Big Day Out 2004 – Perth Australia

(By Guest Author Jonathan Brodula)
For those not familiar with the Big Day Out tour here’s the weblink: http://www.bigdayout.com/main.php

Here’s the report:

The big day out is certainly a lot better when you get everyone’s perspectives of the day as opposed to your own. My day started at Gyroscope and the car was getting thrown around corners at speeds just to be in time. In a few years these guys will probably get a gig on the main stage (or a later spot on the small stage) in Perth as they’ve got quite the catalog of songs already. After a quick look at the main stages (Skulker/Sleepy Jackson) and my first encounter with the ‘D Barrier Nazis’ (A five minute wait just to get in to a VERY empty area? What a load of shite… things would get better however) it was up to see the Persian Rugs for a brief moment just incase said Nazi’s decided to hold things up for the Hoodoo Gurus.

The Darkness was frustrating at first because of the Nazi’s crowd controlling/little girl death avoiding but entrance was FAR easier on the Orange side of the D Barrier. After missing Bareback and the majority of Black Shuck in the queue I must say I was treated to quite the show afterward with Justin Hawkin’s best David Lee Roth impersonation’s and the bass player’s gaze almost staring straight through you at times. The Black Eyes Peas brief appearance and subsequent roar from an approving crowd was the odd partnership that the BDO always seems to deliver. I’m a great fan of the rock revival and bands that take the time to give it their all for the pure enjoyment of the crowd.

Went for a wander and came back to line up for re-entry to the Black Eyed peas which of course was the usual fare with security (I’m sure there is a logical explanation for the d being 75% empty all day but it escapes me at the moment). Was great to see some hip-hop main staging it at the Big Day Out and was a welcome change but how Something for Kate gets main stage when 1200 Techniques doesn’t given the quality and all round fun of the latters set is also beyond me.

Butterfly Effect up next was my favourite crowd all day. Everyone was there to mosh and Perth FINALLY got it right when it came to the mosh pit. Water sprayed over the business area of the pit every 2 or 3 minutes and the people were there to jump to TBE’s ultra tight set all the way through. Can’t wait for Rockit after that!

Jet were neither a dissapointment nor a highlight for me. They were there, they played their popular songs and they got the crowd doing some risky things (Standing on the very top of that tree HAD to be the best seat in the house) to see their show. Hey just because they have a few catchy songs on the radio is no reason to dislike them but my burning question is… How the hell did the Vines get on the main stage and stink the joint up last year and Jet gets small stage, a big appreciative crowd and delivered a good set while NOT pretending to be stoned? Politics or stupidity? Then again considering ‘security measures’ this year Jet didn’t do too bad after all.

Wasn’t happy with the Nazi’s before Muse but I only have myself to blame for that. Decided against waiting and watched from afar. They played Citizen Erased early and that was enough for me and I went for a wander to the Boiler Room and saw hardly anyone! Looked over to the Hothouse to see Peaches starting and guessed that was the reason why. Hothouse? No fucking kidding! Peaches didn’t exactly make me want to stay either after working my way to a good spot. Not my thing when someone records with a full band (on ‘Kick It’) and just prances around the place on her own.

After much deliberation I decided Hoodoo Gurus were worth the wait in the line… until I saw it that is. Tried for a good spot in the licensed area but thought that a try on the Orange Stage side entrance to the D was worth it. Walked straight past the line and merged in 5 metres out. 5 minutes later I was in and rather perplexed. But I knew I wasn’t leaving for anything. Saw the Strokes whole set when I would have rathered Poison The Well and was surprised with the catchy nature of all their songs…albeit sometimes sounding identical. Their new album material is quite good and ‘Last Nite’ was a brilliant tune live. All the while Metallica’s stage was being set up and hearing the odd roar for the speakers getting wheeled out and the ten thousand or so boards of pyro being set up. What was coming next was surely going to be worth a phonecall to ALL of my mates that thought I was stupid for trying to get back into the D.

Metallica played the the usual for mine. Was hoping for a surprise in song choice somewhere there or a jam of some sorts but I guess all of that went out the window with Jason Newstead’s departure. Got boring fast and was waiting for something to happen… so Metallica had heart failure on their minds with the opening of ‘One’. A sidenote to those who pay attention to the band’s mannerisms… did James seem a little perturbed at the start during ‘Creeping Death’ when no one caught on with the ‘DIE’ warcry (or anything else for that matter)? Also did Lars seem snakey the whole time? For the most part the crowd inside the D barrier sucked for being there. I’d prefer the diehards crunching me while making an effort to be part of the show instead of punks just surging all over the place just ‘being there, man!'(being those who heard St Anger on the radio or just burned a copy of the CD from one of their mates for their Metallica knowledge. But hey more power to them for slipping past the Nazis on the gate!). ‘The Unnamed Feeling’ was the set highlight just for being something new and pretty damn sweet in my opinion.

End of show and I was rooted and well cooked around the outline of my Brisbane Lions jersey. No real regrets apart from missing the Muse mosh which will probably go on the list along with missing The Music last year and The White Stripes the year before that in due time but all in all a brilliant day given time to reflect on it.