bad juju bigsound Bad Juju
Sep
10
12.14pm

BIGSOUND 2018 // The Top Ten Heavy Artists To Watch


It’s that time of the year again. Upcoming artists, everyone in the industry, and associated hangers-on flock to Brisbane for the annual BIGSOUND Festival and Conference.

MORE: HALLOWEEN HYSTERIA: Your Guide To The Best Gig This October // REVIEW: THRICE: Palms

They’re up there showcasing their talents, hoping to make the big leagues. Hysteria hit the streets of the Valley searching for the heavier bands that the festival had to offer, and boy did it deliver. Here’s our top ten bands to buy dirt cheap tickets for, until the rest of the country catches on.

BAD JUJU

bad juju

Bad Juju? More like, GOOD Juju amirite // Photo: Aimee Ravik

Melbourne five piece Bad Juju had a total of three sets spread over the four day festival, and they managed to kill every one of them. Playing through tracks off their 2018 EP release Hidden Desire, Bad Juju proved they know where they come from with strong 90s and early 00s punk and grunge, but they also know where they’re going with a unique distinguished sound like no other in the scene right now.

They’re gaining steady momentum, between a string of live shows supporting some big names, and with their tracks getting some rotation on triple j. If their BIGSOUND performances were any indication of their future then this is a band is hitting the scene hard, and they’ll be playing headline national tours before you know it. Lucky for us, they’ll be playing Halloween Hysteria this October. You can check out Bad Juju’s latest EP here.

SLOWLY SLOWLY

With the release of their album St. Leonards, Slowly Slowly is a band that is arguably already on the pathway to the big time. I don’t think anyone was complaining though, with the band filling the room for both of their BIGSOUND sets. They were one of the only bands that seemed to pull more actual fans than delegates at the festival. It was a refreshing change from the somewhat serious crowds at most of the venues.

The Slowly Slowly boys will be back on the road in November for their Smile Lines Tour—already with one show sold out, grab tickets now, before it’s too late.

VOIID

As President of the Fashion cllllubbb… // Photo: Aimee Ravik

Hot off the back of their single launch tour, the four-piece had an explosive start to BIGSOUND with tracks like Silly Girl pushing the crowd over the line. The band has maintained their messy, apathetic stage presence but refined it around the edges, proving they are serious about growing and progressing in the industry.

VOIID is supporting Clowns on their upcoming Freezing in the Sun single tour in September and October (plus Halloween Hysteria!), the group is a showcase of feminine power and have a timelessness that provides music for the masses. Catch them in your town soon, get your tickets here.

SLEEP TALK

Dude and Mop Productions Present // Photo: Aimee Ravik

Taking things to another level of heavy, Adelaide alternative outfit Sleep Talk wasted no time showing BIGSOUND what they were made of. With guttural scratchy vocals, and underrated riffs within the first song it was obvious.

Sleep Talk walked away from their shows having pleased the hefty number of existing fans who did turn up, along with converting any newcomers.



BARE BONES

Sydney rockers Bare Bones have had a busy year, supporting Andrew W.K. on The Party Never Dies Tour, Prophets of Rage on their tour, Rise Against earlier this year, as well as playing a show somewhere almost every weekend. Their live sets were riff heavy and well refined, the band played tracks off their 2017 album Bad Habits and really set the scene for what the band was all about.

The band has a well deserved break from touring, but will be back in Brisbane for Halloween Hysteria next month, make a good decision and grab yourself a ticket here.

ARSE

Sydney three-piece ARSE made a surprising BIGSOUND debut, to a room full of all the big wigs of the music industry. With a band name that may not be taken seriously, and a Facebook page with under 400 likes, the band took the room back to the roots of punk, blowing expectations out of the water. A set that finished with a saxophone and a juxtaposition of punk rock and ethereal female vocals, the band cemented themselves as one to keep a keen eye on.

STATESIDE

More Than A-OK // Photo: Aimee Ravik

Diving into the realm of pop-punk with a heavy emphasis on the pop, local four-piece Stateside brought everything they had to the BIGSOUND stage. The band is going on to support Neck Deep on their Australian tour, and came to prove they weren’t here to mess around. With a stage presence that was a unique blend of Jenna McDougall (Tonight Alive) and Ashley Frangipane (Halsey), singer Erin Reus dominated the room and demanded the attention of everyone in it.

The band didn’t shy away from profound conversations, opening a discussion about suicide before continuing on to tracks off their 2017 album Naïve. Stateside is making waves, and are continuously being picked up as a support for large international acts on their Aussie leg. Keep an eye out for any upcoming Australian shows, there’s big things in this bands future.

EAT YOUR HEART OUT

In what was to be their last Australian performances before shipping out, Newcastle quintuplets Eat Your Heart Out, brought their pop punk realness to the BIGSOUND stage. After finishing up a tour with Movements last week, the band proved their able hold their own and slayed both of their performances during the week.

The band heads out to the US to accompany Real Friends on a huge autumn tour next month, jump at the opportunity to see them the first chance you can get when they come home.

BUGS

No Mortein Allowed // Photo: Aimee Ravik

Despite being more of an indie rock band, the fun loving and high energy Bugs deserved an honourable mention on the list. With an energetic stage presence and natural comfort in front of a mic, frontman Connor Brooker was the right parts punk and the right parts quirky to win the crowd over with his charm.

This band is very much on the cusp of breaking out and it won’t be long until we see them on long national and international tours, before that though the band has a couple of scattered shows coming up in the next couple of months including the Beer Incider Festival in September.

ELIZA & THE DELUSIONALS

After making a name for themselves on the Luca Brasi Stay Album Tour, Eliza & The Delusionals further earned their place as an up and coming indie rock band through their BIGSOUND performances. While the crowds weren’t the biggest, the people that did come along enjoyed the energetic set the band provided.

They released their single for new track Half Empty Girl earlier this year, check it out here, and see if its up your alley.

Honourable Mentions: Gravemind, Cable Ties, She Cries Wolf, Planet, Pirra

It’s a sign of a good festival when one struggles to narrow it down to ten top acts; and that’s just for the heavier end of the spectrum. BIGSOUND makes for a great networking event and even greater live shows. For us here at Hysteria, the countdown is already on for 2019.


Did you catch these stellar acts at BIGSOUND? Tell us what you thought on Facebook and Twitter!



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