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Big Day Out 2009 - Source: ONE News -
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Join Darren Bevan as he loses his Big Day Out cherry
Read part two of Darren's Big Day Out blog here .
5.00pm - Thought I'd check in and give people a flavour of what it's actually like here.
Granted a lot of the Big Day Out is about the bands and the music - but there's a whole other side of it as far as I can see. Some people come for the trade stands and to pick up lots of buttons and badges for various hats and T Shirts; others seem to visit to buy the memorabilia which seems to consist mainly of T shirts and coloured contact lenses.
There's also a lot of business being done at the signing tent where punters queue for their minute of fame next to the acts - there's been a massive queue of people waiting to meet the Ting Tings and get a signature and picture for posterity. And from what I've seen this afternoon, the bands seem to enjoy it as well.
Mt Smart's not a massive place by any stretch of the imagination but the space has been cleverly used - before you entered the actual stadium, there were plenty of stalls and also a few fairground rides to keep people happy.
And I have to say "Happy" seems to be the key to everything today - maybe I'm being a wide eyed naïf, but no-one seems to be grumpy and anyone tripping over/ pushing past during bands is met with a quick apology.
Talking of the crowds, there are now plenty of people here and I've had to resort to rehydrating myself as I've been suffering a bit in all the heat and also withdrawing from a lack of tea (how terribly English of me).
Just before I mention Nesian Mystik, I'll mention the clean up has started already - with people tidying up the hundreds of leaflets and booklets which are littering parts of the stadium - there's not much actual bottled rubbish or food - just leaflets.
I caught some of Nesian Mystik - and they had a job on their hands as I think fatigue overall's settling in with thick white cloud carpeting parts of the BDO stadium now - I've done a rain dance so we should be safe from a downpour.
The Mystik had a smaller but passionate fan base as they flexed their mix of rap/soul/hip hop and out and out rock - during their set, one man next to me said "Nesian Mystik are in THE house" and rather than risk conflict, I simply agreed with him - they were good, but honestly, I don't think they were my cup of tea.
And I am convinced I heard them mix Sweet Home Alabama with the riff to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers' Don't Stop.
As the evening portion starts to get underway now, there's more evidence of what I like to call sound bleed through - as the crowds get bigger, you invariably find yourself nearer the back which causes you to hear some of the other acts - it's nothing major and doesn't distract, but I can't help but wonder if this is what people complain about.
Anyway, have to dash now, I need to RAAAWK out with The Datsuns.
3.50pm - Forgive me my absence, I've been down grooving with the Ting Tings - well sort of.
I think I was kind of spoiled in my first experience in Lilyworld - despite getting there earlier than planned to the Orange stage, I only manage to get halfway down and am subjected to the bone shaking of the bass of Luger Boa - who are on the stage next to where the Ting Tings are due to play. People near the front are wearing ear plugs and I'm thinking they have the right idea as that will keep their hearing.
But I'm only young once and push halfway through the crowd to get a place in the moshpit for Katie White and Jules De Martino, aka The Ting Tings.
To rolling smoke on stage and the sound of train, Jules comes on first, sits behind the drums and starts bashing away - Katie follows a moment later to rapturous applause from the crowd and the dancing begins.
As does the moshpit etiquette - which I have truly forgotten in the years - the elbows go everywhere, my feet are stepped on, apologies shouted - but quite frankly I don't care - as I'm doing the same back to people.
The only infuriation is a guy stood next to me who is insisting on doing a commentary on everything Katie's doing on stage - "She's playing guitar!" "She's dancing!" Yes, I know that and to save myself clocking him one, (not a BDO spirit) I walk away.
After Katie announces that it's lovely to meet us and this is their first NZ gig, they kick it up a gear urging the crowd to "Show me how you dance" during Be The One. We duly oblige.
Even me who's only ever danced in chairs at gigs - as I have no rhythm.
The clouds roll over during Fruit Machine but they just keep going - and as the frantic light show notches up a gear, I can't help thinking that it's wasted in glorious sun.
During Shut Up And Let Me Go, the crowd reaches apoplexy and Katie insists she can't hear us before whacking the heck out of her drum.
I get my first NZ festival sighting of a cowbell during the Ting Tings' set and quietly reflect on the fact no-one has a whistle or I'd have gone nuts.
The stadium's filling up now - obviously people are leaving work early and heading down here. Make sure you check out tvnz.co.nz's weather site before heading down here - and make sure you have sunscreen - it's blisteringly warm.
Anyway, lecture over - the Ting Tings end their set with That's Not My Name, which wins any sideline dancers over - as everyone is dancing. I'm incredibly impressed at the energy Katie's belting out at the end - and then, like a puff of smoke, they're gone.
And it's a short step over to the stage to the side for Ladi 6 - aka Karoline Tamati to her mum.
As she slinks on to the stage resplendent in a blue skirt, the hip hop soul diva looks like the cat who's got the cream - a big smile over her face.
And man, what a voice - soulful and loud - as well as a barefoot diva, she truly is a star.
My Big Day Out's getting better and better - even if the crowds are getting larger and larger.
Next up Nesian Mystik and The Datsuns!
2.00pm - Wandering out to get some pics, I notice the clouds are rolling in - which is a welcome relief as it was getting a bit too hot.
I head out around the Orange stage to hear the sounds of Black Kids who remind me of New Order in some ways - everyone's still having a good time but a lot of people are staying in stadium seats - either they're desperate to have a good seat for later for Arctic Monkeys or they are just lazy and enjoying the atmos.
I suspect it's the latter
I'm off to see shouty pop "sensations" the Ting Tings next - I imagine the crowds will love that - there seems to be a curious mix of rocky bands and then pop bands - it's kind of an odd mix but it seems to work - and I guess from an organising point of view, it means the bands don't all run into one.
I'm on my fourth hour here and I have to say aside from a few niggles here and there, I'm generally enjoying it - I think there'll be another crowd surge after the 5pm end of working day which will be good as there is talk the show hasn't sold out - yet.
As for those who complain annually about the sound system, I can't see what they are talking about - it all sounds good to me and of a high quality.
Maybe people just need something to moan about.
More after the Ting Tings - where I'll be singing and dancing along (as I know hardly anyone here and it's hardly likely to come back and bite me in the ass).
1.06pm The cherry is popped.
I've just seen my first Big Day Out band, The Wellington International Orchestra - and what a suitably cool and sublime way to lose it.
First though was getting to Lilyworld - the stage where they are playing - after some initial confusion, as to whether I have the right wrist band on (I have the same one as everyone else - feeling my hackles rising) and being forced to take the left hand side entrance (security are trying to make us all go in one way and leave another - it makes me feel like cattle herding) I make my way through to the Lilypad (the area at the front of the Lilyworld enclosure) to get a good spot for the band.
At the front I am confronted by a man in a tinted safari pyjama suit, dancing on stage like he's Bez from the Happy Mondays - he is not; he clearly is a buffoon - but more of a buffoon is the man on the microphone who tells us that this man was found "under a matchbox in the Hacienda in Manchester in the early 90s". The reason he's more of a fool is he has a microphone.
Anyway, the pair finally stop and the band shambles on - all 10 of them under a tent awning that looks like it's from M*A*S*H - and the first full song I hear at BDO is Haere Mai courtesy of the Wellington International Orchestra.
And I love it.
The whole area becomes packed out quickly with people bouncing on the inflatables in a deranged hula way - and that gees up the band to encourage more audience participation. Brilliant.
But the band's only playing 30 mins saying they wanted to do a short set so they could see Neil Young - however, as they go through a short seven song set (covering the likes of Kenny Rogers, The Coral, Talking Heads, Prince), it's their version of Crowded House's Weather With You which gets people up - and under the blazing sun, it's easy to see why - it's a perfect moment and I think I've hit a BDO high already.
Although I do think it may also be something to do with the fact I recognised all the songs (which won't happen again).
They leave to rapturous applause and I try to fight my way out of Lilyworld, before the prancing buffoons end up back on stage. However, my exit's stopped by a bizarre security thing - after checking everyone's bags on the way in, they're doing it again on the way out - to see apparently if anyone has alcohol.
My response is simply MOOOOOOO
12.00pm - Well, in 30 minutes I've covered the whole site thanks to hanging around with veteran Joachim.
It's swelteringly hot here already - just one walk around Mt
Smart's reduced me to a pool of sweat - it really will be a test of
endurance for my deodorant today - does that count as TMI? I'm not
sure.
My first thoughts on looking around are as follows
1) Walking about with a map in front of your face makes you look a) stupid and b) causes you to miss what's all around you. I've got a rough idea of where everything is as it's quite on a small scale compared to what I've been used to in Glastonbury. But I reckon that's the good thing about the event - it's compact and everyone seems pre-disposed to having a good mood - long may it continue.
2) There are no discernable trends so far - sure everyone's pretty much in T shirts and shorts - but there's no one common theme for the shirts, no over-ridingly popular one. Granted I've seen some T shirts with names on - although that strikes me as being sensible compared to anything else - am I getting old?
3) Wrist bands - the bane of any festival goer's life - I've been here less than an hour and I have three on one arm - I am now looking like a 80s revival a la A-Ha and Spandau Ballet. Although on the down side when queueing for an over 18 wristband to get me into Lilyworld to watch the Wellington Ukelele people, I am somewhat upset to be told I don't need to show ID as I clearly look over 18 - not cool and I'm sure my ego's taken more of a bruising than it should.
4) The crowds are through the doors already and they're all getting good seats for various early bands - as I write this in the downstairs cool of the media room (we're next to the Vodafone Cheerleaders Room - although there's sadly no sign of them), there is a band on one of the main stages already making quite a noise - I believe that's Subtract. I'm quite interested to see how they do for noise over various stages with starting and finishing so close to each other - and whether it disrupts the flow of it all.
5) The Silent Disco - so silent I've walked past it and can't find it - one for later I guess.
6) The bar area - I'm kind of non-plussed at this side of things - all the bar areas seem to be in one region away from many of the stages which suggests to me they don't even want people to enjoy the music and the beer - a little bizarre on first reflection.
7) Apparently the moshers are going nuts already to the main stage -maybe I should go see this before the ukulele people send other moshers nuts&there's a phrase I never thought I'd use.
11.00am - Well we're here now - after a quite impressively quick cab drive over, it was thru the gates with no trouble at all -as ever, past the masses waiting to get in (isn't it amazing how angry queuing people look as you go past them). After a series of moments wandering about, we eventually find the media area to check into - am impressed how calm and happy everyone appears to be so far - but then it's only the start of the day - we get our cool wristbands (blue and pink is de rigeur this year arm band fans) and start to try and work out where we are. Well I say we- fellow blogger Joachim has one up on me and knows where everything is - whereas I truly am the wide eyed naïf; I've already got lost and am having technical issues - which I am hoping won't distract me from the day. Am just off to check it out before the crowds get in.
9.10am- As I await my colleague and veteran Big Day Outer Joachim Hackshaw, I realise I'm actually quite looking forward to the day, soaking up the sun and my first band is the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra at Lilyworld around midday ish - I'm also interested in seeing why people book a day off work for this every year; with temperatures expected to get into the high 30s, I suspect there's likely to be a few people who'll get caught out. More from the site when we get there!
8.45am - Result!! Someone has a worse hat than me; a colleague who's also bravely gone for the whole jeans and T shirt look despite the blazing sun - because his hat (which he uses for gardening) makes him look sensible and old - it causes much more mirth in the office than mine and makes me feel better - this pre Big Day Out banter distracts me from some work (which I do get done in case the bosses are reading this)
8.20am - I enter the office carrying copious bags and a hat which I think will keep me free of sunstroke. However, I am not aware of the comedy value of the hat and realise I have just given yet more ammunition to my colleagues - I however, remain strong, despite comments that it's not flattering.
8.17am - I feel sick having had 2 bowls of porridge and some fruit - as well as a cup of tea.
8.15am - I have breakfast after reading this is the most important meal of the BDO - and that if I am to fuel my body well for the long day ahead, I should eat a lot.
8:10am - I realise it's a perfect sunny day and that I'm likely to have the best day of tanning ever.
