Inside the Big Day Out

ABC listen

4.9 (1.3K)
MUSIC

Double J presents the rise and fall of the world’s biggest touring music festival. Host: Gemma Pike Producer: Gab Burke Supervising Producer: Mike Williams Executive Producer: Meagan Loader Sound Engineers: John Jacobs, Tim Jenkins Theme music: Lindsay McDougall Music: Hamish Camilleri Artwork: Brad Cook Digital Team: Dan Condon, Luanne Shneier

28/10/2019

EPISODE 5 - Give It Away Now

Not able to agree on two headliners for the 2014 show, the duelling owners book three. To break even, the festival will need to break records. The original founder is about to lose everything. Hasty decisions are made to salvage a cultural icon, but the ship is sinking.

28 min
21/10/2019

EPISODE 4 - Art Vs. Commerce

While ticket sales soar to hundreds of thousands in the 2000s, artistic differences see the founder’s relationship reach breaking point. The manager holding everything together ends up in rehab and the festival starts to unravel.

30 min
14/10/2019

EPISODE 3 - The Age of Innocence is Over

The 2001 Big Day Out ends in tragedy with the death of Jessica Michalik during Limp Bizkit’s Sydney set. Jessica’s best friend Liza Ryan was with her and shares the emotional story of the music fan behind the headline. Phil Jamieson from Grinspoon recalls performing at her memorial.

34 min
07/10/2019

EPISODE 2 – The Big Day Off

The Big Day Out expands quickly and becomes a national touring circus. Every music fan wants to go and every artist wants to play, with many bands treating the tour like a holiday.

28 min
30/09/2019

EPISODE ONE — A Vision Of Nirvana

In 1991 Australian music promoter Ken West had an idea for a one-day music festival. He called it the Big Day Out.

27 min

See All (6)

Gemma Pike

Host

4.9

out of 5

1,304 Ratings

Aussie Music Culture Nostalgia

26 July

Jody Jodes

A chronicle of the history of Big Day Out, the birth and growth of the culture of the Australian festival scene. This series is a tribute to those who founded and worked so hard on building a sonic universe that meant so much to Australian music lovers. Brilliant and surprisingly touching.
Awesome!!

19 July

Maddawgrhys

Loved all of it!!!
Taking me back

11/12/2022

Burtie13

Loved it!!
ALL the feelings

16/08/2022

Bridget Fahey

It was like sitting through a memorial of an old friend. Big Day Out 2005 was my first festival and first concert. Miss you buddy

Double J presents the rise and fall of the world’s biggest touring music festival. Host: Gemma Pike Producer: Gab Burke Supervising Producer: Mike Williams Executive Producer: Meagan Loader Sound Engineers: John Jacobs, Tim Jenkins Theme music: Lindsay McDougall Music: Hamish Camilleri Artwork: Brad Cook Digital Team: Dan Condon, Luanne Shneier