Another Auckland Big Day Out became history last Friday, and I was there.
So much is made of the lineup before a BDO, and almost nothing of the music. The two have an interesting and complex relationship. Reading a lineup can be like scrolling through the artists on an ipod looking for something to listen to, having only your imagination and memory of an artists music to make your choice. I realised on Friday that a lineup means almost nothing at Big Day Out. The day by itself is, dare I say it, sort of magical.
The festival has an undeserved reputation for being common, insensitive and commercial. In reaction to such a reputation, the annual music festival Camp a Low Hum never announces a set list prior to the event, believing that taking the focus away from the bands playing will contribute more to the experience of the music. Perhaps this is true. Maybe forcing your audience to attend on trust and love for music adds extra mana to the experience for some. Whether it does or not, the festival I experienced on Friday had no lack of atmosphere or duende considering the "commercialism" of the event.
As I said, the day was magical, one of the most lovely experiences I've ever had. As a friend said to me at the time "I really freaking love Big Day Out... and I don't know why". Out of context, another friend supplied a possible answer, pointing me to the incredible diversity of people Big Day Out draws. Wellington can be a suffocating clusterfuck of competing social groups and sub-cultures, but at Big Day Out they were all there together, enjoying the sunshine, getting along, having a wonderful time: the jocks, the hipsters, the geeks, the sluts, the indie kids, and the straight up regular kiwi. My personal favourite however is the veteran. We spotted three of these at just behind the D-Barricade during the Mars Volta: clad in leather vests with grey hair and beards reaching down below their shoulders. We commented at the time how much respect we have for these people, what and who they must have seen in their time, and how they're still here, engaging in the same history we were experiencing in 2010.
To me, the reputation of Big Day Out mentioned earlier seemed complete undeserved. It was so much more welcoming and friendly than anything I'd witnessed at Camp A Low Hum.
Now to the bands. The acts I saw again reinforce what I said about the relationship between lineup and music. Seeing "Muse" on a lineup gives no hint of the monstrous sound they produced, and the stunning nighttime light show. "The Decemeberists" does not offer any clue to the wonders their set contained. "The Horrors" does not tell of the brooding Faris, dressed in Hawaiian shirt and leather jacket, leaning maliciously over the audience, his bagged dead eyes fixed on some distant, imaginary truth as he bellows 'I can't control myself'.
These last two bands in particular taught me what it meant to love music. It isn't just the endless playing of an album, or the collection of posters and tshirts. It is the love for who the band are, what they represent, what they think, and how they treat you. In the weeks before the event I re-fell in love with Nick Cave after reading a lecture of his on the Love Song. I saw into his mind, and behind his music. I understood him a little better, and was pulled that much closer to his music.
The Horrors pulled me closer. But not into a hug - they're not huggers. More into a staring contest. Like looking into the eyes of a beast before it devours you. They came onto the stage. They didn't talk. They conformed in black, behind sunglasses and instruments, at home in the sanctuary of the music they have crafted. They were still and confident. Their 'new sound' echoed in their expressions, Rhys Webb rocking back on his bass staring hypnotically into what seemed to be the entire audience. God knows what was going through his head. They opened with two tracks from their stunning new album, 'Mirrors Image' and 'Three Decades'. The rest of the set followed suit, all new material. 'New Ice Age' was frantic and manic. Faris thrashed his arms around, futilely seeking some kind of consolation from his lyrics. He found a dry oasis on 'I Can't Control Myself'. The live version was raw, atmospheric, and slow. It dragged wonderfully. Each gasp of the guitar was a plea for relief and release, Faris begging for some sort of understanding from the audience: 'I dream of lost desires / Fingers running through fur / I drive myself insane/ I can't control myself / I try and I try but I can't control myself'. In contrast, 'Sea within a Sea' and 'I only think of you' were simply gorgeous. They echoed peacefully yet sorrowfully across the field, despite the poor sound of the Converse Stage. And at last, what I'd been waiting half an hour for, they finally played 'Who Can Say'.
Before the gig I'd heard stories of shambolic fifteen minute sets from the Horrors, and Faris throwing black paint onto anyone in the audience who wasn't dancing. But I saw nothing but absolute certainty; a band with collected determination in who they were and what they were doing. It pulled me closer. It was one of the greatest sets I've seen. There were no theatrics. There was nothing that really made it stand out as 'amazing'. But the band themselves, they were so full of menacing potential and energy. It came out in every shriek and chord. I thought of a post I'd made a few months ago on the Handsome Furs, and how they were the future of "indie-rock". I believed, looking at the men infront of me, that surely the Horrors were the same. Their next album will be everything.
Tomorrow is Part Two: The Decemberists, Girl Talk, and headliners.
8 comments:
haha, still carrying a large chip there cuz. i feel part of your feeling of a disconnect from Camp '08, was because of your strong connection with Camp '07, the thing with BDO is you would have never had the connection like you did with camp in '07.
It's tough man, obviously camp '07 was amazing for what it was, but there is no way I was gonna keep repeating the same event every year. I wish you woulda come in '09 to see how i dealt with larger numbers...and now camp is a totally different event, to compare anything to Camp '08 is madness.
Buy a ticket, still some left. Haha, if you're gonna pass judgments on campus, at least make them educated ;)
I'm doing what I do man, being a critic.
If you're still banging the same old drum I suggest you give it up, and shrug off your chip. It's becoming embarrassing.
To clarify Ian, this post is about BDO, not CALH. I've boiled that particular egg.
I mention CALH in passing, because I think it serves as a useful comparison for the point I'm making. That point in no way is meant to discredit CALH, but more to credit BDO (as I in my opening statements suggest that the latter has a reputation it doesn't deserve).
I do apologise if my previous comment was a bit harsh. I was just a bit taken aback by your contribution as I believe there is nothing in the post that attacks CALH at all. In fact I have great appreciation for Camp.
I do hope that you do not feel as though I am continuing to throw about the sentiments I expressed in a certain article in 2008 willy nilly. That was a one off piece I felt I had to write, and am very happy I did. What I wrote in the above piece is not sourced from those sentiments, nor are any of the other journalistic activities I engage in ... including interviews with yourself, which I enjoy (and hope you do too).
I think on this particular topic, a truce is called for so we can both relax our shoulders.
hahahaha, dude...why a truce? what for? i was never angry. haha, you're the one who thinks I'm angry. I loved your piece in Salient. Did you ever see me get upset about it? I thought it was funny, just the kinda thing i used to write in my zine.
I appreciate a good passionate rant as much as the next guy. Just a bummer you didn't call me out on the actual faults of my projects. There are many faults, and I was glad when you found one in that radio iv - the whole non-exclusivity/id cards thing. Def got me cornered on that one. It was a shame that your salient piece was not as informed otherwise it could have been really something.
i thought you were well and truly "over" your dissapointment of camp 08, which is why i found it so funny that two years later you still find it relevant to reference it...when the refernce is so far out of date it has no context. Perhaps had you put tthe year "2008" after the "Camp A Low Hum" in your blog post it might have made more sense, but comparing the Vibe of Big Day Out 2010 to Camp A Low Hum as an entity is just weird.
if you hadn't picked up from the light tone of my intial comment, I was certainly not distressed by your comments nor upset.
anyway man...i have never held a grudge, i never even had a grudge. I think you made it up cause you wanted one. I realy enjoyed our radio interview..keen for another one certainly... but yeah, i feel that you interviewing me would be fairly irrelevant now as you have not been to the past two camps, and that is basically 90% of my life and all you would have to ask me about is A Low Hum prior to Feb 6 2008.
haha, i have no beef man, just yeah. i WISH you would just fucken come to one of my events. What is the point of expressing mega dissapointment and then not coming to see what I've done to solve those issues. Camp 08 was RIDDEN with mistakes, yes..come along as part of the VBC crew next year, see how its changed. I implore you.
sorry chris, just realised how idiotic it is having this conversation on a blog...I'll email you soon. Still packing down from campus...2 weeks later!!
Actually, I'd like to keep this in a public space. I think you missed the point again.
First, a quick ctrl-f shows the words "angry" and "upset" aren't used until you use them. I do not credit you with being angry or upset.
Second some comparisons.
You: "i thought you were well and truly "over" your dissapointment of camp 08, which is why i found it so funny that two years later you still find it relevant to reference it...when the refernce is so far out of date it has no context."
Me: "I mention CALH in passing, because I think it serves as a useful comparison for the point I'm making. That point in no way is meant to discredit CALH, but more to credit BDO (as I in my opening statements suggest that the latter has a reputation it doesn't deserve)".
As I said, it's not about you or ALH. At all. Just as you find it weird that I should bring ALH up, I find it incredibly weird you that feel like you have to comment about it on a post that is not even about ALH. That is why I said "perhaps a truce should be called" or whatever, so we can drop it hm. I'm going to keep writing, and not everything I say about ALH is horrible and negative (in fact the piece I wrote in 2008 was really balanced) so I hope you understand that when I snore "a low hum" it's not because of some deep emotional wound from the absolute trauma of 2008.
I reference ALH because it is different to BDO. Not because I'm saying it is worse. I say "In reaction to such a reputation, the annual music festival Camp a Low Hum never announces a set list prior to the event, believing that taking the focus away from the bands playing will contribute more to the experience of the music. Perhaps this is true". I can't see anything in there that criticises your festival. Perhaps I could have written in better, but pretty much everything in that sentence is true.
I would like to come to CALH again, but I don't have $200 for you, or myself for that matter.
Drink at DTL in the weekend?
Sorry Ian, I also say:
"To me, the reputation of Big Day Out mentioned earlier seemed complete undeserved. It was so much more welcoming and friendly than anything I'd witnessed at Camp A Low Hum."
Perhaps this is bordering criticism of your festival, but once again it was sourced from a defence of BDO more than an attack on ALH. It could have been phrased better.
that was the point i was addressing.
anyway, maybe i read you being a bitch when you weren't, i just figured...being chris, you were being a bitch? haha, surely that is sound reason?
haha, i don't care anyway, like i said..JUST found it odd that you brought it up, and was pointing that out.... haha, and YOU find it odd that I pointed it out, which i did so, because anyone having a passing knowledge of your writing knows what you implied..ya know...what is not said etc..etc..
anyway......i have other fish to fry and stolen amps to trace.
i know you don't have $200, which i why i said before you should come with the VBC crew, i give them a couple of comps every year to man the radio station, i'm sure they'll be keen to have you put your hand up for one of those if you're keen.
i'll see you at a vbc show or something i guess. drink then (remember..i'm edge bol)
cya
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