In 1996, the Big Day Out had its first major competitor with Steve Pavlovic’s Summersault Festival, which featured headliners of the calibre of the Beastie Boys, ex-Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl’s new band Foo Fighters – who made a big impression – as well as Kim Deal’s new band, sans sister, the Amps.

Also playing were Clash enthusiasts Rancid, and an acoustic Beck, who in Adelaide tried to get some crowd participation happening, and then much to his chagrin found that the person selected had no sense of rhythm! The Big Day Out hit back was with their diversity and a sense of togetherness.

In addition to headliners Rage Against the Machine, there was also a revitalised Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, with Kylie Minogue a not-such-a-surprise guest in Melbourne and Sydney, as well as fellow Summersault tourists Rancid. But the real winners were on the local front – the Big Day Out had the anarchic trio Regurgitator, complete with Quan Yeomans in a pink frock for most dates. S-e-x-y.

In addition to this, in Adelaide, a new quartet going by the name The Superjesus stunned the crowd on the local stage, leading to the band being signed to a major label. In the end, the Big Day Out won out; with Pav being sent broke by Summersault’s disappointing crowd attendance.

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