Big Day Out 2011: The Week That Was

The Week In Full:

Sunday January 23: Big Day Out - Gold Coast
Monday January 24: Tool - Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Thursday January 27: Big Day Out - Sydney
Friday January 28: Grinderman - Enmore Theatre
Saturday January 29: Primal Scream - Salinas

Big Day Out 2011. I never thought I'd be excited by this festival ever again. Five years on the bench and seemingly in the midst of retirement. What changed? In September when I heard Primal Scream, The Stooges, Grinderman, Tool, and the Deftones were on the Big Day Out bill I thought it was an apparent wind up. Particularly with the demographic BDO promoters Vivian Lees and Ken West have shifted towards over the more recent times. Sure, their headlinders have always been admirable but their line-ups over the more recent times have been shallow to say the least. It appears sentiment may have forced their hand this time around, with this one having a touch of "for the fans" about it.

This line-up was more than enough to warrant some annual leave from the dreaded walls of working life in order to enjoy BDO week just like the earlier days circa 2004. I'm sure many were in the same boat back in the early 00s when the Big Day Out and the corresponding sideshows were the only permanent fixture on the annual calender.

The Gold Coast was the first injection of nostalgia. The Vines are still shite. Craig Nichols still sounds like a wannabe Mike Jagger. Their music still sounds like the dregs of grunge. Is there anymore to say? Not really.

Lilyworld (or the Lily Pad as it was called way back when) still gained a few laughs. Bogans on Acid; says it all, really...

Paroxide plus fake tan equals Bliss N Eso. Barbeque hip hop has its perks. You can take your shirt off, get some fresh air from the unrelenting sun and talk about pingers and bitches whilst showing off your tattoos of the National flag. Stereotypes, stereotypes. But as the law of averages go; an element of truth may lie somewhere beaneath. Just might.

Deftones: A far happier commodity eight years down the track since their previous BDO appearance. Depsite a collective minus long time bassist Che Cheng (bless his soul) this band has risen above all the petty genre associations to still hold relevance. 'Be Quiet and Drive' never sounded better. Sydney's show witnessed Sacremento's finest bust out "White Pony" landmarks 'Digital Bath' and 'Knife Party'. A great return for Chino Moreno's men.

The Stooges: Iggy and the Stooges? Sorry, but it's The Stooges in my eyes. James Williamson. 'Shake Appeal' nothing more needs to said. 'Death Trip'; see previous. Iggy Pop; a leather hand bag that contains a Duracell battery and I say that in the greatest respect of the man who invented Punk. Mike Watt; the journeyman with the growling bass line during 'Raw Power'. Just as good as when the Motor City's crusty bunch hit our shores back in 2006. 'Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell'; again, see previous.

Rammstein: For what these German lunatics clearly lack in musical proficiency, they gain in stage presence. Not really my cup of tea, if I'm honest. I don't really warm to rough sex so their music doesn't get much play at the pad. Still, if you haven't seen Rammstein live then it's hard to explain what their show comprises of. Yes, plenty of fire, but it's the manner in which they use these pyrotechnics. If you have managed to catch a glimpse, then you'd know. It's like when people say "You have to see Metallica". Just put this theory into practice and not think about the musical virtuosity.

Tool: Don't you hate being short changed? Or in a more literal sense, attempting to relive your youth only to then realise that certain elements can't be felt introspectively. That's how I kind of felt about Tool this time around. 'The Patient' was great, as to was 'Flood' while my knew found lust for 'Aenima' continues to blossom. However in between that seemed lacklustre to say the least. Their sideshow didn't do anything to alter the fact. A Peach cover? What about some 'Eulogy' or 'Pushit'? Duped for $153.00.

Primal Scream: Screamadelica; it doesn't need an introduction and certainly not by a amateurish piss ant like myself. 'Don't Fight it Feel It', 'Loaded', 'Come Togehter'. Genre defining. Hearing this album in its entirety was something many would not have even contemplated 18 months ago. The Scream Team stole the show. Maybe not by their Big Day Out performance but their sideshow at Salinas would easily slot into my top five gigs of all time. The crowd, the energy, the soul. The swoon to 'Movin' On Up'. Mani's bass explosion to 'Higher than the Sun' which bounces off the walls. 'Loaded' washing over the sweaty faces of the crowd while Bobby Gillespie walks around with smiles to his band mates. Andrew Innes reciprocates standing with a perpetual look of admiration to the crowd. 'Come Togehter' defining the night as auspicious. Perfection is amongst us.

Grinderman: So my girlfriend's new sexual fantasy has swung from Ewan McGregor to Nick Cave. I guess that's okay, right? Energy, fits of white noise; what a sound way to end your Big Day Out. Nick Cave and his Grinderman collective could have and maybe should have been the Australian headliners on the main stage, however the essence of what they're about would've been lost in a dust bowl of the masses. 'Love Bomb'  IS the bomb live. 'Worm Tamer' is a cathartic mess with Warren Ellis flailing his guitar all over the place. 'Palaces Of Montezuma' holds the set together with its come down swagger. 'Kitchnette' is a drawn out facade with Cave running back and forth from the crowd to the keyboards with a "I JUST WANNA RELAAAAAXXXX" followed by a "Get those shoes on your fucking feet, I can hear him comin' up the stairs, TIPPY TOE TIPPY TOE". None other than Lord Nick could pull off such a feat. Multiply the overall energy of their BDO set to the Enmore show the next night and you get the gist of what it was like.

So, the week of nostalgia draws to its end. No matter what came out of it, one thing's for sure. Primal Scream stole the show in a big way. Grinderman slew as to did the infamous Stooges while the Deftones continue their renaissance. The rest? Well, they're just... the rest.

Words by Simon K.