Some people thought rock was dead, others thought hip-hop was over and of course dance music was so last year. The reality is that now, more than ever, people are open to everything, as long as it is good. Big Day Out 2004 will be the most complex and ambitious series to date and our first line-up announcement is by far our most extensive.

Image: The Strokes to play at Big Day Out 2004
Some people thought rock was dead, others thought hip-hop was over and of course dance music was so last year. The reality is that now, more than ever, people are open to everything, as long as it is good. Big Day Out 2004 will be the most complex and ambitious series to date and our first line-up announcement is by far our most extensive.

Image: The Strokes to play at Big Day Out 2004
As usual, the BDO will also be about breaking new acts and delivering the unexpected. Over the next few months as the line-up expands and new albums are released, you will hopefully appreciate why the Big Day Out is regarded as one of the world's great festivals.

Now without further ado, we proudly present the first acts set to grace the stages of the 2004 BDO series.

We are excited to confirm the inclusion of METALLICA, arguably the world's biggest rock n' roll band. Sitting at the helm of rock music for almost twenty years, they are the seventh biggest selling act in US recording history, having already sold 85 million records and counting. Cited as the heavy metal originators they have made music from the streets, creating and changing the rules along the way to bring heavy metal closer to the mainstream than ever before. Their latest album, St Anger is a return to METALLICA's stripped back raw metal roots. They return to New Zealand for their first dates in 6 years fresh from a run of major festival appearances in Europe. Audiences are in for a hell of a live show with all the cranking energy a heavy rock band can emanate. The 50,000 tickets for METALLICA's solo shows in Australia sold out within minutes, total proof of the strength of their pull. Their appearance at the Auckland Big Day Out will be their ONLY New Zealand show. Get out your black tee shirt.

Critic's pets and the young grandparents of the new rock wave THE STROKES are about to rocket back onto the scene with their highly anticipated sophomore release, Room On Fire. Having taken the rock world by storm in 2001 with their debut album Is This It? they were quickly proclaimed the darlings of new rock. And for once the hype was justified. THE STROKES took critics and fans alike hostage with their classic, stripped raw rock n' roll. Expect that and more when they hit the stage for the BIG DAY OUT.

From the humble beginnings of playing house parties in Brixton, Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe otherwise known as BASEMENT JAXX have stepped up to stages at the world's biggest music festivals. Their MO is a unique cocktail of sounds - rap, funk, ragga, disco and garage, all given a deep house twist. With joyous jumpin', bass thumpin underground sounds with universal appeal BASEMENT JAXX return to New Zealand with a new album Kish Kash only weeks away from release. They also return to the BIG DAY OUT with their full live band complete with carnivale dancers.

With their first release Mer de Noms (2001) A PERFECT CIRCLE redefined the possibilities for alt-metal and art rock. Commonly known as the "other" band of Tool's Maynard James Keenan, A PERFECT CIRCLE is an all star outfit who play live ever so rarely, and this will be their first visit to NZ shores. 2003 sees the release of the much-anticipated second album (and this week's #1 Album on the NZ charts) The Thirteenth Step, a collection of tunes set to blow minds courtesy of these dark masters of finely crafted rock.

2004 sees Cambridge's longhaired saviours of rock THE DATSUNS jump back on the Auckland event and then they go off to join the Australian BDO circuit for the first time ever. Having taken the world by storm with their self titled debut, Dolf and the boys are set to showcase their sterling re-invention of 70s rock, transforming the stage into one irresistible hip-thrusting, foot stomping, pointing-pouting, foot-on-monitors, lank haired, rock'n'roll machine. With their unique, untamed exuberance, THE DATSUNS are truly riding shotgun in the tour bus of the new wave of rock'n'roll.

How many dudes you know flow like this? Not many, if any.. The heir apparent of New Zealand's much-celebrated young hip-hop scene, SCRIBE has settled in nicely to the top-spot of the NZ singles chart with his ode to local hip-hop, Stand Up. His debut album is due out in a couple of weeks, and he's already winning accolades, awards and hearts left right and centre - this boy reckons he's ready to rock & we believe him.

For those who missed out on THE DANDY WARHOLS whirlwind tour in July, fear not. The iconic, ironic, idiosyncratic quartet return with their unique brand of brash, psychedelic pop-rock. With four albums under their belt, including the electrifying Dandy Warhols Come Down (1997) and Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia (2000), THE DANDY WARHOLS have confirmed their status as an underground favourite.

The band of rock'n'roll demons known as THE D4 began life in the North Shore suburbs of Auckland, and they have been delivering their high-octane riff-monster rock at every Auckland Big Day Out since 1999. Last year they socked us with a riveting mainstage performance, and we expect nothing less from these rock'n'roll motherfuckers this time around.

THE MARS VOLTA, like one of last year's visitors Sparta, is part reincarnation of At The Drive In, featuring Omar Rodriguez and Cedric Bixler. THE MARS VOLTA's astonishing debut album, De-Loused In The Comatorium is an iridescent, fearless, brain-busting hour of music. Then there's the live sound of our hardcore heroes. THE MARS VOLTA match their complex, layered guitar sounds with extended jams that deftly balance structure and freedom and push the boundaries of performance. Inside the frenzied myriad of their live show, audiences will be thrilled by their electrifying performance.

Hailing from Oklahoma, USA, THE FLAMING LIPS won a deserved reputation in the 80s and 90s for their discordant, psychedelia-tinged garage rock, and have recorded a fine body of off-kilter and unpredictable work. Their latest albums, 'The Soft Bulletin' and 'Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots' represent the perfect fusion of the band's experimental urges and pop instincts. THE FLAMING LIPS recently stole the show at the Glastonbury Festival in the UK and are expected to do the same at the BIG DAY OUT with a show full of dramatic, stardust electrics and sonically brilliant sounds.

BDO 2004 brings you electro-deity APHEX TWIN, aka Richard D James, aka AFX, Polygon Window and Caustic Window. APHEX TWIN caught the ears and eyes of both electronic and rock fans and has received wide acclaim for expanding the possibilities for esoteric electronic music as well as his unforgettable videos made by Chris Cunningham. He'll be joined by long time collaborator DJ LUKE VIBERT. Seen most recently at Reading 2002, APHEX TWIN's set was voted 'most intense performance' over and above Slipknot! He's here to fill and thrill the Boiler Room with his unclassifiable, genre busting style of performance.

Critically and commercially embraced from Christchurch to Copenhagen, Sydney to San Paulo, Paris to Prague, SALMONELLA DUB are back in the Boiler Room this January to deliver another shit hot live show of exceptional quality. The Dub have just dropped the liquid grooves and expansive rhythms of their latest album One Drop East, a genre-defying mix of drum and bass, dub, reggae, hip hop, funk, dance and even pop and rock. This is music that moves your body while challenging your expectations - be there.

Their single 'Where Is The Love?' has spent mondo weeks at the top of the charts and on radio dials around the country, and they are renowned for their spirited and inventive live performances. The BLACK EYED PEAS have impressed audiences the world over with their loose rhymes and funkified, jazzy backbeats. Their critically acclaimed first album, Behind The Front (1998) and equally as impressive sophomore effort, Bridging the Gap (2000) earned the BLACK EYED PEAS a high level of respect within the rap world and won them millions of fans. Now they return with Elephunk, which personifies the group's breathless verbal acrobatics with their very conscious view of the world perfectly.

Scruffy DIY electro punks GERLING return to the BIG DAY OUT to serve up their individual brand of wacked out funked up, layered electronics. Their live show is sure to be capricious and energetic but most of all, danceable. Get ready for GERLING to turn it up loud!

The heavyweight of NZ Hip Hop delivered his second album 2nd Round Testament earlier this year, a testament indeed to the mic skills and musical prowess of KING KAPISI. The follow up to 2000's Savage Thoughts, 2nd Round Testament brims with hip-hop, jazz, ragga, reggae and soulful breakbeats. Known as the Indiana Jones of all microphones, KAPISI will surely bring the ruckus as he returns to the stage at BDO 04.

Merrill Nisker aka PEACHES first hit the BIG DAY OUT in 2002. The sexy, sassy German-based Canadian's first album Teaches of Peaches divided audiences into categories: enthralled and scared. She threatened to use you and abuse you and best of all; you'd even like it. Her new album Fatherfucker features the in-your-face jagged edged hip-hop meets electro-shlock for which she is renowned. PEACHES' punked-out electro rhythms will have punters dancing up a frenzy, albeit while they're transfixed on the stage with mouth agape. Don't miss out on PEACHES strutting her stuff at BDO 2004.

And last but most definitely not least, Kiwi electro-rocksters GOODSHIRT. They started making waves across New Zealand in 2001 when they sent their would-be anthem "Green" to a local radio competition and found the track quickly added to rotation and were invited to tour the country with local legend Dave Dobbyn. Since then they've hit the big time with their poppy ballad 'Sophie', toured extensively throughout Australia plus played shows in the US (SXSW), Canada & two UK Tours. After a year's hiatus from the Big Day Out, GOODSHIRT are back.

Stayed tuned for the 2nd BIG DAY OUT line-up announcement early November.

BIG DAY OUT 2004
Friday January 16th
Auckland Ericsson Stadium

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