Big Day Out 2012
Sydney Showground
January 26th, 2012
Reviewed by Liveguide contributor Dom O'Connor
As I was getting ready to leave for Big Day Out, I couldn't help but notice the weather; Isn't the Big Day Out supposed to be synonymous with a searing hot sun, a sweaty mosh and millions of shirtless men? Apparently not, this year. With ominous cloud and a light sprinkle overhead, I set off full of anticipation for the day ahead.
As the group I was with arrived, it started to pour. And by pour, I mean, my worn Tom Waits shirt was drenched within a few minutes of walking around the festival site. However, the rain turned out to be a blessing in disguise. To seek refuge from the rain, I ended up at the Hot Produce stage, where My School Act Winners Sons of Alamo were playing to a small but dedicated crowd. With a strong mix, well-crafted songs and an element of coolness to them, the band seemed to be having as much fun as the crowd, genuinely surprised at the fantastic reception they achieved. A bright future, full of many more festival appearances, seems set for these boys.
And then, a miracle happened- The sun came out! Crowds came out of the rafters to enjoy Abbe May's brooding yet largely uninspired set. As interesting as her dark routine was, the crowd seemed largely bored throughout most of her set. However, it was impossible to fault her own effort, as she, and her band, genuinely seemed to be giving it their all and trying their best to make an impression on the crowd. It simply seemed that her music did not suit such an early time slot, which also did not help her cause.
Directly after Abbe May, on the adjacent Blue stage, were Sydney rockers Papa vs. Pretty. A minor fan before yesterday, I can now safely count myself among the believers in this loud trio. With frontman Thomas Rawle howling his lungs out, the band invested so much energy into their set it was impossible to not be swept up in a wave of enthusiasm for these boys, with cuts off their debut album like Honey cutting through a largely mediocre mix and a well-chosen cover of Smashing Pumpkins 'Bullet with Butterfly Wings' turning the mosh pit into a mess of bad Billy Corgan impersonators.
'FRENZAL! FRENZAL!'
It started near the end of Papa vs. Pretty's set. A loud chant would echo out between songs, calling for their sporadic punk-heroes to start playing. And as soon as the previous band finished, Frenzal Rhomb jumped on with reckless abandon and launched into such old favourites as 'Mommy Doesn't Know That You're A Nazi' and 'Russell Crowe's Band'. The latter had virtually the entire crowd denouncing the musical ability of Mr Crowe, while guitarist Lindsay 'The Doctor' McDougall seemed to be having the most fun of all, jumping up and down like a kid who was given too many energy drinks backstage. With a death circle going, the band didn't let up throughout their tight 45 minute set, frequently leaving the audience in stitches with their frankly hilarious stage banter.
With Frenzal's set winding down, I then made my way to the Essentials stage to see much-buzzed about Kentucky boys Cage the Elephant. And I was most certainly not let down, with a frantic and much-loved show that inspired much hugging and jumping. With the band drawing on tracks from both of their brilliant albums, the set was an early contender for the best live set of the day. Singer Matthew Shulz spent a great majority of it in the crowd, being held up by rabid fans and amazingly, not missing a note, while guitarists Lincoln Parish and Brad Shulz deftly strummed up a storm with their grunge-inspired chops shining through. All in all, Cage the Elephant were heroes to the medium-sized crowd that came to mosh and jump to brilliant live versions of 'Aberdeen' and 'Shake Me Down'.
Faker were next on my list of acts to see, as this necessitated my first visit to the Converse Green Stage, but not before a quick stop-over at one of the convenient water-spraying zones (Whoever came up with this idea is a downright genius). Faker had boatloads of energy, and with lead singer Nathan Hudson, who had his face half-painted like he was at a 5 year old's birthday party, climbing the set's scaffolding to entertain the crowd, Faker certainly looked like they were enjoying themselves in the few songs I caught of theirs.
When I went back to the main arena, The Jezabels were playing. This band has been receiving a lot of amazing press in music circles over the past year. However, this reviewer couldn't stand them. He couldn't stand the over-emoting of the lead singer, the repetitiveness of the drums and the over-arching theme of boredom that seemed to make their set seem at least twice as long as any other artist during the day so far. They were definitely the biggest disappointment of the day, with such a buzz around them being let down in a haze of mediocrity.
Hilltop Hoods were on the Orange stage next, and I must admit I was pleasantly surprised. I went into their show, having a well-known dislike for Australian Hip-Hop, however the boys from Adelaide delivered the goods in front of a rapturous crowd who hung on their every word. Well known for having an excellent stage presence, the band's MCs bounced around and didn't miss a word as they went through songs spanning through their whole career, ending with a triumphant 'Chase That Feeling'.
The main arena was nearing capacity by the time The Living End took the stage. With a fake 'Kamahl' supposedly introducing them, the band immediately jumped into latest single 'Song for the Lonely', before absolutely destroying one of the band's earliest singles, 'Second Solution'. As a one-two punch to start the set, it was a fairly potent start. It awoke the crowd, and cemented these boys as Australia's best live band at the moment. From there on in, the band only seemed to get better, with double-bassist Scott Owen clubbing his bass and jumping on it repeatedly. The band did exactly what they were expected to do as perennial festival favourites: Play a fun, action-packed set that showed off the band's skills and highlighted their illustrious career.
For Mariachi El Bronx, who I saw directly after The Living End, there is only one word to describe them: Fun. For those not in the know, these guys are a punk band from LA (The Bronx) who has an alter-ego Mariachi band that has gotten so successful it gets complete gigs as this side project. As they took the stage in matching suits, the surprisingly-large crowd at the Hot Produce stage seemed to think this was all a joke. However, as the band broke into '48 Roses', off their eponymous sophomore album, the crowd started to realise the joke was on them. The band and lead singer Matt Caughthran were in red-hot form in the afternoon, telling the crowd how they were going to 'explore your musical body' and saying some outlandish statements that wouldn't be right to print.
After deliberately eschewing My Chemical Romance, I then decided to return to the main stage and see Kasabian. The set was good: Strong guitars, soaring vocals, fine audience interaction. So why did I feel like it was missing something? Maybe it's because, despite their supposed headlining status, the band seemed unsure of how to make the leap from plucky crowd-pleasers to bona-fide rockstars. The tunes sounded fine; the band just seemed unsure of how to be truly memorable, something fellow headliners Soundgarden had no trouble with.
From Chris Cornell's first vocal wail during the brilliant opener of 'Searching With My Good Eye Closed', it was obvious that the band could still pull off their old tricks. With Ben Shepherd's bass so low he had to pull the neck upright to reach the notes and drummer Matt Cameron's animal attack on the drums still featuring prominently, the band ripped through classics like 'Spoonman' and 'Jesus Christ Pose' with reckless abandon. Keeping audience banter to a minimum, the band was memorable in the sense of how different it made them feel. They truly embodied the spirit of Rock n Roll by not trying to make anybody laugh or impress them, and simply playing their tunes and letting them speak for them.
As the songs rolled by, the band seemed to get even better, as Cornell's voice truly opened up, culminating in a mind-numbing 'The Day I Tried To Live'. And of course, they played 'Black Hole Sun'. As hackneyed and trite as it is to say, this was the highlight of the set: A time-machine, and remembrance, to the 90's, full of duelling guitars and subdued vocals that add to the song's slow-burn feel. After a set like that, it was hard to say Soundgarden weren't the act of the day.
After Soundgarden finished, and Kanye West kept the audience waiting for 20 minutes, I was ready to leave the main arena and not hear a single word of the rapper's set. And then I heard the 5 minutes of orchestral music that was played while his ballerina dancers entered the stage, and I practically bolted for the exits.
Seeking refuge in the safe, no-bullshit environment of Art Vs. Science in the Boiler Room, it was hard not to enjoy their energetic set. The shirtless trio played festival must-sees like 'Parlez Vous Francais' and 'Flippers', before finishing with a cracking version of 'Hollywood' that left the audience appreciative of the Australian boys and their increasingly huge live show, which utilised a ridiculous number of spectacular lights. Art Vs. Science are destined to become crossover favourites- I'm just happy I saw them while they're a (relatively) well kept secret.
And so we came to the last act of the day. My cohort and I, who had stuck to each other all day, decided that Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds were an interesting closer. And boy, we made the right decision. Settling in to a seat slightly to the right of the stage about halfway through the field of the Converse Green Stage, Noel Gallagher was absolutely brilliant. Playing songs from his solo album (that inevitably sound a little bit like Oasis), Noel had the crowd around his little finger, bringing his clever brand of Brit-Pop to an increasingly large crowd as other acts finished. Sitting with the friend I had been with for at least 12 hours then, as Noel closed with Oasis's 'Don't Look Back in Anger', I couldn't help but think that this was a wonderfully melancholic end to an excellent day.
The Big Day Out is currently touring the country.
Check out the full list of Big Day Out sideshows here.
Check out photos from the show here