Really really tired, so sorry if some of this reads a bit weird...
We arrived, by train, around midday with, it seemed, everyone else. Flinders Street was packed with fans waiting to get onto the platform. Connex did a good job of crowd control on the way in and out.
After wandering around to check out the new venue, we watched Galvatrons at the V Energy Local Produce stage. Galvatrons could easily have been omitted from the original Transformers The Movie soundtrack, and I believe that was the point. They were like a Van Halen cover band, only they weren't playing covers. The first two songs were fun but then we got bored.
We wandered a little more then went back to the V Energy tent to watch Mammal who were excellent. We're not convinced their sound would translate well to CD, but live they were fantastic. Like a trip back to the 90s. Funky bass, heavy guitars, fast vocals, and a front man who stage-dived from the speaker stack. For some weird reason they reminded me of a hybrid of Ugly Kid Joe and early Tool but I might get shot for saying that. I plan to check out their CD anyway.
After Mammal we rushed over to the Converse Essential stage to watch Enter Shikari, who were unfortunately complete rubbish. I gave them four songs, one of which was my favourite from the album, but they just can't sing.
So we ran over to catch the end of Regurgitator's set on the main Blue Stage. They were OK, but the new album really does stink when put up against their old stuff, which was all fantastic, including a rocked-up version of Polyester Girl. I'm not sure the big venue suits them though. Perhaps it would have been better up close.
After Gurge we went and sat down in the Hot House tent for a bit (shade!), finally watching Shy Child start his set. For a band of just a keyboard axe/vocals and drums, they created a pretty full sound, but nothing to write home about.
We bailed on Shy, and went to see Pnau in the Boiler Room. The whole day we'd heard complaints about how hard it was to get in the Boiler Room but every time we went in (four or five times during the day) we had zero problems, and it was never very busy inside.
Pnau started with their new Stawberry song... and that was enough for us. We left and bought some dinner and ate it in the Hot House while Blue King Brown started their set. They seemed very popular, but I could barely describe them now. Reggae? Kinda? Protesty.
The Lilyworld area has traditionally been the bit no-one goes to, so it serves as a nice chill-out spot. Not this year. Very popular, probably due to it having a bar, and full of drugged out nut jobs. We watched a few ambos pop in and out with resuscitation gear, looking irritated.
Around 5.30, we watched Grrilla Step show off some krumping which was entertaining. I'd vote for more dancing at future Big Days Out.
Followed by Unkle (Live). They're billed as "live", as technically Unkle is a DJ group, but today they played as a band, and they were excellent. It was a real pity we had to leave early to get a spot for Bjork. We watched about half an hour.
Rocking up to Bjork about 7:10, we had to listen to last few songs of Silverchair. When did Daniel John's turn into such a tryhard rock god? When did the other two members turn into little tryhard Powderfingers with their little beards? Lame lame lame. Lame.
Bjork was an oasis of subtlety in a storm of rawk. After a day of violently heavy acts, much of her set was quiet songs, which irritated the hell out of the Rage Against The Machine crowd. It was a joy to watch.
She toured with a full band, including a drummer, DJs and twelve? piece brass band/choir, all of whom performed brilliantly. Standouts had to be Unravel and Hyperballad with the surprise mega-doof ending, and the final insane Pluto and Declare Independence. She apologised a few times for her voice but it was glorious as far as I'm concerned.
It lit a fire for me to see her live in a concert hall one day. Hopefully she comes back to do a solo show at Hamer Hall.
I was looking forward to Rage Against The Machine, but they weren't a major draw card for me. I was cynical of their comeback, and burnt a bit by Audioslave... but they were brilliant. The crowd was insane, climbing three deep on speaker stacks, climbing (and destroying) trees and risking their lives and others by sitting on top of marquee tents. They stopped the band before the last two songs to ask them to get down, but it was hardly as described in the papers today. I didn't see any real trouble, except perhaps a couple of thrown flares and fireworks toward the end. Perhaps it was crazier up the front.
There is nothing like watching 40,000 people watching to same band.
I'm in pain today. Tired. Feeling super old.