Punk! [#603]

So, it’s 2015 already … WTF? Where have I been?! Y’all ready to do this?
Okay, so while we’re gearing up for the festival onslaught (hello Soundwave and, for some of us, Future Music Festival), overseas punters are buying tickets to THEIR upcoming festivals in record numbers. So this issue, I’m gonna give you all the skinny on the awesome things coming up that you may not be aware of. You may not be able to get to some of them, but hey, flights have never been cheaper!
The Punk and Disorderly festival is taking place in Berlin, Germany, on the 17th, 18th and 19th of April, with a cracking line-up that has to be seen to be believed (if you’re an old-school kid): The Toy Dolls, Peter and the Test Tube Babies, The Exploited, The Virus, Argy Bargy, Discharge and many, many more punk and ska bands. Crazy!
Remember the headliners I told you about for the Download Festival in the UK? (sure you do! – Slipknot, Faith No More, KISS, Slash, Judas Priest, Enter Shikari, Mötley Crüe, Muse and A Day to Remember). Well, they’ve announced another batch of bands, and this, too, is a corker: Billy Idol (who’ll be out here in March with Cheap Trick), Rise Against, Black Veil Brides, Lamb of God, Hollywood Undead, Parkway Drive, Clutch, Backyard Babies, Madball, Body Count, Motionless in White and Northlane. There’s more, but I don’t have room for them all right here!
Even New Zealand is getting in on the act, scoring many of the big names from the Australian Soundwave line-up for their Westfest Festival on the 3rd of March! Soundgarden, Faith No More, Judas Priest, Fall Out Boy, Frenzal Rhomb, All Time Low, Papa Roach, The Devil Wears Prada, Fear Factory, Escape The Fate, Lagwagon, The Wonder Years and many, many more.
She may not be a punk rocker, but a huuuge congrats to Aussie rapper Iggy Azalea are in order. Her debut album, The New Classic, just went Gold in the US. Always good to see our talent achieve such major recognition.
So, this is pretty stupid. I went to Safeway to buy some drinks on New Year’s Eve, only to be confronted with Easter eggs, bunnies and assorted cream-filled round things. Some of us are still digesting our Christmas leftovers! For shame, corporate fat cats, for shame.
Kinda weird not having a BDO to go to this year, but rumour has it that it’ll be back as Lollapalooza in 2016; which would, essentially, not make it the Big Day Out … So many tour promoters constantly buying each other out and having stupid ideas to re-brand existing festivals and events. Oy!
Local modern punks (and all-round spunks) Take Your Own have a limited run of baseball-cut shirts available to celebrate their fifth year of existence. Choice! Go to their Facebook page or Big Cartel store to order!
And with that, I am OUTTA HERE for another issue – peace!