A tiny Australian town better known for cotton-picking than culture was relishing the limelight Friday as thousands of electro-pop fans descended for French group Daft Punk’s album launch.
Though “Random Access Memories” has been available online for several days and the French duo were not present, thousands of fans flocked to remote Wee Waa, a far-flung town of just 1,653, for the album’s official launch.
The cotton town’s population more than doubled for the event — being billed as an “official album playback” — with 4,000 tickets sold and police prepared for crowds of up to 6,000.
“The main street’s just chock-a-block, the transformation is just out of sight, it’s amazing,” said local mayor Conrad Bolton.
“We’re infamous around here, but today I think we’re famous.”
An army of die-hard, costumed fans from across Australia and beyond packed into the grounds of the 79th annual Wee Waa agricultural show to hear Daft Punk’s first album in eight years.
Almost 10 percent of those who bought tickets gave an international address, suggesting a significant foreign presence at the rural event which usually features a pet show, dog jumping, a wood chopping contest and talent quest as its highlights.
“The crowd is absolutely alive. There’s a giant mirror ball. Mesmerising,” partygoer Ross Power told AFP.
Power, who drove eight hours from Sydney, said there were hundreds of the French duo’s trademark robot helmets and other quirky costumes in the crowd, describing the atmosphere on the giant illuminated dancefloor as electric.
“It’s Daft Punk. The greatest act of our generation. It’s so cool to be here. Forever memorable.”
Wee Waa, known as the “Cotton Capital of Australia”, threw itself into the spirit, with the local butchery crafting Daft Pork Sausages and Random Access Rissoles — an Australian meatball.
The bakery, open all night for fans seeking a post-party snack, sold Punk Pies and Techno Treats, with five times the number of usual staff on and kegs ordered from the local pub.
Cardboard robot masks were visible on every corner, including classrooms and nursing homes, with an online video series “Road to Wee Waa” showing local farmers, cotton threshers and school pupils in costume.
Staff at the radio astronomy observatory, reported by Rolling Stone to be the reason Daft Punk chose Wee Waa to launch its futuristic album, even recorded time-lapse footage of the telescopes dancing to the track “Get Lucky”.
Sony chartered a jet to fly journalists out to cover the event and has repeatedly quashed rumours that the pair of Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter would put in a surprise appearance at the party.
That didn’t stop a wave of so-called spottings as far afield as Ballarat in neighbouring Victoria state Friday, and wild speculation as the party unfolded that a chartered jet carrying the pair had just landed at the airfield.
Speaking to Australian radio ahead of the launch event, Daft Punk said Australia was the last place they had toured back in December 2007 and returning here with their first album in nearly a decade seemed logical.
“Each time we went to Australia it was a great experience. It feels like Australia understands our music and we’re excited to present the music there,” the duo said.
Of Wee Waa they added: “It could be anywhere — that’s what this music is made for. Anywhere and everywhere.”
Tiny Australian town abuzz with Daft Punk fever
