Big Day Out 2013 @ Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne (26/01/2013)
How time flies.
It was five years ago to the day that I was attending my first Big Day Out festival. Birds of Tokyo were the first band I saw on the day, and the iconic Neil Young took to the blue stage as the festival's headline act, a moment I'll never forget.
And now, in 2013, I was attending my fifth consecutive Big Day Out.
How time flies.
It was five years ago to the day that I was attending my first Big Day Out festival. Birds of Tokyo were the first band I saw on the day, and the iconic Neil Young took to the blue stage as the festival's headline act, a moment I'll never forget.
And now, in 2013, I was attending my fifth consecutive Big Day Out.
How time flies.
The day got off to a surprising start. Entering the venue, the changes from last year's event were quite clear.
The D pit was still a regular fixture, but the giant marquee that blocked the views of so many was no more, while various sponsors had set up two storey grandstands, facing the main stages. A truck break down saw House Vs Hurricane rescheduled to headline the Red Stage at 8pm, so Melbourne based rock act, Me, officially became the main stage opening act of the day. However, I would be kicking off my day with San Diego five piece, Every Time I Die. With their latest album, Ex-Lives in town, Every Time I Die were commanding and surprising addition to this years Big Day Out line-up, warming up the D pit in fine form. |
Back at the Red Stage, hardworking Melbourne based rockers Money For Rope were drawing an impressive crowd, and it wasn't tough to see why, with their hard-hitting riffs and vintage garage rock sound blasting the eardrums of those in their vicinity. Then it was back to the main stages for the conclusion of Every Time I Die's set, and one of the big draw cards for my day's schedule, Against Me!
Against Me! were a band I was incredibly interested in catching live. With the addition of former Angels and Airwaves drummer Adam Willard to the group, front woman Laura Jane Grace (formerly Tom Gabel) had the crowd in the palm of her hands, commanding the stage with such force that it was impossible not to get swept up in the bands spit-fire brand of punk rock. It was early days, but Against Me! had immediately secured a nomination for the best set of Big Day Out 2013.
A quick exploration of the 2013 site allowed for a visit to Chow Town, but more so to finally catch the guitar prodigy and possible re-incarnation of Jimi Hendrix himself, Gary Clarke Jr. While the Green Stage was filled to capacity, Gary was only visible through fleeting glimpses. But you didn't really need to watch him play to enjoy his performance. Of course, it helps to see Clarke's fingers work the guitar, but you simply just needed to close your eyes and listen to the sounds of his intricate performance. Mark my words, Gary Clarke. Jr is set to take the world (and future generations to come) by storm. Back at the main stage, it was time for Band of Horses. I love Band of Horses, but shamefully I've missed them every time they've come to Australia, so their fixture on the line-up was like the planets aligning. It couldn't have been more perfect. Band of Horses had drawn their die hard fans in, but it was fantastic to see so many others curiously checking their set out. Opening with Laredo, they would quickly convert those unfamiliar with their work into new fans. The set was everything a Band of Horses fan could have wanted, and by the time they reached The Funeral, we weren't ready to say goodbye. A perfect set, the best set of the day, and one of the best I've ever seen at a Big Day Out festival. |
For myself, Vampire Weekend are in a similar boat to Band of Horses. I'm a long time fan, but I've never seen them live. They had drawn a sizeable crowd, being one of the major draw cards of the day and with no sideshow in Melbourne, this was the only chance we'd have of seeing Vampire Weekend this Summer.
Surprisingly, amidst all of their well known hits which included A-Punk, Cousins and the perfect singalong, Oxford Comma, Vampire Weekend only debuted one new song on the Melbourne crowd, called Unbelievers. It was classic Vampire Weekend; sun kissed guitar riffs blending with Ezra Koenig's happy-go-lucky vocals. If it's any indication of Vampire Weekend's upcoming third record, fans will not be left disappointed.
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, led by eccentric and enigmatic front woman Karen-O, had filled the D pit to capacity. I'd really been looking forward to catching the Yeah Yeah Yeahs live, but my skewed vantage point made me feel semi-disconnected from their set. Karen-O's voice is phenomenal live, and I certainly enjoyed their songs which included two tracks from their upcoming album, Mosquito. They concluded their set with Heads Will Roll. I feel that being in the mosh directly would have benefited my experience greatly with Yeah Yeah Yeahs, but they are definitely be a band I plan to see at future tours, and I look forward to that moment. As for The Killers, I'd been one of the lucky few to score a ticket to their intimate sideshow at the Palace earlier that week. This was my third time seeing The Killers, they are a band who command the stage with such ferocity and professionalism that it's impossible not to be swept up in the grandness of their performance. While their last two albums haven't been as well received as their earlier work, the songs are fantastic when performed live. Brandon Flowers bounds about the stage, lapping up the crowd. You can tell this is just a regular day at the office for him! |
The mix of the old and the new in the set is perfect, with the highlights being Mr Brightside, Miss Atomic Bomb, Spaceman and of course, When You Were Young. The surprises came with a cover of Crowded House's Don't Dream It's Over and an Australia Day rendition of Waltzing Matilda. While they weren't my days highlight, I can tell from the faces around me that they were certainly others pick of the day.
Now I've got to be honest, I'm not that much of a Red Hot Chili Peppers fan. I've never read Scar Tissue. They've simply never really grabbed me as a listener, yet from the perspective of musical history, the chance to see them perform live was one I didn't want to miss. Clearly, myself and 20,000+ other people attending the festival thought so too. In the space of ten minutes, there wasn't a square meter of lawn space that wasn't occupied by the crowd. This is where my only real negative point about this years Big Day Out will come to light.
When you have 20,000 or so people trying to watch one band in a rather confined area, it's going to get messy. You have (intoxicated) people endangering their lives by climbing trees, and everybody packed into such a small area that it really does become an issue.
Now I've got to be honest, I'm not that much of a Red Hot Chili Peppers fan. I've never read Scar Tissue. They've simply never really grabbed me as a listener, yet from the perspective of musical history, the chance to see them perform live was one I didn't want to miss. Clearly, myself and 20,000+ other people attending the festival thought so too. In the space of ten minutes, there wasn't a square meter of lawn space that wasn't occupied by the crowd. This is where my only real negative point about this years Big Day Out will come to light.
When you have 20,000 or so people trying to watch one band in a rather confined area, it's going to get messy. You have (intoxicated) people endangering their lives by climbing trees, and everybody packed into such a small area that it really does become an issue.
Even security had troubles making their way through the crowd. But enough about that, let's get back to the music.
The Chili Wilis set was an entertaining, mixed with a few new tracks and their classics like By The Way, Under The Bridge, Can't Stop and even a cover of David Bowie's What In The World. The addition of guitar tech Josh Klinghoffer as a full time member impressed me immensely. While no stranger to the big leagues, he really can hold his own when an impromptu jam session occurred mid set. It's worth mentioning that this was even a hometown Australia Day show for the band's bassist, Flea. All in all, I'm happy to say all the Chili Peppers have converted me. Maybe not as a fully fledged fan, but enough for me to go back re-listen to their discography. |
Following a year of controversy in 2012, Big Day Out bounced back in fine form and ticked many of the right boxes this year. Ken West hit the nail on the head with fresh line-up of bands who could appeal to fans of pretty much every style of music, setting himself a high bar for future events. I look forward to seeing what Big Day Out can deliver in 2014.
Luke Sutton
Follow me on Twitter - @lukesutton
Check out our photos from the day here!
Luke Sutton
Follow me on Twitter - @lukesutton
Check out our photos from the day here!