This month, double J are celebrating the legacy of Australia’s most iconic music festival, Big Day Out.
Throughout October, double J has been revelling in nostalgia with special Live At The Wireless sessions archiving iconic performances from the festival. The station also unveiled a special five-part podcast series, Inside Big Day Out.
The podcast has sent Australian music devotees into a tizzy. Reflecting on the historic festival, it’s rise to the highest echelons of touring festival fame and its eventual collapse.
The series features interviews with the masterminds behind the festival, Ken West, Vivien Lees, Sahara Herald, Adam Zammit and AJ Maddah. As well as musings from Aussie artists that played and attended the festival, such as Beasts of Bourbon, Cosmic Psychos, Eskimo Joe, Frenzal Rhomb, Grinspoon, Jebediah, Magic Dirt, Powderfinger, Shihad, The Clouds, The Living End, Tiddas, You Am I and Violent Femmes.
The most recent episode, ‘The Age Of Innocence Is Over’, delves into the festival’s darkest chapter. Gemma Pike sits down with Liza Ryan, the best friend of Jessica Michalik, the teenage girl who tragically passed away during Limp Bizkit’s 2001 headline set.
It also features a reflection from Phil Jamieson of Grinspoon, who recounts his relationship with the festival and performing at the memorial of Michalik. You can listen to the episode here.
