* jazzyhands *

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::28.1.03::

Well yesterday was the Big Day Out public holiday, as I like to call it. I thought this years BDO was a lot more enjoyable than the last couple of years, not that the lineup was better or worse, just that it seemed more relaxed. That could be a reflection of my state of mind though.

We caught the train in this year. I've never done that before; we usually drive. The train was far better though -- no parking hassles. First stop was Toast Girl at the Lilypad. I love Toast Girl. We did an interview with her a few years ago when she was doing some shows at Revolver and this was the first time I have seen her perform since. Her cover of Iggy Pop's I'm Bored was the absolute best.

After that we headed for the bar. That wasn't the smartest move of the bar, wasting half an hour waiting to get served. I really don't think you need to buy a $100 ticket to stand around in a dingy, smoke-filled room waiting for drinks. After that it was The Vines. I got dragged along, unwillingly, to see The Vines play at the Palace on Thursday night. I was expecting them to be, well, crap. I had heard nothing good about their live performances and thought the only redeeming thing about the night, apart from Magic Dirt doing support, would be some spazzy onstage antics. But they were good. I don't know if that is a reflection of my music taste or if the band has matured by leaps and bounds since they played a few months ago, but I really enjoyed them. There were a few songs off their album, especially Homesick, that I didn't really like until I heard them live.

Anyway we decided to head into the dreaded 'D' barrier to see them play. Just to explain: the 'D' barrier is a fenced in, 'mosh pit' type area at the front. It was being clearer out after The Vines played so there were only people who wanted to see The Vines were in there. I really like that system because it stops people getting a front row position and holding it all day. I didn't think we would actually get inside the barrier with all the screaming kiddies, but managed it quite easily. We got a nice position on the rail at the front but right over the side so we could see most of the stage and didn't get battered by the crowd. Again I thought The Vines played well. I think people just like to knock them or something.

After that we wanted to chill for a while. We wandered into some horrible bar area just so we could sit in comfort but that wasn't a good idea. There is nothing more horrid than being around a bunch of drunken yobs when you aren't drinking yourself. So we wandered some more and found a very nice patch of grass near the RRR stage and listened to Wilco. That was perfect chilling. The only trouble was that we were right near the people selling corn on the cob. It smelt so good but I just didn't want to move. Wilco were excellent. I didn't really know much of their stuff but want to hear more now.

We caught the end of QOTSA while getting a spot for PJ. Gee the kiddies love them. Then it was time for PJ Harvey. God damn, what can you say? Absolutely brilliant. After that we were going to just stick around for the Foo Fighters but decided to check out You Am I. Good thing too. I think they had to be the highlight of the day. It is easy to take them for granted and forget just how much they rock.

Then it was time for the Foo Fighters. Again the kiddies loved them. Everyone was singing along and having a great time. I thought I only knew about two of their songs but they were all familiar. I'd just forgotten how many I knew. I got the worst foot cramp in the middle of the set though. I was limping around and had to sit in the stands and try to click my foot back into place. It was mighty painful. During their last song we decided to beat the crowd back to the train but ended up in the middle of it because of my dire need for hot chips and a bit of a ticket debacle. We pushed our way onto the train, ignoring the Met nazi who kept telling everyone there would be another one along in 10 minutes (like we wanted to hang around for that long) and even got a seat.

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