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Big Day Out 2010

Posted on January 25 2010

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Review: Big Day Out Sydney - 23 January 2010

In the days leading up to the Big Day Out’s 100th show, the biggest talking point wasn’t the line up, it was the weather. The forecast for Sydney’s showgrounds was 43 degrees, not exactly ideal for a day spent with thousands of strangers in close quarters. The Australian line up of artists was very similar to that of Homebake, thus I was most excited to catch UK’s cheekiest popette before she temporarily ‘retires’ at the ripe old age of 22. I’m talking about Lily Allen of course. Armed with hat, sunscreen, water and map, I was ready to embrace the heat, and the Big Day Out experience of 2010.

Lisa Mitchell’s voice floated above the showground walls as we entered the showground. Making our way to the green stage, the pixie took ownership of the stage with her unique waif like presence. A beautifully haunting rendition of Mark Knopfler’s Romeo and Juliet broke up tracks from Lisa’s debut Wonder, including Clean White Love and the joyful Oh Hark. Knowing her audiences often throw coins at her during performances of her most popular track, Lisa introduced Coin Laundry by begging the audience to not respond when she asks ‘Do you have a dollar for me?’. Throwing $10 notes were ok with her though.

Sydney’s pop/rock/hip hop/elector outfit Bluejuice were easily visible on the main stage in yellow jumpsuits. The band chose the Bruce Lee inspired outfits for that reason, and surrounded themselves with giant inflatable insects and dinosaurs to ensure they were seen by punters far away. Working through tracks from their debut album, the audience happily danced to Head of the Hawk, Vitriol and went off to Broken Leg.

Catching a few tracks from Miami Horror whilst waiting for Kisschasy’s set put them in the front of my mind as ones to watch on the Aussie scene. Melbourne lads Kisschasy were in their element, delivering tracks from their 3 LP career, opening with debut single Do Do’s and Whoa-oh’s.

Working through earlier tracks Face Without A Name, Strings and Drums, Opinions Won’t Keep You Warm At Night and Spray on Pants, singer Darren Cordeux, sporting a Jesus like beard, delivered energised vocals that did not disappoint. Tracks from their latest album Seizures Tarantula and Turnaround were not as well received, Cordeux asking the audience to jokingly buy the album as they need money. But the audience begged for recent single Generation Why, perhaps because the majority of them were exactly that.

Crowds packed around the green stage, wanting to get a glimpse or an earful of one of Australia’s hottest new acts, Temper Trap. Sweet Disposition is a magical track will go into Australian music history as a summer festival classic.

Veterans Eskimo Joe took to the main stage with a set list full of treats for old and new fans alike. In response to the heat, singer Kav Temperley ditched his usual jeans, button up shirt and vest for a causal white tee and black shorts, while guitarist Stu McLeod rocked a black singlet. New tracks Foreign Land, Inshalla and Don’t Let Me Down were interspersed with older tracks From The Sea, Older Than You and Wake Up from their debut. Feeling the heat as much as the crowd, Kav asked the audience to raise their middle fingers to the sun and say ‘Fuck you, sun!’. Well put, Kav. Iva Davies from Icehouse joined the Eski’s on stage for a rendition of their 80’s hit We Can Get Together. With no surprise Black Fingernails, Red Wine got the biggest crowd reaction, wrapping up an awesome set.
Rain came as a welcome relief to the unbearable heat as Hilltop Hoods got the audience jumping to Still Standing and Chase That Feeling. Festival goers were not deterred as Dizzee Rascal turned the showground into a giant party. Dirty dancing was aplenty, some welcome and some not, while Dizzee span out his massive hits Holiday and Dance Wiv Me. Needless to say the crowd went bonkers for, well, Bonkers. Quite a site.

Lily Allen entered the main stage in a kaftan type outfit. Strutting her way through Everybody’s At It, The Fear, Smile, LDN and 22, Lily took on Lady Gaga’s no pants policy, stripping down to a jumpsuit and a no care attitude. The energy flagged a little during Littlest Things but quickly picked up with latest single Back To The Start and cover of Britney Spears’ Womaniser. The cheeky poppette had the whole showground cheerfully screaming Fuck You with hand gestures during her eloquently put track to addressing the racists and intolerants of the world. A softer moment was had during Who’d Have Known, before sassy Lily returned to wrap up with what she introduced as a country song. Though she referred to the ladies throughout the track, I caught many males singing along to an extended version of Not Fair.

Jet always put on a fun live show and I was glad to catch a few of their tracks on my travels between market stalls and the delightful food fair. Cheese on a stick, anyone? Amusement rides were operational all day, one offering girls free entry if they rode topless. Classy ladies.
Heading back to the main stage, I took a seat for a bit of r&r. The Mars Volta were wrapping up their set and to be honest, I couldn’t wait for them to finish. I’m not sure whether it was exhaustion setting in or the sound was too loud and distorted, but The Mars Volta’s experimental rock was lost on me.

Powderfinger kicked off with All of The Dreamers and showed off tracks from their new album including latest single Burn Your Name and Fight About Money. But the audience wanted to hear the songs they know and love, and Powderfinger didn’t disappoint. Bless My Soul was followed by a stripped down version of These Days and The Metre, transporting this reviewer back to high school. The crowd was united with every word of My Happiness, a memorable moment of the day. Closing the set with (Baby I’ve Got You) On My Mind left the crowd energised for the epicness of Muse hitting the stage next door.

Darkness overtook the showground, with giant screens lit up especially for Muse’s performance. Colourful light sabres were scattered throughout the audience with the main stage putting on a spectacular green light show. The audience were instantly satisfied, Muse opening with the powerful Uprising. The chorus lyrics boomed at the audience from screens behind the band, creating a call to arms feeling between band and audience. The word epic is probably overused when describing Muse’s music, but it’s hard to describe the ‘bigness’ of their sound any other way. Resistance and Undisclosed Desires were well received, older tracks Starlight and Supermassive Black Hole reminding new Muse fans that they have been around for years.

Fireworks capped off the 100th Big Day Out show in Sydney. From humble beginnings in 1992, to the 700 strong crew that put together the 2010 tour, it’s easy to see why Big Day Out is THE festival on the Australian music calendar. With an array of diverse musical acts, Big Day Out continues to provide a unique platform for local and international artists of all genres to showcase their talents to Australian music lovers and convert passer by’s into fans. Where else could you see Dizzee Rascal perform alongside Tumbleweed and Grinspoon? I only pray for mother nature to be a little kinder to punters next year.

Review by Alexandra Hartshorn

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MY FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE

My Festival Experience
The Beautiful Girls

Your most memorable Festival moment or experience?
Probably the first time we played Falls. It was in Tasmania and we were on a side stage in the afternoon and were just happy to be there. Our friend Mason Jennings played before us to about a hundred people but by the time we came on the entire festival crowd was at our stage! There was literally about 50 people at the mainstage. It was mayhem with too many people in a small area. The front barrier got knocked down and the crowd sung every song so loudly we couldn’t hear ourselves. There’s been many amazing festival stories but that was the first and I’ll never forget it.

Favourite Artist you’ve seen at a Music Festival?
Probably Snoop Dogg at a festival we played in Detroit.

What’s your ideal Festival line-up?
TBG, Pantera, Biggy, Soundgarden, Nirvana, Fat Freddys Drop, The Clash, The Specials, Kate Bush, Tenor Saw, Tanuki Dub, The Dead Beat Band, Daft Punk, Led Zepplin, Johnny Cash, Bianca Jade

What are your tips for attending Music Festivals?
Turn up, bring your ticket.