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Big Day Out 2013 In Review

1/29/2013

Big Day Out has been and gone for another year leaving many with some good memories, sun burn or maybe a hangover.

The Big Day Out has been seriously challenged, but no doubt they can hold their collective heads high after putting on a well-run event focused on rebuilding and luring the naysayers back to the fold. Some 19,000 passed through the turnstiles at Wayville which is a fair return given how contentious the line up was, stirring much debate amongst music lovers, festival goers and punters in general. No doubt the debate will still rage on until next year’s line up is announced. On paper the line up looked a little light and lacking some big names to fill the bill with headliners Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Killers not having the fan momentum to sell out all the Big Day Out’s off their own back.

The Big Day Out has been given a face lift and the input from US consortium C3 was obvious from an event management and logistics perspective. The introduction of Chow Town and the much discussed festival “food court” has totally revitalised the whole concept of festival catering. Gone were the dodgy hot dogs, soggy chips and chiko rolls replaced by hand crumbed drumsticks or pork burgers and much more for similar prices as the traditional offerings. Some different ticket options like the “Like A Boss” ticket brings the VIP experience to those wanting a little more. Other distractions (if main stage action wasn’t enough) included the El Jimador Mexican Wrestling Club, the Red Bull No Noise Night Club and The Lilypad.

Everything aside, it was about the music and as far as the weather goes it was perfect. One of my biggest gripes was the scheduling of bands this time round. With a scaled back line up it meant there were alot of clashes particularly with the international acts leaving punters with the tough choice of seeing this at the expense of that or seeing a bit of this and a bit of that. With Adelaide’s tarnished reputation of getting international acts to town it is unlikely we’ll see acts such as Alabama Shakes play here again, so seeing them at the expense of not witnessing the brilliant Yeah Yeah Yeahs was a tough one to consider – pass me a coin!

Early on the schedule I found myself roaming around the showgrounds aimlessly as there really wasn’t much to get excited about, even on the main stage. So, it was good to be able to soak it up and check out a lot of acts that ordinarily I wouldn’t go and see. Catching a good chunk of Grinspoon, it seems as if they’re a Big Day Out staple these days. The anthemic Hard Act To Follow was stellar and current single Passer By was really rocking.

Always a pleasure and a real treat seeing Band Of Horses play with their set bringing back good memories of their show at The Gov a couple of years ago. It was a really good opportunity to sit on the grass and chillax as they worked their way through the back catalogue. The Great Salt Lake, Cigarette’s, Wedding Bands, The General Specific and new track Knock Knock were stand-outs, but none more so as The Funeral, which made the crowd take note.

Vampire Weekend have been on my list for a while to see now with their last show selling out in no time at all. The indie kids love ‘em, but having said that, they aren’t the most dynamic or interesting of bands to watch. They do have a pile of hits to pull out, and the highlight moments were the “Ey! Ey! Ey! Ey!” calls during A-Punk or the joyful falsetto sing along in One (Blake’s Got A New Face). Would my experience been better served checking out Childish Gambino or Off? Probably, by all accounts!

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs were probably the first point in the day where I was genuinely excited about what was about to unfold. The band had been promising new material, and they delivered with Mosquito third song in. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are a class act and the kooky Karen O adds another dimension to their performance. Cheated Hearts, Pin and Art Star were fabulous to see before making a quick bolt over to the Green Stage to catch a bit of Alabama Shakes, (fortunately I got to see them play their big hit Hold On) before bolting back to catch the end of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs set. They finished off in a blaze of glory with Y Control, Gold Lion and the infectious Heads Will Roll.

The Killers really lifted the bar giving punters that massive stadium rock show they had been hanging out for all day. The light show was impressive and so too was their stage get up. Opening with Mr Brightside it was game on. Brandon Flowers proved to be the charismatic front man holding down the fort famously, but his fellow colleagues Dave Keuning (guitar) and Mark Stoermer looked extremely disinterested and like they would rather be somewhere else. It was a ‘greatest hits’ set with a couple of newies by way of lead single Runaways and Miss Atomic Bomb. Even now songs such as Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine and Somebody Told Me are just as good as they were when they made their Big Day Out debut six years ago. The attempt of Crowded House’s Don’t Dream It’s Over was brash but well received. Finishing with When You Were Young makes me wonder if there is a hidden message in there about whether they’ll return to our shores sometime soon, or not at all.

The crowd really started to pack the main arena to catch the headliner the Red Hot Chili Peppers. By this stage the evening chill had set in and it was damn freezing! There was a sense of anticipation during the short break with the crowd getting excited when they took to the stage, kicking off with Monarchy Of Roses. I can understand why fans love them as they have a massive arsenal of hits but they really don’t cut the mustard for me. Anthony Kiedis darts around the stage like someone half his age and Flea maintains a ferocious pace for the entire set. All the usual suspects were there such as Around The World, Scar Tissue, Under The Bridge and Californication. The David Bowie cover What In The World was an interesting choice. With interest waning it was off to catch Sleigh Bells and Animal Collective to finish off the night – both of which had bugger all people watching.

As an event, the Big Day Out is still relevant and should remain an integral part of the summer music calendar, so fingers crossed they can keep rebuilding this festival and offer punters even more for 2014. Hats off to all the volunteers who contribute in a number of different ways to keep this event running smoothly.

Review by Rob Lyon.
Photos by Melissa Donato and Supernova Photographics.
Full gallery can be seen here.

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Peter Murphy at The Gov

1/12/2013

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Peter Murphy is like an onion.

Hear me out – I know this is a review of Thursday night’s show, not a character study of the man affectionately known as the Grandfather of Goth. But the show (and what a show – exactly what it should have been, and was) can’t be truly described without respectfully acknowledging one of the most notorious musicians in the early 80s era of post-punk, gothic rock genres.

So, Peter Murphy is like an onion, right? Not because he makes people cry (although if I were Bono, I’d perhaps sleep with one eye open), and I can assure you there is no hint of a pungent scent from Murphy, having personally witnessed the Englishman acting like a proper gentlemen during his set, leaning into the crowd to give fans’ camera phones a fighting chance and taking the hands of a few lucky female admirers.

No – like an onion, and a fellow distinguished English musician of past, John Lennon (and if you know your children’s movies, a certain green fabled character too), Peter Murphy, after a 30-year preceding career as frontman of the original Gothic rock band, Bauhaus and similar success in his solo ventures, which saw influences from the chart topping rock and pop rhythms of that time to Middle Eastern religion, has layers. Although it is his role as the primary vocalist of Bauhaus, together with his piercing gaze and sharp cheekbones that he is renowned for, he is an artist in every sense of the word; a colourful (albeit not literally) figure who has dabbled in dance and theatre as well as music, who brings with him a history of spirituality and documented performance on the stage, a place arguably his second home. Thus making himself home in Adelaide, Murphy brought all the tricks of his artistic trades cross-country, his first ever tour to Australia a success when it had only just begun.

Complimenting the artistic fusion in both Murphy’s appearance and sound, the sole opening act for the evening were Brillig. The Adelaide based band, who have a bestselling LP with indie European label, Black Rain and international festival slots to their name are every inch the travelling storytellers their music may suggest. Dressed for a journey that makes the three-piece look as though they have travelled through time from the Western days before pausing for a stopover in Berlin for the pre-WW2 cabaret, they seem accustomed to the lifestyle. This impression is further supported when after the first number of songs during their set, the folk outfit announce the release of another album for the 2013 Adelaide Fringe festival. Treating fans to the preview of a handful of songs from the upcoming LP, Brillig’s set, which also contained classics like The Old Captain was just as enticing as the melodious musicians who played it. Their departure from the stage with an old American Halloween rhyme known as the Hearse Song was an interesting, but suitable choice before they made way for the man of the hour.

Fittingly out of the darkness, smoke settling across the stage as the audience now filling the venue gathered as close as they could, Peter Murphy then made his first appearance for the evening with the opening song of Zikir, the closing track of Bauhaus’ last release. Evidence that he was indeed loved was strong with all eyes upon the frontman in all his morbid glory. Acknowledging that the admiration and sight of a well assembled crowd was lovely, Murphy carried the night’s high spirits forth with several songs of his own, including Memory Go and I Spit Roses.

The biggest highlight by far though was a classic in the arsenal of Murphy’s catalogue, Bauhaus’s tenth single, She’s In Parties. From the beginning of the haunting tune, courtesy of Murphy’s melodica, fans knew they were in for a treat, the ambience of the venue nearly crackling as much as some of the collectable 7 inch releases from the band. Not one to keep the spotlight all to himself however, Murphy’s backing band were equally impressive, consisting of Jeff Schartoff, Nick Lucero and Mark Gemini Thwaite, three virtuosos of whom their present vocalist showed clear affection for. This affection was soon shared by the audience, Schartoff and Thwaite harmonising with Murphy on violin and acoustic guitar respectively in beautiful performances of Bauhaus’s Silent Hedges and Murphy’s Cuts You Up.

Between songs, Murphy graciously thanked his opening band, Brillig and remarked to his audience about his observations of music of today, where bands like The Rolling Stones had become ‘the walking dead’ and there was perhaps more than meets the eye with modern, popular acts like U2, while musicians such as himself did ‘the real [thing]’. If the standard of musicianship Murphy discussed was not quite understood then, or after the band ended their set, it was made crystal clear upon their return with not one, but two powerful encores, which drew together songs of new and old from both Murphy and Bauhaus’s back catalogue with Marlene Dietrich’s Favourite Poem, Severance and All Night Long. Humorous assurance from Murphy that none were a ballad and we needn’t worry, not when it was he behind the mic was also well received.

Just like his music, in both memory and machine, Peter Murphy lingers. He stayed in the venue, well on into the night to greet and speak with fans, many of whom felt the whole experience was not only unreal, but also once in a lifetime. And although there is truth in these thoughts, those who appeared to welcome Murphy to Australia will not forget his presence, nor the famous face that first appeared in cult horror classic, The Hunger. The Grandfather of Goth lives on and it was an honour to be a part of his show and feel part of his family, even just for one night.

Review by Rebecca Grant
Photos by Melissa Donato - view full gallery here

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Big Day Out 2013 In Review

Peter Murphy at The Gov

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