The Hitman
29 Jan 2002, 11:00
Hitter's BDO Review
In what was meant to be a rainy 24 degree day, I made my Big Day Out debut in the hot Melbourne sun, in what was an awesome day.
I took the train in from Dandenong, and I was very happy with that decision as there was plenty of talent on my particular carriage to keep a teenage boy very happy. ;) It got packed very quickly, and when we got to Flinders St station, there was a sea of youth in their best music outfits.
Took the train to the Showgrounds, and again it was packed. We were lucky enough to be entertained by a group of 20 NOFX fans belting out their favourite songs – they even did requests! :D
After getting through the long line and finally getting into the venue, I got to the Orange stage in the main area in time to have a gander at the Superheist set. Not bad, and fairly rocky, but they didn’t make me feel good enough to join the mosh.
When they finished I went to the Blue stage in the main area to watch Amen, and was lucky enough to find Macca before it started. Let me just remind you that this was my first concert, and that this was my debut in a mosh – to bloody Amen! :D These guys were awesome. While it was only midday – these guys deserved to be on much later – that’s how good they were. The lead singer was a legend, and got the mosh going by crowd surfing, and asking for requests. He also clumsily fell off the stage, and the crowd chanted “You f*cked up, you f*cked up!” Unfortunately, he didn’t take up my New Order offer which I shouted out. ;) Finishing off with Price of Reality and CK Killer, these guys came close to my band of the day.
Met with SS11 and Miss Magpie, and we just walked around, got drinks and food, and sat in the boiler room for a little while watching people dance. Met gPhonque, and decided it was about time to go and get into the mosh pit for the Grinspoon set.
We weren’t the only ones…
The new ‘D Barrier’ mosh pit is impractical and stupid. I understand the safety aspect, but people have paid $92 to see their favourite bands. When there is obviously space in the pit, and there is literally a crush outside the pit to get in – something is wrong.
The way the barriers work is that there are the two main stages, with acts alternating on each stage. There is a massive ‘D’ shaped pit, and there is one entry point on each side of the ‘D’, but it’s not like a gate, it’s like a tunnel of barriers to get in, with one pissy entrance to get to the start of the tunnel.
Now imagine 1000 people trying to get in, with about 10 security guys barricading the only entrance to the act. They told everyone to go the other side, even though everyone knew that you wouldn’t be able to get inside there either – it was just a diversionary tactic.
Macca and I stuck to our guns, and got to the front – unfortunately against a metal barrier with what seemed like a million people surging and pushing. They think the ‘D’ pit will save crushes. Maybe on the inside, but definitely not on the outside. We both struggled to breathe, and as Grinspoon started playing, we decided to make our own mosh pit on the outside. Eventually, I got through security and into the tunnel to the main stage, but I decided to wait for Macca. Security made me go to the stage area, but I just lurked and finally Macca got through.
Having missed half of the set, we moved over the System of a Down stage, and rocked out to Grinners there, while getting a nice little position for the System set. Grinspoon have to be considered one of the rockiest and best Australian bands of late. Their CD’s are rocky, but they are so good live, you just can’t help but moshing or playing air guitar while belting out the words.
Eventually, after dedicating their last song to the crowd outside who couldn’t get in, Grinspoon finished, and a massive “System, System, System!” chant swept the pit. The guys exploded on stage, and the place went nuts.
System of a Down are a bloody good band technically, and with a stage presence and some of the most kickarse tunes around, the mosh pit was the place to be. It was a non-stop mosh, and the lead singer did his best to whip up the crowd by declaring “We don’t want no bullsh*t fans, so if you’re not a real fan – get f*cked!”
Chop Suey was a mosh favourite, but the opener Prison Song and the title track of their latest album, Toxicity, were also great. I also lost Macca in the mosh, and I’ve still got his smokes which he made me look after. Too bad I don’t smoke… :p
When System was finished, I decided to get some liquids into me. I was so bloody hot and needed a break. So I grabbed a few Pepsi’s and headed to the Essential Stage to have a look at The Monarch’s. They rocked pretty well, but I left to get an ice-cream, and went back to the main stage area. There was no way known I’d get back into the mosh pit, so I satisfied myself by sitting in the shade of the stand over looking the main area, and watched Regurgitator and Garbage. Didn’t mind either, but Shirley Manson did a version of Kylie Minogue’s Can’t Get You Outta My Head. Blah!
Garbage finished, and I headed back to the Essential Stage to see the band I probably most wanted to see – The White Stripes.
The venue was perfect, as they used one of the old buildings at the back, and it was dark and intimate. I got myself two deep, and proceeded to watch and rock out to one of my favourite bands. The crowd were fairly mundane, but there was about a group of 20 of us who knew all the words and went nuts. The set went for an hour, and Jack Stripe played some of the crunchiest guitar riffs and some of the best vocals while his older sister Meg hit hard on the drums.
They might not suit everyone, but I recommend The White Stripes for at least a listen. Very catchy and just good ol’ fashioned rock. Union Forever, Hotel Yorba, and Fell In Love With A Girl were all played off their latest album, while Joeline was off an earlier release. Get into 'em!
One of the bad things about The White Stripes was that their set was scheduled with the John Butler Trio set, but I planned to leave The White Stripes as soon as they finished and sprint to the Java Java Stage to witness one of Australia’s best bands.
Lucky ol’ me times it beautifully, although the place was packed, with people literally hanging off the side of the stands to get a look at this very talented trio do their stuff. I pushed myself onto the stairs to get a good luck, while the stands and the large massive mosh and standing area was full.
I got to see four JBT songs: Media, Pickapart, Betterman, and a massive and legendary 15 minute version of Take. These guys are simply brilliant, and you just stand there and sing and move while looking at them in total awe.
I decided to stay at the Java Java stage and finish of the day with NOFX, instead of my original plan of shooting over to watch The Prodigy on the main stage. Quite simply, I would have had absolutely no hope.
So I took a position in the stands to watch NOFX, and after a 30 minute transition period, Fat Mike came out and started cracking some very funny jokes, and got the crowd warmed up with an ad-libbed song about us ‘kids’.
They then got stuck into Linoleum, and took off on a punk rock frenzy from there. As day turned to night, NOFX seemed the perfect way to end the day, and they didn’t disappoint. As much as they rocked, I couldn’t get into it from the stand, and decided to join the crowd in the mosh where the atmosphere was better.
After that, I headed home on the long train journey back to Dandy a very tired, sore, but satisfied guy. It was better than I thought it would be, and I’ll definitely be going back again next year. One of the best $92 I have spent (although I spent a lot more at the venue), and I’d recommend the day to anyone who likes good music. :)
The Hitman
P.S. While Macca and I were stuck trying to get into the mosh pit before the Grinners set, Something For Kate were playing. We heard about four songs, and it was like torture. They don't deserve to be at BDO. They are so bland and one dimensional. Stick to radio... :o
In what was meant to be a rainy 24 degree day, I made my Big Day Out debut in the hot Melbourne sun, in what was an awesome day.
I took the train in from Dandenong, and I was very happy with that decision as there was plenty of talent on my particular carriage to keep a teenage boy very happy. ;) It got packed very quickly, and when we got to Flinders St station, there was a sea of youth in their best music outfits.
Took the train to the Showgrounds, and again it was packed. We were lucky enough to be entertained by a group of 20 NOFX fans belting out their favourite songs – they even did requests! :D
After getting through the long line and finally getting into the venue, I got to the Orange stage in the main area in time to have a gander at the Superheist set. Not bad, and fairly rocky, but they didn’t make me feel good enough to join the mosh.
When they finished I went to the Blue stage in the main area to watch Amen, and was lucky enough to find Macca before it started. Let me just remind you that this was my first concert, and that this was my debut in a mosh – to bloody Amen! :D These guys were awesome. While it was only midday – these guys deserved to be on much later – that’s how good they were. The lead singer was a legend, and got the mosh going by crowd surfing, and asking for requests. He also clumsily fell off the stage, and the crowd chanted “You f*cked up, you f*cked up!” Unfortunately, he didn’t take up my New Order offer which I shouted out. ;) Finishing off with Price of Reality and CK Killer, these guys came close to my band of the day.
Met with SS11 and Miss Magpie, and we just walked around, got drinks and food, and sat in the boiler room for a little while watching people dance. Met gPhonque, and decided it was about time to go and get into the mosh pit for the Grinspoon set.
We weren’t the only ones…
The new ‘D Barrier’ mosh pit is impractical and stupid. I understand the safety aspect, but people have paid $92 to see their favourite bands. When there is obviously space in the pit, and there is literally a crush outside the pit to get in – something is wrong.
The way the barriers work is that there are the two main stages, with acts alternating on each stage. There is a massive ‘D’ shaped pit, and there is one entry point on each side of the ‘D’, but it’s not like a gate, it’s like a tunnel of barriers to get in, with one pissy entrance to get to the start of the tunnel.
Now imagine 1000 people trying to get in, with about 10 security guys barricading the only entrance to the act. They told everyone to go the other side, even though everyone knew that you wouldn’t be able to get inside there either – it was just a diversionary tactic.
Macca and I stuck to our guns, and got to the front – unfortunately against a metal barrier with what seemed like a million people surging and pushing. They think the ‘D’ pit will save crushes. Maybe on the inside, but definitely not on the outside. We both struggled to breathe, and as Grinspoon started playing, we decided to make our own mosh pit on the outside. Eventually, I got through security and into the tunnel to the main stage, but I decided to wait for Macca. Security made me go to the stage area, but I just lurked and finally Macca got through.
Having missed half of the set, we moved over the System of a Down stage, and rocked out to Grinners there, while getting a nice little position for the System set. Grinspoon have to be considered one of the rockiest and best Australian bands of late. Their CD’s are rocky, but they are so good live, you just can’t help but moshing or playing air guitar while belting out the words.
Eventually, after dedicating their last song to the crowd outside who couldn’t get in, Grinspoon finished, and a massive “System, System, System!” chant swept the pit. The guys exploded on stage, and the place went nuts.
System of a Down are a bloody good band technically, and with a stage presence and some of the most kickarse tunes around, the mosh pit was the place to be. It was a non-stop mosh, and the lead singer did his best to whip up the crowd by declaring “We don’t want no bullsh*t fans, so if you’re not a real fan – get f*cked!”
Chop Suey was a mosh favourite, but the opener Prison Song and the title track of their latest album, Toxicity, were also great. I also lost Macca in the mosh, and I’ve still got his smokes which he made me look after. Too bad I don’t smoke… :p
When System was finished, I decided to get some liquids into me. I was so bloody hot and needed a break. So I grabbed a few Pepsi’s and headed to the Essential Stage to have a look at The Monarch’s. They rocked pretty well, but I left to get an ice-cream, and went back to the main stage area. There was no way known I’d get back into the mosh pit, so I satisfied myself by sitting in the shade of the stand over looking the main area, and watched Regurgitator and Garbage. Didn’t mind either, but Shirley Manson did a version of Kylie Minogue’s Can’t Get You Outta My Head. Blah!
Garbage finished, and I headed back to the Essential Stage to see the band I probably most wanted to see – The White Stripes.
The venue was perfect, as they used one of the old buildings at the back, and it was dark and intimate. I got myself two deep, and proceeded to watch and rock out to one of my favourite bands. The crowd were fairly mundane, but there was about a group of 20 of us who knew all the words and went nuts. The set went for an hour, and Jack Stripe played some of the crunchiest guitar riffs and some of the best vocals while his older sister Meg hit hard on the drums.
They might not suit everyone, but I recommend The White Stripes for at least a listen. Very catchy and just good ol’ fashioned rock. Union Forever, Hotel Yorba, and Fell In Love With A Girl were all played off their latest album, while Joeline was off an earlier release. Get into 'em!
One of the bad things about The White Stripes was that their set was scheduled with the John Butler Trio set, but I planned to leave The White Stripes as soon as they finished and sprint to the Java Java Stage to witness one of Australia’s best bands.
Lucky ol’ me times it beautifully, although the place was packed, with people literally hanging off the side of the stands to get a look at this very talented trio do their stuff. I pushed myself onto the stairs to get a good luck, while the stands and the large massive mosh and standing area was full.
I got to see four JBT songs: Media, Pickapart, Betterman, and a massive and legendary 15 minute version of Take. These guys are simply brilliant, and you just stand there and sing and move while looking at them in total awe.
I decided to stay at the Java Java stage and finish of the day with NOFX, instead of my original plan of shooting over to watch The Prodigy on the main stage. Quite simply, I would have had absolutely no hope.
So I took a position in the stands to watch NOFX, and after a 30 minute transition period, Fat Mike came out and started cracking some very funny jokes, and got the crowd warmed up with an ad-libbed song about us ‘kids’.
They then got stuck into Linoleum, and took off on a punk rock frenzy from there. As day turned to night, NOFX seemed the perfect way to end the day, and they didn’t disappoint. As much as they rocked, I couldn’t get into it from the stand, and decided to join the crowd in the mosh where the atmosphere was better.
After that, I headed home on the long train journey back to Dandy a very tired, sore, but satisfied guy. It was better than I thought it would be, and I’ll definitely be going back again next year. One of the best $92 I have spent (although I spent a lot more at the venue), and I’d recommend the day to anyone who likes good music. :)
The Hitman
P.S. While Macca and I were stuck trying to get into the mosh pit before the Grinners set, Something For Kate were playing. We heard about four songs, and it was like torture. They don't deserve to be at BDO. They are so bland and one dimensional. Stick to radio... :o