Over the past two decades the iconic festival has hosted the likes of Nirvana, The Ramones, Rage Against The Machine, Metallica, Neil Young, Foo Fighters, Muse, Blink 182, The Strokes, Bjork, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Tool, just to name a few. It’s been touted as one of the most integral parts of Australian culture, it’s eternally shaped the landscape of our vibrant live music scene, and time after time, it’s defined itself as the sovereign celebration of our festival circuit. Yep. The Big Day Out holds an undeniable legacy. Cherished by punters and performers alike, it’s near impossible to elucidate the perpetual effect it has had on our nation.
“At the first show [in 1992] just after Nirvana had finished, I actually said that ‘I could die today and still feel as if I had achieved something amazing in my life’” West reminisces with a zealous passion. “Luckily I didn’t” he laughs, “That’s the proudest moment I’ve ever had. Where I’ve sat back and gone ‘Wow, I’ve just done something that’s never been done before’. It was scary just how amazing that show was.”
That’s not to say the festival has progressed without its share of difficulties, none moreso than those which have been over-scrutinised within the media over the past six months. But, semantics aside, who really cares? In a contemporary world possessing a dire economic climate, an oversaturated festival market and a constantly revolutionising music industry at the mercy of technology, it’s all too easy to overlook the outstanding achievements of the Big Day Out, and in essence, it’s true ethos – to be a celebration. And that’s exactly what the 2012 Big Day Out – and every past Big Day Out – aspires to be. “I’m just seeing this as a very expensive degree course in updating my doctrine of music” jokes West amicably, “Even though it’s self taught.”
Fast forward to 2012, and West explains that the Big Day Out is about to embark on its third chapter. The first taking place from 1992 until 1997, culminated by the year off the festival took in 1998, and the second taking place from 1999 until 2012. As the page turns to a new chapter in the festivals life, the recent partnership with C3 (promoters of Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits and thousands of other yearly concerts and tours) is promised to breathe new life into the Big Day Out. “I took it to a point in 1997 [the year proceeding the Big Day Out’s year off] where I said, ‘This is too hard’. I feel like the tall poppy syndrome is going to kick in within Australia. I’m struggling with this’” divulges West, “The newspaper headlines after that tour read ‘Can’t Keep Up The Standard, Not Prepared To Lower It’. That’s where the Big Day Out position is always going to be, if we can’t keep up the standard, if we can’t deliver what we believe in, if we can’t make the art versus commerce link properly, then there’s no point in doing it.
“Therefore the recharging process with the partnership with C3 post this year is really exciting. I’m dealing with people in similar situations day-in-day-out on a global level. I’m not feeling alone anymore. This new partnership, this new world and new beginning is one of the most exciting moments of the past 20 years.”
“The C3 partnership is a very collective and creative partnership” West outlines carefully, “There’s no more games anymore. We don’t want to know about other things, other festivals, all we want to know about is the Big Day Out. We want to make sure that the Big Day Out is as unique as possible, and in a way that all of the changes on the structural, musical and technological sides of things are interlinked and embraced, so that it clearly remains a very important, relevant and needed event for the entirety of the music industry.”
But, before speculating on future developments, there’s an unbridled celebration to attend to. With the 2012 Big Day Out welcoming a lineup which boasts the world’s most revered hip hop producer Kanye West, the reformed and undisputed gods of grunge Soundgarden and one of the world’s most gifted songwriters Noel Gallagher, just to scrape the surface, it’s truly a multi-dimensional lineup worthy to soundtrack the 20th anniversary. “There needs to be treasures within the Big Day Out that you didn’t know anything about but they end up being just amazing” smiles West affably. “It’s an incredible collection of acts” he notes of the 2012 lineup, “Cherish what it is. I love this show, I love what it’s done and I love its rich legacy.”
