• It’s way easier to smuggle booze into the Big Day Out than you would imagine.
• At 32, it’s okay to stay in the same spot all day and enjoy the music from a comfortable seat. If you know you’ll get aggro at people standing on your feet or pushing you out of the way, avoid it. It’ll make your day far more enjoyable.
• Don’t drink more than you can handle (which is often less than you think). I have it on good authority that spending the first 3 hours in the St Johns tent is no fun at all.
• Sunblock is not as reliable as wearing clothes that cover your skin.
• People who throw rubbish at other people in the crowds are c**ts. They’re also probably the same people who beep their horns in the Mt Vic tunnel.
• Drink more water.
• Take more photos.
• If you find a camera or phone (or a camera phone), be honest, find the owners of the lost property and return it.
• Take your own food into the event. Hot Dogs and chips does not make a meal, and $4.50 water gets expensive (and the cues to fill the bottles are horrible).
• Listen to more Rage Against The Machine, and track down and listen to Shihad’s ‘Churn’.

Arriving at the end of the set of the Kingsland Vinyl Appreciation Society, we managed to catch Dr Octogon (sporting a Tasman Makos jersey of all things), beginning his set with ‘Blue Flowers’. Just like I thought it would be, the boiler room lived up to its billing – the heat in there was unbearable – and it drove me to take shelter from the heat down in the stadium itself.

We didn’t exactly find shelter, and despite the protection of sun-block, I still managed to burn like a crisp. We did find great seats though, just to the left of the blue stage and camped out for an amazing day.

Spoon ripped through an energetic set that made me wish I had listened to them more. ‘Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga’ has got some fantastic reviews, and is now destined to find it’s way onto my shelf sometime soon. It’s a pity that they weren’t playing later in the day, but the crowd that gathered (mostly setting up shop for The Arcade Fire and Shihad) received their indie goodness with open arms.

Grinspoon and Pluto were average – Pluto being the most entertaining, but still a little out of their depth on the main stage.

When the first of my draw-cards hit the stage – The Arcade Fire – I was literally gagging for it and they didn’t disappoint. At times the set was quite loose (it would be hard to have everyone spot on all the time, especially when there is 10 people on stage) but the energy and splendor of their songs translated well to the big venue. Butler continuously gave props to New Zealand (we’re a sucker for it’s beauty too dude), and his obvious joy at being here was shared by the Arcade Fire collective. Here’s hoping they do a proper tour here soon. They were a close second best for my day.

I’ve seen Shihad a number of times, and it always feels like a huge homecoming when I get to see them. Sometimes it seems like their time has come and gone, but then to see them live, you have to pinch yourself to make sure you’re not watching one of the worlds greatest bands. Even Toogood made the comment that the crowd makes him feel like ‘fucken Kiss or something’ when he sees them go crazy for them.
They are part of our national psyche now, and they should be applauded for not becoming passe’ (ala The Exponents or The Feelers). Their new stuff sounds pretty good, and any Shihad gig to feature ‘Screwtop’ is one worth seeing.

Bjork was as pitch perfect and crazy as I thought she would be. She is a performer that never seems to deliver anything but her best and not all people at Mt Smart seemed to appreciate it – who would have thought Bjork would get boo’ed for doing an encore? That was more embarrassing for the crowd than it was for her. So many people spent too long standing in the sun, waiting for Rage Against The Machine, that they lost their minds.
‘Army of Me’ and ‘Hyperballad’ found way into her set, as well as ‘Earth Intruders’ and ‘Innocence’ from Volta – four songs I hoped to get out of her show – meaning I was more than happy with her visit to Auckland.

The biggest decision for me to make for the day was whether to watch Rage Against the Machine or LCD Soundsystem. For my own reasons, Rage won – and though I regret not seeing LCD Soundsystem (I think I’ll get another chance), I have not one ounce of regret for seeing Rage Against the Machine.

I would never have guessed that Rage Against the Machine meant so much to so many people. 35,000 people jumping and screaming in time to them seemed INSANE.

They played an amazing set – no doubt made more incredible by the crowds reaction to them – opening with ‘Testify’ and closing with ‘Killing in the Name’ and cramming in as much yell-along tunes in between as they could in an hour and 20 minutes, it was both a opportunity for nostalgia and a celebration of a band returning the height of their powers.

Although there was a little rustiness (did anyone else notice the band slow for de la Rocha to catch up?), it felt like the second coming because it was – how many of the people who were in the crowd would have ever thought they would get back together, let alone play the Big Day Out? Although I hoped for it (in my version, they would tour with Soundgarden, meaning they would also play as Audioslave with Chris Cornell as well) but the realisation was better than I could have imagined.

I’ll get the opportunity to see LCD play again – but I will never be witness to a set like this one again. Heads and shoulders above anything all day (or in the last 4-5 years for me), Rage finished the day off in the perfect way.