For music fans across the country, The Big Day Out was a rite of passage headlined by some of the biggest names in music. A day out in the sun with mates and an introduction to mind-blowing music. For the people who created it, it was a wild ride of legendary line-ups and backstage shenanigans. And then it all fell apart.
In this 5-part series Double J takes you inside the story of this iconic music festival. Meet the characters who kept this juggernaut rolling and find out what really went down on tour. From the coup of securing Nirvana in its first year, to its tumultuous downfall in 2014, and all the partying in between. Follow the story of the rise and rise, then sudden demise of Australia’s Big Day Out.
Through a 5-part series, Gemma Pick documents the history of The Big Day Out from its early beginnings in the 90s to its capitulation in 2015. It also provides into concert life backstage, including lines of washing powder at the after-party in the 90’s. A particularly moving episode is the recount of Jessica Michalak’s death in 2001.