Big Day Out 2012

So, who remembered to put on sunscreen? Oh, that's right, NOBODY. And who got sunburnt to hell? Oh yeah, EVERYBODY. Well, actually, it wasn't so much that Big Day Out punters forgot to use sunscreen, it was more the fact that we were told it was going to piss down all day. Indeed, as Abbe May's powerful set of guitar-led indie-rock closed, the heavens opened and it seemed that BDO 2012 was going to be a mud-bath of Glastonburic proportions. But then something amazing happened (in the context of what has been the most rainy Sydney summer ever). As Best Coast brought their angsty-yet-perky, reverby indie to the table, the sun came out. As if on cue. For most of the afternoon, it remained H to the O to the motherflipping T. Like, seriously boiling. Lobster skin was order of the day, especially because there seems to be some kind of unwritten rule that the majority of the crowd must remain shirtless throughout. It makes sense though, I mean, how else would we be able to see their Southern Cross tattoos?

What's that? Oh yeah, the music.... Well, the aforementioned Best Coast were an early highlight, as were Sydney punkers, Chicks Who Love Guns. Triple J Unearthed winners Underlights displayed a sound that is clearly influenced by late 90s English indie. It was a shame that they suffered terrible sound (the bass was too prominent, everything else sounded like a muddy mess) because there were signs of promise there.

Boy & Bear brought a sense of serenity to the madness with their lovely set, which peaked when they covered Crowded House. Elsewhere, Battles and OFWGKTA were excellent and The Vaccines proved why they have received so much hype of late. Kimbra has been omnipresent this summer and she put in the strongest performance that we have seen from her so far. Vocally MASSIVE and exuding confidence in abundance, this woman is an absolute megastar in the making.

At the same time that My Chemical Romance were looking bored and old, Mariachi El Bronx doffed their sombreros to a huge crowd elsewhere in the concrete jungle of a site. Later, Kasabian did what Kasabian do while the day's highlight was going on in front of a criminally small crowd at one of the smaller stages. Kitty Daisy & Lewis (above) are simply wonderful. We have said enough words about how much we love them before, but, suffice to say, anyone at BDO who didn't pop along to see at least a couple of songs from this delightful trio of London siblings deserves to have their entire record collection smashed into tiny pieces. Whatever else you were doing, shame on you for not joining the couple of hundred people who were dancing like crazy to their amazing set (during which legendary Jamaican trumpet player Eddie Tan Tan Thornton made a typically impish appearance).

After this, we cut a dash to see the back-end of Foster The People's set and discovered where everybody was during Kitty Daisy & Lewis. Holy smoke, they were playing to a gargantuan crowd. Yeah, yeah, Pumped Up Kicks has been played to death but its appearance and subsequent mass sing-along was the feel-good moment of the festival in the early evening sunshine. Back in the arena were Soundgarden but, let's be honest, who really cares? After all, it's not 1994 any more. That said, Black Hole Sun did make us chuckle, as it brought back memories of how we used to sing it as Back Hole Mum as teenagers.

And then it was time for the main event. Kanye West announced his appearance by being hoisted way into the air on a cherry picker as puffs of smoke billowed below him (you can just about make him out in the blurry iPhone photo below) and the strains of Dark Fantasy kicked in. It was quite the spectacle and was greeted with an audible sense of awe from the massed throngs. This was followed by a fantastic version of Power. As starts go, this was as strong as anything we've seen, but his self-indulgence soon got kinda tiresome and his set list offered some seriously dull moments.

Post Kanye, Noel Gallagher & His Angry Birds (or whatever they're called) certainly knew how to keep the crowd happy, with a spattering of Oasis songs, including the underrated Talk Tonight in amongst his new stuff.

And, after Gallagher had done his thing, it was time for the shirtless masses to go home and apply some aloe vera to their bright red skin. All in all, it was a fairly unremarkable Big Day Out. Still, considering some of the headlines previous years have made, that's no bad thing.

Review by a sunburnt Bobby Townsend.

The Vaccines interview

Bobbysix.com chats to The Vaccines about the Big Day Out tour in Australia:

“I'm terrified. I think it's going to be carnage,” The Vaccines drummer Pete Robertson says somewhat impishly. His band is in Australia for the Big Day Out tour in the knowledge that the festival has quite the reputation for bands getting together and letting loose. “I have heard that there is a lot of partying at Big Day Out,” he nods. “Everyone stays in the same hotel and everyone gets on and has a good time. Considering it's straight after Christmas as well, I don't think we're going to get much rest. It's going to be good.”

While they are still a relatively new band, their non-stop schedule means that The Vaccines are already well versed in combining travelling with partying. Their first time collectively in Australia was for the Splendour festival a few months ago and that proved to be a crazy experience. “I've got memories of not remembering a lot,” the drummer laughs. “It was pretty hectic and we had a little too much fun. Our summer was generally pretty insane and that was the most insane leg of it. We flew from England to Japan on the Wednesday and on the Friday we touched down in Brisbane, then went to Sydney for two days, then to Melbourne for two days. Then we flew to Chicago and then we did coast-to-coast in The States, all within about two weeks. It was fun.”

The reception they received on their first visit to Sydney – not least at their sideshow at a packed Metro Theatre – is something that has long since stayed with the band. “It was amazing. It was one of those moments. As individuals we'd been working hard in other bands and then collectively when we first got together a couple of years ago to make music that we thought could connect with people. When your music travels further than you ever have before, it's a rewarding experience.”

They'll be sideshows again this time round, as the quartet is set to support label-mates Kasabian. With The Vaccines having played countless live gigs in 2011, you can expect their turn in Aus to be something really special. Robertson is especially looking forward to playing to some big festival crowds. “We had an amazing festival season in our summer. We played just short of 50 of them, all over the world. So I think we're reasonably well schooled in it and I'm looking forward to getting back into it.”

Playing in front of audiences is what The Vaccines are all about and their sound lends itself to being played live, as that was how it was originally put together. “We wrote the record [debut album, What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?] as a live band. We didn't have any recording facilities, so we used our resources the best we could, which was basically two guitars, a bass and a drum kit. We designed the music to be played live. Well, actually we recorded a live album, essentially.”

When The Vaccines first started out, they did so with no masterplan. Rather they simply enjoyed being in a band and all that entailed. One wonders whether a plan has since developed as they have continued to gain success. “The masterplan is very vague,” Robertson suggests. “We're all good players and Justin [Young, lead singer] is a great songwriter. We just felt that, between, us we could make some meaningful music. I think we're doing that and I think we can make more meaningful music. There's room to develop. That's ultimately it. To be the best we can.”

Interview by Bobby Townsend. It first appeared in Sydney's Drum Media.

Big Day Out phone app now available

You know what festivals are like. You lose track of who is playing where and when. Which is why, at one previous Big Day Out we were stuck watching fucking Jet while, unbeknownst to us, Billy Bragg was playing somewhere on one of the smaller stages. So, if you are heading to this year's Big Day Out, you should get yourself their super handy Mobile App.

Fully integrated with all your fave social networks, you can set your logins for Facebook and Twitter so posting pics and comments is easy. Click on any item in the Lineup to see a full bio and links to the artist’s website, iTunes, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and more and there’s also the Big Day Out 2012 Video playlist where you can browse through artist videos and discover new acts. Of course the Event Maps will appear in the App in time for the festival so you can navigate your way from stage to stage and you can share your personal timetable with your friends on Facebook/Twitter and see what they have selected. That way, you won't be wandering round on your own like a loser.

Oh, and the Big Day Out 2012 App is FREE to download. Search the App Store for “Big Day Out” or visit the www.bigdayout.com to get everything you need to know in your pocket. 

Big Day Out line-up - 1st Announcement

Big Day Out might be attended by shirtless boys and girls with stick-on Aussie flag tattoos, but, to look on the bright side, the festival certainly has the clout to attract a decent line-up.

Yesterday, the 1st announcement was made and, while the big names were a little underwhelming - Tool are headlining... again - there are some bands worth getting more than a little excited about. The return of Iggy and the Stooges will be awesome as will Primal Scream, especially as they are going to be performing Screamadelica. M.I.A, LCD Soundsystem, CSS, Plan B, Grinderman, Angus & Julia Stone, Pnau and, holy smoke, Rammstein are all fine inclusions and, if you want to party HARD (and like it's ten years ago), then Andrew WK is playing too.

Here's everyone else from the first announcement. There'll be more.

Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77, Lupe Fiasco, Deftones, The Black Keys, The Jim Jones Revue, Crystal Castles, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Booka Shade, Pnau, Die Antwoord, Vitalic, Ratatat, John Butler Trio, Wolfmother, Airbourne, Birds Of Tokyo, Kids Of 88, The Naked & Famous, Dead Letter Circus, Children Collide, Operator Please, Bliss N Eso, Gyroscope, Kid Kenobi & MC Shureshock, Sampology, Blue King Brown, Will Styles, Little Red, Gypsy And The Cat and Lowrider.

The shitfight for tickets starts on 6th October from the usual sources. The festival takes place on Sunday 23rd January at Gold Coast Parklands (on sale 7th October), Wednesday 26th January at the Sydney Showground (on sale 6 October), Sunday 30th January at Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse (on sale 8 October), Friday 4th Febuary at the Adelaide Showground (on sale 8 October) and Sunday 6th February in Perth, at the Claremont Showground (on sale 8 October.

Big Day Out Hot Produce stage feature

WITH BIG DAY OUT FAST APPROACHING, ROB TOWNSEND TALKS TO SOME OF THE MOST EXCITING LOCAL ACTS SET TO APPEAR ON THE HOT PRODUCE STAGE

Sarah Kelly from The Redsunband, Bree Carter from Wow and Kiss Reid from The Scare are enjoying a post photo-shoot drink when one of them makes a bold claim. “We’re the best band in the whole world,” Kiss says with a devilish grin. “I want people to realise the album that we’ve just recorded is the greatest punk album ever made in history.”
“Have a bit more confidence in yourself,” Sarah jokes. Cue laughter all round.

While the animated frontman of Sydney’s dark punk rockers has his tongue planted firmly in his cheek, the bullishness that he and his fellow interviewees are feeling is understandable as they, along with other emerging local artists, have been hand-picked to play the Hot Produce stage at Big Day Out. Considering just how many young bands are vying for attention amid a buzzing Sydney scene, these artists are obviously doing something special to stand out from the crowd. “Basically, it’s about your live performances and being that little bit different,” Kiss states as he pulls hard on a cigarette. “So many bands want to join a scene, but it’s the people that don’t do the generic thing that get ahead.”
Bree, whose band’s live show offers high-energy techno/dance bounciness, concurs. “Yeah, that’s true. Be different. Be yourself.”
“The natural bands push forward over the bands that are fake and transparent,” vocalist/guitarist Sarah adds. “You’ve got to be lucky as well though, and it’s also about people wanting to help you out. It helps if you are really good at talking.”
“I’ve just got a good drummer with a really big mouth,” Kiss says. “He’s a great talker.”
“Which one’s your drummer?” Sarah asks.
“The one that talks a lot and always looks kinda like a 70s porn star,” he replies, as though that is explanation enough.

So, having got ahead of the chasing pack and scored a coveted place on the Hot Produce stage, how will the bands approach the occasion? Do they look at it professionally – a big chance to win over new fans – or is it just a day getting drunk in the sun that happens to be punctuated by a 40-minute set? “It’s like being out and being the driver when everyone else is pissed. It’s not as fun unless you’re part of it,” Bree says.
Kiss agrees. “That’s the way it is. We’ve played at festivals in England and I’ve tried to be professional and I hated it.”
“It’s fun to play a festival. I don’t think there’s heaps of pressure on you necessarily,” says Sarah, whose band has graced Big Day Out before with its dark, heavy dream-pop. “It’s pretty relaxed and it can be really interactive. Festivals are basically the only all-ages shows we get to play. So it’s all about playing to 16-year-olds, because they’re the best fans you’ll ever have. They’re so into it.”
“People are there to have fun,” Bree states. “You feel it from the stage. It breaks down barriers straight away, from the second you get up there.”

When talk turns to expectations of the day, Bree speaks with enthusiasm about the recent growth of her band from a duo to a quartet. “We’re trying to improve our live show as much as possible, so we have now got Stephen J. Mitchell from Emergency Emergency on synths and electric guitar and our friend on drums. Drugmoney is his official name.”
Kiss meanwhile, in spite of his general ebullience, has decidedly modest aspirations. “I hope I give a better performance than at Homebake. Every single one we’ve played has been disastrous. Too drunk.” Indeed, because of his band’s dipsomaniac tendencies, last year they were only allowed access to their rider half-an-hour before they performed. “We still drank it all. I fell off the front of the stage straightaway and got concussion. I’ll try to stay on the stage a little longer at Big Day Out.”

Once their sets are done, there is one particular band that members of Wow and The Scare are sure to head to watch. “I’ve seen The Prodigy before and the crazy energy they bring is just amazing,” Kiss recalls. “People were losing their shit. It was really exciting.”
Sarah, meanwhile, explains how she is more interested in seeing some closer-to-home acts, including The Drones and recent tour-buddies, Youth Group. “It was so fun,” she says of last year’s travels around Australia with them. “We were in a 12-seater van, travelling all together. I think it’s a great way to do it. Any inter-band tensions are defused because there are so many people around.” As an afterthought she adds: “It’s cheaper too.”

Enthusiasm levels vary when the discussion moves on to whether any of the bands have dreams of ever headlining the main stage at Big Day Out. Sarah greats the idea with indifference. “It’s not something I aspire to, because, generally, I like the smaller stages for watching bands or for playing.”
Bree has an easygoing attitude. “It’s not on my list of things to do, so it wouldn’t really matter if it never happened, but of course it would be great.”
Enter Kiss, with a typically devil-may-care approach. “I could do it,” he says with a smile.

Talk turns to fantasy festival line-ups. As is becoming the accepted dynamic, Kiss leads the conversation. “I’d take about five acts from the All Tomorrow’s Parties line-up. I’d throw Talking Heads in there and I’d get Swans back together.”
As he pauses for breath, Sarah takes the opportunity to request Mazzy Star. “But they’d have to play after dark,” she insists. Obviously putting plenty of thought into the logistics of her dream line-up, she also requests The Kinks, “really early in the day.”
As Sarah adds The Black Angels to her wish-list and Kiss explains how he could spend all day naming bands, Bree remains strangely quiet; the enormity of being asked to curate her own fantasy festival seemingly sending her brain into meltdown. “There are way too many,” she shrugs as an answer is teased from her. “For some reason I can only think 80s though. I’d love to see Bowie.”

As seasoned festival-goers, both as performers and punters, the trio offer up some tips for Big Day Out virgins. “I’m white as hell so I’d say wear sunscreen,” Bree says, studying her moon tan. “Oh, and take some sort of smuggling device, because I think you’re only allowed two drinks at a time.”
Surreally, Kiss adds: “Get a carrier pigeon.”
Meanwhile, amongst some helpful advice about bringing a big hat and not wearing black, Sarah suggests a slightly harder to acquire necessity. “A backstage pass is the best thing you can have at Big Day Out; shorter lines, cleaner loos.”

So there you have it. Forget sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, being an artist at Big Day Out is all about the joys of doing a wee in comfort. If ever there was a reason to form your own band and attempt to score a place on next year’s Hot Produce Stage, surely this is it. After all, have you seen the length of those lines for the toilets?

Big Day Out, Sydney

Just like last year, I reviewed Sydney's Big Day Out for Drum Media. Here is what I thought:BIG DAY OUT
Olympic Park, Homebush
25/01/08

It’s remarkable how the loss of one big-name international act can suddenly give a festival line-up an entirely different perspective. As soon as Big Day Out had a Björk-shaped hole ripped out of it, the seemingly outstanding bill suddenly looked immeasurably less diverse and, subsequently, less interesting.

However, anyone mourning the last-gasp cancellation of Iceland’s favourite daughter would have at least been cheered up by the boundless verve of Operator Please. I’d never understood their appeal before, but everything fell into place upon watching their barnstorming performance. Maybe they offer little more than disposable fun, but fun is something which many bands forget to bring to the table at all.

Away from the main arena, the slightly bland nature of Josh Pyke’s laidback folk was followed by an altogether more dynamic and attention-grabbing performance from chirpy Londoner Kate Nash (below), who put on one of the performances of the day by juxtaposing biting lyrics with pop-tinged melodies. Meanwhile in the Boiler Room, UK grime trailblazer Dizzee Rascal had a pumped crowd eating out of his hand with his high-octane vernacular.Sydney was well represented on the Local Produce Stage, most notably by a majestic performance from teenagers Bridezilla (below), for whom frontwoman Holiday Sidewinder’s luscious vocal sounded particularly impressive. While a sizeable crowd was enjoying a band that are surely destined for a big future, over at the Blue Stage those intent on looking backward rather than forward were reminiscing with Grinspoon. Whether the rockers are still relevant or merely living on past glories seemed not to matter a jot to the shirtless hoards that moshed their hearts out.

While the kids bounced with abandon to the entirely mediocre hip-hop offered by Hilltop Hoods, the more senior members of the crowd took their increasingly aching limbs off to the Essential Stage to see Englishman Billy Bragg, who offered the most engaging between-song banter of the festival. The veteran’s impassioned left-wing sermonizing took in the following subjects (deep breath): fascism, racism, sexism, John Howard, Kevin Rudd, George Bush, education, healthcare, Tony Blair, third-world debt and, oddly, Ricky Ponting. Bragg’s charisma was such that the world felt a slightly better place for the duration of his folk-rock set, which was drenched in working-class romance and humour.As the evening drew in, all attention turned to the main stages. The many members of Arcade Fire were originally scheduled to play before Silverchair’s crowd-pleasing show but Björk’s absence afforded them the opportunity to demonstrate their striking art-rock under a setting sun, which created a perfect atmosphere as a captivating mix of strings, keys, guitar and all manner of percussion swept through the crowd. At any one time a melee of enthralling activity ensued on stage, especially from multi-instrumentalist Régine Chassagne, whose playful charm and elegance perfectly personified the band’s appeal. This beautiful performance surely cemented their place as the best group around right now.

I could probably count on one hand the things that would cause me to miss the hauntingly beautiful ballads of Sarah Blasko, but one of those things is a time-clash with Rage Against The Machine, for whom the sense of anticipation was tangible as a massive crowd poured towards the Blue Stage. From opening track Testify each song was greeted with euphoria and every word was hollered back at the four-piece, who were drenched in sweat within seconds of stepping onstage. Any fears that the band would have lost its vigour were soon allayed as hit followed hit and absolute carnage ensued in a moshpit that spread the entire length of the field. Frontman Zack De La Rocha bounced around stage as he spat bile-fuelled lyrics with the same wrath he displayed 15 years ago, yet he was unable to prevent a smile from cracking his face as he looked out on a sea of fans still going absolutely ape-shit to the likes of Bombtrack, even after all these years.This pulsating show was a million miles from the languid comeback that many bands would offer after an eight year break. Indeed, the songs sounded even more relevant than they did the first time round, although it’s questionable whether their deeply political subject-matter made any kind of meaningful impact on a crowd largely intent on beating the hell out of each other. Regardless, Rage Against The Machine’s long-awaited return, which ended - of course - with Killing In The Name, was an unforgettable event.

But, as expected and in spite of the magnificence of the two main acts, the line-up lacked the kind of colourful eccentricity that a certain Icelandic pixie could have provided. Were it not for those pesky swollen vocal chords, one suspects that a fairly good day out would have been a bloody amazing day out.