Category Archives: Big Day Out

Live Review | Big Day Out 2014 – Sydney

Review by Scott Singh
Pearl jamCome Australia Day, traditionally there will be a BBQ set up in the backyard with the Hottest 100 playing all afternoon. Or rather than that the family will be taken out for some inspiring journey to revitalize the bunch after the recent holiday celebrations. Though, while others were off to their own devices, many faithful punters attended the Sydney Showground in preparation for BDO. With fans as varied as the artist playing today. This day out offered its signature range of music genres to accommodate for everyone’s taste in music.
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Live Review: Big Day Out 2014 – Melbourne

Review by Ben Connolly
Pearl Jam - Photo Credit: Kane HibberdThere was already a significant amount of water flowing under the bridge by the time Flemington’s famous iron gates were flung open for this year’s Melbourne chapter of the Big Day Out. With ownership wrangling continuing into a second year, a buy-out by one of Australian music’s most polarising characters, a line-up to end all line-ups only to be tarnished late in the day by the pull out of Blur, and now speculation that the national festival will once again be curtailed by Perth’s inability to get its shit together as a cultural collective. In some ways, 11am on the Friday before the long weekend was a welcomed event, if only to end the continual news feed of the daily life of Australia’s biggest orgy of rock.
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Live Review – Big Day Out – Gold Coast 2013

Review by Lauren Sherritt
The Sunday set for the Gold Coast Big Day Out 2013 dawned hot and sunny as around the state thousands packed themselves into cars, shuttle buses and trains and headed to the Parklands.

There were those who arrived early, queuing eagerly at the gates with tickets in hands and starting the party with top-notch openers like the rocketing-towards-stardom Sydney two piece Toucan and the magnificent DJ Helena, who kick-started the burgeoning crowds’ energy.

Then there were those who waited out the sun to arrive later for the big names on the bill, with Grinspoon’s mid-afternoon efforts pulling the first really big crowd of the day. Hard Act to Follow and Thrills, Kills and Sunday Pills had the crowd singing as one and from a distance the moving sea of hands and bodies seemed to swell with excitement under the masterful conducting of the band’s front man Phil Jamieson.
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Big Day Out 2012 – Melbourne – 29th January 2012 | REVIEW

Review by Ben Connolly
Photos by: Naomi Rahim
Photos Credit: Naomi RahimWith 20 years under its belt and a major crisis in confidence, Big Day Out organisers and marketing teams got all introspective in the lead up to the 2012 event. For many, it was time to question the event’s continued validity in the now flooded one day festival market. That questioning, undoubtedly, led the co-founders to part ways and this year’s event to succumb to circumstance and dramatically downsize. And with recent news that the Auckland leg was no more after this year, it’s pertinent to reflect upon what, exactly, the BDO brand has brought to the rock festival table over its two decades.

What are rock festivals all about these days?

Rock festivals are still about discovering.
Early in the baking summer’s day, Melbourne’s BONJAH held the fort at the aptly-named Hot Produce stage. Now with a rockier edge compared to its urban-roots inflected past, the five-piece oozes charisma, with front-man Glenn Mossop’s chiseled looks and studied moves adding to his extraordinary brooding, honey-dipped drawl. A kicker of Portishead’s “Teardrop” adds icing to the cake and pegs this performance as a great way to ease in to the steamy afternoon.
Continue reading Big Day Out 2012 – Melbourne – 29th January 2012 | REVIEW

Big Day Out 2012 – Melbourne – 29th January 2012 | Photo Gallery

Photographer: Naomi Rahim

Photographer: Naomi Rahim
Continue reading Big Day Out 2012 – Melbourne – 29th January 2012 | Photo Gallery

Review: Big Day Out 2012 – Sydney – 26th January 2012

Review by Sibel Kutlucan

Celebrating 20 years since the first ever Big Day Out in Sydney 1992, which boasted incredible bands such as, Nirvana and Violent Femmes, the Big Day Out has had a reputation to uphold with line-ups that every year do not disappoint. This year was no exception.

For 2012, Big Day Out offered an impressive line-up that consisted of a range of rock, dance, pop and hip hop acts, including Kanye West, My Chemical Romance, Noel Gallagher, Soundgarden and Kasabian.

The morning weather was bleak, with rain and threatening storm clouds looming. However, the masses of music fans still poured into the Sydney Showgrounds from 11am, anxious for a sure day of excitement, great music and the ambience of bare flesh, and despite the weather, did not scare away the summer attire of short shorts and bikini tops.

Earlier acts such as Sydney rockers Papa Vs Pretty and Victoria’s Stonefield enticed crowds and brightened up the sky. The busy schedule of all six stages charged on and as the bands played and the crowds grew the storm clouds slowly disappeared and the typical Australia Day sunshine arrived.

Sydney indie-rock band Bluejuice owned the Boiler Room, with their infectious music and attitude whipping their eager fans into a whirlwind of odd dance moves and great times, especially when they erupted with their hit, “Broken leg”.

Boy and Bear were another standout act in the afternoon as they took to the orange stage and showed why they were recent ARIA winners with their amazing cover of Crowded House’s “Fall at your Feet”, which commemorated Australia Day with the crowd enthusiastically singing along.

Kiwi songstress Kimbra had her audience enthralled as she took to the Converse Green Stage thrashing about and singing her lungs out of her waif like frame. Her powerful voice was contagious and her act was a definite standout of the festival.

Jersey alt-rockers My Chemical Romance pulled a huge crowd at the orange stage, with front man Gerard Way sporting new blonde locks and clad all in black, led their set through an impressive range of tracks off their discography including old favourites “I’m not okay” and “Helena”.

Brit indie-rockers Kasabian were welcomed to the blue stage with flashing neon blue lights and smoke slowly filling the stage, as their crowd erupted in cheers, eager to welcome Kasabian back to our shores. “Shoot the runner” as always was a definite crowd-pleaser and resonated with festival-goers long after their set finished.

Kanye West did not disappoint as he took to the blue stage for his hour and a half long set where he dominated the other acts of the night. With his eye-catching back-up dancers to his rather unique dress sense and contagious tracks, Kanye West delivered a fantastic set.

Amongst all the great music on the six stages, the Guvera skate ramp always had their crowd entertained; however it was when Tony Hawk took to the ramp that the skate ramp attracted more festival-goers that even some of the headliners. It was a moment not to be missed, and the epic skating was a nice break between the countless sets to take in.

Celebrating an amazing 20 years of festivals Big Day Out came home to Sydney this Australia day despite earlier problems involving the spilt of co-founders Ken West and Vivian Lees, as well as the announcement of BDO’s withdrawal from New Zealand next year. This dark news however, did not impact the festival and West said that the festival will come back stronger and that Big Day Out’s heart will always remain in Sydney, as it began here 20 years ago.

Once again the Sydney leg of the Big Day Out tour delivered an amazing Australia day to all the music lovers who bared the bipolar weather for a day of great music and experiences.

Review by Sibel Kutlucan


Related:
* PHOTOS! BIG DAY OUT – SYDNEY

* Review our review of: Big Day Out 2012 – Gold Coast Parklands – 22nd January 2012

PHOTOS: Big Day Out 2012 – Gold Coast
PART 1
Soundgarden, My Chemical Romance, Stonefield, Cage The Elephant, The Amity Affliction, Kimbra

PART 2
Kanye West, Kasabian, Abbe May, The Jezabels, Foster The People, The Living End, Mariachi el Bronx, Calling All Cars, Papa vs Pretty, Parkway Drive, Boy & Bear, The Vaccines

PART 3
Crowd Pics

Photos: (Part 2) Big Day Out 2012 – Gold Coast Parklands – 22nd January 2012

Photographer: Stuart Blythe

Photographer: Stuart Blythe
Continue reading Photos: (Part 2) Big Day Out 2012 – Gold Coast Parklands – 22nd January 2012

Review: Big Day Out 2012 – Gold Coast Parklands – 22nd January 2012

Review by Lauren Sherritt
Big Day Out – it’s not just a music festival. It’s a fashion show, the latest summer clothes coming out to play (2012 including girls shortest short shorts, guys screen printed singlets and a whole lot of hair on everyone). It’s a test of the strength of boyfriends’ spines as they hoist their girlfriends high above the crowds on their shoulders. It’s a feat of endurance, a challenge put to the elements that no kind of weather can stop the show, a day of sunscreen and sunburn, of thrills, friendship and fried food. And yes, there is some excellent music as well.

The Gold Coast leg of the festival kicked off at eleven a.m. For those of us travelling from further afield the day started much earlier, a mixture of trains and shuttle buses becoming more and more crowded with others in festival garb as we neared the event.

Ticket checks, bag checks, ID checks done and we were in. The sun shone brightly, the outside glare making us squint to make out the shape of Abbe May and band on the contrasting dark stage, their hard rock carving through the muggy air.
Continue reading Review: Big Day Out 2012 – Gold Coast Parklands – 22nd January 2012