Big Day Out/Perth Fan Report

Personal correspondance from Calvin, a South African goodsoner, touring Australia. He talks about his BDO experiance in Perth.

Begin......

"Big Day Out was very cool - like a boiling hot Reading, without the yobs. I'll say this for the Australians - they have a good sense of humour and are quite friendly and well-meaning. Nick was sheer class - parading about like some kind of debauched, seasoned super-star (which of course, he is). Some critics slagged his performance as "lazy". In some ways it was, but if I was Nick, I'd do just the same I'm sure. While Nick just cruised, the rest of the band appeared to go about their business quite feverishly and I thought that they were top-notch personally. They did, Into My Arms which Nick claimed we had not heard before but having had the fortune of being at the National Film Theatre last year, I had, in fact, heard it before! It was slightly different this time around I think, at the NFM he kept singing:

"This is my desire, oh Lord.
This is my desire."

which was absent this time around. Still, I hope this is recorded at some stage - every fan deserves to hear it.

They also did Mercy with Warren from the D3. Before the song Nick announced that the song was about "John the Baptist - Christ's cousin". He then pointed at some person in the crowd and said "do you understand? Do you?" Ho Ho Ho. Good value for money. Highlights were; The Weeping Song (Blixa in top form), City of Refuge and Loverman. A truly inspiring performance all told and my first taste of the Bad Seeds live will rest upon the mantlepiece of my soul for some time to come I'm sure - yeah, up yours too, Keith! Still friends, I get that nasty feeling that maybe we should have been born a little earlier and somewhere civilized so that we could have seen, I suppose, a much wilder, more posessed NC - I'm afraid we may have already missed the best of this band although I am not a gambling man you understand.

Oh yes, the Dirty Three were quite superb and must be seen to be believed. I didn't get a chance to have Nick buy me a beer but there will be another time I am sure.

I have not bought the new album yet - 'cos i don't really want to lug it around - but I am going to give in soon. It is going for $30 or $35 depending on which version to buy. Must go now, but will mail again soon

Cheers,
Cal

.....End

bye 4 now

Duncan