The Lilypad Grows... AndBecomes Lilyworld!

Tue 17th Jan, 2006 in Features

At some point between your search for water, or because you made a wrong turn on your way to the Boiler Room, you may have stumbled upon the notorious Lilypad - a resident feature stage at the Big Day Out that for one day per state is home to a collection of the world’s most creative, borderline insane acts and sideshows. Reputed as a refuge for the non-mainstream punter, it is here you will come across some of the most in-your-face, bizarre, surprising, and humbly genius folk of the entire festival.

This year the organisers have given-in to the demand, unlocked the door to the proverbial lolly shop and let the Lilypad creative team run wilder and freer than ever. In 2006 the Big Day Out invites you to a new and improved Lilyworld! It is the BDO’s music and art stage and for those that don’t know it, it could be described as being like Halloween on speed, set to really good secret-handshake-only-accessed music. Be prepared for the un-expected at Lilyworld!

Talking with the head honcho creative of Lilyworld, Heavy G, on the phone I feel a bit like Alice meeting the Cheshire Cat for the first time, he is very informative and friendly, but just that little bit mad. This year Lilyworld’s scheduled line-up reads very well with names like: Channel One Sound System, Mikey Dread and MC Ras Kayleb, The Bumhead Orchestra, Afra and The Incredible Beatbox Band (Syd, Melb, Perth shows), Joel Turner and Tom Thumb (GC show only), too name a few!

It’s not just the acts that are going to keep you entertained though, Heavy G is also keen to ‘unleash the fury’ that has been his team’s imagination for sideshows, on to a bigger audience. With a wider plot of land to play in, Lilyworld now contains a carnival of zones including: The Pink House with its cocktail bar and live acts, a super cheesy mini-’70s disco, pyrotechnical giant bugs, a pimped-out ice-cream van complete with a ‘that can’t be legal’-style PA system, pro-graffitti ‘spray-offs’, the usual affray of insults and debauchery, plus so much more, and like a demented soccer mum- it comes with vodka injected oranges for half-time refreshment. Phew!

Still chatting with Heavy G and trying not to laugh so much with him that I can’t get my questions out, I ask if he has a favourite moment from the Lilypad Stage’s of yore? Sounding genuinely pensive he responds, “the time Kamahl chucked a brown-eye in Adelaide”. It is at this point I realise there is going to be a blurred line in this interview between reality and fantasy and I’m sure Lilypad fans wouldn’t want it any other way.

There is always something going on at this whacked-out stage, “Lilyworld is the stage you can drift in and out of” informs Heavy G. When I ask what the team are doing when they meet to come up with ideas, he assures me that “it’s usually over a morning latte served with pita bread and cheese” [hmm, I wonder where we can get our hands on some of that particular brand of pita bread?]

Lilypad and now Lilyworld has been almost a secret venue in the past with headline acts often stopping by for ‘unofficial’ sets. Acts that have done the pop-in have included big names like Carl Cox, Black Eyed Peas, Basement Jaxx, and the Chemical Brothers, and this year will be no different, but it’s all very hush-hush. Who will it be?

Before Heavy G and I have to go our separate ways, I ask him to sum up what he thinks Lilyworld is going to be like for the thousands of fans that will wander by this year, “it’s going to be as big as a disabled toilet and twice as fun!” he assures.Well how can you refuse that?

Big Day Out 2006
Auckland- Jan 20th
Gold Coast- Jan 22nd sold out!
Sydney- Jan 26th sold out
Melbourne- Jan 29th
Adelaide- Feb 3rd
Perth- Feb 5th