Ah, the na�vety of it all. I was just excited about going to see a concert. Never did I even consider how I would ever get back home from that part of the city at that time of the night. Ar, you live and you learn. Anyway, before all that trouble, we turned up to the Manning Bar early enough to catch sound check. That�s how fucking hardcore I�ve always been. The Bird at the Manning Bar, I lose track of how many times I�d witnessed this combination, but it always gets me dancing and moving and pasters a big goofy grin on my face. Those were the carefree days when it was all just about the beats and basslines. Tribal drum�n bass riddims, with guests on double bass and a 2Dog dj on turntables. Wikkid.

As soon as I was old enough to enter licensed venues I wanted to go see a concert right away, it didn�t matter who was playing. Conveniently, uni hosted shows to kick of the new semester.

Waikiki was lovely. My friends thought they were shit. But what the fuck do they know.

Skulker was ordinary. My friends thought they rocked. But what the fuck do they know.

Spiderbait was brilliant. Whitt was free to do his electronic noodling and he kicked the set off with electronic bleeps that built up into a wicked groove. My loser friends were down the back getting drunk or whatever, but I was down in the moshpit loving it. Say what you want about their recorded material, but live, they know how to rock a show proper. I have no doubt, they are one of the best live bands in the country. I mean, it�s not rocket science, it�s silly songs about arse-hugging pants and some such. But it�s energetic and fun and on a hot summer�s night, what else matters?

The problem with having too many friends is, they�re not really friends. They�re just loose hangers-on, and sooner or later you�ll need to lose them because they become a pain in the neck. I think I saw On Inc, local pop dance hip-hop group that was just heaps of fun. Spiderbait rocked out and had me going hyper in the mosh pit. Jurassic 5, caught a bit of that but I wasn�t really feeling it. When in doubt, of course I�d always head back to dance music, and I�m glad I did cos I caught fantastic shows from Kosheen, Sonic Animation, the Crystal Method. Really, those hours in the boiler room are the highlights of my year. Skipped out for a bit to catch New Order and the Prodigy, then found myself locked out of the Basement Jaxx show, but by that time of the night, I�d have just about enough fun for a day and was fine with calling an end to festivities. Big Day Outs are fun.

Second music festival I ever went to, this time much better prepared. For one, I actually know who's playing!

Primary. Not that interesting.

Superheist. Just boring.

Gerling. Brilliant. Dancing, genre mashing Gerling with the kids on drums and samplers up front and proud.

Skunkhour. I dug it but my friend didn�t, so we didn�t stay long.

Eskimo Joe. Mediocre.

Paul Mac. Pnau. Resin Dogs. Sonic Animation. Towards the end of the festival, nothing�s better than to go in the dance music tent and just bliss out. Oh, we were young, we were carefree and we had no doubt we were the best dancers in the tent. No self conscious insecurities to speak of. Oh to be back there again.

Thinking back, I wonder how we ever even manage to get there. Two bored school kids go to their first ever live gig. We had totally no idea. All I knew was I wanted to see B(if)tek and Roni Size/Reprazent, and I failed on both counts. We didn't even know you read a music festival timetable from bottom upwards! We were just hyper and totally stroked just to be there. The sights, the sounds, the carnies, the goths, the punks, the mosh pits and the glow sticks. During the hot hot heat of the daylight hours, we hid in the cooler dance music arenas going hyper to Pnau, Friendly and Sonic Animation. We then wandered around, got lost, had some bad food, lost track of time, lost our legs. It was totally shambolic, and it was brilliant!