Don's Good Time Blog

Five acts you might miss at Splendour, but you really shouldn’t.

I LOVE this year’s Splendour In The Grass line up. I was quite vocal about my indifference to the whole thing last year, a position I maintain to this day, but when the bands for 2011 were announced I was over the moon. Obviously ticket sales indicate that I might well be alone in preferring this year’s bill, so I figured I’d do my bit as a music nerd and try and convince those who are going to make sure they don’t miss some of the bill’s (somewhat) hidden gems.

BLACK JOE LEWIS & THE HONEYBEARS: G.W. MCLENNAN TENT, FRIDAY @ 7.30PM



This will be an epic beginning to the first major night of the festival. The band have also brought The Relatives from Austin, TX along with them, so this is going to be one soulful showdown.

GROUPLOVE: AMPITHEATRE, SUNDAY @ MIDDAY



Grouplove creep me out, they all seem like they like each other too much. Don’t get me wrong I love my bandmates but I don’t feel the need to write songs about how fucking happy we are all the time. That said, this song’s pretty damn snappy, isn’t it? Apparently they’re a great live act. We shall see.

FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS: MIX UP TENT, SATURDAY @ 2PM



If you’ve ever read the magazine I write for, listened to the radio show I present, or had a few beers within close proximity to me, you would know how much I love this song. Their record Pickin’ up The Pieces is pretty good, but… this song. This fucking song. Cannot wait to see them smash it out live.

WARPAINT: G.W. MCLENNAN TENT FRIDAY @ 4PM



Women do this kinda moody, dreamy indie rock so fucking well it makes me jealous. And it kinda makes me ill when dudes try and do the same thing. Anyway apparently these ladies killed it at Laneway - I’d believe it - and I’m sure they’ll kill it at Splendour. Me? I’m just hoping I’ll have my tent set up in time to see them. Why they’re not playing at 1am, I’ll never understand.

DEVENDRA BANHART: G.W. MCLENNAN TENT, SUNDAY @ 10PM



I reckon if I ever met Devendra Banhart I’d want to kick him in the shins really hard, so I really hope he’s not hanging around too much this weekend. I do love his music though; I love the dumb ambition of some of it, I love the freewheeling nature of it and I’m excited to see him live.