R.E.M. is about to arrive in Sydney, Australia and the signs are everywhere, from the R.E.M. posters plastered on walls to the
R.E.M. t-shirt worn by a twentysomething strolling along the roadside beneath the eucalyptus trees that are everywhere. ATN
arrived in Sydney on Tuesday Jan. 17, ready to rock. Things here are, as Frank Kozik told us the other day, "a little off." First of all,
they drive on the wrong side of the street. Then there's this problem with the electric outlets: you can't plug American electrical
devices in. Even the steering wheels are located in the wrong place in the cars. Still, when we heard Rick Nelson booming out
of the radio we knew things were all right. They got even better when, a few hours later, Nelson was replaced by Elvis (Costello
that is).
In addition to the R.E.M. show - the group is playing three nights this week at the Entertainment Center - people are
excited about the Big Day Out, a massive outdoor rock festival held here on January 26th, and featuring Hole, Ministry, the
Cult, Primal Scream, Screaming Trees and the Offspring, as well as Australian bands including Sugarland, Clouds, You
Am I and silverchair. 30,000 people are expected. "It's absolutely huge," said one Sydney native.
