Big Day Out '04

Let’s start a new series!

In this series I will go through each BDO I attended writing about the anecdotes and memories that I have attached to them. I feel as though this should be a little sub-blog as I’ll be going through many different artists within the one post and I went to quite a few. They’ll probably end up being a little longer also so consider yourself warned!

Big Day Out '04 playlist - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4AjrNfBrQowP6GfWHra7cy?si=NFIexNm0QKKimrOIOZlsew

This playlist has a song by each band we saw plus a few of the bands I wished I had seen!

God I loved these programs...

Sigh... Big Day Out. The greatest festival Australia has ever had and probably ever will. This was not only the epicentre for culture for me, but for a majority of Australia too. This was owned by the youth, or at least it felt like it was. I was lucky to have attended multiple BDO’s, with my first being in ‘04. I’m not sure when Steve decided he was going to attend BDO but for me it was the second the Drowning Pool concert finished. We came up with our selling points and approached our parents. We asked them for a ticket to the next one in Adelaide (which was the following year in 2004) and we’d stay with my dad. Our parents agreed and at Christmas of ‘03 I got my first Big Day Out ticket. We were so excited. We didn’t really know what to expect at a festival, but we were eager to throw ourselves in. During the Christmas school holidays at the end of ‘03, Steve and I went and stayed with his dad in Renmark. We were there for about a week. Riverland is a lot hotter than it is in Mt. Gambier and I recall it was so hot it felt like we were 2 inches from the sun. We spent most of the week going to the pool, watching the ENTIRE series of Red Dwarf, and listening to Steve’s newly acquired CD, The Big Day Out 2004 Compilation CD. I cannot remember when we found out about Metallica headlining but we were fucking thrilled. As I recall we didn’t really know anyone else on the lineup (except probably Black Eyed Peas, Jet, and Basement Jaxx), so we spent that week analysing that CD. We’d listen through it each day getting more pumped for our first festival. We took mental notes of which acts were must-see and which ones we’d like to see if there was nothing else on. Then finally the wait was over... Being young and full of youthful exuberance, we got there when the gates opened. I remember walking through the gate and making our way to the main stages, passing the Ferris wheel and grabbing a little booklet and timetable/map. There is nothing more beautiful than walking through the opening in the stands to see the showground space open up and reveal the two massive main stages and a sea of people. I never got tired of seeing that. The Showgrounds were the perfect venue to host festivals, I hated Bonython park.

You may have noticed that I have kept nearly every ticket to every concert i have attended. Nerd.

We studied the timetable and marked down who we were seeing and when. We had a little bit of time so we ventured into the D barrier and watched a bit of Skulker. I don’t remember them at all. Listening to them as I write this, they’re not too bad. Back then though we probably would’ve just thought “Meh”. The first band we had marked down as a potential band to watch was Blood Duster. After getting our bearings we headed over to the Cat Essential stage where they were due to play. We got there early as we had time to burn and thank fuck we did. We positioned ourselves on the barricade just as the band walked out. They were covered in white UV paint with matching white clothes. Looking at our timetable, we discovered they are called Tidal. These guys blew our little fucking minds. They were firmly in the Nu-Metal camp but they were brilliant. They had a great sense of groove and every member was quite capable of their chosen instruments. They looked like they were having an absolute ball. We instantly became fans. I can’t remember much more of their set but I do remember their song “Teddy Bear’s Picnic” being a highlight. Tidal gave us the start we were craving and it only escalated from the next band we watched, Blood Duster. Neither of us are big fans of Blood Duster but we knew the songs D.F.F and Pornstorestiffi and thought It would be a laugh. Plus there was nothing else we wanted to watch at that time. The band walked out covered in “blood” (obviously). The vocalist, Tony Forde, walked out on stage with arms outstretched, welcoming the now big crowds applause. As he makes his way to the front of the stage a crushed can gets thrown at him... Then another... He grabs the mic and without missing a beat screams “IS THAT IT ADELAIDE? CANS? FUCKING THROW BOTTLES YOU PUSSY CUNTS!” Ask and you shall receive. An onslaught of bottles, cans, and whatever else people had on them was thrown at the stage. Tony stood once again arms outstretched laughing at the chaos he had just caused. That’s literally all I remember from that set. We enjoyed it and they were a laugh. I believe it was during this set the guitarist from Tidal had come out to the barricade and stood with us. We introduced ourselves and Steve and he got chatting. We were blown away to find out they were from Adelaide. We would see them a few years later in Mt. Gambier but that’s another story... At this point of the day we had some time to kill so we wandered back to the main stage to catch The Datsuns. We only knew one song, “MF From Hell”. What we were waiting for though was Black Eyed Peas. We positioned ourselves pretty much on the barricade for BEP. This was just as Fergie had joined the band, so they still were a hip hop act. They were fantastic. One thing I remember was Fergie. She wore a crop top with her jeans so low I was surprised you couldn’t see her...

aaaah... you know...

Justin Hawkins from The Darkness joined them onstage for a brilliant version of “Let’s Get Retarded” (as it was known back then before they changed it to Let's Get It Started). I always loved their song Request Line with Macy Gray and not much more, but this performance won me over. They were full of energy and really kicked our day back into gear. We then moved back to the Cat Essential stage for a performance that changed my musical taste forever. Back then I wasn’t into progressive music, I liked the odd song by Tool but that was about it. We made our way yet again towards the front of the crowd. There was a decent size crowd building. The band walked out onstage to their CDs intro music, then the vocalist emerged. He had a blue Mohawk with a blue painted line running down his face, down his uncovered torso to his waistline. They launched into the only song we knew of theirs, “One Second Of Insanity”. The Butterfly Effect instantly became one of my new favourite bands. They had everything I was looking for in music. Heavy and melodic. They had beautiful ambient parts that accentuated the heavier parts. Clint Boge voice was amazing, he didn’t miss a note. They finished with their epic song “Always”. During this, Clint climbed the rigging on the side of the stage. This was rock ‘n’ roll. They were fucking incredible. Next up we ventured over to see the hottest new band in Australia, Jet. They were playing the Green stage which wasn’t a small stage but considering who they’d become it was small. As we walked over I remember seeing and hearing a bit of a band on the main stage. They sounded great, better see who they were in my booklet and remember to look them up when I got home. It was Muse.

Yep. I walked straight past muse when they were touring Absolution...

sigh...

Anyway fucking Jet. They were fine. They played their stuff and they sounded like Jet. I don’t think either of us was fans but we thought we’d see what the fuss was about. Whatever. Fucking Jet... So we really didn’t have anything left to watch except Metallica. We went and grabbed food and headed back to the Cat Essential stage. We had worked out that most of the metal/rock bands played that stage so it was a good bet we’d at least enjoy whoever was playing. We managed to catch a bit of Poison The Well. I was impressed. I’d later become obsessed with their tune Botchla. By this time there were about 15-20 mins till Metallica was due to play. We made our way over to the main stages. Due to our inexperience of attending festivals, we were slightly shocked to find that the whole showground was packed to the brim. Luckily we were teenagers, cause we just worked our way through the massive crowd as far as we could. We ended up probably halfway back from the stage. The Strokes finished their set and we waited. I could see the stage... sort of. I could see the screens at least so I wasn’t too unhappy. To be honest I don’t remember too much of their set. I recall being able to see Kirk Hammet and Robert Trujilio and, depending on what leg I was leaning on, I could see Lars Ulrich. I barely saw James Hetfield apart from when he was on the big screens. They were outstanding though. The one song that stands out in my memory was “One”. I remember them having fireworks and flashes of light for the intro to replicate a war zone. The crowd was amazing. They sang every lyric and every guitar solo. I’d hazard a guess this was the first time Steve and I sang along at the top of our lungs. The near two-hour set went quickly. We were on a high after their set. It was time to go home but we didn’t want too, so we looked at our timetable searching for something. The Boiler Room was still going. If we run now we can make Basement Jaxx. We took off and got to the doors of the boiler room. The problem was they barricaded it off. We worked our way once again to the barricade and asked the security why can’t we go in, they said it was at capacity so no one could go in. There was a sizeable crowd pushing against us and the barricade. We just stood there listening to the DJ playing inside, waiting for the crowd to piss off so we could leave. All of a sudden... BAM!

BAM!

BAM!

BAM!

BAM! The barricades all started falling over like dominos. The one we were pressed against then fell next in line. We looked at each other, looked at the security guard, and bolted inside. Hundreds of people must have crammed themselves into the already full Boiler Room. This was probably the first time I had witnessed a DJ set (except for a blue light disco). Basement Jaxx was brilliant. We only knew “Where’s Your ahead At?” As it was a massive song at the time, but I enjoyed their set. I recall being hypnotised by their light show. They had these lasers that shot across the crowd, about a foot above our heads. You could reach up and put your hand through it. Their set closing out the day was ecstasy. I was close to heaven and I was dead sober. ...and then that was it. It was over. Our first Big Day Out was done and dusted. The day left a huge impact on me. I swore right there and then I would go to every Big Day Out till I died. I pretty much kept that promise to myself, as I attended every one from then to its demise, bar one. BDO stood as a right of passage for the youth of Australia. That festival means so much to me. Later on when Soundwave became huge, I always compared it to Big Day Out, and BDO always won. There was a culture, a mood, an aura around it. It was something that was created by the crowds and the bands. It was all-inclusive, something Soundwave wasn’t purely because of the bands they had played the festival. I miss the Big Day Out and now that I have kids of my own, I’m saddened that they won’t experience it. Hopefully, something comes along and takes its place, the youth of any generation needs their own festival that encapsulates their culture, and if/when that festival starts, I’ll be happily dropping off my daughter & sons with their friends, knowing that they will be creating memories they will hold forever.

Highlights:

- Blood Duster getting smashed with bottles

- The Butterfly Effect

- Discovering our first "local" band in Tidal

- Fergie

Lowlights:

- None, except missing Muse, The Mars Volta *sigh*, Thursday, Something For Kate, Dandy Warhols... Fuck I missed a heap of great bands...

Note: I left out one band as I’ll be doing a separate blog on them. They were one of my favourite bands to have ever existed and because of what happened I’ll be writing about them once and once only. I’m not sure what I’m going to write but it’ll probably be the scribbling of a madman trying to figure it all out. That band is lostprophets.

I'am one, I'am all, I'm above and beyond...

Slipknot - Self titled: https://open.spotify.com/album/2dL9Q5AtIv4Rw1L6lKcIUc?si=-Blum-oRTc2DCnbDf11-_Q

By 1999 I had the start of a music collection, and by that I mean I had a bunch of tapes that had pirated albums on them and a few mixtapes. I was still discovering new music through my next door neighbour Daniel, but it mainly consisted of Korn, Marilyn Manson, Rage Against the Machine and the likes. Apart from the occasional Fear Factory or Sepultura song there wasn’t anything too out there. That was until I heard Slipknot.

Although I don’t entirely remember where and when I heard Slipknot for the first time, I would hazard a guess it was through Daniel and his older brother. I do however remember what song it was, it was ‘Wait & Bleed’.

I recall making the connection to Korn in a sonic sense. It was raw, unnerving and...weird. Many years later I’d learn that they shared the same producer Ross Robinson. Coery Taylor’s vocals were unlike anything I had heard before it. His clean vocals amazed me, considering one second ago he sounded like an 12 foot fucking monster. I was told that there are nine (9!) members and they all wore masks and overalls. They lit each other on fire on stage and beat the shit out of each other while playing these chaotic songs.

Sounds (sic)!

... (I’m allowed one dad joke per blog).

I decided I needed to investigate this band more and I somehow acquired their album on cassette. I reckon this is the first band where I absolutely loved half the album and struggled with the rest. My taste at that point wasn’t quite up to the task of getting through the whole album. It was also my first attempt at liking music which had hints of extreme metal in it. I must admit that I do not really have a strong memory or connection to this album (bar one but we’ll get to that). It’s a lot of my friends favourite Slipknot album, but I always connected more with Iowa. That said I absolutely loved half the album. All the hits were on constant rotation, (sic), Wait & Bleed, Surfacing, Eyeless and Spit It Out. I also really liked Purity and Liberate, with Liberate becoming a personal favourite over time.

They were unlike anything I had heard at that point. It was beautiful chaos. They would go from hectic, off the chart speeding verses, into stadium filling choruses all within the same song. Everytime I thought about turning it off, they'd manage to pull me back in. The uniqueness of them was something I couldn't turn away from.

Both are the originals, with only the cassette case that has been replaced.

At some point I got the ‘Spit It Out’ single on CD. It had a live version of 'Wait and Bleed' on it and like every CD back then, it was a multimedia disc. This meant you could put into your computer and watch the Spit It Out film clip. I remember thinking it was a cool clip. It was a homage to the movie 'Shining', which then peaked my interest in the movie. Its a pretty shitty clip watching it now, but hey, I thought it was cool back then!

*Side anecdote*

I do have quite a funny memory with this song. I used to have a close friend named Adam and he played for our biggest rivals (this is in soccer). Before kick off we were both stood near each other, I smiled letting him know it was on.

He casually walked over. We stood toe-to-toe and he started screaming the chorus of Spit It Out in my face. I was so confused and didn't know whether to laugh or to be scared! I laugh now thinking about his face screaming at me. Fuck he was a weirdly beautiful guy...

Anyway back to Slipknot, I would then receive something that would push Slipknot into the higher echelons of bands I liked. That was the VHS of ‘Welcome To Our Neighbourhood’.

Watching this video opened my eyes to the mayhem that they were. It gave me a whole new perception of their music and what music as a whole could be. I had heard the stories and seen the photos but to see footage of nine (god damn 9!) horror movie monsters fucking up a stage while somehow managing to bash out the songs was incredible to see. The shitty quality of the recording just added to the disorder and horror movie-esque image of the band. The plastic covering half the screen used to annoy me but it was all part of the aesthetic, and that was the other thing, they had an image. These guys seemed to try and create their own world, and I wanted to be apart of it.

I cannot remember what happened to my VHS, however I did buy the dvd to replace it.

The one proper connection or memory I have of this album actually took place a few years later. It was 2004 and I was doing my English exam. I don’t remember the exact wording of what I had to do but I had to write a creative short story. I was in a pretty shit mental state for a teenager. Nothing serious but I wasn’t right, I had broken up with my girlfriend, stop speaking to some of my closest friends and was just not well. I vividly recall sitting there staring at the blank page having nothing to write and for some reason the song ‘Surfacing’ popped into my head. I kept singing to myself one lyric...

Fuck it all. Fuck this world. Fuck everything that you stand for.

I decided to base a story around that lyric. I’m not gonna write the story, as I obviously can’t remember it word for word (god fucking damn it time!) but I do remember the premise. It was about a teenager who was bullied. It eventually got to a point where it was unbearable, he couldn’t take it anymore. He decided he was gonna do something drastic. He left a note in his bully’s locker. It read...

Fuck it all. Fuck this world. Fuck everything you stand for.

He then drove his car off a cliff. Dead.

A few years later the bully hears about an upcoming band. He listens to their hit song and the chorus of that song went...

Fuck it all. Fuck this world. Fuck everything you stand for.

Did the victim fake his death? Was it some weird coincidence? Who knows cause that was the end of the story.

Pretty morbid, right?

I thought it was cool. Cut me some slack, I was a teenager, but it was a story with a twist and I figured no one else would've written something that dark.I guess in my haze of heartache/depression my train of thought just went a little diseased. The school certainly thought something was wrong with me though, as a few days later they called me into the councillors office to have a meeting. I had to explain that it was a creative story, the point being it was fictional. I made it up, it wasn’t based in reality and certainly didn’t reflect me or my thoughts. Im fortunate enough to have never been bullied at any point in my life, ever. It took some talking and explaining for them to believe me. Looking back I was lucky to attend a school which took such notice, but at the time I had no idea why they thought it could be reflective of my actual thoughts. Once it was established that I was fine I was free to go.

Anytime I hear this album and most specifically the song Surfacing, I recall this period of my life. That year was the beginning of a couple of hard years for me, filled with a lot of growing up. The anarchy of that self titled album somewhat captures those years.

I passed that exam by the way and a few months later I moved to Adelaide to get away from my perceived problems in Mt. Gambier.

Looking back, I guess there was a form of truth in that story.

The need for escapism.

I'm sorry Ms. Jarred (oh), I’am for real!

Two songs for two unrelated memories connected through high school and a rap duo from Atlanta, USA.

OutKast - Outkast: Hey Ya! + More Hits playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/63lCcDlqFl3tge6AsR9CJu?si=NuwUmK3rQ3q2dYq5Pul8qw

(Yeah, I know they’re not lyrics...)

The year is 2000 and I’m in my first year of high school. My home group teacher was Ms. Jarred. She was a great teacher, she seemed to actually care about the success of her students. Apparently she could be a bit of a hard arse to kids playing up, but she was always lovely to me and my friends. Also that year saw the release of OutKast’s single ‘Ms. Jackson’.

The song instantly caught my attention. I have a faint memory of discovering it on Video Hits one morning, which might explain why I remember the film clip so well. The instrumentation was a smooth, lazy Hip Hop beat with a piano sample being the main hook. You couldn’t help but nod your head along. The reversed track that runs the whole way through gives it a slightly unnerving vibe, it was something that hinted at something more than just your regular run-of-the-mill hip hop song. Andre 3000 and Big Boi’s rapping is on point. I maintain Andre 3000 is one of the greatest rappers ever. His flow is so... off kilter. I love it. And Big Boy is just a killer.

So like I was saying, I was in Ms. Jarred’s homegroup, Ms. Jackson became a song I secretly admired, as I was trying to keep up my "metal kid" exterior. Being high school, people were tagging all the desks. I very rarely did (except for the odd SI ❤️'s *insert girlfriends initials* 4Eva). I wanted to do something different. I decided to start tagging the first line of the chorus to Ms. Jackson.

I’m sorry Ms. Jackson, I’am for real...

I tagged every desk I could, a few lockers and some random blank surfaces. After a little while, I began cycling through back through the classrooms and I started to notice that other people were finishing off the chorus.

...never meant to make your daughter cry, I apologised a trillion times.

It was oddly satisfying to be connected to random people in the school. Who knows what grade, sex, social status they were. For a moment we connected through this song. A song about telling your side of a story and about the effects of a break-up. I used to wonder “What were all these other kids stories?” Ms. Jarred eventually caught me one day. She thought it was the first time I had done it so I got away with it. I didn’t push my luck as it was all over the school so I stopped. I suspect someone kept it going though...

Fast forward to 2003 and I’m representing our school in soccer on our school's big sports exchange with Glossip High School in the Riverland town of Glossip. It was basically a week long mini Olympics between our two high schools. Each year the schools would take turns in bringing their teams to the other town. I attended the exchange in 2001 and was lucky enough to have an amazing billet named Ben. I have a certain album connected to that trip, but that is for another post. This time round we had planned for me to stay with him again but when I got off the bus I was told I had been specifically asked for and that this new dude would be my billet for the week.

What the fuck...?

I took a deep breathe, introduced myself to this complete stranger...

“Aaah hey, I’m Simon.”

“YO DUDE! I’m Theo! What’s happening? How was the bus ride? Here’s my car, Give me your bags, jump in man!”

I jumped into this stranger's car and we took off...

Now Theo is, how can I explain this... a Greek version of ‘Night at Roxbury’.

To be fair there were a lot of people like him in Riverland around this time. He was a bit older than me as he had his licence. He was stereotypically Greek. Commodore, boxing gloves (or dice?) hanging off the rear view mirror. Me being of Italian heritage I kind of knew what I was in for when I got to his house and sure enough it was as I suspected. His parents were lovely and super welcoming. They wouldn’t let me sit down without having a stupid amount of food in front of me. They were strict on him and his sister but they gave him a little more leeway being the older child. He was obsessed with soccer (as I was), obsessed with being Greek (?) and wanted nothing more than to be a Danny Zuko like person. He was an absolute sweetheart albeit slightly tacky. He was fairly popular at Glossip as I can recall, but he always seemed like he was trying to impress others. He wanted to be liked by everyone. Not in an arrogant way, he just liked being liked. Nevertheless he was a fun loving dude and I soon warmed to him and his family.

The debates were held at night in a hall somewhere outside of Glossip. As per the rules for the week, we had to attend every event, even the ones we weren't involved in. We had a huge feast for dinner and set off down a country highway. It was quickly turning dark out, he had a mix CD on with his favourite tunes. It’s safe to say our tastes in music were worlds apart. I finally felt comfortable enough to ask him something that had been bothering me.

“Hey Theo. My school told me that you requested to have me stay with you. Why did you request me?”

His reply was brutally honest. More honest than what I was ever expecting.

“Your cousin Anthony is a legend around here. He’s someone I look up to and admire. I took a punt that you were his cousin as I remember him saying he had a cousin living in Mt Gambier. I was hoping we could be friends and some of your family magic could rub off on me.”

He then proceeded to confide in me some of his worries and problems. I was taken aback. I idolised my cousin too and didn’t know how I was meant to help him. I still to this day don’t think I’ve ever been as cool as my cousin, I didn’t know how to reply to him.

There was silence... The CD was between tracks.

Nothing but the black highway and blurry headlights racing by.

Then... a piano.

Theo leant forward. “Fuck I love this song.”

He turned the volume up. Waaay up.

“CAROLINE! (Caroline!) Caroline all the guys would say she’s mighty fine!”

What proceeded was the most passionate dance filled (well, as much dancing as possible in a moving vehicle) version of the song I’ve witnessed still to this day. Theo belted that song out like he was possessed. For that moment in time, we became Andre 3000’s crew. I joined in on the fun belting out the parts I knew while letting Theo take the lead. I had heard the song a few times beforehand, but I had never really sat down and really took it in. It’s a brilliant song. It’s catchy as hell, the call backs throughout help you, the listener, join in without feeling stupid.

Plus we all know a girl like Caroline.

By the end of it I was totally sold on the song. It made Theo and I instantly happy after having a heavy conversation. Although I'm reminded of this moment when I hear the song, I smile because you cannot, not smile when the song is on.

The power of music, hey?

OutKast had once again helped me connect with a total stranger through their bizarre southern rap melodies.

The rest of the trip was a blast although a bit of a blur...

But I’ll forever have Roses reminding me of a stranger confiding in me on a dark highway near Glossip.