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Parklife

Sun 02 Oct 2011 ,

Rock

Critics' choice

We've got all the reasons why you need to be at the 2011 event right here

First published on 12 May 2011. Updated on 3 Oct 2011.

This event has finished

Parklife was pretty damn huge last year - as you might recall via this review of the event - and the 2011 event's upping the ante considerably with its first line up announcement, which contains - in alphabetical order - the following:

Adrian Lux, Crystal Fighters, Death From Above 1979, Digitalism (live), Diplo, Duck Sauce, Example, Feed Me, Flux Pavilion, Gold Fields, Gossip, Harvard Bass, Joker & MC Nomad, Katy B, Kimbra, Little Dragon, Lykke Li, Magnetic Man, MSTRKRFT, Mylo (DJ Set), Nero, Santigold, Sebastian, Sebastien Tellier, Simian Mobile Disco (live), Tensnake, The Aston Shuffle (live), The Naked & Famous, The Streets, Wolfgang Gartner and Yacht Club DJs, with more to come.

And it might not seem like it, but it’s been 12 years since Sydney’s first Parklife festival – yes, really. Since appearing in 2000 it’s grown from “cool party in a park with some music” to “key event on the festival calendar”. And so, in honour of the occasion, here are a dozen reasons why you’ll need to be at Parklife 2011.

1. The return of Death From Above 1979

They caused a riot – an actual, honest-to-god riot! – when they played at SXSW earlier this year. That’s how excited people are about the return of the dance-punk Canadians, who split in 2006. Riots, people!

2. The final chance to ever see the Streets

Mike Skinner’s declared that Computers and Blues – which came out earlier this year – is the final album he’ll make under the Streets’ name. So if you want to hear ‘Fit But You Know It’ any time outside of a particularly well-stocked karoke session, this is going to be your last chance.

3. The lack of superannuated heritage acts

Damn near every act on the bill has released something in the last 12 months, or will have done by the time the festival rolls around – and when so many festivals are chock full of sad old acts rehashing past glories, that’s no small achievement.

4. Sébastien Tellier

He’s the archly-subversive bearded master of French pop, and while he might be a cult hero in electronic circles, the man wasn’t above representing France in Eurovision in 2008 with his awesome ‘Divine’, which he chose to sing while driving a golfcart around the stage. Genius.

5. Gossip

Have you seen Beth Ditto work the crowd at a festival? If so, you’ve already planned to get your ticket and have told your friends about how Gossip are the best festival band ever. If not… look, you’ll understand. Trust us.

6. The Set Time Planner

It was a feature on the app (and will be again), but now the Parklife site will also make you a personalised plan for your day: go register at the site, mark down who you want to see and as soon as the times are confirmed, they’ll send you a planner for the day. Then you can work out your drink and toilet breaks accordingly, although you can also make your life easier in that department via #10…

7. The Ladies of Parklife

Can you think of a festival with a stronger female contingent? The aforementioned Ms Ditto notwithstanding, you’re also getting Santigold (whose Sydney Festival First Night appearance a couple of years ago almost caused a riot), Little Dragon, Katy B, Kimbra and Lykke Li. That’s a kick-arse festival in itself.

8. The venue

Kippax Park is, by any standard, a nice place to be. And this time you’re not just scampering through it en route to the Hordern: you’ll be spending a pleasant afternoon outdoors in the sun. And it’s so freakin’ easy to get to, what with Anzac Parade having no shortage of buses and all.

9. Dubstep, and lots of it

If you’ve got a hankering for the dubstep, this is pretty much the best festival you can imagine. You’ve got Joker & MC Nomad, Flux Pavilion, Magnetic Man and more, which should keep you stepping-dubbingly.

10. The magnificently-titled More Expensive Ticket

Let other festivals get euphemistic with their “gold access” and “VIP” and “diamond class” and “get soaked with water during the encore seating”: kudos to Fuzzy for calling it what it is. And, incidentally, if you buy the More Expensive Ticket, you also get access to the VIP bar and toilets and so forth, thereby avoiding what are traditionally the two most annoying queues of the festival experience.

11. The Mixtape

The Yacht Club DJs are not just performers at the event: they’ve also done a sweet mix of their fellow Parklifeans which will be available when you buy your ticket. So that’s your vibing-yourself-up-before-heading-in playlist sorted right there.

12. It’s Parklife

Come on, how much convincing do you need for a sweet day of great music? It’s not a hard decision, surely?

Tickets go on sale midday Thu 30 June through Parklife.

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