Big Day Out @ Gold CoastParklands (22/01/12)

Tue 24th Jan, 2012 in Gig Reviews

It was bittersweet walking through the Gold Coast Parkland gates for this year’s Big Day Out. Sweet because the startlingly small crowd meant that waiting in line for the bathroom would be much less painful than previous years, but obviously bitter because if Australia’s most iconic musical event couldn’t draw a sold out crowd then the future of the music festival in this country is more alarming than ever. I’d rather wait an extra half an hour for the bathroom.

The jury’s still out on whether or not this year’s line-up was sub-par. There’s no denying it disappointed many fans, who declared it too repetitive and lacking unique pulling power in comparison to competing events. Big Day Out has seen some of the greatest alternative rock bands of the last twenty years grace its blue and orange stages. Securing Kanye West as the headline act, arguably the most controversial figure in music today and undeniably the most mainstream artist to ever top the festival’s bill, felt completely out of character. It seemed especially strange considering this year’s event marks the travelling festival’s twentieth anniversary. It should have been an easy sell for both fans and artists.

Regardless, the politics of the festival shouldn’t take away from the many artists who turned out to put on a solid show for fans. It was business as usual for the musicians, sound and lighting techs and the countless helpers in-between who still gave everything they had to bring the day together. The atmosphere might have been lacking, but the passion that defines Big Day Out was ever-present.

Stonefield drew a fairly large crowd to their midday set on the Green Stage, and managed to teach the floral clad girls in the crowd a thing or two about seventies nostalgia with their loud psych rock sound. A well received Whole Lotta Love cover left no question as to where these girls found their influence, but was equally indicative of their thriving potential to be more than a rock band that sounds like Lep Zeppelin.

Fellow triple j finds Dune Rats won the radio station’s annual competition to play at the Gold Coast leg of the festival, and they tore through their shining moment with as much skill as they did enthusiasm. The Hot Produce stage was plagued with minor sound problems throughout the day, but it didn’t stop the band from entertaining the mostly younger crowd who already seemed familiar with their laid back grungy tunes.

Best Coast’s hipster credentials drew a surprisingly small crowd for the duo’s mid-afternoon set, but cute as hell leading lady Bethany Cosantino seemed glad anyone turned up at all. Their lo-fi surf rock sound proved a perfect fit for the summery vibe of the day, with Cosantino playing down the usual front woman quirkiness to bring out the sweetness in songs like Crazy For You and Boyfriend. No question she won herself a few dozen more tumblr followers.

Anyone still under the impression that Boy and Bear were underdogs at last year’s ARIAs really needs to see their live show. The set from the Sydney based group felt incredibly intimate despite the masses of fans clambering to get closer to them on the main stage. The band’s recent surge of success made their soaring catalogue of melodic indie folk all the more engrossing, and if they’re sick of playing Fall at Your Feet they certainly didn’t show it.

Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, the hip hop collective the internet built, absolutely dominated the overflowing Boiler Room during their forty five minute set. Their aggressive, overlapping sound is hardly easy listening, but it’s near impossible to criticize an act capable of eliciting such a passionate response from a crowd. For every beat up teenager that crawled out of the mosh-pit another ten dived in eager to take their place. Anyone unwilling to brave the heated crowd didn’t stand a chance at seeing what the young group looked like on stage, but judging from the fan’s response, particularly to Tyler, the Creator’s (who later became the highlight of the Kanye West moshpit) scathing hit Yonkers, they must have looked pretty great. Easily one of the most attended and entertaining sets of the day.