Rewind the C90.

While sorting through some old things today, I stumbled across a cassette of early Big Day Out demos I haven't heard for years and, after putting magnetic-tape-to-tape-head using my first HiFi (which I rescued from my garage last week), I discovered they're still bloody good.

The songs were recorded using our friend, one-time band manager and adopted-father-figure Martin Goodrich's 8-track in around 1997ish, and sound remarkably polished considering our tender age and the technical limitations. The joy and energy bursts from the speakers like the band are playing in your front room today and, while there are inevitable Britpop-style musical quotes we'd soaked up at the time - like the odd Oasis-Esque vowel sound - something sparkling and original still comes out the other side of it. And the songs - which are unashamedly out-and-out pop - are catchier than coronavirus.

(Too soon?)

Before I sound smug, I should point out the driving force at that time wasn't me, but our lead guitarist Rich, with me bringing up the rear as his collaborator and joint lead-vocalist. But something about our joint pop sensibilities and his clever arrangements, combined with my pumping ("sexy") bass, Mark's scratchy, Telecaster-powered rhythm guitar and Chris' pounding drums gels splendidly. Listening back to it now, I can see what a special thing we had and how we might have made something of it if we'd just seen things through. However, life threw in a few curveballs as it often does, and we were just teenagers, after all.

We came close, with record producer interest even then, but Rich and I started going in different directions, which led to his exit, and Big Day Out morphing into a similar yet quirkier three-piece that nearly made it too. But we split when I got acting work (which ate away at me for years as it was my decision). However, over twenty years on, I can just enjoy the fact that we did what we did and created something special off our own backs; I'm still proud of it.

BDO mark I (with one Mark): (l to r) me, Mark Smith, Rich Baldwin and Chris Hollis.
BDO mark I (with one Mark): (l to r) me, Mark Smith, Rich Baldwin and Chris Hollis.

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