Splendour XR Preview

Splendour XR, a massive livestreaming for the whole world – in full virtual reality....
Splendour XR Preview
Splendour XR Preview

Australian music festival Splendour in the Grass has been drawing acts from around the world Down Under for two decades now, but last year it had to shut things down like everyone else. But on Saturday & Sunday, July 24th & 25th, it will host Splendour XR, a massive livestreaming for the whole world – in full virtual reality:

[note: times Australian Eastern Standard / American Eastern Standard]



SATURDAY, JULY 24th


Amphitheatre  

Khalid, 11:15 PM / 9:15 AM

Khalid Donnel Robinson (QRO photos outdoors) released “Location”, and the rest was history. His debut single hit quadruple platinum, followed by 2017’s hit debut full-length, American Teen. He’s stayed on top with 2019’s chart-topping Free Spirit, and now the R&B singer returns to Splendour (QRO photos at a festival) to headline the livestream (QRO photos at a festival).

Khalid
   

CHVRCHES, 10:00 PM / 8:00 AM

Scottish electro-pop outfit CHVRCHES (QRO live review) have gotten very big very fast (QRO photos at a festival), before & after the release of debut full-length The Bones of What You Believe (QRO review) – but are fronted by the tiny Lauren Mayberry (QRO photos at a festival) and some giant lights. They successfully followed up Bones with 2015’s Every Open Eye (QRO review), 2018’s Love Is Dead (QRO review) and return to Splendour (QRO photos at a festival) in the run-up to September’s highly-anticipated Screen Violence.

CHVRCHES
   

Denzel Curry, 8:45 PM / 6:45 AM

Florida’s Denzel Curry (QRO photos) first got attention from SpaceGhostPurrp, and since released some hit hip-hop records such as 2019’s Zuu and last year’s collaboration with Kenny Beats, Unlocked. Now he plays Splendour (QRO photos at a festival) after being cancelled last year.

Denzel Curry
   

Tash Sultana, 7:30 PM / 5:30 AM

Melbourne’s own Tash Sultana (QRO photos at a festival) began her career busking on the streets (QRO photos outdoors), but has since vaunted into the top of Australia radio & more, thanks to only handful of singles and her Notion EP.

Tash Sultana
   

AURORA, 6:15 PM / 4:15 AM

Norway’s powerful AURORA (QRO photos) turned singing an Oasis cover in a John Lewis Christmas advert into a Different Kind of musical career.

Aurora
   

Skegss, 4:45 PM / 2:45 AM

Byron Bay surf-garage Skegss (QRO live review) come to Splendour XR behind this year’s sophomore full-length, Rehearsal.

Skegss
   

Client Liaison, 3:30 PM / 1:30 AM

Aussie indie-pop duo of vocalist Monte Morgan and producer Harvey Miller for Client Liaison. They return to Splendour before the September release of their second studio album, Divine Intervention.

 

Also:

King Stingray, 2:30 PM / 12:30 AM

Client Liaison
   
   
Mix-Up Stage  

Duke Dumont, 11:45 PM / 9:45 AM

English DJ & remixer Adam George Dument, a.k.a. Duke Dumont, comes back to Splendour after finally releasing his debut full-length, Duality.

Duke Dumont
   

Russ Millions, 10:30 PM / 8:30 AM

Britain’s Russ Millions not only had a hit with “Gun Lean”, but the music video launched one of the great dance crazes ever.

Russ Millions
   

Little Simz, 9:15 PM / 7:15 AM

British-Nigerien rapper Little Simz (QRO photos) returns to Splendour behind her third record, 2019’s Mercury Prize-nominated Grey Area.

Little Simz
   

Vera Blue, 8:00 PM / 6:00 AM

After placing third in season two of The Voice Australia, Celia Pavey has made her own career as Vera Blue.

Vera Blue
   

Masked Wolf, 7:00 PM / 5:00 AM

Harry Michael had the “sleeper hit” of earlier this year as Masked Wolf with “Astronaut in the Ocean”, despite being initially released in the before time of 2019.

Masked Wolf
   

Pink Sweat$, 5:30 PM / 3:30 AM

Philly singer & songwriter Pink Sweat$ is making this a Pink Planet.

Pink Sweat$
   

Also:

Tayla Parx, 4:30 PM / 2:30 AM

Triple One, 3:30 PM / 1:30 AM

Cat & Calmell, 2:45 PM / 12:45 AM

Tayla Parx

   
   
McLennan Tent  

Band of Horses, 10:45 PM / 8:15 AM

Before the current, unceasing wave of alt-country, there was Seattle’s Band of Horses (QRO live review), who broke through with debut Everything All the Time and “Funeral” in 2006. While guitarist/co-founder Matt Brooke left after that for Grand Archives, singer/guitarist Ben Bridwell kept on the trail, with the following year’s Cease to Begin (QRO review). Band of Horses (QRO photos at a festival) dropped a little off the radar following that, but came back (QRO live review) in 2010 with Infinite Arms (QRO review), a more polished record in ways good & bad, but picked it up in 2012 with Mirage Rock (QRO review) and 2016’s Why Are You OK (QRO review), and are riding (QRO live review) from festival (QRO photos at a festival) to festival (QRO photos at a festival), including a COVID era livestream (QRO livestream review) of Cease.

Band of Horses
   

Phoebe Bridgers, 9:00 PM / 7:00 AM

Nobody in music has had as good a COVID pandemic as Phoebe Bridgers (QRO photos from just before everything shut down). Bridgers already had critical acclaim with records like Stranger in the Alps (QRO Top Albums of 2017), and a great team-up with Conor Oberst (QRO photos together) as Better Oblivion Community Center (QRO photos) on their 2019 self-titled record (QRO review), plus her supergroup boygenius with Julien Baker & Lucy Dacus.

But last year’s Punisher (QRO review) launched her into the stratosphere. Basically the favorite record by everyone you have a crush on (except for the hilariously self-depreciating Bridgers herself), songs like “I See You” (QRO review), “I Know the End” (QRO review), and “Savior Complex” (QRO review) all broke your heart – if not in-person, than in videos (like the “Savior” one directed by her near-namesake Phoebe Waller-Bridge) on TV (QRO review of “I Know the End” on TV). We all were desperate to see her live, whether in her trademark skeleton onesie in a livestream (QRO livestream review) or in her pajamas from home. So, maybe you didn’t see her when (QRO photos from 2017), but catch her now at Splendour XR (QRO photos at a festival).

Phoebe Bridgers
   

Griff, 6:45 PM / 4:45 AM

Sarah Faith Griffiths has exploded in her native Britain this year as Griff after 2019’s “Mirror Talk”, winning the Brit Award for Best New Artist and just putting out her mixtape, One Foot in Front of the Other.

Griff
   

Pond, 5:30 PM / 3:30 AM

Perth has been gifting the world a lot of great psychedelic rock, such as Tame Impala and Pond (QRO photos at home in Perth), who play their umpteenth Splendour (QRO photos at a festival) in the run-up to the October release of 9.

Pond
   

Also:

Methyl Ethel, 4:15 PM / 2:15 AM

The Chats, 3:15 PM / 1:15 AM

The Southern River Band, 2:30 PM / 12:30 AM

Methyl Ethel




SUNDAY, JULY 25th

 

Amphitheatre  

The Killers, 10:30 PM / 8:30 AM

The Killers (QRO photos) broke out of their Las Vegas home in 2004 with debut Hot Fuss and great singles “Somebody Told Me” and “Mr. Brightside” – and have failed to match that since. 2006’s attempt at greatness Sam’s Town didn’t make it, and after 2008’s middling Day & Age (QRO review) singer Brandon Flowers went solo for his own middling work. But the group has since come back (QRO photos) with 2012’s Battle Born (QRO review), 2017’s Wonderful Wonderful (QRO review), last year’s Imploding the Mirage (QRO review), and next month’s Pressure Machine – and they still play Hot Fuss live (QRO live review).

The Killers
   

Charli XCX, 9:15 PM / 7:15 AM

Charlotte Aitchison, under the moniker Charli XCX (QRO photos at a festival), is one of Britain’s most elusive dark pop songstresses (QRO photos at a festival). Already after opening slots on big-name tours as well as festivals (QRO photos at a festival), not to mention co-writing the breakthrough song for Icona Pop, “I Love It”, she started to solidify her career as a pop songwriter to be reckoned with (QRO photos), with 2013 seeing her release her debut full-length, True Romance, and playing her own headlining gigs (QRO photos). In 2015 she achieved her own breakthrough single, “Break the Rules”, on sophomore full-length Sucker, along with 2019’s Charli and last year’s made-in-six-COVID-weeks How I’m Feeling Now, and now comes to Splendour XR (QRO photos at a festival).

Charli XCX
   

Of Monsters and Men, 8:00 PM / 6:00 AM

Things moved quite fast in 2011 for Iceland’s the next-gen alt-folk collective Of Monsters and Men (QRO live review), on the back of killer single “Little Talks” (QRO video) and debut full-length My Head Is an Animal (QRO review). In addition to ruling the festival circuit (QRO photos at a festival) and headlining bigger & bigger venues (QRO photos), they even played Saturday Night Live (QRO spotlight on). They (QRO interview) come to back to Splendour (QRO photos at a festival) behind 2015’s Beneath the Skin (QRO review) and 2019’s Fever Dream (QRO review), plus last year’s killer single “Visitor” (QRO review), which will be great live (QRO review live). Hey!

Of Monsters and Men
   

The Avalanches, 6:45 PM / 4:45 AM

Australia’s electronic plunderphonic group The Avalanches had a hit with debut Since I Left You in 2000, and it wasn’t until 2016 that they followed it up with Wildflower. At least they’ve been regularly active since then, coming back to Splendour behind last year’s We Will Always Love You.

The Avalanches
   

The Jungle Giants, 5:30 PM / 3:30 AM

Brisbane Splendour veterans The Jungle Giants (QRO photos at a festival) come back just after the release of their fourth studio album, Love Signs.

The Jungle Giants
   

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, 4:15 PM / 2:15 AM

They’re only eighteen albums in, but Australian psych-rock outfit King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard (QRO photos at a festival) have broken out (QRO live review), this year delivering their third microtonal album, L.W., and the synth-based dream pop Butterfly 3000.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
   

Also:

Spacey Jane, 3:15 PM / 1:15 AM

Band-Maid, 2:30 PM / 12:30 AM

Band-Maid

   
   
Mix-Up Stage  

Grimes Metaverse (Super Beta), 12:30 AM / 10:30 AM

laire Elise Boucher has risen very, very far as Grimes (QRO photos opening back in the day). Her ethereal indie-pop on 2012’s Visions (QRO review), 2015’s Art Angels (QRO review), and last year’s Miss Anthropocene (QRO review) have wowed critics and fans (QRO live review). Yet she’s become even more famous for her life outside of music, rising celebrity capped by marrying none other than celebrity tech-billionaire Elon Musk and having their child X AE A-XII – she’s even gonna be one of the judges of FOX’s new “dream avatar” singing competition Alter Ego.

Indeed, all of his antics have threatened to overshadow her sonic and visual art (QRO photos at a festival), but for Splendour XR she will bring her ‘Grimes Metaverse (Super Beta)’, which would seem to involve the Metaverse Discord server, at whose launch she debuted her new song “Shinigami Eyes”. So, basically, you have no idea what Grimes (QRO photos at a festival) will bring, but you now it will be something you’ve never experienced (QRO live review).

Grimes
   

2manydjs, 11:15PM / 9:15 AM

Brothers David & Stephen Dewaele of Soulwax do the brotherly thing on live as side-project 2manydjs.

2manydjs
   

Kaytranada, 10:00 PM / 8:00 AM

Haitian by way of Montreal, Francophile DJ/producer Kaytranada won two Grammy Awards, including Best Dance/Electronic Album, for 2019’s Bubba.

Kaytranada
   

JUNGLE, 8:45 PM / 6:45 AM

Catch the modern-soul London music collective JUNGLE (QRO live review), who bring “mid-tempo 1970s funk” intermixed with “tropical percussion, wildlife noises, falsetto yelps, psychedelic washes and badoinking bass” back to Splendour (QRO photos at a festival).

JUNGLE
   

What So Not, 7:30 PM / 5:30 AM

Originally a duo with Flume, Australian Emoh Instead’s What So Not has become big in its own right with songs such as “Gemini” (featuring George Maple), “Jaguar”, “High You Are” and “Tell Me” (with RL Grime), and play their umpteenth Splendour.

What So Not
   

Hot Dub Time Machine, 6:15 PM / 4:15 AM

“The World’s First Time Travelling DJ,” Hot Dub Time Machine, returns to Splendour.

Hot Dub Time Machine
   

Also:

Crooked Colours, 5:00 PM / 3:00 AM

Wafia, 3:45 PM / 1:45 AM

Aviva, 3:00 PM / 1:00 AM

Ziggy Ramo, 2:15 PM / 12:15 AM

Crooked Colours

   
   
McLennan Tent  

Vance Joy, 9:45 PM / 7:45 AM

Melbourne’s own Vance Joy (QRO photos) is the rare footballer (that’s soccer to you yanks) turned singer (QRO photos at a festival), who comes back to Splendour (QRO photos at a festival) behind 2018’s sophomore release, Nation of Two.

Vance Joy
   

Ocean Alley, 8:30 PM / 6:30 AM

The Northern Beaches psych-rock of Ocean Alley play their third Splendour in a row.

Ocean Alley
   

Black Pumas, 7:15 PM / 5:15 AM

Eric Burton and Adrian Quesada have quickly launched into the big-time as Black Pumas. Their psychedelic soul brought them a Grammy nomination as Best New Artist, and their 2019 self-titled debut was nominated for Album of the Year. They’ve even played the inauguration activities for President Joe Biden and this year’s Tibet House Benefit (QRO live review), albeit virtually, so see them at Splendour XR.

Black Pumas
   

Also:

Amyl & The Sniffers, 6:15 PM / 4:15 AM

Millennium Parade, 5:00 PM / 3:00 AM

Holly Humberstone, 4:15 PM / 2:15 AM

Sinéad Harnett, 3:30 PM / 1:30 AM

The Snuts, 2:45 PM / 12:45 AM

Gretta Ray, 2:00 PM / 12:00 AM

Amyl & The Sniffers

Sinéad Harnett

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