much. Still, at the end of the day, it's been a busy time and a fun time
and that's kind of the important thing.
The thing with work, is that it's either REALLY busy... or really not -
and when it's really not - you have to be really ready to be really busy
at a moment's notice. A bit like APEC used to be. Still, there have been
other things on the stove as well - and I have been going out a fair bit
to see bands and clubs and people etc...
For example, there was that entire Horror Film festival that took up
about 2 weeks of my life/evenings, and that was a lot of fun. I mean I
got to see some people there I hadn't seen in a while, and met some new
people who are worthwhile knowing. I mean that was all the way from
April 5-10 (even though it seems like it was months ago). The films were
of a good calibre overall, and being international you got a flavour for
some of the things that are happening world-wide. I'm looking forward to
seeing what they put on next year :)
Of course toward the end of the Festival, was a great night with Emily
and Barbara at the Mz Ann Thropik show at Hermann's Bar. Now the weird
thing about Hermann's is that it's smaller than it looks (and smaller
than it photographs for that matter). It has an OK sound for a small
room, and the bar prices are not over-exorbitant. We got there after the
first band had finished (which was a shame because the name of the first
band - 'Day Of The Meerkat' - had me more than interested in seeing what
they were like. Alas that was not to be. Suffice to say that we got in,
in time, for Brigitte Handley & The Dark Shadows to start up. I've heard
of them but never seen them before and that is unfortunate because I
have obviously been missing out. It's rock without the pretention.
Brigitte makesd a great front-person for the band. She looks good, she
sounds good and she's not there to 'flash her skin' at the audience.
Also, she plays a mean guitar, and that brings up the credibility
several notches. She's in it for the music. Bass player, Carley Chalker,
is probably one of the more entertaining bassists I have seen in a
while. Now, sure, there are others who might to crazy and/or
off-the-wall stuff (and let's face it, jumping from a speaker stack into
an audience is pretty off-the-wall) but Carly doesn't do that (that I
have seen anyway ;)). She's just enjoying the hell out of herself
onstage and anyone who can play as well as she can, and almost perform a
solo limbo show (because she's so into what she's playing right then)
has got a lot to give an audience and she does. The only unfortunate
thing is that Nerida Wu (on drums) is hidden up the back. OK I know
drummers are - but it's a pity because she obviously enjoys the hell out
of her playing as well and on a small stage (such as Hermann's) her
enjoyment is a little lost. Maybe some more light onto her would have
helped, but I was specifically looking so the talent and enjoyment level
wasn't lost on me at all. Good tunes, and great playing styles, and
getting the audience caught up in what they were doing... that's what a
good gig is all about.
The Wrath came on next and these Gold Coast boys can wail. Again, they
were restricted by the venue - but they played a lot more of the stage.
Creeper's vocal style worked well as front-man (sans instrument) he
could simply just use more of the stage and leer into the audience which
is what the audience wanted. His style is more to attack the audience
but not in a thrash/grindcore manner. The Wrath attack with their
performance just as other 'heavier' bands attack with violent overtones.
One of the things I specifically liked about Creeper's audience use, was
that he knew where to take the audience (and how to take them there)
without threatening them, or screaming lyrics *at* them. That's kind of
refreshing to see these days (in the circles I travel in). Now that
comparison is obviously a generalisation, but it's nice to see that a
singer can use his voice, and the stage, and not have to revert to a
stereotype to put the music across. Great playing overall, too. I'll be
interested in see when these guys come back down south.
Finally there was the band that we were all there to see Mz Ann Thropik.
This is not the Mz Ann that I have come to know (in seeing them play
quite often) this was a rockier... perhaps a harder edged Mz Ann, and
that's not a bad thing at all. Sure there have been line-up changes and
overall I think that these have been for the better. With each change
the band grows (somewhat like Magdelena's ubiquitous butterfly imagery)
into something from a chrysalis (no pun intended). Sure we love (what I
call) the 'Alice songs', haunting and atmospheric, and I'm sure they'll
keep on the setlists. However, the harder numbers seem to be working
really well - or is it the harder approach. I'm not sure. What I am sure
about is that the band is maturing, and I very much like the direction
they're going in. It was a pleasure to see the band ripping through
their set, and the audience were obviously just as pleased to see the
high energy that the band sustained. I am certain they must have been
tired, as they'd only just come back from one tour and here they were
again heading off on another leg. Mags didn't look too tired - and I
think that's because she projects a joy and energy in her performance
that could give the Energiser Bunny a run for its money. Mz Ann is
definitely a staple in my "if they're playing in town I want to see
them" pile.
Nice to see Merchandise there that took advantage of the audience
(inasmuch as having more than just T-shirts). CDs? DVDs? Keep those
things coming at gigs, because if we like what we hear, we're going to
buy them and THAT (to me) is more of an indicator than just bods through
the door. You can have all the look and all the reputation that you like
- but if you play badly, people won't buy what you have to sell... it's
a theory anyway ;)
There was (of course) then the Surry Hills Festival, which I hadn't been
to in a couple of years. It was nice to see some local businesses and
groups represented there, but it wasn't like the Newtown Festival, or
Glebe Festival (which are it's obvious comparisons). It seemed to me
(with no disrespect to the organisers intended) that there were less
obviously local businesses. Perhaps it was because (as opposed to the
other 2 Festivals) it's held in a park which is not readily adjacent to
local businesses save for the Pool and Tennis Courts. Oh there were the
myriad of businesses there plying their wares, but there were a lot of
the same clothing/stall-vendor faces I see at Glebe Markets, Rozelle
Markets, and many other markets, and whilst it was ostensibly a Festival
held in (the outskirts of) Surry Hills, it was more like a park
festival, actually it was more like a larger version of Paddington
Markets. Something to attract people into the parkland area, and even
then it was more multi--regional than it was Surry Hills-centric. I
found no real Surry Hills 'flavour'. Newtown is bohemian and more tribal
(and held in a local landmark memorial park), Glebe is gentrified
alternative (and held on the main street in Glebe, what's more), but
this one... nothing to identify it as Surry Hills' own festival. Nothing
to give it an identity more than a festival in a park. I stayed for 2
bands, and a bit of a walk around (seeing 2SER there doing what I
assumed to be an Outside broadcast) and some Capoiera displays. I stayed
for those 2 bands - one being King Farook, who I really REALLY enjoy
(and who do Morris Day & The Time so well that even Jay & Silent Bob
would be impressed). Still... some lemonade and a season
corn-on-the-cobb and I was out of there was the sun went down.
That was of course because I was heading off to Die Maschine - which was
a quite awesome night. Well the evening was quite awesome (although some
people who said that they would be there weren't - in some cases this is
becoming more the rule than the exception to it) and the aftermath was
suitably trashy and exploratory ;)
The following week (which was last week) saw a lot of work happening, so
much so that I was able to hire Gill for a couple of days to get things
happening properly. Sadly I can't use her anymore as she got herself a
full-time job ('Yay for her!' indeed). I did manage to interrupt the
week of work to go to the Cracker Comedy Festival opening night (the one
at the Enmore as opposed to the one at The Metro) which was really very
very good. I had a sore neck at the time (swollen glands) so the
laughing was uncomfortable but still it was laughing because it was a
lot of fun. Something I recommend most people doing if they get the
chance nest year. Laugh? I almost went to Ethiopia!
Friday night was The Oxford Tavern with Frank and company - and some
VERY worthwhile dancers - we LIKE Foxine ;)It's always nice to have half
the audience being on your tables - and I KNOW that The Oxford Tavern
want Frank to bring more people more often - but to be honest I think
that a pre-Hellfire outing at The Oxford Tavern is just the ticket :) It
was also good to run into Warwick Main again (haven't seen him since the
old Threshold days) and he's also coming aloing to Hellfire XS in a
week.
Penultimately, there was Hellfire this Friday night just gone - which
was a VERY busy night. Got my tickets for hellfire XS and spent the bulk
of the evening looking after the A-Frame which was more crowded than
usual. You know - you really DO need someone to be there and to be a
hard-ass with who can go where and when during scene-play there.
Regardless of 'regulars' who may think that they have the right to walk
through scene-play and interrupt the flow of the night. If a play-space
is well controlled, then it encourages more play and more people have a
good time. The lucky thing for me is that I have the licence to back up
my "Can you wait until the scene is over?" requests - and the ability to
*not* accept that someone saying "Stop being a dick! I'm going through!"
is a 'legitimate' reason to interrupt a scene. We had a few of those and
I must admit the one came from someone who should know better. Still, no
drama's really and the night seemed to go off - which is always a good
thing - I can't wait for XS. Of course going back home afterwards and
spending the morning in exciting post-Hellfire pursuits is always a good
thing ;)
Finally, the performance of 'La La Luna' on Saturday night, which was
something else I was looking forward to. Wolfe Bowart performs
brilliantly. A simplistic tale of what happens the night that the light
of the moon went out. Ostensibly for a younger audience, and indeed the
average age of half the audience was about 9, it entertained the older
audience immensely. The man is one of the staples of Cirque Du Soliel
and in this one-man show we can see why. Adults and youngsters were
equally catered for without either side of the 'age-barrier' feeling
disenfranchised. This is a mighty one-man show which goes on for about
90 minutes, including intermission, and is on for another 5 days only.
Catch it if you get a chance.
This weekend I have a lot happening too - well I spelt it all out in
Events In Sydney, but there's Henry Rollins, SNOG, barbarians At The
Plates on FRIDAY night (because a wedding gazumped our booking this
morning), Juliette & the Licks as well on Friday night, Porcupine Tree
and Shallow Nation on Saturday night, ... er... and WWE Backlash next
Monday night. Holy heck! I think I may need to sleep! ;)
...and... I think that's your lot. Please leave a contribution in the
little box.
Oh yes... something that only one person I know (who does read this)
will *really* understand. I now have all seasons of Moonlighting ;)
--
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