GooberMan's report on the Gold Coast Big Day Out, 20th January 2002

The Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in New Zealand and Australia. There were doubts as to whether it would be held this year as an incident occured at the Sydney Big Day Out during Limp Bizkit's set (I was at the edge of the pit, it was a fucking huge pit) which saw a young girl squashed during the mosh pit rush. She suffered a heart failure and was taken off life support a few days later. It went ahead this year, this being my fourth Big Day Out. The security precautions they had taken as a result of the death actually provided a better experience in front of the main stages. A D Barricade was set up around the two main stages which sectioned off alot of the crowd from the traditional mosh area in front of the stages. They only let a certain amount of people in this area at a time, which made it alot easier for the people down in the mosh pit. For the first time at the event, I was actually able to get down on the barricades between the mosh pit and the stage for one of the bands. Overall the mosh pit was much more enjoyable with less people in it. Anyway, on with the report.
First, I had to get up nice and early for a train to the venue. I live over 200km away from the Gold Coast (the venue was about 5km from Warner Brother's Movie World and Seaworld) and had to catch a 7am train to get to the venue for opening time. The next train to the Gold Coast was due to leave at 10:30am so I decided the 7am was the best one to catch. 3 and a half hours later and I was finally there. The return trip was fucked. I double checked the train times when I got there and I found no problems. After I left the grounds I found out that they'd changed the times and I missed the last train back home. I got as far as Brisbane and had to get my dad to drive down to Brisbane to pick me up. I left Brisbane at 1:30am and got home an hour and 10 minutes later. After this much trouble with the rail system, I intend on being back in Sydney for next year's Big Day Out.
After getting in to the grounds, I walked around for a bit surveying the grounds as I was unfamiliar with the layout (my previous three Big Day Outs were in Sydney). The Sydney grounds are definately better for the event. The Sydney BDO is held at the showgrounds, which is right next to the Olympic Stadium. The Gold Coast BDO is held on a horse track. There is alot more space than the Sydney event, but the layout of the Sydney event is much better.
I was getting bored and decided to see the first band playing, a Brisbane trio called The Butterfly Effect. Their first song sounded alright so I decided to stay around. Unfortunately their songs sounded similar to the first one, so I got bored half way through and decided to check out the first band to play on the main stage, Superheist. They're a Melbourne band, and not very original. I stuck around to watch the rest of their set though as there was not much else I wanted to do.
I left to track down some food for lunch while a band called Amen played. I found a seat in the stadium and watched the rest of their set from there. They weren't too bad. I might try and get some MP3s of them to see exactly what they're like.
After Amen was another Melbourne band called Magic Dirt. The first track they played reminded me of a Kyuss song and as a result got me interested. The rest of their stuff was nothing like the first song however. Still, they might be worth checking out.
After that was a New Zealand band called Shihad. They're not too bad. I've listened to their stuff before but don't have any of their albums. After Shihad was a band called Something For Kate. These guys have some OK songs but for the most part they bored me. I left half way through to stock up on water and made my way to the entrance to the mosh pit for the next band.
Grinspoon are one of my favourite Australian bands. They write some very good rock tunes. Their track, More Than You Are, is one of my favourite songs. I had already seen them at the 2000 Big Day Out but I enjoyed it more this year, probably because I was closer to the front than I was before and I wasn't being knocked out by a crowd surfer every 5 minutes. As usual, the lead singer was drunk, but he still gives out a good performance and never misses a word.
Some of the crowd left the D Barricade after Grinspoon finished, and the rest moved to the adjoining stage to watch the next band, System Of A Down. I was surprised because there was next to no one in front of the stage that had just held Grinspoon, possibly the first time that has ever happened at the main stages. I moved to the barricade between the pit and the stage as I wanted to be down the front for the next band and watched System Of A Down from there. They weren't too bad. I don't have any of their albums. I might get one when I get some money.
The band I was down the front for was Regurgitator. They are quite possibly the best band in Australia at this point in time. If you've ever wanted diversity in a band, Regurgitator provides it in truckloads. These guys are capable of taking a music style and writing some of the best tracks you'll ever hear for that style. I had seen them at the 1999 BDO and had enjoyed them there. Again, I enjoyed them better this year. If any of you who are in Australia have pay TV and access to Channel V, check out the Gold Coast replay of these guys and look for someone down the front in a Tool shirt and a backwards cap, or no cap depending on what half of the concert it is in. That's me :)
Next on the line-up were Garbage. These guys rock. Butch Vig produced two of my favourite albums (Nirvana's Nevermind and Smashing Pumpkin's Siamese Dream), and Shirley Manson is the hottest girl in the music industry (especially on the day as she was wearing a white, form fitting, semi-see through shirt with no bra). I enjoyed their set alot. They played an even mix from all three of their albums and they threw in the track they made for the Romeo and Juliet movie that was made a few years back just for good measure. It was definately good to see an even mix of tracks instead of the usual "focus on the new stuff" attitude of most bands. Everyone in the pit had their eyes locked on Shirley for the whole time. Along with Regurgitator's set, this was one of my favourites of the show. My other favourite set will be discussed later.
The next band I decided to check out have always been a hit-and-miss affair in my mind. Many will tell me how good silverchair is, but really some of their songs are good and some of their songs are shit. After watching them for 20 minutes and not seeing what I considered a good sivlerchair song, I decided to leave and get something to eat (it was about 7pm).
After finding some suitable food, I made my way over to one of the side stages to check out a band one of my friends said was good. I hadn't listened to the John Butler Trio before, but I came out of that stage with a huge smile on my face. Along with Queens Of The Stone Age, At The Drive-In, and Tool's Lateralus, these guys have written some of the freshest rock I've ever listened to in the past few years. In a world where almost everyone is using their distortion pedals on their electric guitars, they've gone in the complete opposite direction and use acoustic guitar. The guitar provides some of the freshness. The tunes are some of the best rock I've heard in a while aswell, and the solos they do are something to be seen. This was definately one of the best acts of the day, and the crowd that had gathered and had extended well beyond the tent that it was held in knew it. I'm definately buying their album when I get the money. I don't know about the availability of the album overseas (they're an Australian band), but if you do see their album sitting in the store, buy it.
I wandered away from that stage to find a good position to watch the Prodigy from. The previous band, New Order, were still playing when I got back to the main stages. It was interesting to hear the original version of Blue Monday, as I had only heard the cover version Orgy did. I'd have to say I enjoy the Orgy version more.
Finally, one of the bands I've been wanting to see live for a while were on. Unfortunately, the Prodigy proved to be my biggest disappointment of the day (even compared to the farce that they call the rail system). Sure, it was cool watching Keith go apeshit at the crowd, and the light show was something to be seen, but the thing that really got to me was that they were playing tracks directly off their albums and performing vocals (and occasionally instruments) over the top of it. I found this extraordinarilly cheap and got annoyed just before they played Firestarter (over half way through their set) and left.
Overall, I enjoyed the Big Day Out this year. I would have preferred to have gone to either the Adelaide or Perth BDO though as they have two bands that I want to see, that being The Tea Party (kickass Canadian rock band) and Tomahawk (yet another Mike Patton side project), but I didn't let that detract from me having a good time. If you can still get tickets, go check it out.

Some links:
Map of the venue
Timetable of all the bands that played.

regurgitator rule.

i hope that i see the BDO sometime (maybe next year).

The 'gurge do rule, and I yelled that out several times (since I was down front they prolly heard too, most probably Ben tho cos I was right in front of him). If you haven't heard the 'gurge before, the link to their page has been in my sig for a while now so you've got no excuse :P

First, I had to get up nice and early for a train to the venue. I live over 200km away from the Gold Coast (the venue was about 5km from Warner Brother's Movie World and Seaworld) and had to catch a 7am train to get to the venue for opening time. The next train to the Gold Coast was due to leave at 10:30am so I decided the 7am was the best one to catch. 3 and a half hours later and I was finally there.

Two things I envy about Non-Americans:
The Metric System
AND
Public Transportation

Some of the crowd left the D Barricade after Grinspoon finished, and the rest moved to the adjoining stage to watch the next band, System Of A Down. I was surprised because there was next to no one in front of the stage that had just held Grinspoon, possibly the first time that has ever happened at the main stages. I moved to the barricade between the pit and the stage as I wanted to be down the front for the next band and watched System Of A Down from there. They weren't too bad. I don't have any of their albums. I might get one when I get some money.

Wait...did you just say they DIDN'T put SoaD on the main stage? Weird...anyway, if you want to get one of their albums, the first is by far the best.

The next band I decided to check out have always been a hit-and-miss affair in my mind. Many will tell me how good silverchair is, but really some of their songs are good and some of their songs are shit. After watching them for 20 minutes and not seeing what I considered a good sivlerchair song, I decided to leave and get something to eat (it was about 7pm).

Silverchair's first album kicks ass, but I havn't heard anything since that's made me want to buy any of their other albums.

Oh, and you described yourself as the guy with the Tool shirt and the cap (accidentaly cut that out). That would describe about 50% of the people I see at the concerts I go to. :)

shit, sorry to hear about your bad prodge experience (excuse unintentional pun).

I must say when I saw 'em at Knebworth a few years back they did all their own instruments, had Pop Will Eat Itself giving awesome vocals as well as K33f and Maxim, and that dude who does guitarz.

And Liam (pronounced 'Leeum') was fucking the album tracks up to hell on the decks.


Maybe they've lost their zest for live gigs, but I truly hope not. They are awesome when they take off.

dan: they have two main stages right next to one another, only one stage at a time has a band playing, so SoaD was on a main stage.

Damm, I wanted to go to the Gold Coast Big Day Out this year, but unfortunately, like most other times...I had no money... :( I very wanted to see The Prodigy, New Order, SoaD, silverchair, Grinspoon, and all of the other kewl bands that were playing.

Oh well there is always next year...

Oh and by the by, where do you live gooberman?

Sunshine Coast, within spitting distance of The Big Pineapple.

Heh heh heh...

I live in hervey bay, which is still pretty far away from there...