Fuck Yeah Big Day Out

QUACK GOES THE BUNNY

A duck who paints rabbits? It sounds as silly as the artist is. Welcome to the life of Duckpond.



If you don’t know who Duckpond is, then you don’t really know what the Big Day Out is all about.


Duckpond is one of four stooges who is responsible for cocktails and craziness at Big Day Out central. Along with Larry Kronic Jr, Christo and Heavy G, these four goons man the festivities at Lilyworld and BDO after-parties, among other things.

They are the unsung heroes of the tour - providing good times for the artists and crew on tour. They are the men who can convince Ed Chemical Bros to come and DJ at Lilyworld while he’s holidaying in Australia (and not actually on tour). They are are the men who can get Peaches, SpankRock, 2ManyDJs and Billy Bragg to make surprise appearances at their stage. And they are the men who can revamp an old guy’s career and make him cool again (ie Kamahl). 

The Lilyworld guys are also partly to blame for the infamous “rock and roll fight” - the flight from Adelaide to Perth that is mostly consumed by the BDO touring party. The Lilyworld gang always manage to keep this flight entertaining and outrageous for all on board. 



It’s not really right to single one person out - especially when Larry, Christo & Heavy G are all fascinating, smart and hilariously funny people with many hidden talents. But for this blog I am singling Duckpond out. Why? No he’s not better looking. No he’s not better than the others. And no, I’m definitely not sleeping with him. But he is about to debut an art exhibition at Mart Gallery in Sydney this week. 

So who the fuck is Duckpond? 

Good question.

He’s that guy who strolls around in his pyjamas and a wacky hat often looking lost. Sometimes he may appear with a harem of young girls following him.

 
(see I told you so)

Duckpond has been with BDO since it’s inception. But before that he was an acclaimed lighting director and designer for many bands in Europe including The Happy Mondays and to this day, Duckpond still travels to Montrose festival to do lighting. 



I don’t really know that much about Duckpond, but here’s some fun rumours I’ve heard about the legend that is La Quackpond:

1. He once tour managed Adam Freeland. However Adam admitted he was a terrible tour manager but an awesome person to have party with him

2. Lily Allen and Duckpond share the same rabbit tattoo on their ankles. Lily also owns an original Duckpond bunny painting too - she has even tweeted about it 

3. He once broke the heart of an English guitarist / singer / songwriter who was once a part of a UK band who played the BDO (she has since joined forces with another hot UK singer/songwriter who will be touring Australia mid year).

Over the past couple of years Duckpond’s wabbits have started to appear everywhere. In fact Dizzee Rascal’s MC Scope ordered a custom made bunny tie and suit from Duckpond.

These bunnies are now being brought to life in an exhibition at Mart Gallery called The Twelve Volt Solar System. It starts this Thursday. And apparently not only will Duckpond be exhibiting his famous bunnies, but he will finally be selling his iconic pyjamas too! Just in time for winter you clever Duck.




XO FYBDO 

BIRD SHIT?

Could the ‘nice guys’ of Birds of Tokyo actually be backstabbing little bitches?

Yesterday the band released a statement notifying fans of the departure of bassist Anthony. It was a lovey dovey, friendly piece of blah that explained nothing. It said they were parting with one of “their own” and that their “mate” would no longer be playing with them. No reason was actually given though. Check it out here at the FasterLouder site:

http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/news/local/27840/Birds-Of-Tokyo-bassist-leaves-the-flock


So what’s the real story? 


I’ve heard Anthony was actually sacked by the band (ie the guitarist Adam - but I’ll elaborate on this later).

Straight after the BDO tour Anthony was told he was sacked and not needed for their next shows OS or ever again for that matter. 

There is the belief the band were not happy with his playing. Apparently Anthony is actually devastated, hurt and upset by his sacking.

It was only last year the band also sacked their long time manager who had been with them from the start. A caring, passionate and hard working man, their manager had taken them from obscurity to becoming an independent success and then on to sign them with major label EMI. The former manager truly loved the band - not only their music but the band themselves. He was so loyal and committed to them in every way, shape and form. He was gutted about his sacking to say the least.

But the guitarist had other ideas - apparently Adam Spark is the brains and controller behind the band. He wanted more and now and went behind his former manager’s back to acquire another manager while he kept the former one believing everything was fine. Once he had the interest from a new manager he dumped their old one which completely shocked the former manager and those close to the band.

It seems good ol’ Sparksy is pretty good at blindsiding and shitting on people. He really is a bird.

HOWEVER…

Can we really blame him? Not really. He wants to get ahead. He wants success. And he’s doing everything he can to get it. He’s not the first person to do this. There is something somewhat admiral about wanting something and going after it. He’s ambitious. But still a douchebag.

He did acquire one of the best artist managers in Australia and who wouldn’t want to be managed by the best right? Perhaps it’s just the way he goes about it. He’s not willing to take risks to get ahead - he would rather shit on people instead. 

I’ve always found the Birds to be lovely (but super dorky) guys. So who really knows what goes on in the rehearsal room and on the tour bus. But then why release some lame arse press release? Stand by your decisions and stick up for them. Don’t release some bullshit story that is sugar coated and really pretty embarrassing. It just steams GAY.

I mean really - bands change their members like underpants these days. Do they all need to release pressers when they do? 

Dear Birds of Tokyo, good luck with all your plans. Look forward to you taking a shit on me soon.

XO FYBDO

THE ANSWER IS HERE! PLUS TOOL FIND A PERFECT UNION?

If you follow the FYBDO twitter than the heading refers to the last question posed there. If you don’t follow, then you’re probably really confused and you should follow!

So thanks to this year’s BDO I’ve heard A Perfect Circle have found a band to open for them on their next tour. 

The ladies of Japanese band Red Bacteria Vacuum played Lilyworld this year and apparently they were so impressive they caught the eye of Tool’s manager who asked them to open for Maynard’s side project A Perfect Circle.

I’ve also heard other whisperings that perhaps someone from Tool and RBV have a more “intimate” connection! Who doesn’t love a bit of juicy, meaningless gossip! 

And what about Lupe huh?! His much anticipated album Lasers debuted at Number 1 on the US Billboard charts and on the Oz Download charts. Go Lupe! Rumour has it we may see him and his amazing live show back in Australia by end of year. Hope so! 

I’ve also heard while he was in Melbourne on the BDO tour he went into the studio with one of his favourite bands on the tour The Bloody Beetroots. Can’t wait to hear what they came up with! Because live on stage they absolutely killed it! 

And lastly on another random note, I never realised how much some artists really do love the BDO. Serge from System of A Down loves the festival so much he even came and worked with the site crew when he was living in Australia! How crazy is that?! Maybe you don’t think it’s that crazy or interesting, but I think it is. Working on those festival sites is hard work and not glamorous at all. It’s so different than just rocking up with your band and being given the star treatment with lovely dressing rooms, riders and being able to do what you want when you want! But he was happy to get in there and get to work with everyone. 

XO FYBDO

HAVE MERCY ON US

Well that’s it - the end of the BDO 2011 tour. 

Ah Perth - what a day huh.

The bush fires weren’t the only things going crazy. All you folks at the Boiler Room were out of control. And not all of you in a good way.

I’m not sure if it’s the Perth pingas or the ridiculously expensively rack you guys have, but you were all mental at the Boiler Room.

Firstly half way through Bloody Beetroots set the stage manager had to stop the band and tell the crowd to look after each other otherwise the band would be forced to leave the stage completely. Everyone boo’d. Seriously are you all retards? He wasn’t pulling them off? He was just asking you all to be kind to each other because some people were getting crushed down the front. He’s just looking out for YOUR safety you twits.

The Bloody Beetroots are easy to lose your shit to though. Again they were incredible. Probably the highlight of my tour. Especially when Lupe jumped on stage with them and Refused’s Dennis (who was on the tour to sing 3-4 songs with them each set). If Dennis looks familiar that’s because he also started that band The International Noise Conspiracy. Anyway it was certainly a great moment and encapsulated what the BDO is all about - random artists appreciating each other’s music and wanting to collaborate in the name of fun. It was unreal. And Lupe was just so excited and into it. He wasn’t one of those high profiled names that comes over just before his songs and then nicks off straight after he’s done. He was there at the very beginning of the set rocking it out from side of stage and stayed until the entire band walked off stage. He’s a true fan. And who knows maybe they will be recording something together?! 

Lupe was also a true gentleman on stage. He graciously thanked all the crew who make BDO happen and acknowledged those who had driven 25 hours straight to get everything from Adelaide to Perth to make it in time for gates at 11am. It’s a pretty amazing beast the BDO. At 4am the day of the show the trucks roll in like a crazy end of the world scene. Then at 11am it’s all set up for the punters. It’s really extraordinary and you need to be a special type of person to work on not only any festival, but the BDO in particular. It’s such hard work and long hours and I’m not quite sure how they all do it. Most of them don’t even get to see any bands. I’ve only seen a small slither of how the  people make the show happen and it blows my mind. 

Apparently it was the last show for LCD Soundsystem who announced their retirement. However I have to say I heard James Murphy say they were retiring last album and whatdoyouknow - he’s still touring. It’s a real shame if they are because they are such a great live act in addition to very talented pop song writers. The songs were great and the energy was excellent. I kinda wish the entire band would get some overall style though. James and the Asian have it down - even the white beret multi-instrumentalist kinda has it right. The others just look messy.

Till from Rammstein stood next to that other guy in Operator Please who’s not the drummer at Die Antwoord. And even Sia came and checked out a bit. So apparently Die Antwoord were so inspired by watching Rammstein that whilst in Melbourne they went into the studio and recorded a Rammstein inspired song. And if you were at their side shows in Melbourne then you would have heard the debut of this song. They performed it at the end in the Pokemon costumes. 

Die Antwoord were at the after party for about 5 mins. In and out with Ninja heard saying “This is fokken stupid”.

Andrew Stockdale maybe peaked a little too early at the after party - he decided to push everyone he could into the pool, with Duckpond copping it first. He was seen running for Brad from The Vines but Brad’s a quick guy and got out of there fast.

Also seen:

Lovefoxx from CSS seen dancing closely with Mike from Ratatat.

Till trying to push a dirty skank into the pool.

MIA even turned up to this party and early. But maybe that’s because she got the hell out of that site quick! After going on stage late, she was forced to cut her set short due to sound restrictions just as she was about to play Paper Planes. All you high folks at the Boiler Room decided it would be really smart to start pegging bottles and well anything really, at the stage. The unfortunate thing about this is a) it’s not going to change the noise restrictions laws and b) people fucking get hurt you dickheads! 

Speaking of dickheads, Plan B decided it would be cool to a) get into a fight with the stage manager and then b) throw a punch at security. I hate seeing artists in this sort of light - it ruins the music for me. When you know they’re actually just stupid bogans dressed up in suits in the middle of summer, it kind of makes you see them differently and also changes your perception of their music. After meeting Kings of Leon at their first BDO when they were hardcore sluts who rated all women and before they had Victoria Secret models as girlfriends I got a little turned off their music after meeting them and hearing all about how hot they are and how much they score - from them. 

Anyway I think I should be super lazy (I am tired and hungover after all) and write an awards list for this year’s tour to sign off.


FYBDO 2011 ANNUAL AWARDS

BEST LIVE SHOW: Has to go to Rammstein. I mean c’mon. They have fire, pyro, glitter, sequins, walking machines a huge dick that Till rides on across the front of the stage. Plus they all get together and bow on one knee at the end. Now that’s a show.

FYBDO HIGHLIGHT MOMENT: Lupe Fiasco joining The Bloody Beetroots and Dennis from Refused on stage in Perth. A-MAZING! Followed closely by Rammstein joining Tool on stage in Adelaide and burning not only their drum kit but all their best and most expensive mics they used to mic the kit up. All turned to ash

BEST FESTIVAL FASHION: Ashley from Operator Please with his Tom Ford / Sailor Boy look. HOT! And the singer from Bloody Beetroots with his studded denim vest.

THE GENTLEMAN’S AWARD: Jim Jones from Jim Jones Revue. What a charming man. Close 2nd would have to be Heath from Children Collide.

BIGGEST BLAH: Plan B

MOST PISSED ARTIST ON ENTIRE TOUR: Plan B

BIGGEST TRIPPER: M.I.A

MOST UNDERRATED BAND ON BILL: The Greenhornes 

UNSUNG HEROES: All the BDO crew

LEGEND AWARD: Iggy Pop followed closely by Bobby Gillespie 

GRUMPIEST GUY: Nick Cave 

BAND THAT PICKED UP THE MOST: We all know this answer - Rammstein. If you were one of the “lucky” ladies who had the pleasure, I hope you had protection. It still might be a good idea to go for a check up regardless.

HOTTEST LADY ON TOUR: Tie between Andrew WK and Iggy Pop’s wives

MOST TALKED ABOUT: Arse painting at Lilyworld

FUCK I HOPE THEY STICK AROUND AWARD: Die Antwoord


Alright that’s it. I’m out. Thanks BDO for another wonderful year of music and memories. 

Until next year Australia…

XO FYBDO 

FYBDO SAYS RIP WHITE STRIPES

It seems appropriate I pay tribute to the end of the White Stripes. Not only did the band play the BDO twice, but Jack White’s bandmates from The Raconteurs - The Greenhornes are also on the bill this year and have played previously as well. 

Some of you may have heard about the rock n roll flights that happen around the country while the BDO tour is on. You can see some of your favourite bands and acts all on the same flight. 

Here’s a pic from a rock n roll flight a few years ago. See if you can tell which one Jack White is. It’s pretty obvious. 

XO FYBDO

AND THE SHOW GOES ON…

Adelaide you were unreal! 

For those of you going to the Perth BDO tomorrow here are some must sees:

RAMMSTEIN - What a fucking show. Words can’t quite describe it. Actually maybe fireworks and dicks can. After a few too many drinks I was feeling quite ill, but couldn’t manage to rip myself away to spew in fear of missing out on another unbelievable moment from these loveable Germans. They also joined headliners Tool on stage during their set and in true Rammstein fashion set the Tool drum kit on fire.

BLOODY BEETROOTS - Ok so this might not be music you listen to at home or even in the car, but the live show is fucking incredible. You can’t help but dance! And dance hard. Guaranteed fun. There might even be a little surprise appearance in Perth too! Chino from Deftones was side of stage for most of the set looking like an excited but shy schoolboy. 

LUPE - Awesome. Great band. Good fun. A class performer. And has totally been embracing the BDO festival spirit. Lupe was seen side of stage and dancing his butt off to Bloody Beetroots. He was LOVING it. He was also seen at FOH watching Rammstein with his crew. And again, LOVING it!

DIE ANTWOORD - You already know I love these guys. I’ve seen them so many times and am still not tired of them yet. Make sure you get there early because you don’t want to miss out on Enter The Ninja. A-Mazing. But even better - apparently Ninja warms up for stage by doing push ups while Yolandi prepares by doing karate moves. Don’t you love them even more now.

PRIMAL SCREAM - Screamadelica is a classic album and Bobby hasn’t lost it in any way, shape or form. He still sounds great. And it’s a great show. 

CHILDREN COLLIDE - Shit man for 3 guys on stage, they sure do have a huge sound. Plus there is something a bit sexy about that lead singer. Even if he does have that junkie, dirty look going on. Hot. 

GRINDERMAN - Nick Cave. No Pussy Blues. Need I say more. Awesome rumour: Snoop wants to cover this song!

GYPSY & THE CAT - Yeah they’re pretty much ripping off sounds from the 80’s but it’s fun to dance to and the crowd have been loving it. Their live show has come a long way. Shit they use to be boring on stage. But it feels like they’ve found their way live and have been getting better each show. It’s pretty cool to see a band at this level grow - who knows what they will become one day! 

AIRBOURNE - These cats are cool. Down to earth awesome blokes who put on a good rock show and have fun. Although climbing the scaffolding is dangerous and a bit silly, it’s pretty fucking cool.

LILYWORLD - Lilyworld has been going off this year. Andrew WK, Matt & Kim, Reggie Watts, The UV Race and arse painting are just a few of the highlights you can catch there. You should definitely make time to hang out there at some stage. Preferably during one of the above moments. 

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM - James Murphy might be a grumpy old man but he still brings it on stage. Dance the night away with this awesome band and beats. Fun show sober or not.  

PNAU - Even though I’m pretty sure Holiday from Bridezilla is miming (or at the very least just singing on the top of a backing track) to Embrace these guys are worth seeing. Especially because rumour has it this could be the end of Pnau?! 

Oh and of course IGGY & THE STOOGES!!! And if you’re a massive fan, make sure you get up front, because he does his stage invasion where he gets a bunch of fans from the crowd on stage with him. If you are chosen to do this - be careful - not only is Iggy getting on, but security are doing it tough to ensure everyone is safe. So have fun and enjoy the moment but be respectful. BTW Iggy’s wife is oh so hot!

Other fun things from Adelaide: Tim Rogers seen with “girlfriend” Megan Washington. I don’t know who cares, but apparently some people do. I say - BORING. The usual wildlife - koala, wombat, lizard and snake were backstage in artist catering for artists to meet and cuddle. Chino seen coming home from the after party at 6am. And The Greenhornes leaving the hotel for the flight to Perth at the same time. 

See you tomorrow Perth BDO!

XO FYBDO 

FIVE DOWN, TWO TO GO

How shit have I been on the blogging huh?! Too much music and partying which is then followed by too much sleeping.


Deftones, Bloody Beetroots, Primal Scream, LCD Soundsystem and Die Antwoord have all been massive musical highlights. 

MIA has been disappointing - lazy - pretty half arsed show for an artist headlining the Boiler Room. 

Rammstein have kept many of us entertained in more ways than one.

And a certain c-grade TV presenter claims to be getting it on with a hot artist on the tour? 

Tool are big fans of Grinderman. Not only did they watch them from side of stage at the Sydney BDO but they also attended the Grinderman side show at the Enmore in Sydney. 

Rammstein were buggied across the Melbourne site to watch Die Antwoord from side of stage and later claimed they loved them.

Bobby Gillespie joined Grinderman on stage in Sydney - what a moment.

Lupe DJ’d at the Sydney after party - he played 13 Michael Jackson songs in a row.

One Rammstein got a handjob at the Melbourne after party in plain view to all - apparently. His jis was left as evidence though.

Lupe’s crew started wrestling backstage which caused those around to start cheering and chanting. Even the usually sullen looking Plan B cracked a smile. Plan B has spent a lot of time getting smashed and partying and then acting like a diva the next day when he’s hungover - “allegedly”. 

Andrew WK - what a man. He has been unreal both on stage and off - and has so much time for his fans. And Jim Jones - seriously, what a gentleman. 

Well we’re on the home straight now - only Adelaide & Perth to go. This is where it gets good. But also where it gets sad because it’s coming to an end for another year.

leavemealoneitsnothingserious-d asked: Fuck yea, so excited for the second Sydney day :D

and thanks for all the advice and all that jazz.. :)

Pleasure treasure! Message me with how your day went - what youre highlights were etc. Would love to hear all about it! XO FYBDO 

BIRDS, LUPE, SIA, GYROS & LCD HELP ME HELP YOU

With the first Australian BDO happening tomorrow on the Gold Coast I thought I would share with you my top 5 tips for surviving the day and making the most of it.


1. LISTEN TO BIRDS OF TOKYO & MAKE PLANS: TO ORGANISE YOUR OUTIFT IN ADVANCE. This is very important. If there’s one thing I love more than Big Day Out, it’s fashion. My mum says “Always try your best. But make sure you look good doing it”. Well I’m going to try and see every band on this year’s tour and I want to look my best whilst doing it. 

There is nothing worse than trying to put together an outfit in a fluster. 

Keep your eye on the weather forecast so you know if you need to plan your outfit around wellies etc. 

If you like to keep your tan flawless like me, then I always try and wear something with no straps such as a boobtube / corset style top or dress to avoid any strap marks or tan lines. 

Don’t wear thongs - unless you like that filthy junkie look. Invest in some good festival boots. There’s some great ones on asos.com or farfetch.com or net-a-porter.com. And if you are buying your outfit online, make sure you purchase it with enough time for it to ship and try on first. 

On this note, if you’re wearing brand new boots or shoes, than pop some band-aids in your bag too. New shoes always give you blisters when you wear them for a hardcore day the first time. And you should never not wear them because they haven’t been worn in - sometimes you have to suffer for fashion. Just make sure they’re awesome - like Marc Jacobs riding boots or Chloe studded boots or Bess ankle boots. Not cheap Chinatown ones. Otherwise the pain may not be justifiable. 

If you’re wearing your hair out, make sure you take some elastic bands to tie it up. You’ll either get hot or get dreadlocks (ewww). 

Take some festival fashion inspiration from Alexa Chung, Kate Bosworth or of course Kate Moss. 


2. LISTEN TO LUPE: JUST REMEMBER WHEN YOU COME UP THE SHOW GOES ON ALRIGHT. It’s almost definite you will miss a band you really want to see and lose your friends. 

Let’s start with missing a band. It doesn’t matter how well you schedule your timetable, something always happens. But rather than dwell on the fact you’ve missed something, move on and forward. You might even discover your new favourite band this way. You should be open to being flexible - you just never know what you may find. 

If you’ve got a band you cannot miss, then make sure you prioritise it - it may mean you have to miss something else to make it happen to get there with enough time. You have to factor getting from stage to stage amongst thousands of sweaty and drunk people. It can take a while. 

If you have the opportunity to meet one of your musical heroes, don’t be disappointed if they’re dicks. This can happen and sometimes its better living in your own naive and ignorant world where they are always amazing. Sometimes meeting them can seriously burst your bubble and change your opinion of their music for the worse. If you do meet someone who is a dick, just forget about it. And if you can’t, just stop listening to their music for a while. All bad feelings fade with time. On the other hand you could meet someone who is awesome and so lovely and fall in love with their music as a result. So it can work both ways. But don’t let an egotistical self centred musician bring down your day.

You’re bound to lose your friends. Maybe you want to see something different or maybe you just lose each other or maybe one of you has picked up. Well always make a meeting spot for the END of the night and a time. Be very specific about the meeting spot so you all know exactly where it is and what time to be there. 

If you get stuck by yourself, don’t despair. Make some new friends. Go to Lilyworld and hang out with Duckpond & Larry who are always happy to take in a lost soul. Go and get into the crowd and make the most of being able to rock out on your own. Go and hang out at the Lifeline signing dome where you can also just chill out. Sit in the grandstand and just relax watching bands from afar and people gaze. You’d be surprised how much fun you can have on your own. 

Oh yeah or pick up some random hammered person who’s half decent looking.


3. DON’T LISTEN TO SIA: DRINK BUT NOT TO GET DRUNK. Drink water. Yeah yeah everyone says that. But it’s true. Temperatures are expected to reach over 40 at the Sydney BDO’s. 

If you want to get smashed then pace yourself early and wait till it cools down to really hit the alcomohol. If you just hammer yourself early then you can expect to 

a) spew before the sun goes down b) take a visit to St John’s Ambulance tent c) look like that douchebag sweating all over everyone d) be taken to hospital e) get into a fight or f) be arrested for something. 

Do yourself a favour and enjoy the music. Drink WATER! 


4. LISTEN TO GYROSCOPE AND BE SAFE FOREVERGo where is right for you. If you don’t like crowds, then stay out of the mosh pit.If you’re small and want to see, a good place to stand is always on the far side but up the front. It might take some time to get there but you probably won’t get hammered  once you do get there. 

Taking a large bag can have it’s advantages. Sure it’s annoying doing the bag check and carrying around something big all day. But let me tell you about one of the bonus’ of an oversized bag - you can remind people what personal space is without having to touch their gross sweaty germs and without getting into a fight. A large bag can fend off icky sweaty animals. It can also keep trashed skanks from dancing on top of you. A slight twirl with your bag and problem solved. The key is to make it look innocent. Maybe insert it into a dance move to get rid of that person who keeps knocking you about. But never use your bag as a weapon. Only as a means of self defence.

Surprisingly one of the best spots to watch a band can be in the T section at the front of the mainstage. Because they don’t overcrowd it, if you can be bothered to wait and battle it to get in, it can be so worth it once you make it. There’s room to dance without people shoving you and moshing and you’ve got a great view and sound. 

If you don’t like crowds but really want to go to BDO - then consider saving some more money and go to the Adelaide or Perth show. They are smaller sites, that are easy to get around with a smaller capacity to Goldie, Syd or Melb. They are also the funnest. All the artists have settled in, know each other and are ready to party by this point. 

This year, go to the 2nd Sydney show. You won’t have to wait in line for hours to go to the toilet or to get a drink. And you won’t be punished with all those fucked up racist knobs wearing Australian flags or even worse - Australian flag bikinis. 


5. WHAT YOU NEED SAYS LCD SOUNDSYSTEM IS TO KNOW THE FOLLOWING… Know how you’re going to get home. Organise a lift. Bring your bus or train timetable etc. 

Make sure you pick up a program at the front gate - especially if you have a blackberry and cannot download the BDO ap (pfft). 

If you forget bandaids or sunscreen you can purchase these around the site - or you can find St Johns ambulance who can sort you out. If you need a hat, go to the merch tent and buy one. 

Always bring some tissues (if you’re a lady) because after lining up for ages to use the toilet and finding out there is no loo paper is one of the most annoying things ever. Then you have to do that whole “excuse me, can you please pass some paper over”. Embarrassing! 

It’s always good to take something to wear when it gets cold at night.

And it doesn’t hurt to remember some lipstick, blush or eye-liner to reapply during the day. It’s easy, small and lightweight but oh does it make a huge difference to a woman’s face. Then it doesn’t matter how trashed you get, you won’t look like a complete trashbag.

Well I’ve got to hit the sack now. It’s a HUGE day tomorrow and I need to lay my outfit out, wax and get some beauty sleep. 
XO FYBDO 

PS Am a little bit devo tiger-cub never answered my question and ignored me. She answers really mean people and I was really nice and she didn’t even reply.  XO RAD (Rejected And Denied) 

LOVERS & HATERS

The 2011 Big Day Out tour officially started today in Auckland. 

Everyone was talking about Die Antwoord who blew the roof off the Boiler Room. Who gives a shit if this band is a joke or a novelty act. They’re fucking entertaining and know how to put on a show. I don’t care if they last 10 minutes or 10 years - I’m loving it now.

Lilyworld kicked off the tour with a psychedelic trip. Highlights were Matt & Kim, Andrew WK and arse painting. Apparently the guys originally had several “nude” references in their timetable that had to be changed - or they would be shot. AWK gave the Lilyworld what they wanted - a brilliant show and a nose bleed.

There were some sweating earlier in the day when Primal Scream went AWOL. But luckily for all of us they arrived in Auckland and went off.

Back home in Australia I’ve heard Pnau are very nervous about this Sunday’s Gold Coast show. A lot has happened since they last played the BDO. They signed to Elton John’s management company, moved to the UK and started writing music for the circus. 

I’ve also heard a rumour that Jack White might be accompanying The Greenhornes to Australia. I think its lies though.

On the interweb front - someone from whothehellnet decided to be a big baby and start hating on the BDO official twitter. The whothehellnet tweeter complained that the BDO official tweeter was going on too much about famous people backstage. The fact is some of us BDO fans actually want to know this stuff! It’s just fun. You don’t need to take it too seriously. And if it’s really annoying you that much - well there’s a button you can click that says “Unfollow”. 

I have a sneaky suspicion the whothehellnet tweeter was just jealous. Have you ever heard that quote: “Jealousy is all the fun you think they had.”

Anyway I’m annoyed at myself for giving this angry tweeter so much attention when I should have just ignored it. This person should really be careful - the creator of whothehellnet works in the music industry and manages bands. It’s not a good look having some douchebag slag off the world’s biggest traveling music festival. 

I’m a lover, not a hater.

“We won’t need an army, or a TV, we’ll just need you and me”

(Actually I probably will need a TV)

XO FYBDO