A record-breaking heatwave couldn’t stop Big Day Out 2013 from being one of the best in years, though not for lack of trying. The relentless sun threatened punters with heatstroke until about 6pm, at which point the cool air was a godsend, and the small bursts of rain salvation for us all.
Sydney act Toucan kicked things off at the Green Stage and impressed with jazzy-pop while the much organised security guards were handing out free water to the front rows. Nearby, the Essential Stage was found as a mini-boiler-room, being indoors for the first time.
Triple J Unearthed winners Jackie Onassis drew a lively crowd off the strength of heavy radio rotation and some cleverly crafted hip-hop singles. Rapper Kai Tan expressed his excitement constantly throughout the set which included the popular singles 'Holiday' and 'Crystal Balling', a verse over Grizzly Bear’s‘Two Weeks,’ and the non-mixtape, all-quality track Said & Done. With a strong fanbase so early in their career, the rapper-producer duo proved the winners of the early morning.
Chow Town proved an excellent addition to Big Day Out: I tried the BBQ Wagyu Beef Brisket burger ($12) from Porteno and the Fried Cheese with Honey ($9) from Apollo, both hitting absolutely every spot they needed to. Hopefully Chow Town is here to stay.
The Vodka Cruiser Bar opposite the Green Stage was the greatest refuge from the heat, being set up like an open-air cottage with plush seating and an abundance of shelter. The bar was a perfect seat for Avalanche City, who drew a respectable amount of punters with their beautiful folk rock.
Back to the Essential Stage and The Medics were a joy to watch with the crowd mainly opting to sit and enjoy some explosive melodies, passionate vocals, and addictive basslines. At times the vocals were drowned out by loud jams which weaved in and out of songs unexpectedly, but the finished product was enough to ensure the band got over well.
Hardcore band Every Time I Die were horrid on the Orange Stage and unlike Parkway Drive last year, would have failed to impress anyone but the most dedicated metal-heads, who ignored the disgustingly high temperature and circle-pitted within the D barrier.
Sampology was my first and last venture into the Boiler Room – an area which has always taken the most common festival peeves and dumped them in one place. The turntable technician was scratching the hell out of every record; every song juggled the latest trends in dance music – so alot of handclaps and “trap” music. However, the set lacked any excitement, settling for standard samples and the occasional gimmick track like a barbershop-quartet version of Shaggy’s long-forgotten ‘It Wasn’t Me,’ or a hand-clapping re-work of The Simpsons theme.
Acts were getting bigger as the 3pm slot was split between rapper Chance Waters, Sydney experimental band Jagwar Ma, and the well-established Grinspoon. Opting for some happy go-lucky rap, I joined a very large crowd at the Red Stage for Chance who brought along an amped up band and mixed old with new tracks.
‘We Left’ started things a bit off-beat but the emcee quickly found his feet, testing the water with album cut ‘Tears for Gotham’ and older tracks ‘I Don’t Know’ and the excellent ‘Leaving the Nest.’ A mid-set inclusion of his popular ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’ re-work got the fans jumping around and singing as security guards blasted them with a water hose, but it was single ‘Young & Dumb,’ with Lilian Blue filling in for Bertie Blackman, which received not only the biggest crowd response of the set, but the biggest of the afternoon.
It was back to the lovely Vodka Cruiser Bar to watch Gary Clark Jr tear up the Green Stage with heavy distortion and a sound which has been constantly hyped as the new generation’s Jimi Hendrix. After seeing the mind-blowing set I would have to agree, it being one of the highlights of the day – a must see for anyone who loves music.
A stroll over to the beloved Lilypad Stage was saddening, the once vibrant festival hangout looking more like a ghost-town with few punters stopping by to stretch their legs.
I caught a bit of the pitchfork-hyped Death Grips at the Essential Stage and loved what I heard – a spastic combination of 808s and frantic rap-rock-noise which turned the mosh pit into a sea of slamming, sweaty bodies – intense.
It was this point that the majority of punters were either in the Boiler Room or at the main area, enjoying the serene rock that Band of Horses gave us, before the mega-popular Vampire Weekend gave us their idiosyncratic indie-rock.
The highly-respected, rock diva Karen-O and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are always exciting to watch and they owned their slot with a greatest hits set. Always one for fashion, Karen-O was decked out in a bright yellow leather jacket with a strange ‘YEAH’ mask covering half her face.
We were treated to a new jam, ‘Suck Young Blood,’ as an opener, and while I wasn’t impressed with it before the festival, it sounds much, much better live. Highlights included ‘Down Boy’ and an acoustic ‘Maps,’ which was surprisingly played to a very flat crowd which only ‘went off’ to ‘Heads Will Roll.’ Regardless of their surprisingly lame reception, Yeah Yeah Yeahs rocked as always – even if festival-favourite ‘Date with the Night’ was omitted.
The day’s main attractions saw most shuffling between the Blue and Orange sides of the D barrier with absolutely no regard for safety; but after all the pushing and shoving The Killers comforted us by once again showing why they are amongst the most bankable bands in the world.
Brandon Flowers and co played a slightly different set from their sideshow a few days ago, opting for more of their many hits than the newer material, and hence more massive sing-a-longs. What started with ‘Mr Brightside’ ended with ‘When You Were Young’ and spread rapture from left to right, with the help of an impressive visual backdrop which had the band in different settings, like outer-space and what looked like the inside of a volcano.
After the Las Vegas four-piece ended, there was a violent surge towards the Blue Stage where Red Hot Chilli Peppers closed the main arena. With a set list mixing 2011’s underwhelming I’m With You and the expected classics, RHCP did little to disappoint.
Flea was the most impressive of the four, with his lightning-fast hands giving us some serious funk. A particular highlight – aside from ‘Soul to Squeeze’ and ‘Under the Bridge’ – was the various jams between songs and leading up the monster hits like ‘Californication.’ Our rare chance to see one of the world’s biggest rock bands came to an end with ‘Give It Away.’
Both Animal Collective and The Bloody Beetroots distracted punters from catching a train home, both bands offering something completely different from each other. Those who could actually stand to still jump around did so in the Boiler Room, while a decent amount of people sat down for a trippy, visually-spectacular performance from Animal Collective.
And with that, the first Big Day Out for 2013 ended with another great year. It was the best organised of the BDO’s I have been to, being heavily influenced by organiser Ken West’s ‘recent’ partnership with C3 Presents. The changes at Big Day Out were subtle, but very effective (eg, Chow Town, Essential Stage), and it’s exciting to know that things can only get better in subsequent years.
The Killers Set List:
Mr Brightside
Smile like You Mean It
Spaceman
Jenny Was a Friend of Mine
Spaceman (Reprise)
Bling (Confession of a King)
Ms Atomic Bomb
Human
Somebody Told Me
For Reasons Unknown
A Dustland Fairytale
Don’t Dream its Over/Read My Mind
Runaways
All These Things That I’ve Done
When You Were Young
Red Hot Chilli Peppers Set List:
Monarchy of Roses
Around the World
Scar Tissue
Snow (Hey Oh)
Factory of Faith
Can’t Stop
What in the World (David Bowie)
Throw Away Your Television
The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie
Under the Bridge
Look Around
Californication
By The Way
Encore
The Ocean (Led Zeppelin)
Higher Ground
Soul to Squeeze
Give It Away
Final Jam
