The Big Day Out was the biggest music event in Australia for over two decades – a single day, national travelling festival featuring some of the world's biggest acts – and Double J is taking a look behind the scenes of the festival with a new, five-part podcast.
It was considered a rite of passage for young Australian music fans; for many, it was their first taste of a music festival, a chance to dip their feet in the water of festivals.
It wasn't just the fans lining up to jump aboard the Big Day Out. Every band in the world wanted the chance to be on the festival's stage as well as getting involved with the renowned backstage antics the festival became famous for.
Bluejuice at 2014 Big Day Out Adelaide - image: Facebook
For many, Big Day Out was a permanent fixture in the Australian music scene. Yet in 2014, the festival announced it would not be returning in 2015. And just like that, the festival that had seemingly been around forever ceased to exist.
Throughout October, Double J will look back at this iconic era in Australian music broadcasting archived Big Day Out sets as well as classic albums from an iconic Big Day Out artist every week.
2014 Big Day Out Adelaide - image: Facebook
The podcast, Inside The Big Day Out is a deep-dive into the history of the pioneering music festival, told by the people behind it, the musicians who got up on stage (Beasts Of Bourbon, Cosmic Psychos, Eskimo Joe, Frenzal Rhomb, Grinspoon, Jebediah, Magic Dirt, Powderfinger, Shihad, The Clouds, The Living End, Tiddas, You Am I, Violent Femmes and more) and the punters who were in the crowd year after year.
The Hives at 2014 Big Day Out - image: Facebook
It wouldn't be a proper deep-dive into the history of this festival without hearing from Big Day Out’s own Ken West, Vivien Lees, Sahara Herald, Adam Zammit and AJ Maddah.
You'll also hear from triple j alumni Jen Oldershaw, who attended the very first Big Day Out, and Jessica Michalik’s best friend, who was with Jessica at the festival in 2001 when she was crushed in the mosh pit while watching Limp Bizkit; she died from asphyxiation five days later.
Hosted by Gemma Pike, Inside The Big Day Out will be available as a five-part podcast. Episode one is up now, with new episodes going live every Tuesday from 8 October; the podcast is available from the triple j app and Apple Podcasts.
