100 not out - The Big Day Out marks its milestone with a killer closing show in Sydney

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Ed Gibbs

12:29am Thu 28th Jan 2010

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By Ed Gibbs
Cracking a century is some feat for any music event – and none comes bigger than the colossal juggernaut that is the Big Day Out. It was fitting, then, that Saturday’s second, sold-out show in Sydney – coming a full 18 years after its auspicious beginnings at Moore Park’s old Showgrounds home, with headliners Nirvana – should boast the most eclectic line-up ever seen on these shores.
Whether you were an early bird for Triple J Unearthed winners Sherlocks Daughter, or a late arrival for Modular darlings Tame Impala, UK hit wonders Temper Trap or Vlad the Impaler’s Kasabian, the only immediate downer was the heat. It was – even for January – sweltering, with the mercury leaping to a thirst-quenching 43 degrees.
Police were everywhere, of course – a continuing result of the headline-grabbing horror of 2001, when a 16-year-old fan was crushed during Limp Biskit’s infamous set – but were as restrained as the weary bar staff serving up the two-drinks-per-person allowance. Better still, the 53,000 punters on the floor were having fun despite the scorching sun, and there was little of the drug-fuelled violence that has marred previous years.
True, Sydney Olympic Park has never been the most welcoming of venues for any major event (least of all our premier music festival), but somehow it didn’t matter. US warblers The Decemberists kept the folkies smiling on the ‘Green Stage’, UK rap giant Dizzee Rascal (sporting a basketball take on a Spurs football jersey, no less) had the main ‘Blue Stage’ crowd in awe after our own Eskimo Joe held their own, and the ‘Boiler Room’ was, not surprisingly, rammed for one-man-band Girl Talk.
The good vibes only threatened to come crashing down on two brief occasions, in fact: the forecast thunder storm (which turned out to be only rain) and midway through UK saucy minstrel Lilly Allen’s hit-infested set. A random stage invader appeared from nowhere and mauled an understandably shaken star, before whisked off by burly bouncers. Maybe the lad was peeved at Ms Allen’s lawn party outfit (which showed off some mighty thighs, but little else), or wanted to quiz her over the Britney lip-synching debate. After all, we were wondering: how can she possibly be getting all those notes out just right?
Soon enough, though, the home straight beckoned: with Brisbane vets Powderfinger paving the way for the ‘so seriousness’ of UK stadium giants Muse (no, I don’t get it, either); Melbourne’s Jet looking lost and strangely irrelevant on the nearby ‘Green Stage’; a stand-out set from Kiwi rock chick Ladyhawke on the adjacent ‘Essential Stage’; and a mighty one-two over in the ‘Boiler Room’, with progressive house master DJ Sasha warming up the massive for closers Groove Armada.
Was it the best Big Day Out yet? In terms of what you could see for the reasonably expensive price of $150, most definitely yes. While many understandably still mourn the move to Homebush after all these years from Moore Park, the event itself appears to be almost certainly capable of another 100 before too long. And if they’re anywhere near as good as this, bring them on.
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Check out photos from Big Day Out Sydney at: http://munky.com.au/u/8r

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