:: BIG DAY OUT at the Melbourne Showgrounds - January 04By: Carmine Pascuzzi / Alison GriffithsPictures (top to bottom): The Melbourne Big Day Out was a great kick-start to the year in music. The weather was near perfect and the crowd arrived very early, especially as The Darkness was scheduled for a lunchtime gig. Riff Random and Skulker opened proceedings in the main band stages and the young audiences got into the mood very quickly. Riff Random played a pretty fiery, no-nonsense set showcasing the songs from their ‘Random Love’ EP. The Spazzy's played an energetic set soon after. There is a lot of fun and entertainment in what they do. The early arrivals were also rewarded with a raging metal treat as special guests Fear Factory took the stage. Despite looking somewhat out of place in the glorious sunshine, Fear Factory’s relentless style set the scene for the huge day that was to come. Anyone would have been forgiven for thinking that the guys from Lost Prophets had just walked out of an American teen movie. But you had to give this predictably presented bunch a round of applause because they sure did get the crowd rocking. Nick Thayer and Friendly got things wound up in the Boiler Room for their early session. Organisers got it right by transferring the Boiler Room further away from the main arena stages. At that stage I ran into co-promoter Vivien Lees (of Lees and West) and he was happy with the way the day was unfolding. I asked him how the two Sydney shows went and he was generally happy that the experiment of back-to-back events was worth it. The day continued on through the afternoon with a feel-good, high-impact rock set from Dallas Crane and the rock trend continued with The Datsuns on the Main stage. Back to the Boiler Room to see PNAU return with some preview tracks from a new album due by Three of my favourite bands appeared this year: The Dandy Warhols, Muse, and The Strokes. They were great value. The ‘Dandys’ settled into their cruisey style and entertained as only they can. The crowd gave their strongest voice of appreciation when Muse came on stage. It was a brilliant atmosphere as Matthew Bellamy and mates put on a sensational set. ‘Time Is Running Out’ is a gem and it was brilliantly played. These three musicians filled the main stage more aptly and with more musical vigour than any other band. The aching beauty and power of their music was inspiring, while their dark lyrics were saddening yet soothing. Muse left no time for chitchat between songs, just a continuous stream of aural gold. Great crowd response and a fantastic performance made this the highlight performance of the day. It was tremendous to see The Strokes return to Melbourne and they fired through a 40-minutes set of their great, but short, rock songs. The crowd yearned for more, but they would have to see their sideshow two days later to see them in blistering form. The Mars Volta mixed their album tracks with lengthy instrumentals forming 15-minute songs. During the whole 45 minute set the guys with the Afros only played four songs. Non-the-less, the lack of recognisable material only served to prove that The Mars Volta are masterful musicians who are not afraid to be as self indulgent as hell. Their mind blowing performance left many walking away in awe inspired confusion, knowing that they had witnessed something great but not fully comprehending what had occurred before them. The masters of metal, Metallica thrilled like only true musical legends can. Over 2 hours they belted out the tracks that gained them metal supremacy. Stealthy co-ordinated pyrotechnics and fireworks capped the day off in a grand fashion. That was our Big Day Out and it was most enjoyable and you couldn't fault the quality of the line-up. Alison Griffiths |
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