Prior to all this, and thanks to the whole 'bring your friend for free' second day, I was able to attend not just one, but TWO Sydney Big Day Outs, back to back this year. Was it a marathon? Hell yes. Did I get to the halfway point thinking 'fuck going tomorrow that'll kill me'? - was it freaking hot? The answer to all these questions is yes but ultimately while it nearly killed me (so did the accident) I'm a better man for it. I was thinking about going through a two-day story but I figure if I make it sound like one day it'll look like I saw heaps of bands.
Make no mistake both days were absolutely sweltering, and given the weeks of rain and inconsistency Sydney had experienced prior to it, the audience was divided between people embracing summer and those hating it. Being one of the first bands on Little Red were certainly embracing the season, decked out in Hawaiian shirts, Lei's and a generally summer-friendly vibe. This was unfortunately my first chance to catch them live since the release of Midnight Remember last year and the set construction was well done. Easing us in with some new ones while chucking in the old favourite here and there - Jackie Cooper is such a festival song.
Moving to the side stages it was time to experience Washington and see if the hype matched the live performance. Seeing Little Red beforehand, who are brilliant live, was a good comparison. The crowd was huge and the heat was hitting its peak but she soldiered on with one of the best mixes of the day and an honest charisma thats hard to hate. I can see how she rubs some people the wrong way but if you don't like it, it's generally advised that you leave. Overall though definitely an impressive performance. I don't know if the conversational swearing will do too many favours for her primary demographics but still, shes fun.Airbourne take live music to the extreme, as I found out in 2007 and 4 years and another album later not much has changed. The riffs are still ACDC on speed, the walls of Marshall amps are rock'n'roll at its finest. Joel O'Keefe scales the frame of the stage with guitar in tow, wraps his legs around some poles and then starts soloing from dizzying heights. Its true showmanship without regard for personal safety, and an Airbourne concert should be no other way. Easily another of the most entertaining live bands in the country.
If theres any act that can match Airbourne for sheer energy, despite maybe being without the life-threatening acrobatics, its Andrew WK. I've been a fan for years but he's always struck me as a novelty. Party music is his forte and when he and his 4-guitar wielding band came out and opened with 'Its Time To Party' you had a rough idea of what to expect. What you don't expect from someone with such pounding, chunky music is his attitude. The guy could seriously be a life coach ala Tony Robbins, and he'd probably be more fun. His constant screams of how good it is to be alive, how thankful we should be, how much we should love life, it was contagious. There wasn't a person watching him that didn't, at some stage shake their head at the ridiculous awesome-ness of it all with a big smile on their face. One of the standouts.
Back in the main arena Lupe Fiasco was playing a show I certainly didnt expect. Ive been familiar with his stuff for a while now but it looks like he's trying to match Kanye in terms of live performance. He had a band, and a high intensity show but on the first day alot of it was lost on a crowd just getting sick of standing in the sun I think. And by the first few songs in he was feeling it too. The show was high on energy but lacked proper substance and construction. Lots of half songs straight into others annoys me. Apparently his sideshows were fantastic though so I just dont know. Gyroscope were dull. Im sorry but they're not my cup of tea. They were nothing more than a soundtrack of mediocre music whilst I stood in the shade and drank beers. Did I stick around for Angus and Julia Stone? Not really. Their crowd was huge and their music, while nice and luscious on a CD, isn't something I wanna stand shoulder to shoulder in smashing heat to, surrounded by fellow sweaty punters.
Die Antwoord were in the Boiler Room, which made a nice change from being outside. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from the live show, wondering how it would translate from the obscurity of the CD but I tell you what they were highly entertaining. The sound was good, the crowd was responsive (if alot bigger the first day) and the set was well constructed too. Ninja was going bananas jumping in and out of the crowd, not missing a beat. There were lessons on South African culture and language, Yolandi getting her tits out and rubbing her ass and crotch all over the place. They killed it. And with a follow up album on the horizon I can see them coming back in the near future.
As bored as I may have been by Gyroscope nothing could top (almost) the inane boredom suffered during the set of Birds Of Tokyo. I tell you, when you've got a fistful of entertaining Aussie bands on in the first few hours, to have to stand in the heat listening to these guys is enough to make my want to rip out my own eyeballs and hair and then consume them in a disgusting stew. One of the most annoying bands in the country. Karnivool are better, but not by much. Birds of Tokyo can fuck off... please.
In a saving grace to Australian music the appalling Birds of Tokyo were followed by the John Buter Trio. Yes the last album is probably his least amazing but still, anyone who has seen him live knows that its his strength. Of course he had to start off with his acknowledgement to the 'native owners of the land' and shit. I know he's got his agenda but its the same every show. It gets a bit old. Regardless of MY political opinion. Anyway the set was good, crowd interaction was fun and the jams were, as usual, amazing. The lineup he's got now is probably one of the most cohesive I've seen him play with.
Both Birds and JBT I caught primarily because I am the biggest Rammstein fan I know. You can dare challenge me if you want but you'll probably lose. Hell the only reason I went both days in the first place was for the 'Stein (as I like to call them). Waiting in the D (at the front first day, and at the back the second) you end up having to endure the acts before, whether you like them or not. Ive read a few reviews of the Big Day Out so far and I honestly cannot understand the plaudits of those people who caught Iggy and the Stooges. Was it an intentional choice by the BDO to put him on before Rammstein just to make them look better? Perhaps. The man is decrepit, he talks like Liam Gallagher and whoever the fuck was doing sound for him BOTH nights needs to be shot in the face. The sound was disgusting, the man is disgusting to look at, his band are as old and decrepit as he is. Anyone who thinks the man is a sex symbol is seriously fucked up. He was marginally better on the second day than the first, but if you times a hundred bazillion times zero you still get.... zero. Sorry Mr Pop, I know you've got history and all but I think its time for you to fade into the distance. It was my choice to watch you, yes. I could have left and some people did but you think Im gunna miss out on Rammstein just because you suck? And by the way if you want to comment rage about how much you LOVE Iggy and how I don't know what I'm talking about PLEASE don't waste your time.
Aaaanyway after that it was time for the main event (because lets face it, Tool weren't). A massive curtain draped the stage so as to not spoil the surprise. As it dropped it was followed by a massive German flag that covered the stage. Ironic on Australia day? Or just fucking awesome? What can I say about Rammstein that hasn't already been said by everyone who has witnessed them? They were truly brilliant and made the arena their own. A fantastic setlist and various shenanigans from fireworks, flames shooting out of everywhere in the stage, elephant guns, crossbows, flaming face masks, a petrol bowser turned into a flamethrower and the coup-de-grace, a massive cock shaped cannon that doused the crowd in foam as it was ridden from one side of the stage to the other by the massive Till Lindemann. There was no real pretense, this was just a band seeking to come out and try their hardest to win over a pretty new audience. Judging by the reaction they got, and the fact that you could tell they were having fun, it won't be long before they're back out, and if they DO come again, you'd be an absolute fool to miss them.After Rammstein were finished playing a headline-worthy slot Tool were just fucking boring. Danny Carey carries the band almost by himself and Maynard is the laziest, creepiest frontman in metal music. He stands at the back next to the drums, in the shadows for the most part. Visually the show was spectacular, lasers and screens and stuff but the difference is Rammstein used their on stage equipment to enhance the songs and keep you focussed. Tools lasers and awesome visuals were nothing more than a distraction when you got fucking bored. They could have played an instrumental set and I would have enjoyed it more. Song selection was poor. They probably shouldnt have played after Rammstein and there would have been more to take from it.
Whilst Tool were trying their hardest not to impress, Pnau were on the sidestages unfortunately doing about the same. The crowd was informed at the start that there would be some new material played, and thats fine. But no one was told that we'd have two afro'd people playing absolutely redundant guitar parts and bouncing all over the stage. 'Wild Strawberries' sound shit with a guitar as opposed to electronic. Why they weren't in the boiler room who knows. The crowd didnt seem to care either but personally I found the new 'band' thing a bad idea and the sound, for the most part, was absolutely shite. 'Silence is Violence' to close the set was good but no doubt enhanced by the fact the song has an actual guitar part in it anyway.
My biggest regret of the whole two-day saga? I didnt get to see Grinderman. I left on the first day thinking I'd just see them the day after, and the second day I could not stand anymore due to the intense back pain and fatigue experienced from doing two huge days on an accumulated 4 hours sleep and standing up for pretty much all of it. I regret it but overall it was still great. I could spew about missing MIA but I dont really dig her anyway.
Final thoughts: It was a good BDO this year. Well organised, everything ran quite smoothly, even the whole '2 for 1' thing on the second Sydney day. The beer was always expensive but cutting down to mid-strength in the afternoon, while tasting disgusting, probably solved alot of potential violence issues, especially on Australia Day. If anything I highly doubt there will be a second Sydney show next year. They still sold alot of tickets but having being there both days you could just see and feel how empty the festival was as a whole. Not that this bothered me at all, more room to breathe and less dickheads. Best band of the festival? Fucking Rammstein of course. These were my 10th and 11th BDO's respectively. Will they be the last? Time will tell, but either way, 2011 certainly delivered.
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