Faaaaast forward to Sydney. The big one. Close to sixty thousand people on baking concrete, on Australia day making their way past sniffer dogs to get in and listen to some bands. I had a quick walk around the crowd, with my friend Adam Zammit, and eve though it was early, already you could tell it was going to be a weird one. There were more Australian flags that day than I’ve ever seen before, and all of them being draped around the shoulders, Dio style, of yobby looking shirtless drunk blokes in their early twenties, who were hanging in packs of about ten at a time.
The crowd was much different this year than to previous years.
I have been taken to task in earlier posts on what I’m about to speak of, so let me preface it by saying this:
I love my job, I am blessed to do it, I work hard to keep doing the best job that I can, and never expect as standard or take the privileges and luxuries that come with my job for granted, never ever. I also realise that my job is in the public eye, and people will have mixed reactions when they see me. Some will say nice things, some won’t. Some will ask me to sign their tits, some will crash tackle me on to concrete. There was a lot of weirdness going on at Sydney BDO. For the first time ever I was hesitant to walk around. I’ve never not been able to just walk around a BDO before, checking out bands. Sydney was different.
The main thing I got from the crowd was that there was a large, dare I say it, “Cronulla”

One interesting aspect is the repeated argument that the BDO organisers should allow trouble-makers in and then make sure they’ve got adequate ’security’ (by which I assume people mean bouncers). Personally I would prefer them to be pro-active, which presumably they were trying to be on the basis of ugly incidents last year, rather than wait for the fights to start and then risk provoking a mini-riot, but I suspect the latter is exactly what the racists would love.

Banning the flag? I reckon they should encourage the head-bangers to bring their flags along. And then burn them on stage.

That Andrew G post says exactly the same thing from a much greater well of experience than mine.

The BDO was originally organised by JJJ – the ABC’s youth radio station. But I think its private now (though JJJ still promotes it) – in any case it’s apparently very profitable and doesn’t need taxpayer’s money.

Nope, it’s always been a private event.

I don’t necessarily they need a ban but I did actually feel a sense of ultra-nationalism last year when I went and felt really uncomfortable despite being a regular music festival goer.

Last year at the Big Day Out, they did have Australia First members handing out leaflets in front of the gates and there were a number of people wearing shirts saying ‘Aussie Pride’.

I wouldn’t lose interest in the event because of discouraging the flag. I’d lose interest because of an increasingly mediocre lineup that isn’t worth $120. Plenty of alternatives like the V Festival or going to sideshows.

And its not only the Blue Ensign they banned – other nations’ flags and the Southern Cross were also on the Index Prohibitorum. But I understand they’ve backed off anyway – they’re no longer banning flags but are still asking people not to wear them as gang colours (which they were). It’s all a bit of a storm in a teacup IMO.