The big day out.

In Nuu Ziland, I used to go to the Big Day Out most years. Obviously this year, I'm not going to make it being half way round the big mudball. I had a good squizz at the acts playing this year. Lets go through the bands on offer this year.

Slipknot. Does anyone get this band? Anyone?
Scribe. I bet he's still flogging the same old rhymes. Prove me wrong.
Carl Cox. Zzzzzzzz. In the boilerroom, which sucks bigtime.
Regurgitator. These guys crack me up, I don't mind them.
The Hives. Yep, these guys get my foot tapping.
Deceptikonz. Good crew of boys. I'd watch them.
Dimmer. Shayne Carters Band. Cool. Big tick.
Shapeshifter. Drum and Bass? Too sweaty, and too distorted, and I cant keep up.
DJ Sirvere. Always has the good beats.
Beastie Boys. Guys, you took way too long between albums. Nuff said.
Chemical Brothers. Fuck off.
System of a Down. You guys are shit. Anyone tell you this lately?
The Streets. Does anyone know what the word Chav means in NZ?
Shihad. They changed their name back. Ha ha ha, what a joke.
The Donnas. I'd sleep with any of them.
The Music. I'd give these guys a listen to. For sure.
The D4. They cover New York Dolls, and love Dead Moon. They Rock.
Steriogram. Westies from Massey, and are making a go of it, and make dope videos.
The Bleeders. Have heard good things about these guys.
Powderfinger. Where is my gun, quickly.
Trinity Roots. Supposedly breaking up, so it would be nice to see them.
SJD. This guy pushs the envelope, which gets my ears pricked up.
Pitch Black. Like an old comfy pair of slippers, good stuff.
Frontline. Good NZ hip hop, worth a listen.
The Phoenix Foundation. I want to hear more of these guys.

I've probably missed a few out, but as you can tell, it's the same old line up, bar a a few new gems. When I first went to the Big Day Out, I always managed to blag my way into a corporate box. Which is real good fun. Booze is flowing and you don't have to be suspect with the old rolling skills, you have your own room! And you don't have to wade through piss to have a piss. Which is all good, considering how much beer you can seem to drink on a hot Auckland summers day. In the later years, however my situation changed a bit and the corporate boxes were not really on offer as much. Milling around with 45,000 chemically altered people, can be a bit of challenge. But this turns into a bit of a weird game if you decide to take some high strength blotter acid. An eight hour weird game that believe me gets really, really, twisted. Trust me on this one. Even more funny when you share it with friends and they get lost, only to find them at the end of the night, more lost. Anyway The Big Day Out seemed to be the annual Big Day Out Of It. But I'm digressing, this post is all about the music, not my brain rotting youth. I'm much more mature now. Honest. So I'm gonna rattle off some of my best big day highlights.

Underworld. Simply amazing set. I'll never forget Karl Hyde's mad dancing and in the breakdown of Rez, he singing the chorus to The Rolling Stones: Can't alway get what you want. Joe Stummer and the Mescaleros. The first and only time I've seen, heard, and listened to Joe live. He had the same set time to the Chemical Botherers, and told the audience “Well you could be over there, in that big tent listening to that electronic music, well stick around and listen to some real music” Priceless. A kodak moment. Janes Addiction. At the end of their set they came on for an encore, and came right up the front of the stage and did an acoustic version of Jane Says. (I've got goosebumps, just thinking of this, it was that good.) I was right up the front and looking around to see everyone over 25 hugging each other singing thier hearts out along with Perry. I'll never forget that one. Marilyn Manson. (I don't really dig these guys music, but this little story is worth telling) I decided to get a beer and head up right to the top to get a breather. I think a little square of paper had something to do with it most probably. I made my way up to the top of the stand and by some twist of fate sat next to some guy who had come all the way from Hastings, and was of course Marilyn Manson's biggest fan. As usual I didn't know that M.M. was just about to start. He pulled out a carrot sized joint of Hawkes Bay's finest, and started to smoke it with gusto. Of course I had to join him. Talk about totalled. The first song he started to tear up pages of the bible from a mock pulpit. This got my attention. Marilyn started to transfix me some what. "You freak" I was thinking. I forgot about the freak next to me. He was jumping on his seat, skulling a 3L bladder of cheap wine and spraying it everywhere. He was pissing everyone off, except me, the wine spray was going over my head. He would tire himself out and sit down and toke some more weed and tell me that M.M. was a God and a Devil at the same time, so infact he was the true image of man. Right mate.......whatever, just pass me that joint, wacko. He did the wine spraying act a few more times, and managed to attract the attention of the cops. I had the joint in my hand. Oh fuck. I threw the joint over the back of the stand just as the cops came walking up to our row. They saw me do it. But the mental case next to me seemed to be presenting a a bigger problem than I. I stood up to let the cops go by me, and quickly scurried past them. Jesus, I was so stoned, to the point of needing to be sick. I nearly fell down the steps and stopped to look up at what was now playing. It was “I don't like the drugs (but the drugs like me).” At this point a huge sign swung down onto the stage with the word “DRUGS” spelt out with blinding strobe lights. The crowd went nuts. Crazy wineman had somehow slipped the cops and came hurtling past me, screaming “Fuck yooooou Pigs” quickly giving me a thumbs up, and diving into the crowd never to be seen again.

Well that's my Big Day Out memories. (from what I can remember).
Feel free to add yours in the comments box.