The Big Red Bash has closed the gate on another year of outback frivolity in Birdsville, Queensland, and by all reports it was one for the ages. Highlights were many but the crescendo came when 2330 sweaty, dusty revellers united in neat(ish) lines to break the world record for the most amount of people dancing the Nutbush at any one time. And yes, Pat was front and centre boot scootin’ with the best of them. Bonus points if you can spot him in the Nine News clip below. Clue: look for the confused bloke in the Akubra.
Each year, the Bash attempts to break its own world record for the number of concurrent Nutbushers, or Nutters, if you will, and 2019 was no exception. The air was thick with dust and tomfoolery as the Nutters jived in unison to the 1973 Tina Turner classic, which commonly fills wedding dance floors somewhere in that brief window after the speeches but before Aunt Gloria frees her swollen ankles from her strappy heels.
It’s touted as the outback’s best party, and for good reason; the Big Red Bash lights up Birdsville on the edge of the Simpson Desert every year, with almost 10,000 4×4 travellers covering a combined 41 million kilometres to get to the remote event in order to kick back and let loose for a weekend of camping and live music beneath the majestic Big Red sand dune.
This year Midnight Oil headlined, with performances also from Kasey Chambers, Richard Clapton and crowd-pleasing ABBA cover band, Bjorn Again, plus loads more.
In addition to the killer tunes, there was dune surfing, doggos in tutus, kids in face paint, sunsets atop Big Red, misty campground mornings and even a wedding.
Bash organisers said the 2019 event was a huge success, reporting zero security issues, zero DUI readings, zero clouds and 1.2 tonnes of ribs sold by the Birdsville Hotel. We’d take those odds any day.
If you’ve got a major case of FOMO just reading this, firstly, you’re only human, and secondly, it’s time to start planning a trip to Birdsville in 2020.
