Big Day Out @ Gold CoastParklands, Gold Coast(23/01/2011)

Mon 24th Jan, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Just over a week ago there were severe doubts as to whether the Gold Coast Parklands would become a horrendous slush of mud from torrential rain falling in the South East corner. Worse still, it might have been submerged amidst the floods disaster.

In a twist of fate, the Gold Coast is about the only place in Queensland that doesn’t go underwater and much to everyone’s pleasure (or displeasure), it’s a typical Gold Coast Big Day Out. The sun blazes down from the blue cloudless sky as gates open, and the hoards of the good, bad and fucking atrocious steadily trickle in.

That’s the thing about BDO, it caters for everyone. From the bogans content to binge drink with no interest in the music, to the dedicated aficionados; from the seasoned veterans (and today there are some well into their fifties) to the newcomers heading along to their first festival experience. This is very much a stereotypical Big Day Out – and most here wouldn’t have it any other way.

The huge success of Ball Park Music in 2010 now sees them open the Hot Produce stage. “I’m fucking starving, does anybody have any candy” deadpans vocalist Sam Cromack. It hardly looks like the band is in need of a sugar rush, sporting a pepped up demeanour as they frolic around the stage. It’s ironic given their distinctly self-depreciative blend of indie pop. Black Skies is a highlight with its rambling melodies and eccentric trombone part, but iFly is the clear favourite. As the song approaches the final verse, the band pause to heighten the tension and Cromack rockets off the stage, stumbling awkwardly in the process. Fears of injury are put to rest; a mere staining of the pants is all that occurs.

Blonde on Blonde have been touted as “the next Powderfinger”. Whilst this might be overstepping the mark, there is definitely something going on for the group. Hard rock in Australia walks the tightrope between innovation and cliché. Thankfully they don’t indulge in banality; but it’s really hard to grasp their music due to some truly woeful sound. It’s so grossly loud that every time the lead singer opens his mouth it stings the ears.

Receiving an impressive turnout, Brisbane’s Dead Letter Circus’ uniquely progressive take on alt-rock deservedly gets them a rapturous crowd reaction throughout their fifty minute slot. Lead by vocalist Kim Benzie and the heroic bass work of Stewart Hill, tracks from the group’s debut This Is The Warning sound as expansive and impressive live as they do on record. Expect the five-piece to be higher up the bill next time they take to a Big Day Out stage.

The Jim Jones Revue remain grossly underrated and under-appreciated in this country – and it’s a truly heinous crime. Sometimes being groundbreaking isn’t the key. Everything they do is firmly rooted within retro sensibilities. No theatrics, gimmicks or pretension; it’s just straight up rock and fucking roll. Jim Jones wants the attention of every single body in that tent, and by god – he’ll get it. With his expensive suit, eye-popping charisma and husky bourbon-drenched voice, he had the Green Stage twistin’ and shoutin’ along to Dishonest John like they’re in a 50s dance hall.

Backed by no less than two dozen Marshall amplifier cabinets, Airbourne smash their collective foot on the accelerator, as the quartet go about cramming in as many songs from their two studio releases as humanly possible. With hyperactive frontman Joel O’Keeffe leading the way, the Warrnambool boys charge through tunes like Diamond In The Rough, Cheap Wine & Cheaper Women and Blonde, Bad and Beautiful – and by the time Girls In Black rears it’s head O’Keeffe is clambering his way to the top of insanely high stage scaffolding for a spot of manic guitar soloing. Forget about the AC/DC copyist accusations, you’d be a fool to miss Airbourne live.

Taking the award for most occurrences of the word ‘party’ in their songs, Andrew W.K takes to the Green stage in front of a packed tent, and for the next forty five minutes the singer/songwriter/motivational speaker (yes, really) has the entire crowd eating out of his hand. W.K’s six-piece backing band might seem a tad over the top – one of the three guitarists and the co-lead vocalist probably could have been trimmed without any loss – but they deliver an up-tempo, feel good set. Hits including She Is Beautiful, We Want Fun and the genius Party Hard have the tent jumping and moving in unrestrained joy.

It’s hard not to be slightly bemused by Die Antwoord who have taken up residency in the Boiler Room. Are they the real deal? Or are they just plain laughable? Their attire consists of what resembles torn bed sheets littered with crudely drawn stick figures. The exception is when Ninja strips into his boxer shorts and decides to flail Ninja Jr around like a ferocious hissing viper (for those playing at home– yes Ninja Jr does mean his penis). So are they a joke or are they serious? It’s hard to tell but no-one really seems to give a shit either way.

Pulling one of the biggest crowds over at the main stage all day are California’s Deftones, and it makes this reviewer, and doubtlessly other punters, wonder why the band aren’t higher up the bill. Frontman Chino Moreno’s clean vocals waver in parts but his constant movement and passionate screams make up for it tenfold. Touring on the back of their 2010 album Diamond Eyes, new songs You’ve Seen The Butcher, Rocket Skates and the record’s title track easily hold their own against older classics like My Own Summer, Minerva and the evergreen set closer Change (In The House of Flies).  

The John Butler Trio could play festival shows like these in their sleep, and their chilled hour showing features the ‘must play’ classics Better Than and Zebra nestled between newer tracks from April Uprising. The immense instrumental piece Ocean shows off Butler’s exceptional guitar talents, while drummer Nicky Bomba and bassist Byron Luiters keep every rhythm and groove tightly locked down.

It seems like Iggy and The Stooges lack the punch and power that the punk rock legends built their career on, and was evident in their somewhat recent appearance at Big Day Out in 2006. It’s unquestionable that Iggy Pop is still a more energetic and watchable frontman than many performers a third of his age though, but as their set slowly drags to a close it’s painfully apparent that their hour slot has fallen rather flatly on an underwhelmed crowd.
 
Certainly the heirs to Kiss’ throne of extravagant live performances, Rammstein’s show packs more explosives and fire than the Australian Defense Force. It’s a testament to their ability of songwriters though that tunes like Du Riechst So Gut, Links 2 3 4 and Keine Lust are just as powerful as the incendiary stage show behind them. With an image that’s both equal parts menacing, industrial and camp, the German’s closing number Pussy features a tasteful prop in the form of a massive phallus shaped foam cannon, which monster frontman Till Lindemann promptly commandeers and coats the ecstatic first dozen or so rows with. Gott in Himmel!

In the face of some scepticism over Tool‘s inclusion on the bill – largely due to their lack of a new album since the last time they played Big Day Out in 2007 – but the band easily delivers the goods. They throw out a ‘best of’ styled setlist, along with a few obscure inclusions such as the monumental opening track Third Eye. The vastness of Lateralus, Jambi and Schism show how much of the band rests on the backs of bassist Justin Chancellor and drumming king Danny Carey, and with the closing Stinkfist, it’s safe to say that Tool have easily justified their second headlining Big Day Out slot.

M.I.A has been bestowed the honour of closing the day’s proceedings and the stragglers from Tool slowly make their way over to the opposite side of the grounds to be greeted by an overflowing boiler room. The Sri Lankan queen of controversy might not be executing gingers tonight but her performance is still empowering and provocative, albeit with a few tarnishes in the vocal department. She’s so tenacious that she decides to show up Iggy Pop by also inviting the audience members to dance on stage – in even greater numbers. Paper Planes closes the evening and it appears to be the only song the crowd is interested in, the majority walking off before she’s even announced that it was the final song. Perhaps they’re simply too exhausted, or maybe they’re just satisfied. After today it’s hard not to be one or the other.

Reviewed by Scott Thompson and Andrew Kapper. Compiled by Crystle Fleper. Photography by Kylie Keene.