In a pink, slightly special way...

Oh boy. Stephen Fry has a blog. Here. Ohhhh boy. I LOVE Stephen Fry. It's as simple as that. He's a lovely package of hyper-intellect, off beat humour and school boy charm all tied up with awkwardly camp string. Earlier today I publicly proclaimed this interest in the seminal Gen Y way. I joined a Facebook group. It's called 'If Stephen Fry says it, then it must be true'. This sums up my feelings quite adequately. Enjoy your dessert/lonely contemplations.

Some lines of white...

So I'm talking to my mother on the phone recently, and being that holiday season is now in full swing, we were discussing various material things as possible Christmas presents. (The time when I was surprised by presents is long gone).

Mum: "I heard Kate Moss has a perfume out"

Me: "Yeah, they were spraying the card things in Myer the other day"

Mum: "Is is nice?"

Me: "Oh sure, smells like cocaine"

Mum: *horrified silence*

Me: "...hello?"

Mum: "How do you know what cocaine smells like?!"


Had to remind her that Kate Moss likes her blow, that I was making joke/spouting witticism etc. She muttered something about sense of humour and generation Y and said she needed to cook dinner now.

So in short, mum thinks I'm a coke fiend.



Incidentally, its Gough time motherfuckers. Kevin 07 has prevailed.

Sadly noted...

I missed Kevin Rudd on Rove. Makes me rather sad, although my alternative activity was highly enjoyable (Hello to The Strange Attractors ).

Not sure why Rudd on Rove appeals to me so much, but so far the reviews of his performance are favorable. Even though he didn't answer THE question. Come on. I can feel the disappointment of the nation. Even Ian Thorpe answered it weeks ago after spending the majority of his interview denying that he was gay.

Also, the irony of Bob Brown declaring he would turn straight for Missy Higgins was almost too much to handle. Hopefully the whole thing will be on YouTube soon enough.

Election being 5 days away, I am actually rather excited. Less optimistic about a Labor victory than I was before, but who knows. And the eternal question...will it actually make any difference?

The waiting game...

Annoyance of the week:

Having to stand in the ridiculously long line at the West End post office to pick up registered mail containing tickets to Laneway. Then having to do it AGAIN two days later, when my BDO ticket arrived.

on the plus side this is a pretty great Tumble Log.

A goodly portion...

Holidays have begun, and I'm doing my usual start of holidays thing. Placing a heap of holds at the library, and making a list of things to do in the holidays. So far I have:

1. Make a business card
So I'm all professional and stuff
2. Read Dante's Divine Comedy
This is something I've been attempting to do since highschool
3. Make longterm travel plans
Where my Lonely Planet 'Europe on a shoestring' will be useful
4. Learn some more French
By 'some more', I mean extending beyond 'Hello, how are you?'
5. Make overview plan of next years production
Being production manager, I'm kind of in charge
6. Get haircut

My aim when I began the list was to have 100 things. I failed, but hopefully I will have more than 6 things very soon.

So my room is littered with a collection of fairly random books, magazines and half filled art journals. I always aim to read a lot in holidays.
Currently trying my hand at The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer. Had the conversation about the pronunciation of 'Chaucer' yesterday. I had chosen to pronounce it 'Show' (as in shower) 'sir'. Show-sir, as it sounds very nice and soft and happy, much like his writing. But according to my source, it is actually 'chore-sir'. Or something along those lines. It was inevitable. Feeling kind of fraud-like. Reading it without being able to pronounce his name. I'm also beginning to think in rhyming couplets. I'm not cut out for this literary wank.

Foxy...

http://lifehacker.com/photogallery/Firefox-3-Tour/

Simplified breakdown of the new features of the forthcoming Firefox 3.0. I kind of like the idea of tagging bookmarks. Thats all I really use del.icio.us for, so it'd be nice to integrate, given you have the ability to save everything from bookmarks, preferences, urine analysis and imprinted dna sample on a thumbdrive these days.

Be a hippy for a week...

The Woodford Folk Festival lineup was released today. With so many new year festivals etc, it's always fairly difficult to net anyone of mainstream note to play, especially in the latter part of the week. It's front loaded as usual, but great nonetheless. The high points being:

Sarah Blasko, the Go Set, Sarah Blasko, Angus and Julia Stone, The Cat Empire, Doch, That1Guy,The Waifs.

It's been so so so so long since I've seen the Cat Empire. My first ever concert/gig experience was when they played the first night of Woodford in the Big Top in 2003. It was about a month after Hello hit the charts and they were phenomenal. I've seen them 7 or 8 times. Sad but true.

No Lior. Or Kate Miller-Heidke. This disappoints me a little. But I think they're in one of the major lineups, no?

Also New Years is a little empty. Which is ok, because nothing would really match up to Wolfmother covering The Who at midnight in Lorne last(this?) year.

Wow....

Wally won best male.

That is amazing.

That is all.

Channel 9 trickery, improper use of the worm...

So, for all those living in caves or under rocks, the federal election has been called for the 24th of November. I for one am excited. It may be optimistic, but I feel Howard's time to roll over and die has finally come. This is the one folks. Hopefully.

The debate Sunday night was, in all truth, riveting. I wish Howard would agree to the 2 more that Rudd wants. Maybe talk a little less about money next time. Chris Uhlmann made no friends, very ballsy pursuit of answers to his very direct questions. David Speers moderated it well, the only thing that irked me was how quickly he seemed to chime in a the end of the speeches. Kind of took away the impact Rudd and Howard were looking for. Howard was very aggressive, speaking way past when Speers asked him to stop, but Rudd had panache. I like the way he speaks.

Enough about politics. The Basics played Rosies on Saturday night. Needless to say they were phenomenal. There was not adequate air conditioning, but that did not stop my dancing. Tim had some very colourful solos, complete with parading around the stage and shit talking was at an all time high. Kind of got the impression the crowd wanted to cling to them while sobbing 'never ever leave us again!', and after the mainstage closed and everyone went upstairs, some people no doubt did. Great comeback gig. More in 3 weeks. Praise be.

Also I was lucky enough to get myself a GC BDO ticket, which excites me no end.

Your mommas standing by on LX 15...

Initial bump in: 14 hours

Re-focusing the lights during tech run: 2 hours

Re-programing the board during tech run: 45 minutes

Vision switching to a picture of a sheep emblazoned with the word 'pornography' instead of our ending projection: Priceless.

.............................

Theatre antics in full swing, with bump in going from 8am saturday morning till 4 am sunday morning. I was back at uni at 9am, squeezed a quick shower in between shows and was home by 10pm sunday night. So it was probably best I didn't get to Wolfgang, or assorted friday night activities.

I will be at Young & Restless at the Zoo on Wednesday night tho. Am excited.

The Basics on their comeback tour at Rosie's on the 20th. Am excited.

May take some photos and things and post them up sometime. Don't know why. The idea just entered my head.

Theres not much point to this post. Sorry.

Big Day Out 08

Rage Against the Machine, Bjork, Grinspoon, Arcade Fire, Hilltop Hoods, Billy Bragg, Paul Kelly, LCD Soundsystem, Sarah Blasko, Faker, Midnight Juggernauts, Dizzee Rascal, Something With Numbers, Battles, Cut Off Your Hands.

Is it blasphemous to the music gods to be way, way, WAY more excited about the Arcade Fire than RATM? Because I love me some Rage, but DAMN I love the Arcade Fire. It's going to be amazing. Hopefull they'll play a side show and refrain from any Shins-like behaviour (Byron Bay is NOT, I repeat, NOT Brisbane), because that will be 3000 times better than 5 BDO's put together. No. I'm serious.

Wolfgang tonight. Perpetually missing a dance partner, but still want to go :(

Being pedantic

I'm a bit of a usability nerd. I'm all about intuitive interfaces, logical organisation of data, self explanatory navigation. So here is my gripe.

I've been trawling through the archives of a few blogs and things lately (remembering that one feature of using a blog format for a major site is the ability to place your content in a timeline). And, almost without fail, down the bottom of the page, there is the pair of links 'previous page', 'next page' or some other ambiguously labeled link.

The problem I encounter, when I'm further back then the front page, is the horrible inconsistency among sites to decide which way in time they are moving. Often I will click 'previous page', expecting to be taken back in time (blogs being timelines and all) to previous posts. But instead it takes me back to the page I was previously at. The newer one. So the next site I visit, I click 'next page', and I am again taken forward. Some people who give over a certain amount of eloquence to resort to 'older posts/entries' and 'newer posts/entries' achieve a better user experience. People just need to make up their mind.



In other news, I bought a 50mm f1.8 lens for my camera. I've been wanting it for ages, and I don't think its going to be coming off the camera for awhile. Great sharpness, depth of field etc. Brilliant 'normal' lens.

And now brace yourself for a shameless plug:

Vena Cava Productions Presents:

Fresh Blood 2007

Featuring two original plays:

No Bare Feet

Written by Bronte Coates

&

It Would Be Rude Not To

Written by James Grant & Sam Davies

Preview 2pm on Sunday 7 ^th October 2007
Opening at 7pm on Sunday 7^th October 2007 at 7pm
2pm and 7pm on Saturday the 13^th October
7pm Sunday the 14 ^th October

In the Woodward Theatre – Kelvin Grove QUT

Tickets cost - $7 Vena Cava members, $10 Students, and $12 Adults

To book your tickets call: 0421 253 795 or email: venacavaprod@gmail.com

Fresh Blood is a production showcasing 2 student written/directed/produced shows, and will prove to be an interesting combination, one being a surrealist piece, the other an 'Aussie comedy'. I'm stage managing the comedy and would like us to show to a full theatre. A full theatre of young people would be even better. So get along if you have time :)

Some good news...

-I may be late on the uptake, but my (and many others) beloved Gotye picked up 5 ARIA nominations, for his remix album 'Mixed Blood'. He's already taken out 'Best Cover Art'(stupid fasterlouder, getting their shit wrong. It was actually Mondrian Silverchair who won that)and is up for, among others, Best Male Artist, and Album of the Year. Well done Wally!!!!!

This is apparently Photoshops new logo and tag line (it seems this one is for marketing purposes, as Adobe stresses that they have not done away with the existing one. Y'know. The feather and stuff.):


I. Do Not. Like It. The tagline is perfectly viable, but the logo makes it look like Photoshop has mysteriously become this web 2.0-ish social networking site, where they get carried away with their shiny glass-like buttons and boxes and logos. Like this speech bubble.

If you replaced the 'Photoshop' with 'Twitter', then you would have something that made sense.

To use a Sydney word...

Fiesta was 'hectic'. I am now a fully fledged Yves Klein Blue fan. Their set was so impressive. Even at 3 on a Sunday afternoon. It was just...great. Great great great. And I'm going to stop now while I'm not yet screeching 'have my babies'.

Because I'm too lazy and somewhat deflated by the fact I have 9 piece of assessment before the 29th of October, I'm just going to give a general list of gigs that look fun.

Thus 27th Sept: UV mag launch at Alhambra. I wouldn't have seen this if not for era.culprits. Thanks :)
Sat 29th Sept: 1990s, The Dardanelles and Yves Klein Blue at The Zoo. Because I don't like parks.
Thurs 4th Oct: Wolfgang, w/ Emergency Emergency, Twist, Oliver, Twist and Nightcrash.
Fri 26th Oct: The pick of the upcoming Exile at Rosies. The Checks, Belles Will Ring and the John Steel Singers. Very fun.

Sparkle Motion

- Lick It is go! Will probably be very exhausted by the time it kicks off on Sunday (am leaving rehearsal early, and am going to attempt to compose reviews in real time for at least 3 bands from YKB onwards. I'm sure I'll have something to say about that here, so stay tuned) , but will have a dance regardless

- The launch of issue #2 of The Lifted Brow magazine is later tonight at Jugglers. Shall be grand.

- These two events being listed together feels strange and has brought me to thinking about the current split in the general 'indie' (I shudder to use the term) community of Brisbane. Am I imagining things, or have we split 50/50, electro vs. folk? I swear it hasn't always been like that.

You are perfect but you're empty...

While this has nothing really to do with the Gotye lyric I titled this post with, it is actually pretty perfect. It's an iTunes equaliser setting that's doing the rounds at the moment. The original article is here (very old), and I'm reposting mostly so I'll know where is it when i inevitably lose the link/graphic sometime in the future. The settings are as follows (note: skipping the pre-amp) and they made my evening Death Cab pop very nicely:

db +3, +6, +9, +7, +6, +5, +7, +9, +11, +8 db

Another one?

The general myspace vibe (that is, the information on both Exile and Gin Clubs pages) is that theres another Exile this Friday? I was meaning to go last Friday, as there was the whole venue change thing (as I have vocally expressed my disdain for the last venue a little further down the page), but again so soon? Thats actually 'hurrah' worthy.

"Yay!" Giant Ray Bans! Agyness love!

The joys of my dinky little point&shoot. Riverfire did not disappoint re: drunk frolicking teenagers. The fireworks were good tthough. Jet planes too.

Wolfgang was also fine fun. Mood was dampened by my friend electing to stay home at the last minute, thus plunging me into aloneness. But all was good, with the help of conversation with randoms. teenagersintokyo were highly gratifying, but Cut Off Your Hands were stellar. Great turn out, and unlike many other gigs, there wasn't a stream of patrons flooding towards the door as the final notes of their somewhat blistering set dispersed. Everyone was up for a good time, and I believe the general consensus is that a good time was indeed had. Can't wait for the next one. Hopefully in the company of another person.


Today in South Bank, there was a young designers markets, held just to the side of the 'normal' markets. I only got to look around as they were setting up, but it looks highly worthwhile. Tshirts, jewelry etc. Most notably a place called Blonde Vintage which is, as the myspace claims, 'the re-creation of fabulous second hand materials'. Fun, nice, and fairly cheap as well. Didn't have the time to try stuff on (much to my dismay), but it seems great. Speaking of which I will hopefully be making it down to Boxvintage in West End soon for a little shopping spree. Yay.

My bad...

I didn't make it to the Shout Out Louds, I had a meeting instead (yes, at 9.30pm). Was very sad. A variety of things are coming up, which will amply make up for missing them.

-Tonight will be a momentous event, as it is Riverfire. Living in such close proximity as I do, I feel somewhat obliged to go, camera in hand, and capture many amusing images of secretly drunk teenagers frolicking in the parklands with their secret alcohol stash. Oh and, you know, the fireworks as well. While I still only have my point&shoot, I may do just that.

-Thursday is Wolfgang and I am moderately excited. This one I will try to pseudo review, as I'm too lazy/not very good at normal reviews.

-Next Wednesday my new twitter friends The Strange Attractors are playing a gig at The Zoo. I may get there late, and it may mean walking home after missing the last form of public transport leaving the Valley, but my attendance is planned.

-Valley Fiesta!!! The weekend where even responsible, well meaning people get hassled by police. Lots and lots of music this year, but my two necessaries are The Audreys and Yves Klein Blue.

As well as various assessments, rehearsals, meetings and related stress outs.

Oh yeah, and theres a great digital media exhibition on in The Block @ QUT called Vernacular Terrain. Only had time for a quick look the other day, but word is that its amazing.

Withdrawals...

From a couple of things actually.

Firstly my SLR, which is currently on loan to a friend who's own Nikon had to go to the doctors. When I gave it to him, I hadn't had a photography session in about a month and a half, and since he took it, I haven't wanted to do anything else. But I will hopefully get the use of his new 10mm lens when I get the camera body back.

What I really want to do is try some street fashion photography. Theres a fairly diverse lot of people around here, and the only stuff thats getting photographed at the moment (as far as I know) are the events like Lick It and Wolfgang (Peny Lane being one of my favorites), which only attract a small section of what I think is a much larger picture.

My only problem is that while I've been long time admirer of the street fashion shooters, I have no idea how to go about the practice myself. I mean the crux is fairly self explanatory, but there surely must be someone out there who has typed up their experience regarding approaching people, the best way to explain yourself, should you provide your URL, is their legal shit involved etc.
Or I could just jump blindly into it and see what happens.

Second withdrawal being from The Basics, a wonderful band from Melbourne.
Theres been enough written about these guys, most specifically the issue surrounding the hindrance of their success because Richard Kingsmill 'just can't like their music' (thus no, or very limited airtime on Triple J). Oh and the fact that Wally DeBacker is their drummer/co-vocalist.

In order to compensate for the lack of radio presence, the Basics tour their ass off. To my count, they've played 7 shows in Brisbane this year. Thats more than a lot of BRISBANE bands
have played in Brisbane this year. So I could look forward to my Basics fix on a fairly regular basis. But alas, they have headed for greener pastures. Those pastures being a 2 month overseas tour that will take them to Japan, London, Oslo and back to Japan, before they get back for a swag of festival appearances and stuff. So no Basics shows for awhile :(. They have what has so far (the first 4 days?) proved to be a highly entertaining video tour diary on their YouTube.

Also withdrawals, because I've given up fast food. It occurred to me the other day I've been eating McDonalds etc an alarmingly large amount. Usually because I'm passing through the city at lunch time. So if I must eat in the city, it will either be Hari Krishna food (so great and so cheap), or sushi. Hurrah for me being vaguely more healthy.

Lastly, I'm seeing the Shout Out Louds on Thursday night. I may or may not talk about it here. Or I may try something a little different. We'll see.

The Dardanelles, Yves Klein Blue @ Exile, 10/08/2007

The fledgling 'electro indie rock' setup in the upstairs bar of the Transcontinental on Roma Street is far from fully developed. It's now only 2 gigs old (Young & Restless 2 weeks ago being the debut I believe), so I for one didn't expect it to be stellar. If I were to offer some suggestions they would be to serve more kinds of beer (no Coopers Green?! You fail), take down the horribly cliche, framed Joy Division poster, and veto the damn smoke machine. But they're booking good bands, so who am I to complain?

Yves Klein Blue do lovely work. They own the small stage, radiating a respectable amount of energy, and a large amount of noise. The crowd seem into it, even despite the length of the set (long), as the band do their thing. This is the first time I've been truly impressed with them, am now feeling slightly more friendly towards their 'it' status.

As it happens, they upstaged the headline (in my eyes anyway). The Dardanelles appeared on stage after a rather short break, and played what appeared to be a rather short set, but thats possibly only compared to YKB. The Joy Division parallels rang through loud and clear. Too clear. But the music was admirably played, and there was no mistaking their enthusiasm, most notably the lead singers attempts to crowd surf off a level stage.

While they were headliners, they weren't as well received as YKB.

That shall serve as my closing statement, having been suddenly struck down by a lack of enthusiasm.

You wasted life...

Does it surprise you when you look at your top tracks in iTunes, last.fm or similar? Can you pinpoint the reason for such repeatedly listening? Most importantly, when it boils down to it, are your top 10 songs 'good/trendy/non-mainstream enough' to reflect positively on the decidedly un-post-modern idea of your 'music taste'? Here I list my top 9 (because I aim to be unconventional) most listened tracks, as compiled by iTunes, and I attempt to answer some of the aforementioned questions.

9)What Ever Happened- The Strokes

The Strokes. As I like them. End of story.

8)The Only Way- Gotye


Whatever I could say about Gotye would pale in comparison to the experience of actually hearing the music. It's suited to an atmospheric outdoor concert, dancing with abandonment and contemplating the possibility of the consumption of mind altering drugs. Alternative it also conjures intimate feelings of an unpopular bar at 3 in the morning, full of misfits and loners, quietly sipping their drink of choice. Sometimes it's a single song that creates this duality, but theres some songs on his album 'Like Drawing Blood' that are devoutly one or the other. The Only Way is most assuredly door number 1. Infectious beat, uplifting harmony, and crazy disjointed drum solo towards the end, this song is the equivalent of an indie kid's party anthem, if, infact they got so far out of their self depreciating rut to acknowledge the fact they do party (full disclosure: I am a self declared, and peer labeled indie kid, from the top of my cropped hair to the tips of my colored-tights-sheathed toes).

7) Float On- Modest Mouse

Anyone who can resist this song defies the formula of hit-making. Memorable riff, sing-alongable chorus, catchy little snare skip at the start, plenty of high hat and a unique element, (can you get much more unique than Isaac Brock's vocal style?) thats fully accepted by the bands loyal fans, but hailed as totally new and unique by those who hurriedly downloaded the single after hearing it on the radio. Including the radio presenters.

6)Over & Over Again (Lost and Found)- Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

On first introducing this track to my then boyfriend, I was met with the unenthusiastic comment of 'It sounds like Christmas dying slowly after being shot in the stomach'. While his flair for creative description is to his credit, it was hardly the reaction I was after. I love Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and have from the moment I heard the first track on their first album. Not entirely sure why this particular track has emerged, victorious, into my top nine above all the other (equally good) tracks from both their albums, but it's a decent representation of what I love about them. Creative lyrics ("You look like David Bowie"), unpretentious melodic lines and the fact that their vocals aren't the only unique thing about their sound(Can you get much more unique than Isaac Brock, I asked? enter: Alec Ounsworth.). My top 9 would not be complete without CYHSY. Turns out my relationship can't be complete unless said spouse loves them too :p

5) Local God- Everclear

Come on. Who doesn't love a bit of 90's rock?

4) In the Lost and Found (Honky Bach) - Elliott Smith

Such a pretty, unpretentious sound, yet his charisma holds you right in the centre of the sound. That and the honky piano. So catchy.
When I looked at this list I was actually surprised to see this song so far up, assuming 'Somebody That I used To Know' would be a higher track of his, but as soon as I listen I'm pulled back into soft, yet upbeat sentiments and his voice that makes this track compulsively listen-able.

3) Kissing the Lipless- The Shins

'Called to see if your back was still aligned...'

From the opening line, your intent on listening even to know where the hell the lyrics can go from there. Quiet and tentative, it builds into a strum fest, with the Shins at their best for a good 3 verses, with unexpected melodic lines and creative use of the ride cymbal, then winding quietly back down, leaving you thoughtful, and slightly melancholy, slightly resentful, if only on behalf of the poor bloke in the song.

2) Six Days The Remix- DJ Shadow ft. Mos Def

2 DJ Shadow songs. And Mos Def over the top. All in one very catchy beat fest.

Admittedly a legacy of the boyfriend who didn't like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, this song makes me feel very tough. In reality I'm not very tough at all so maybe thats why I listen to it so much.


1) The Ocean Breathes Salty- Modest Mouse

I must declare it before we go any further. Modest Mouse are my favorite band in the world. Ever. So this position for this particular song may have something to do with the fact they played this (possibly opened with it actually. Everything was a blur, regardless of the fact it was 4 in the afternoon and I was stone cold sober) when I saw them at the Falls Festival in Victoria over New Years, which was literally the gig of my life.
I'm a sucker for catchy drums. Which makes basically every Modest Mouse song a treat beyond belief, but this one so much more so. So atmospheric, so empowering. It's like you're taking part in the bitter tirade being enacted in the lyrics. All while packaging it in a whole lotta bop.

"You wasted life why wouldn't you waste the afterlife?"

Toe tapping stuff people.

So that rounds off my top nine. I assume you have one too. What is it?

Sign? What sign?

Taken in the Valley on Thursday night.He is a random stranger. But I like his posing style.

There's no beginning to this story...

Music-Movies-Books-Theatre-Photography-Festivals-Concerts-Art-Fashion

Yeah, there's a few of the things I'm interested in. Random impulse lead me to create this blog, hopefully impulse will help it continue. I'm not sure what to put in here yet. A friend of mine, said the following, in reference to my desire to have a blog thats 'not about me':

"If its not about you, it has to be about politics, or pop culture, or sex"

Since I don't have much sex (and who said this blog wouldn't be about me?), and I take a much more active interest in pop culture than I do in politics (arguably more than sex too), then it's going to be about pop culture, with possible deviations towards just culture in general. So until inspiration strikes me with something terribly trendy and insightful to say, I wish you all a courteous and slightly smart assed adieu.