Mining the BDO for hidden gems 

Most of the talk about the Big Day Out's first announcement will rightly focus on the big names like Muse, Dizzee Rascal, Lily Allen, Groove Armada, Kasabian and Mars Volta.

But there are also some hidden gems in the line-up that could be your next favourite band - and could turn your Big Day Out from good to great.

Here are three very different, lesser known acts to check out before the day...

The Horrors
Their Mercury prize nominated second album Primary Colours is a noisy, dark 1980s triumph - think Psychedelic Furs, My Bloody Valentine, and referencing the Shangri-La's Leader Of The Pack! In more modern terms it's Interpol meets The Killers on a horror movie set. It's a glorious album and if they're playing their epic Sea Within A Sea when the sun goes down there will be no better place to be at Mt Smart Stadium.

Girl Talk
A one-man party machine. Greg Gillis and his laptop will pull out the most unexpected and wonderful mash-ups of 1980s cheese and hip-hop samples, and produce an ever-changing dance soundtrack that will keep you bouncing up and down with a smile on your face. Famous for stripping off and encouraging stage invasions, if he's dropping mash-ups of AC/DC and Black Eyed Peas then Girl Talk could be the most fun you will ever have at a Big Day Out.

The Decemberists
This critically acclaimed indie folk band out of Portland, Oregon, sings lovingly crafted story songs. And they're so eclectic in their sound that apparently they have been known to give two shows in the same town - one covering their longer more prog-rock songs, and the other covering their shorter, lighter material. Who knows what they will turn up with, but expect to hear some of the strongest songs of the day (e.g. The Crane Wife), some very clever musicians, and lots of different instruments. The thinking man's Big Day Out band!

And you can check out the rest of the Big Day Out line-up here.

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