The Impossible Music Festival was a recurring event broadcast on Australia's Triple J radio station over 55-hour periods in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. Each event comprised 55 live music recordings from Triple J's music archives. The first went to air over 26–29 August 2005, to celebrate the 30 years worth of live music recorded by Triple J. The second was broadcast over 6–9 October 2006. The third was aired over 25–27 May 2007. The fourth and most recent was aired across 19–21 September 2008.
The lineup was selected by Triple J listeners voting for over 1000 live recordings made by Triple J. The recordings included music from festivals, concerts, smaller pub gigs, bands playing live in the studio, and some special events where listeners were able to win tickets to see the band for free in a secret location.
2005 One live set was played every hour between 6pm on Friday 26th, and 1am on Monday 29 August. The following is the order in which the broadcasts went to air; the details in the brackets denotes the location and date in which the live recording was made.
Lineup Friday The White Stripes (Livid, Sydney, 10 October 2003) Silverchair (Homebake, Byron Bay, 4 January 1996) Muse (Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, 10 September 2004) Violent Femmes (The Palace, Melbourne, 8 November 1990) Franz Ferdinand (Splendour in the Grass, Byron Bay, 24 July 2004) The Living End (Triple J rooftop, Sydney, 16 November 1998)
Saturday The Smashing Pumpkins (Overseas Passenger Terminal, Sydney's Circular Quay, 19 June 1998) Split Enz (Comb & Cutter Hotel, Blacktown, Sydney, 21 December 1979) The Mars Volta (Big Day Out, Sydney, 23 January 2004) Grinspoon (Triple J rooftop, Sydney, 15 November 1999) Green Day (Goat Island, Sydney, 19 October 2000) The Strokes (Triple J Studio 227, Sydney, 24 July 2001) John Butler Trio (ABC Iwaki Auditorium, Melbourne, 12 October 2001) The Flaming Lips (Big Day Out, Sydney, 24 January 2004) Red Hot Chili Peppers (Big Day Out, Melbourne, 31 January 2000) Missy Higgins (ABC Iwaki Auditorium, Melbourne, 1 November 2004) Beastie Boys (Summersault, Sydney, 31 December 1995) INXS (Caringbah Inn, Sydney, 1982) Jeff Buckley (Phoenician Club, Sydney, 6 September 1995) The Cat Empire (Meredith Music Festival, Meredith, 13 December 2003) Queens of the Stone Age (Big Day Out, Melbourne, January 2001) Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (Big Day Out, Melbourne, January 1993) Coldplay (Splendour in the Grass, Byron Bay, 20 July 2003) Foo Fighters (Festival Hall, Melbourne, 22 March 1998) Hilltop Hoods (UniBar, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, 3 November 2001) Rage Against the Machine (El Rey Theatre, Hollywood, October 1999) AC/DC (Haymarket, Sydney, 1977) The Chemical Brothers (Big Day Out Boiler Room, Sydney, 26 January 2000) The Ramones (Capitol Theatre, Sydney, 1980) Shihad (Triple J Studios, Melbourne, 27 September 1999)
Sunday Michael Franti and Spearhead (The Palace, Melbourne, 20 July 2001) Powderfinger (Triple J Studio 227, Sydney, 12 October 1998) Beck (Triple J Studio 227, Sydney, 21 August 1994) The Cure (Capitol Theatre, Sydney, 1981) The Dandy Warhols (Corner Hotel, Melbourne, 30 October 2000) Interpol (Triple J Studio 227, Sydney, 11 August 2003) The Killers (Enmore Theatre, Sydney, 18 December 2004) Ben Folds Five (Triple J Studio 227, Sydney, 29 July 1998) Crowded House (Transformers, Melbourne, 28 July 1991) At the Drive-In (Triple J Studio 227, Sydney, 22 January 2001) PJ Harvey (Big Day Out, Melbourne, 26 January 2001) Pearl Jam (Melbourne Park, Melbourne, 5 March 1998) Frenzal Rhomb (Triple J Studio 227, Sydney, 12 May 2003) Fatboy Slim (Big Day Out Boiler Room, Sydney, January 2001) Ben Harper (SBW Independent Theatre, Sydney, 11 April 2001) You Am I (Triple J Studio 227, Sydney, 20 April 1998) Midnight Oil (Royal Antler Hotel, Sydney, 2 May 1980) System of a Down (Big Day Out, Gold Coast, January 2002) Faithless (Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, 8 October 2004) Nirvana (The Palace, Melbourne, 1 February 1992) Placebo (Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, 19 March 2004) Garbage (Davies Park, Brisbane, 5 October 1996) Faith No More (Festival Hall, Melbourne, 14 August 1995) Metallica (Big Day Out, Sydney, 23 January 2004)
Monday Tom Waits (State Theatre, Sydney, 2 May 1979)
Announcers Friday 6pm10pm - Rosie Beaton Friday 10pmSaturday 1am - Robbie Buck Saturday 1am6am - Nicole Foote Saturday 6am10am - Scott Dooley Saturday 10am2pm - Zan Rowe Saturday 2pm6pm - Maya Jupiter Saturday 6pm10pm - Gaby Brown Saturday 10pmSunday 1am - Nicole Foote Sunday 1am6am - Dave Callan Sunday 6am10am - Scott Dooley Sunday 10am2pm - Zan Rowe Sunday 2pm5pm - Maya Jupiter Sunday 5pm9pm - Richard Kingsmill Sunday 9pmMonday 1am - Fenella Kernebone
2006 The 2006 Impossible Music Festival was broadcast over the weekend of 6 October-8 October.
Lineup Friday The Hives (Big Day Out, Sydney, 2005) Spiderbait (Revolver Nightclub, Melbourne, 2001) Wolfmother (Studio 22, ABC TV, Sydney, 2005) Hilltop Hoods (Cable Beach, Broome, 2006) Placebo (Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, 2004) Red Hot Chili Peppers (Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney, 1996)
Saturday Groove Armada (Forum Theatre, Melbourne, 2002) Foo Fighters (Studio 227, ABC, Sydney, 2002) The Waifs (Iwaki Auditorium, ABC, Melbourne, 2002) Yeah Yeah Yeahs (ABC TV studios, Melbourne, 2006) Crowded House (Transformers, Melbourne, 1991) Butterfingers (Corner Hotel, Melbourne, 2006) The Whitlams (Studio 227, Sydney, 1998) The White Stripes (Studio 227, Sydney, 2002) Rose Tattoo (Mount Druitt, Sydney, 1980) The Shins (Meredith Music Festival, 2004) Kaiser Chiefs (The Metro Theatre, Sydney, 2005) Ben Folds Five (Studio 227, Sydney, 1998) Nirvana (The Palace, Melbourne, 1992) Muse (Studio 346, Melbourne, 2000) Cog (ANU, Canberra, 2005) Eskimo Joe (Studio 227, Sydney, 2004) Regurgitator (Darwin, 1997) silverchair (Studio 227, Sydney, 2002) The Grates (The Metro Theatre, Sydney, 2006) Jurassic 5 (Splendour in the Grass, Byron Bay, 2004) New Order (Big Day Out, Gold Coast, 2002) Bloc Party (Splendour in the Grass, Byron Bay, 2005) N*E*R*D (Enmore Theatre, Sydney, 2004) Basement Jaxx (Big Day Out Boiler Room, Sydney, 2000)
Sunday The Flaming Lips (Big Day Out, Sydney, 2004) Pearl Jam (Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, 1998) Gyroscope (ABC Studios, Perth, 2004) The Strokes (The Gaelic Club, Sydney, 2005) The Ramones (Capitol Theatre, Sydney, Sydney, 1980) Custard (Studio 227, Sydney, 1997) The Black Keys (Studio 227, Sydney, 2003) Ween (Livid, Brisbane, 1993) The Tea Party (Enmore Theatre, Sydney, 1999) Death Cab for Cutie (Studio 227, Sydney, 2003) Jeff Buckley (Phoenician Club, Sydney, 1995) Talking Heads (State Theatre, Sydney, 1979) Powderfinger (Forum Theatre, Melbourne, 2000) Blur (1997) Xavier Rudd (Iwaki Theatre, Melbourne, 2004) AC/DC (Haymarket, Sydney, 1975) Machine Gun Fellatio (2001) Gomez (Enmore Theatre, Sydney, 2004) The Herd (Newcastle Leagues Club, Newcastle, 2005) Kings of Leon (Big Day Out, Sydney, 2006) The Smashing Pumpkins (Studio 227, Sydney, 1996) The Killers (Enmore Theatre, Sydney, 2005) Beastie Boys (Big Day Out, Sydney, 2005) Underworld (The Metro Theatre, Melbourne, 2003)
Monday Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (Big Day Out, Melbourne, 1996)
Announcers Friday 6pm10pm - Rosie Beaton Friday 10pmSaturday 1am - Sharif Galal Saturday 1am6am - Nicole Foote Saturday 6am10am - Scott Dooley Saturday 10am2pm - Zan Rowe Saturday 2pm6pm - Gaby Brown Saturday 6pm9pm - Dave Callan Saturday 9pmSunday 1am - Nicole Foote Sunday 1am6am - Kara Kidman Sunday 6am10am - Scott Dooley Sunday 10am2pm - Zan Rowe Sunday 2pm6pm - Gaby Brown Sunday 6pm10pm - Kirileigh Lynch Sunday 10pmMonday 2am - Fenella Kernebone
2007 The 2007 Impossible Music Festival was broadcast over the weekend of 25 May-27 May.
Lineup Friday Kings of Leon (Big Day Out, Sydney, 2006) Lyrics Born (Prince of Wales, Melbourne, 2005) The Police (1979) Supergrass (2000) The Dresden Dolls (2006) The Used (2004) Itch-E and Scratch-E (1995)
Saturday Futureheads (Splendour in the Grass, Byron Bay, 2005) Apollo 440 (2000) The Herd (Newcastle Leagues Club, Newcastle, 2005) Warumpi Band (1998) Primal Scream (1995) Martha Wainwright (2005) Snow Patrol (Splendour in the Grass, Byron Bay, 2006) Ian Dury and The Blockheads (1981) Resin Dogs (2000) Ash (1996) Missy Higgins (Iwaki Auditorium, ABC, Melbourne, 2004) Radio Birdman (1977) The Cat Empire (2005) Arctic Monkeys (2006) Billy Bragg (1977) Blues Explosion (2005) Carl Cox (2001) Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings (2006) Black Keys (2003) The Grates (The Metro Theatre, Sydney, 2006) AC/DC (Haymarket, Sydney, 1975) Basement Jaxx (2006) Iggy & The Stooges (2006) Mars Volta (2003)
Sunday Fatboy Slim (1999) Lily Allen (2007) Downsyde (2003) Hoodoo Gurus (1984) Interpol (2003) John Cale (1983) Bright Eyes (2005) Moby (Splendour in the Grass, Byron Bay, 2005) Tegan and Sara (2006) XTC (1980) Wolfmother (ABC TV studios, Sydney, 2005) Mylo (2005) Faith No More (1990) Hilltop Hoods (2004) Bernard Fanning (2005) Moloko (2004) Midnight Oil (1982) The White Stripes (Livid, Sydney, 10 October 2003) Faithless (Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, 8 October 2004) Gary Numan (1980) Metallica (Big Day Out, Sydney, 23 January 2004) The Bens (2003) Hole (1995)
Monday Dirty Three (2004)
Announcers Friday 6pm10pm - Rosie Beaton Friday 10pmSaturday 1am - Jem Gold Saturday 1am6am - Nicole Foote Saturday 6am10am - Scott Dooley Saturday 10am2pm - Vijay Khurana Saturday 2pm6pm - Gaby Brown Saturday 6pmSunday 1am - Liza Harvey Sunday 1am6am - Sam Simmons Sunday 6am10am - Scott Dooley Sunday 10am2pm - Vijay Khurana Sunday 2pm6pm - Amy Blackmur Sunday 6pm10pm - Richard Kingsmill Sunday 10pmMonday 2am - Fenella Kernebone
2008 The 2008 Impossible Music Festival was broadcast over the weekend of 19 September-21 September.
Lineup Friday Kings of Leon Rage Against the Machine 2 Many DJ's Spiderbait Jurassic 5 Ramones The Gossip
Saturday Ben Folds Five Franz Ferdinand Blink 182 Propellerheads José González The Shins Cold Chisel Amy Winehouse Cold War Kids Pixies Beastie Boys The Triffids Nirvana Klaxons Silverchair Crowded House Tegan and Sara Hilltop Hoods Fatboy Slim Bloc Party James Murphy Busy P Muph and Plutonic
Sunday The Cat Empire Arctic Monkeys Aphex Twin Died Pretty Xavier Rudd Air Sunnyboys Björk Radiohead Foo Fighters New Order N*E*R*D Muse Hunters and Collectors Yeah Yeah Yeahs The Presets Arcade Fire The Chemical Brothers The Cure The Verve Cut Copy Talking Heads Jeff Buckley
Announcers Friday 6pm10pm - Rosie Beaton Friday 10pmSaturday 1am - Will Styles & Learned Hand Saturday 1am6am - Nicole Foote Saturday 6am10am - Sam Simmons Saturday 10am2pm - Brendan Maclean Saturday 2pm6pm - Rosie Beaton Saturday 6pm9pm - Kirileigh Lynch Saturday 9pmSunday 1am - Nicole Foote Sunday 1am6am - Dave Callan Sunday 6am10am - Sam Simmons Sunday 10am2pm - Brendan Maclean Sunday 2pm6pm - Rosie Beaton Sunday 6pm10pm - Richard Kingsmill Sunday 10pmMonday 1am - Fenella Kernebone
2009 There was no Impossible Music Festival in 2009 due to the Hottest 100 of All Time.
2010 Triple J asked their listeners who their favourite live acts ever are, this is the result:
Muse Rage Against the Machine Daft Punk Bloc Party Art vs. Science The Cat Empire Vampire Weekend Hilltop Hoods The Presets Yeah Yeah Yeahs Foo Fighters John Butler Trio The Flaming Lips Pearl Jam The Prodigy Florence and the Machine Phoenix Grinspoon Tool Radiohead
External links Triple J's Impossible Music Festival