Warped Tour Announced for Australia 2013
On July 12, 2013 the much anticipated and hyped up Vans Warped Tour lineup was released. The news of Warped Tour making it’s first return to Australia since 2002 was dropped on Australian alternative rock fans at this years’ Soundwave during American pop punk band, Blink 182’s main act. For months Australian fans have been awaiting the announcement of the Warped Tour lineup, and as of last week, fans have been left with a clear division. On one end of the spectrum, fans are ecstatic about the fact that Australia is being once again blessed with the opportunity to experience the truly unique and magical experience that is Vans Warped Tour, however, on the other side of the spectrum, alternative rock fans are furious, stating that the lineup isn’t even close to being on par with the American lineup, let alone satisfying the level of hype that the festival has attracted within the alternative rock community. With tickets due to go on sale tomorrow, July 18, 2013, it is definitely going to be interesting to see if the show sells out at the speed that this years’ Soundwave did (with the Brisbane show selling out in a record 3 minutes!) or if the tickets are left for a longer period of time, allowing consumers to evaluate their choices more.
As far as prices are concerned, A.J. Maddah has announced that tickets will cost a very modest fee, of about $90, not including administration and posting fees. A.J. also had addressed the issue of the ‘not so satisfactory’ lineup, well before the actual event lineup was even released. He had stated that Warped Tour would not be a ‘second Soundwave’, but moreover a very unique experience. He informed Australian fans that the Warped Tour wasn’t about the biggest set lists and the hugest band titles coming together for a massive festival, but instead focused on the actual experience of the event. Warped Tour apparently will have a more ‘old school’ feel to eat, rather than the well polished event of Soundwave.
Event dates have been released, and now it is just a matter of playing the waiting game to see if the Warped Tour can satisfy our expectations, or if it’ll be a massive flunk. Regardless, this particular punk rock junkie will be eagerly anticipating the event, and will be keeping a close eye on any future revealings associated with the event.