Whooooooooooooeeeeeeeeee is the sound you’ll be making when you pass your eyes over the following news-bite. Summer is not only festival season, it’s also sideshow season, giving you unfortunate punters out there a second stab at catching your favorite act if you missed out on tickets to your festival of choice (more than one? I think so!). So dry those eyes and get ready kiddies, because there is a stack of very worthy, very exciting, and not to be missed bunch of acts heading your way as part of the annual run of Big Day Out sideshows.

Kicking things off with his naughty and nasty rhymes, the UK’s favourite wordsmith Dizzee Rascal will drive you bonkers alongside pals Calvin Harris, Lily Allen, and Miami Horror.

Tuesday 19^th January, Riverstage, Brisbane

Sunday 24^th January, The Enmore Theatre, Sydney

Thursday 28^th January, The Forum, Melbourne

Groove Armada will bring their highly adored beats and musical bliss to the dancefloor, showcasing the undeniable talents of new frontwoman Saint Saviour ahead of their forthcoming album Black Light. Groove Armada will have crowds raving and craving with openers Simian Mobile Disco DJ’s.

Monday 25^th January, The Hordern Pavillion, Sydney

Wednesday 27^th January, The Palace, Melbourne

Flying the people’s folk flag high, bearded wanderer Devendra Banhart will charm audiences with his quirky sense of humour and inspire much arm-waving with his transfigured takes on pysche, rock, reggae and a whole lot more.

Sunday 24^th January, The Metro, Sydney

Wednesday 27^th January, Billboard, Melbourne

The people’s princess on all things sad but true, Lily Allen continues to ride a never-ending wave of success, cementing her status as one of the biggest names in music with 2009’s It’s Not Me, It’s You reaching triple-platinum album sales. Lily will impart her acid-barbed wisdom alongside Miami Horror.

Thursday 21^st January, The Hordern Pavillion, Sydney

Thursday 28^th January, Festival Hall, Melbourne

Prepare yourself for some mind-bending, revolution-inspiring stuff when The Mars Volta take the stage, performing the musical equivalent of a trip to Amsterdam via their latest album Octahedron, hailed as one of 2009’s must-have albums for its genre-deying, boundary-blitzing experimental direction.

Monday 18^th January, The Tivoli, Brisbane

Thursday 21^st January, The Enmore Theatre, Sydney

Monday 25^th January, Festival Hall, Melbourne

Mastodon will bring some much-needed fury to the table, assaulting senses with the kind of stuff that had Rolling Stone proclaim them as “the most important new band in metal.” Creeping into the spotlight over the last ten years, these US giants will slap you in the face and grab you by the scruff of the neck if their new album Crack The Skye is anything to go by.

Thursday 21^st January, The Roundhouse, University of NSW

Thursday 28^th January, The Palace, Melbourne

One of the biggest producers in the world is only 25! And he’s Scottish. That’s right, electro singer and songwriter Calvin Harris will run amok with “Dance Wiv Me” cohort Dizzee Rascal and bust out some freaky moves with Princess Allen and Miami Horror.

Wednesday 19^th January, Riverstage, Brisbane

Thursday 21^st January, The Metro, Sydney

Monday 25^th January, Prince of Wales, Melbourne

Bursting onto the scene this year with stylised elctro-rock and a damn fine falsetto warble, US foursome Passion Pit will have you feeling pretty passionate about these oddballs and their chaotic live performance when their unleashed for their very own headline spot.

Wednesday 20^th January, The Metro, Sydney

Monday 25^th January, The Corner Hotel, Melbourne

And last but certainly not least (under threat of anarchy-infuelled mayhem), US punk-metal rockers Rise Against bring their politcally-inspired anthems to the table, inspiring fist in the air sing-a-longs and a traditional punk-protest stomp around in the mud. Reeling off hit after hit from latest album Appeal To Reason, prepare yourself for some fury or stay at home.

Tuesday 19^th January, The Enmore Theatre, Sydney

Sunday 24^th January, The HiFi, Melbourne

Got tickets to Big Day Out anyway? If I can impart any wisdom to our dear readers out there, it’s this: catch the sideshow too! One of my top 5 live gigs of all time made it on the list for the simple fact that I knew there was more, much more, to be heard from a much-anticipated band at Big Day Out 2007 (Kasabian at The Arena in the Valley, just in case you’re wondering, and they killed it). Now all you guys have to do is grab yourselves some tickets to any or all of the above and sit on your hands for the rest of the summer. The wait will be long, but it will certainly, sure as sugar, damn well be worth it.

- Carley Hall