Big Day Out

A few seconds of Win Butler and Regine Chassagne of Arcade Fire at Monday's Big Day Out in North Melbourne (more pics below). Funeral, their debut record, was the soundtrack to my first trip Down Under in January 2005, and Neon Bible, their second, blared from my iPod while walking from the Milson's Point train station to my office in North Sydney last year. Only natural I'd see them in a dusty, sun-scorched parking lot alongside Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse.

Dozens of acts played throughout the day on far-flung stages. All but one of the Aussie bands sparked unfortunate flashbacks to '90s posers like Stone Temple Pilots, Bush and {shudder} Creed. Multi-platinum, radio-friendly acts all, and all shameless amalgams of other band's sounds and styles. Especially gruesome were rebellion-by-numbers fops Regurgitator, Grinspoon and current media darlings Silverchair, who collectively grinded out 3 hours of dull, loud and pointless noise.

The lone Aussie standout was Hilltop Hoods, a hip-hop group from Adelaide. The Hard Road, released in 2006, was the first CD I ever purchased in Australia. Upbeat, original and fun.
Ever been caught in a human rip tide? That was the sensation when Win Butler jumped offstage and climbed on a crowd barrier mid-song.
All 7 members of Arcade Fire.
Camel herders would have loved the festival's conditions -- a boiling sun and clouds of dust, seen hovering over the crowd in this photo.
Regurgitator on stage. They're all dressed in white. Genius!
Locals.
Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin, an elder of the Wurundjeri people, performs a 'Welcome to Country' ceremony before the Hilltop Hoods set. The Wurundjeri people are the traditional owners of the land on which the festival took place.
Hilltop Hoods got the most from an eager crowd.