Electrorash

I went to the Big Day Out and it was good. It’s the eighth I’ve been to, and while it wasn’t VERY good, it was still good. Melbourne’s new venue at the Flemington Racecourse (as opposed to the Showgrounds located at Flemington racecourse - go figure) was very spacious and well managed. You could stand a few light-years away and still see the band without comprising too much on sound. For example:

And it still kicked arse! But it wasn’t all peachy. I was front row for Midnight Juggernauts, and could barely hear what Vince was mumbling about. They still kicked out the jams though, and had a modest mosh by the end of their set. And Andy, the guitarist, was wearing a Kavinsky ‘Dead Cruiser‘ tee, which is totally sweet by me. Less than sweet with me, though, was some fat, sweaty shit who kept feeling up my lady-friends…

Midnight Juggernauts - Nine Lives

Midnight Juggernauts - Tombstone (The Comets Remix)

Pnau was like a circus. At one point about eight random objects joined the band on stage to get their crunk on.

That annoying singer from Operator Please joined Pnau for a bombastic take on Baby and Luke Steele of the Sleepy Jackson joined Nick and co. on stage for Freedom. Manic, hands-in-the-air stuff, but if i were Pnau I’d be slightly concerned about the high concentration of Muzzas in attendance. Not from Melbourne? Well a Muzza looks something like this.

Highlight of the set was definitely Dancing on the Water, which went from an unassuming bopper on the album to a fist-flinging fuckstorm when played live.

Pnau - Dancing On The Water

Arcade Fire? It was impossible to get up close but even from my vantage point all i can say is: do yourself a favour and see them live before you die. Like, if you’re currently terminally ill, call up the Starlight Foundation now and get them to fly you to their next gig. Or at least buy the DVD for you.

Arcade Fire - Tunnels

Stay tuned for part two.