MUSIC: Big Day Out mayhem and memories

Barney McDonald looks back on 13 years of Big Days Out and explains why he'll always keep going back for more.

Every year, it's the same dilemma. To attend Big Day Out, or not?

Really, it's a no-brainer. Of course you're going, even if you have to hock your guitar to buy one of the increasingly expensive tickets. But it's not just the acquisition of a means of entry you're concerned with. You'll also need cash for food, beer, souvenirs and whatever else gets you through 12 hours of musical mayhem.

In its 13-year history in New Zealand (14 if you count 1998, when organisers elected to skip a year), Big Day Out has become a cultural institution. It's the festival Sweetwaters always strived to be, though thankfully without the need to camp out for days in dry, dusty conditions.

Now entering its 14th year, Big Day Out shows little sign of faltering. With all the corporate sponsors vying for your attention and consumer loyalty, it may now appear like a McFestival rather than a counterculture celebration of rock'n'roll excess. But it's still a hell of a fun day and the best way to see dozens of great bands and DJs with your friends.

After kicking off in Sydney in 1992 with headliner Nirvana, then expanding to include Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth in 1993 (acts included Iggy Pop, Sonic Youth and Mudhoney), Big Day Out ventured across the ditch in 1994 to bring to our shores the likes of Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins and The Breeders.

Who there can forget that first taste of festival heaven on our own doorstep? The sun was blazing, the air pungent with anticipation. Here was a Lollapalooza-style festival in Auckland and we were collectively determined to make the most of it.

The scene was set the previous night when Soundgarden played a pre-festival indoor show at the Powerstation. The sound was incredible, with the band producing a level of intensity impossible to reproduce at an outdoor arena.

This precedent was replicated the following year, when headliner Ministry also showcased their power live at the same venue, helping establish a tradition of brilliant sneaky shows in the city the night before the big day itself.

The same year, Hole's Courtney Love proved she can out-trash them all with her outrageous stage antics. After berating New Zealand for screwing her up (she lived briefly in Nelson as a child), she then gloriously proceeded to make a spectacle of herself in front of the delighted crowd. Not to be outdone, Ministry's Al Jorgensen scooped a lingerie-clad Love up in his arms backstage and carried the bedraggled singer into his dressing room for a cup of tea and some polite conversation.

For some reason, the gods have smiled kindly on Auckland's Big Day Out. It rarely rains. Instead, the tens of thousands of punters are encouraged by the great weather to wear next to nothing and promptly turn vicious shades of sunburnt red. 1996 was the notable exception. Rather than a few isolated showers, the heavy black clouds unleashed their fury on the fields of fans, turning the Warriors' home ground into a swamp.

Elastica were forced to stop mid-set after the rain caused an electrical fault, while Tricky was witness to the ingenuity of the crowd, who turned the sheets of wood underfoot into overhead protection from the sheets of rain. Foolhardy kids then used this new layer to stand atop their friends for a better view of the chaos and carnage.

Without Big Day Out, many bands would never have played New Zealand. Although we missed out on Aphex Twin, Patti Smith and Happy Mondays (who didn't arrive anyway), we've been fortunate enough to see Kraftwerk, Underworld, The Prodigy, Nine Inch Nails, Rammstein, System of a Down, The Darkness, Iggy and the Stooges, The Streets and Lily Allen. Plus, many bands made their New Zealand debuts at Big Day Out, including Kings of Leon, Roni Size, The Strokes and Coldplay, who played an intimate "industry only" show at Galatos the night before their 2001 appearance.

Last year, Australia's The Presets played just their second Auckland show and, in a little under an hour, proved why the Big Day Out is so exciting. Appearing on the back field, the unassuming duo began their set in front of a bemused crowd of onlookers. After about 30 minutes, Peaches and three other gals pounced on to the stage in blue boiler suits and proceeded to do a cool robotic dance routine. The crowd was hooked. By the time The Presets left the stage, everyone on the field was dancing wildly. And it was only mid-afternoon!

What you're doing while you're watching your favourite bands can be half the fun. The "silent disco" is obviously a weird and wonderful experience, both for those dancing with headphones on and spectators. But watching the Beastie Boys on the main stage while suspended upside down on one of the amusement rides is a thrill you will never experience in the unexceptional Vector Arena.

Everyone has their favourite Big Day Out bands and their own tales to tell. It's an event that not only encourages wholehearted participation, it demands it. Although plenty of people are content to sip pinot gris in a corporate box, to see your favourite electronic act in the Boiler Room or catch a band's New Zealand debut on the back field requires immersion. No point holding back and simply observing at this festival.

Big Day Out, Auckland's Mt Smart Stadium, Friday.

- © Fairfax NZ News