KEY POINTS:
Big Day Out at Mt Smart Stadium, got us reminiscing. We cast our minds back to our favourite memories of Big Day Out's past. Read our favourite memories and then Send us your views
Also: Review the Big Day Out for us! Send your pxts and reviews to 021 YRNEWS (021 976 397) or bdopix@nzherald.co.nz and we will run a selection of them online.
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Here is the latest selection of your memories
Alyx
By far my most memorable BDO was the first one in '94. It was the very first concert I had been to and boy, what an initiation. I was pretty much scared of all the people for most of the day but The Smashing Pumpkins made me fall in love with the concert scene ever after.
Reece Palmer
I cant remember the year in particular but some of the best acts I saw were (in no particular order) Nine inch nails, Deftones, qotsa (the one late on the essential stage, man were they drunk) Chills, Janes addiction.Peaches, the Lilypad (where the magic happens)On a completely different note a friend swears he caught tool lip synching yesterday. In the first part of the set he observed the lead singer singing with his mouth closed from close quarters. That is to say, the vocal was happening on the PA but not on the stage. Surely not?
Glyn Walters
The Big Day Out is the nearest thing Auckland has to the great European and US music festivals. I give the organisers full marks for trying - some years it is great; others average; but there is always something good. The first one I went to was 96 (it peed down) and saw Tricky and Billy Bragg do their thing. 97 was exellent with power trio Supergrass (awesome live act anytime). I remember the Lemonheads did a good show; they also played a smaller show at the fondly-remembered Luna on Symonds St the night before.Roni Size was brilliant in 99. I had been back in England for a while and was converted to drum and bass - and he was the best. We were down the front in the Supertop and he was on the grass level with the crowd - there was no stage - fantastic. Weirdest moment in 99 was bumping into Marilyn Manson and his freaky, tall entourage at Khuja Lounge the night before - thankfully he didnt play! Sadly I missed 2000 but PJ Harvey did a good show in 2001 and a brilliant warm up at the Dogs Bollix (despite the PA crashing the crowd sang her a karakia which she wasn't at all sure how to take!). The White Stripes played a storming little set in 2002 - both at the BDO and at the Bollix the night before. In 2005 the diversity and quality really picked up: the Beastie Boys really surprised me and did a great show with a wonderful, colourful Broadway-kind of theatrical set; the Hives and the Music were both great and the Polyphonic Spree were absolutely overwhelmingly bonkers but excellent. 2006 was the best year ever I think: Iggy was fab, the White Stripes did a searing Hendrix-stadium-pounding set; Sleater-Kinney really impressed with their intricate guitar work and Shihad rocked the house AGAIN Keep it up folks. All you need for a great BDO is stamina!
Nick
My favourite memory was seeing Nine Inch Nails play their only ever NZ show even though they hate festivals they came along to little old NZ. The set was phenomenal so much so the Red Hot Chilli Peppers stopped during their set (directly after NIN), mid song to tell the crowd how awesome they thought NIN were… expletives were used and rightfully so.
Lisa
My favourite BDO was 2000, Nine Inch Nails, Blink 182 & The Chilli Pepper's. Awesome music the Chillis were amazing live, Blink not so great but all in all well worth the bad chicken kabab, hot sun, warm beer ahhh the beer tent, so happy to be old enough! Just had the best time ever. The T-Shirts from that year were very cool too!
BDOgoer
The first (in NZ at least). 1994. 12 people crammed into a van cruising up from Tauranga. We had planned it for months. It was the best day in the world. Not only because 2 out of the 4 best bands in the world were going to play in NZ at the same event, but because it was a first in NZ. And Mt Smart were the exact opposite of smart, not that we can blame them, they were just learning. We parked up at 10am, 30m away from the main gate, most of us with 6 beers in us already. We could walk in and out at our pleasure, drinking in the carpark whenever we felt the need. Our neighbours were more then hospitable, with plenty of gear floating around. The Pumpkins obliterated a stack, Soundgarden brought the house down and we had the time of our lives. The first Big Day Out was the best. Ever.
Steph
In 2003 the Queens of the Stoneage played part of their set in the afternoon before the sound system stopped working. After the headline act, they played an entirely new set to make up for it, and it was worth the wait! Everyone was so tired but still found the energy to rock out. And another one. In 1999 I was at the back of the Korn mosh when someone elbowed me in the eye. It was this big guy who apologised and offered to put me on his shoulders so I could see. I accepted and he took me all the way to the front and put me down. I was in a great spot for Korn and then Hole. Fun times!
Simon K
Oddly one of my clearest memories of the first BDO was the fact they only seemed to have about 6 caravans serving chips and sausage on a stick to feed the entire crowd. In terms of music memories, Soundgarden playing Jesus Christ Pose as their encore was fantastic. Also, Smashing Pumpkins playing a rendition of Silverf*ck that seemed to start in daylight and not end until it was dark.
Chelsea Bongo
03 Underworld
04 Flaming Lips
05 Trinity Roots
06 Magic Numbers
07 ??
Kylie
There have been so many great BDO moments. I think my favourite would have to be getting stuck in the Foo Fighters mosh pit. Another great one was seeing a performance by the White Stripes before they hit it big! It's great also to see each year a change in fashions. I remember 2000 the year of the red I wanna be Fred Durst cap. Awesome event that everyone should go to at least once!
Greg
I dont believe a BDO highlight list could not include the appearance of Rage Against the Machine. While the weather was crap and I dont recall who else was there but despite the wet Rage threw the entire ground into one giant mosh pit the likes of which I havent seen since. Everyone in the crowd was totally committed and I experienced the wildest most exciting set ever. Went off. And the year of Chill and Foo Fighters is hard to match, music was awesome, weather was great and the all round atmosphere one of the best I have experienced. Long live BDO.
Johnny
Meeting Korn at my first BDO (1999) was a definite highlight and made me vow to go to every one since but as far as bands go, some of my highlights have been:
Lostprophets (2004)
The Living End (2003)
System of a Down (in both 2002 and 2005)
The Hives (2005)
Deftones (2003)
The Darkness (2004)
Metallica (2004)
The Mars Volta (2003 and 2006)
I have been to so many now that its hard to remember exactly who played which year! But its always an awesome day and this years one looks to be one of the best yet!
Natalie
BDO 2004! The stand out Big Day Out. The Darkness was great (where are they now), Metallica was fantastic, the Strokes were fantastic. Awesome crowd, great vibe and it was a sellout, who could ask for more.
Mitch Horton
For me its always about discovering new bands or rediscovering an act I had long forgotten about. The big bands I find always get hyped up to much and often fall pretty flat. Anyway, so these have been some of my favourite acts in the past 10 years of going to the BDO.
Janes Addiction (2003)
Hole (1999)
Roni Size Reprazent (2001)
Kraftwerk (2003)
The Greenhornes (2006)
Thursday (2004)
Sparta (2003)
Soundgarden (1997)
