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With two people covering the whole of the Big Day Out it is
impossible to get round all of the artists playing, let alone
assess whether they are any good or not. So the
onenews.co.nz BDO team of two have picked out some
artists to see and review. Have a read, see if you agree and then
have your say on the message board below.
Rage Against the Machine
The California legends are back and they made no doubt about
it.
Big Day Out is part of the group's first set of concerts outside the US since reforming in 2007 and fans were not disappointed. RATM pulled out the hits and showed off the ease at which it manages to blend metal, hip hop and funk with a vigour few can match.
The crowd was fully charged before the band appeared, doing a massive Mexican wave and a deafening roar that swelled around the arena. Fans were rewarded when RATM burst onto stage with the high energy and ferocity they are known for. Mic-gripping vocalist Zach de la Rocha led the charge and legend guitarist Tom Morello joined him in a gravity-defying performance, making full use of the stage and jumping on top of the speakers.
Fans were sweaty, smelly and pumped - just how a rock concert should be. In fact, the mass jumping from the crowd would have sent vibrations directly to the core of the earth beneath Mt Smart Stadium. Rock on RATM!
Bjork
Not being a big Bjork fan - I own no albums though I do have the
odd song on my iPod - I was a somewhat blank slate going into her
performance at the Big Day Out.
Her distinct vocal phrasing, her eclectic music style - that
draws on so many influences and often defies traditional music
definition - and her outrageous costuming have long shown her to be
a unique and innovative artist.
And on Friday night she lived up to that moniker.
Being only five foot three in a crowd where the average height was much taller my view of the stage and Bjork herself was limited to fleeting glances. But what I did see proved that her performance is more than just the music.
Lead on to a flag covered stage by a brass band kitted out in red and gold with lizard like eye make-up, Bjork was resplendent in a white turban like piece of headgear, shot through with green, red and gold - she wore it only for her first song (it looked heavy).
Her performance was one of contrast.
Musically she ebbs and flows. Both between songs and within them she moves from wistful to dynamic and energetic, gathering the crowd up with her as she goes. Bjork is nothing if not completely intriguing.
She showed with Hyperballad and the stonking good Declare Independence that she can rock with the best of them, creating a buzz around the crowd that swayed even the most reluctant of audience members.
Bjork's music is detailed and intricate yet fun and accessible.
She sounds like no other recording artist out there today and has a
presence and style that sets her apart. This reviewer walked away
content to have seen a woman who is surely one of the most
important artists of the last 20 years
The Phoenix Foundation
It was all in an afternoon for the indie pop rockers -
taking fans from late arvo sun to sunset with their groovy alt
tunes. Lead singer Samuel Flynn Scott told onenews.co.nz earlier in
the week that their last performance at the Big Day Out in 2005 was
a bit of a nightmare, but there was no evidence of that this time
around. The boys from Wellington were cohesive, yet casual, not to
mention refreshingly humorous - occasionally warping their
voices with a mixer, or going country which resulted in a
resounding "yeehaa" from a punter next to me. Flynn Scott
encouraged the audience to slow dance to Nest Egg, but this soon
turned out to be a scream fest as the crowd, and the band, belted
out "It's a lie!". Beautiful. Had Flynn Scott set his guitar on
fire after that song, it would be would have been fitting. The
Phoenix Foundation wrapped up their set on a high with Bright Grey,
leaving not a soul without putting a bit of air between the soles
of their shoes and the ground.
Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire took to the stage at the Big Day Out off the back of
two Brit Award nominations - Best International Group and Best
International Album for 2007's Neon Bible. The six piece from
Montreal, Quebec have a sound that is perfect for a festival
environment, which is why I was surprised when the Mount Smart
crowd went a bit flat when they began their set. There were pockets
of support - I myself was ensconced in a pocket of Arcade Fire
aficionado's and loved every minute of it - but on the whole the
crowd failed to respond en masse to the critically acclaimed
Canadians. On a personal note I thoroughly enjoyed their set. They
were humble yet bursting with energy and their music is
simultaneously melancholic and grandiose. A punter behind me (in
the circle of Arcade Fire love) responded thus to his mate when
they were discussing the subdued audience response: "It's cos they
don't know their music." And maybe he was right, or maybe it was
the 6pm timeslot and a crowd knackered from a day in the hot sun.
You may be reading this the day after the BDO and completely
disagree with me, if so do share your opinion on the message board
below.
The Nightwatchman - Tom Morello
In his first ever solo gig in New Zealand, Rage Against
The Machine guitar man Tom Morello didn't just sing - he delivered
messages. The artist, who's known for his anti-President Bush views
and social conscience, is a man on a mission, choosing to narrate
his politics through song. With just his acoustic guitar and mouth
organ, he stripped down ACDC's Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap and gave
it an anti-Bush administration spin - and the crowd loved it, the
audience raising fists in solidarity. He's not everyone's cuppa -
dispensing his views with the zeal of a tele-Evangelist, both in
song and between them, but he got the crowd stirred up. As he says
in his song Flesh Of The Day, "it doesn't matter who you are or
what you say, flesh shapes the day". Basically, it's up to us. In a
popular turn with the crowd, Morello welcomed on stage Serge
Tankian of System Of A Down, his fellow Axis of Justice pal. The
pair performed the slow and contemplative Nazarus On Down from his
upcoming album. But before the crowd began to think he was going to
leave the stage on a softer note, he stirred up them up again with
an audience-artist duo and a bit of a mosh.
SJD
Perhaps it was the late afternoon sun, but following Tom Morello,
the crowd around the Green and Essential stages drifted away to
take a break on the lawn, leaving SJD with a small, but
appreciative, crowd. It was the first time I had caught the
collaborative six-piece, and being a fave of mine I felt a little
bad for the band that the numbers standing were a little spare in
comparison. But who needs to compare? The obviously talented Sean
James Donnelly and his five compadres didn't disappoint. The
material wasn't all from SJD's latest album Songs From A
Dictaphone, and the crowd was treated to some rollicking
atmospheric rock from their Southern Lights album. Dressed in a
black shirt, hat and trousers, Donnelly's sombre outfit reflected
his slightly solemn on-stage presence as he deftly hopped between
vocals, base and effects mixing - although he admitted forgetting
the title to one of his songs. The group didn't disappoint
Beautiful Haze lovers and wrapped up their set with a rocked out
and extended version of I Wrote This Song For You.
Dizzee Rascal
He's Dizzee Rascal, he's jus a rascal & oh yes he is,
and a he puts on a damn fine show as well. Moving into the Boiler
Room for Dizzee's set there was an air of anticipation. The
22-year-old MC/producer may not have been a headline act but for
many fans he was the artist of choice for this Big Day Out -
including for a certain onenews.co.nz reviewer. After thoroughly
enjoying his set last time he graced the BDO I was keen to see how
things had progressed especially off the back of yet another
Mercury Prize nominated album in Maths + English. The Rascal didn't
disappoint, playing on the crowds anticipation by teasing them with
his signature track Jus a Rascal, before launching into his set
proper. Dizzee's tracks have a broad range of influence, from
electric guitar, drill n bass, garage and of course new and old
school hip hop and he rocked each one to perfection, whipping the
crowd into a sweaty frenzy. The only downside? He played in the
Boiler Room which after all these years is still living up to its
reputation as the hottest, sweatiest concert venue in the country -
good job I bought a spare top.
Kate Nash
We'll keep this review short (a slow internet connection
stalling my first lot of reviews) but sweet - because that's what
my experience at Kate Nash was. Constantly likened to fellow Brit
Lilly Allen (and often derided for not being quite as good) Nash
proved with her set at the BDO that she's not really that much like
her contemporary. Yes they have the same type of vocal and yes both
of their songs have sassy lyrics, but live that is about where the
comparison ends. Where Allen last year was a brash, in your face
bundle of energy - as loud and slightly obnoxious as you'd expect -
Nash was softly spoken and sweet, welcoming the crowd into her show
rather than ear bashing them into it. The sound was not great and
at times Nash was drowned out by her bass line, but all in all it
was a nice show for a sunny day - I didn't see the fans complaining
either.
White Birds and Lemons
On arriving and setting ourselves up we decided to go for a wander
- assess the mood of the early crowd and the early bands. Doing a
drive-by of the Green and Essential stages we came across Essential
stage starters White Birds and Lemons. The four piece rock band
from Devonport on Auckland's North Shore were nearing the end of
the set (we caught the last three songs), but what we heard we
liked. Friends of fellow Devonport rockers The Checks - who I will
get too shortly - their blues inspired rock was the perfect start
to the day.
Operator Please
The great thing about the Big Day Out is stumbling across
bands that you had no intention of seeing, and being pleasantly
surprised by what you get. Operator Please are one such band for
me. The Gold Coast band's biggest single to date, Just a Song About
Ping Pong, had previously not really tickled my fancy, but in the
live environment this and other songs were polished, and thanks to
improved sound quality on the Essential Stage this year, sounded
great. They're bright, spunky and enthusiastic. They clearly had a
dedicated group of fans but many, like me, were drawn across to
them while waiting for the next act on the Green Stage &.
The Checks
If you don't love The Checks already then you should. I have long
been a fan of these North Shore lads, who are slowly but surely
taking the world by storm (they're debut album Hunting Whales has
already impressed fans and music critics alike - including music
bible's such as NME and MOJO). But their performance at this BDO
shows how far they ahve come since I first fell in love at
Bfm gig so many years ago. Not content to simply roll out songs
from recently released debut album Hunting Whales, they handed the
audience a mixed bag, including two new songs (one from their next
album and another written just yesterday apparently) and a rocked
out version of Justin Timberlake's Lovestoned - in Americna Idol
speak they "truly made it their own". The whole band has great
stage presence and lead singer Ed Knowles' natural showmanship made
for an infectious performance. They kept chat to a minimum and let
their music speak for itself.
Anti-Flag
Though hanging out at the Essential and Green stages,
with it's relaxed environment and comfy grass, was a tempting
option I figured it's not really a Big Day Out with at least a
couple of foray's down to the main stage. I took my first trip to
the hot sweaty main stages for Pennsylvania's political punk
rockers Anti-Flag. Supporting headliners Rage Against the Machine
on their Australian tour, a few songs into their set it was not
hard to see why. Together since 1989 in various forms and with
multiple line-ups their music has always been and remains driven by
politics and social ills. Their MySpace page says "War sucks let's
party" and I'd have to agree - I thoroughly enjoyed their high
energy set. The rest of the crowd did too, with a thriving Mosh Pit
at such an early hour of the day.
Liam Finn
The stage may have looked bare with just Liam Finn and
support by EJ, but the sound was anything but. After doing solo
shows over the last year, Finn has become a master of playing
musical chairs, chopping and changing between guitar and vocals and
his drum kit during songs. Finn tempered his set with more the
tender Fire In Your Belly and rarked the crowd up with his frenetic
drum playing in his six-song set. On the drums he looked every bit
the wild man from Borneo as he wound himself into a fever pitch and
got the early afternoon crowd rocking. His guitar showmanship
wasn't to be outdone by his drums though - at one stage he
disappeared from view onto the floor of the stage as took one-note
guitar distortion to the limit. With energy to burn and a clear
passion for music he got a big thumbs up from the crowd.
Tiki Taane
Dark, mystical and powerful is how Tiki kicked off his
set. Blowing into a shell with its eerie horn-like quality, under
laid with a Maori chant from his Dad, the pair "cleared the space
so we could come up here and do our thing". With support from the
Shapeshifter crew, Tiki's diverse set was a hit with the crowd.
First up was a groovy number reminiscent of Salmonella Dub that got
the crowd moving, a good warm up to the all out mosh that Tiki
demanded of the audience by the end of the set.
Tiki's message to the crowd was of unity - and whether it was dub,
reggae, or funk-metal, the audience was behind him all the way. By
the end the crowd was moving as one mass jump. Tiki may not have
Salmonella Dub behind him anymore but he's a bona fide standalone
act that can get wind the crowd up into a frenzy. Definitely one to
look out for.
To share your pics of the Big Day Out email them to us at Interactivenews@tvnz.co.nz .
Who were your favourite artists at the BDO? Did any gigs
disappoint? Give us your feedback on the message board
below.
