After the disappointment of there being no Big Day Out in 1998, the return of the festival in 1999 was greeted with cheers nationwide – record crowds were achieved, helped no doubt by the war of words between the two headlining acts – the Dolce & Gabana clad Courtney Love with her band Hole, and the shock-rockers Marilyn Manson, who used stage props to come off as a Hitler figure tearing pages out of the Bible.

Ho-hum – as impressive as these two acts were, it was in the Boiler Room that things were heating up – all thanks to Fatboy Slim and Underworld.

The tribal rhythms of Soulfly added something heavier for those so inclined, while a slew of who’s who of Australian bands like Spiderbait, Regurgitator/Spiderbait offshoot Happyland (who played with a lot of flair and fun, and were a highlight for many), and many national Big Day Out ‘virgins’ – including not from there, Jebediah, Warumpi Band, and Fur – added a sense of familiarity to proceedings. There were also the Brit stadium rock stylings of Manic Street Preachers and Irish trio Ash. But perhaps the most shocking sound coming from the main stage was that of angry nu-metal group Korn, which alongside the likes of Soulfly meant there was a far angrier element to the BDO. It would be repeated in coming years…with devastating results.

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