festivalgoers, the major change is the event is back on Australia Day at the Sydney Showgrounds after a few years of Melbourne claiming the public holiday for event.
Mysteriously missing from the first reveal is Blink-182 who everyone thought was in since Channel V's Danny Clayton tweeted they were on the line-up a couple of weeks ago.

The ultimate festival band Rammstein are back for the first time in a decade, while other international repeat offenders include Lupe Fiasco and the John Farnham of dance, LCD Soundsystem, who allege these will be the last shows.
Newcomers include Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77, M.I.A. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Jim Jones Revue, The Black Keys, Die Antwoord, CSS, Plan B and Crystal Castles.
The Australian contingent is stellar, led by John Butler Trio, Airbourne, Birds Of Tokyo, Angus and Julia Stone, Children Collide, Dead Letter Circus, Bliss N Eso, Gyroscope and Operator Please.
Tickets go on sale via bigdayout.com and ticketmaster.com.au on October 6, with a limit of four per person.