Buttercups and Glass Prisms

Why do people eat in underground food hall mall things? It's so ghastly. What is the opposite of this sort of aesthetic has been the last few performances I have seen by The Australian Ballet. Both New Romantics and Body Torque deserved a massive applause, unlike the feelings I experienced at Clap Your Hands Say Yeah last week, where I was yawning.

Garibaldi the Cuban dancer came in to visit Maya last week. I asked him if he found it boring here compared to Cuba. He said yes. He's going to move here anyway.

"The Shots- Robbie's Birthday" This is a note I have written to myself, and no longer remember what it means.

Paul Stanley from Kiss came in. He looked as 80's style well preserved as Jackie Collins, and he was wearing a very fabulous wig, or so a certain Dr told me.

I have had my very distracting other mother sort of person from Manhattan in town, hence the lack of recent input. Our trip along the great ocean road and other such sojourns are tales I've yet to tell. People still talk about Thelma and Louise, and adventures with D'Stucker, remind me why.

Groovy T-shirts, Floppy Fringes and Wooden Crates

Things have been busy since Cowra came with the marching band, and my boss bounced past me on a red ball with devils horns....
Here is a list of things I've seen and liked:

Lindsay with accordion slung over shoulder sporting pink All Stars
Rosie flirting with The Matches( US punk pop )- cute
Josh pike on his bike- Amelia with her pikelets in his honour
Kara Kidman being a judge at the Raw comedy festival
Claude VonStroke
Wisemans Ferry
A Modest Mouse Balloon Delivery
Lindsay being excited over Weird Al Yankovic
Scott gambles hair cut
Elbow
The look at Fenella Kernebones underground drinks

Yesterday, Ross Noble talked with me about what makes a comedian successful. Accents are one of those things. He also told me what it's like backstage in comedy Club dressing rooms. Sounded like first fleet conditions.

I also talked with Patrice Newell regarding who to vote for this weekend.

http://climatechangecoalition.com.au/Home.10.0.html.

Hips and Tummies a Go-Go

Last night there were nine very fun boys on stage. !!! performed and strutted it up at the Forum. They were so groovily disheveled, it appeared they'd left Brooklyn quite a while ago, played Woodford Folk festival for a few weeks, and hitch hiked down from there.( This is not what happened of course. It was Japan they came straight to stage from). Today, a few of their tribe will come in for a visit, and I will be able to see if they have changed t-shirts or washed their toes.Smiles.

Performance is the word. Anna Burns, that getabouttowngal ( Triple J, FBi, NYPR, 7:30 Report) has previously rated Chk x3 as one of her best ever live shows seen. I was reminded of the unforgettable stage show by Brad ( artster) Cook and Cameron Live Music Man, a few years ago at a Triple J Christmas party. Not that !!! had a blow up doll....

( Nic and John from the band have just come in wearing what appear to be very new 'n fresh sneakers and t-shirts. So there you go. They are playing Prince's Purple Rain. We are all very happy. These fabulous/hungover/ardent guests are also giving GREAT raves about the tracks they've selected , such as We Are The World).

Actually, there are girls here today from Kyogle and Quirindi (meaning: nest in the hills); pirates from Wellington NSW, life savers from Merimbula,as well as Heide and Josh from Gimpe.

On the subject of weary travellers....

Old Man River launched his album last night at the Bondi Pavillion. His songs rang out through the rain across the beach. Nice.

Social Laneways and Art School Swishy Skirts

A group of us went along to see the film Old Joy at the Chauvel the other night ( thank you to a Cheeky organiser). I absolutely loved it, like realllly. The others were all a bit disappointed with Bonnie Prince Billy's willie, and the fact that nothing happens. Yo La Tengo answered questions for an hour afterwards. As mentioned before- how I like them. It is enough to make me want to go to Jersey, which is saying something.
Onto more happening places...

I just asked RK if he ever thought, when he was a little boy getting birthday presents, he would receive so many packages to open everyday later in his life. He mentioned as a child, he obsessively checked the mailbox everyday hoping for some letters even though he never wrote any.

St Jerome's was the soci-fest this year that it was last year. Everybody knew everyone, and stood around talking. Very fun. The food needed help. After the after party antics were held at Grace Jones ( see Frankie Magazine for more information on who lives there). Scotch, gin with tonic, and record spinning, were all the go until 5:30am. Guests included Peter, as in Bjorn and John,Camera Obscura, Love is All, Red Riders, Gersey and Spiral Stairs from Pavement. The vinyl was care of Leone Jones, as in our Gracie's mum.

Of course Grace and many others have run off to SxSW in Austen Texas to continue the party.

Antique Birdcages and Ivy Clad Rusty Tin Roofs

Peter and Bjorn are choosing their songs for Rage. I just made tea for the occasion. One of them has a GREAT check shirt. They just mentioned Lloyd Cole. How cool.

Ian MacKaye talked about what punk is/means last night. I thought it was rather brave of him to be explaining things of this nature along with insisting on audience participation to a Sydney 2007 crowd. He spoke of the idea that there is no separation between audience and performers with punk.

Amy( the other half who evens him out) has a beautiful voice.

My minded was about to wander when Ian spoke of the American government. " Oh here we go" I thought. Then I remembered the doe eyed, well dressed 21yr old girl who was interrogated by U.S Immigration officials. They went through my luggage in the middle of the airport,and made me drag all my bags from one place to another with no assistance. I had a valid passport and visa, and I'd done nothing wrong. It was all because they had a hunch I would try to stay in the country. When they were interrogating me, one guy kept asking " So, you just said you plan to work illegally in the United States?" I continued clearly insisting I had never said this. They went through my diary. I told them I'd had minor surgery before my trip, and the flight itself had been a rough one. We had flown through crazy storms. The flight attendants were asked to stay seated for much of the flight. They sternly asked me why a person would have boarded a plane after minor surgery. I told them I had to meet friends for a road trip. They were truly awful.I remember him looking at me, and saying, "you've got 5 days to get to Mexico". He handed back my passport, with the changed visa, and I was then forced to run with my bags to a connecting flight that was a short bus trip away.

( Years later I got back at them and ended up with my very own green card. Huh!)


Aaron from Spunk has been in with Calexico. Pretty sounds coming out of the studios.

Other nice things to do apart from going to their shows, would be watching six episodes(straight) of Pride and Prejudice with my mother. ( Which is what I was actually doing whilst the Sunday Calexico show was a'happening at the Basement.)

Mum penned me a beautiful note a few days later saying it was the best Sunday she'd had in years. Smiles.