By REBECCA BARRY
If the first Big Day Out line-up announcement swung the festival towards the alternative, the second one makes it even weirder.
Joining an already impressive lineup of art-rock bands are the grandiose Queen-meets-Radiohead theatrics of Muse, the gritty Southern garage rock of the Kings of Leon and the
flamboyant, heavy metal showmanship of flavour-of-the-month Brits the Darkness.
Fans of already-announced headliner Metallica may not be spoilt for choice for other head-banging opportunities, but American punk-new wave revivalists Poison the Well and British nu-metal skater types the Lost Prophets will no doubt make up for the mellow, confessional rock of Aussie band Something for Kate.
Hip-hop fans will be in for a treat too with Afrika Bambaataa, who has long been hailed the godfather of the genre for his seminal Planet Rock album, Zulu Nation collective and collaborations with everyone from Kraftwerk to Boy George. Australian rapper Trey makes her first visit to New Zealand.
Joining the line-up in the dance tent Boiler Room will be DJs Felix Da Housecat, Audio Bullys and Irish DJ David Holmes.
The Kiwi lineup grows more diverse, with MC Mareko and the Deceptikonz, metallers Blindspott, drum'n'bass jet-setters Concord Dawn, pop-rockers Elemeno P, and long-serving house DJ Philippa.
The Big Day Out takes place on Friday, January 16 at Ericsson Stadium, Mt Smart. Tickets are on sale now.
Meanwhile, Chrissie Hynde and her seminal rock group the Pretenders are coming for a three-date New Zealand tour, which includes a show at Auckland's Aotea Centre on Wednesday, February 18.
They've spent the last year touring the States with the Rolling Stones to promote their eighth studio album, Loose Screw.
Hynde and drummer Martin Chambers are the only two original members remaining in the band. The lineup has changed several times in 25 years, the other two original members James Honeyman-Scott and Pete Farndon having both died of drug overdoses in the early 80s.
The Pretenders last played in New Zealand at the Sweetwaters Festival in 1984 where Hynde met Simple Minds frontman Jim Kerr who she later married, having had a daughter by Ray Davies of the Kinks in 1983.
Hynde and Kerr split in 1990 and as the Pretenders' profile dipped Hynde became known as an avid environmental and animal rights campaigner.
