Today is the seven year anniversary of my arrival in Australia. It's hard to believe I have been here for this long. Over the years I haven't really felt homesick, but during the past few months I have been having thoughts that maybe it's time to move back to the States. This could just have been a result of boredom, the big restructure at work and the very tempting opportunity of taking a voluntary departure package (although even if I had wanted one I likely wouldn't have received it because they are so oversubscribed).
I do really like my life in Melbourne, but the pull of family will always be a deciding factor at the end of the day. This morning was the birth of my niece Kylie, which is another big milestone I have missed. However, I will get to meet her in December when I am visiting, so that is something to look forward to.
Last night I headed off to the Arts Centre for Rufus Wainwright's sold out show at Hamer Hall. This was my first time seeing the newly renovated Hamer Hall and the building is much more open now and looks great. I managed to get a seat in the stalls close to the front so I had a good view of the stage. The opening act was US singer-songwriter Krystle Warren, who is also a member of Rufus' band. She played a half hour set of bluesy songs on acoustic guitar and had an expressive and soulful voice.
Rufus and his band emerged onto the darkened stage and started with an a cappella version of "Candles" before launching into "Rashida." Rufus was wearing a sparkling white suit from his recent wedding that he said made him look like a snowflake. The set featured many songs from his fantastic new album Out Of The Game, including my favorites "Perfect Man," "Montauk," and "Out Of The Game."
Rufus was very funny with his between song banter. We were treated to some old favorites such as "April Fools," "Cigarettes And Chocolate Milk," "Going To A Town," "The Art Teacher" and "14th Street." There was also a portion of the set which featured songs from Rufus' parents. Teddy Thompson and Krystle Warren each sang a Kate McGarrigle song (Teddy's version of "Saratoga Summer Song" was amazing), and then Rufus and Teddy did Loudon Wainwright's "One Man Guy" (which was also on Rufus' album Poses).
The encore for the show was probably one of the biggest spectacles ever. The band came out in costumes along with a man dressed as cupid, and they had everyone get up on their feet and dance in order to summon Rufus Apollo to the stage for a dance party. Rufus eventually appeared in the crowd wearing a toga, blond wig, eye mask and glitter all over his body singing "Bitter Tears." He wandered around the section I was sitting in and gathered a group of people from the crowd and led them in a conga line up onto the stage. Towards the end of the song Teddy emerged with a giant lightening bolt and struck Rufus down. He then proclaimed that he was in fact the "Gay Messiah" and they finished the night with that song. It was another fabulous Rufus show and a fun time as always when he plays with his band.
Here's the video for "Out Of The Game" featuring Helena Bonham Carter
A group of us from work decided to gather for an evening of trivia tonight at The B.East, a newish burger place on Lygon Street in East Brunswick that has taken over the space that used to house Turkish restaurant Baba. Onagh and I threw caution (and diet) to the wind and ordered ourselves burgers and chili cheese fries to share. Both were decent but the make or break dish for me was the ice cream sundae, which was an absolute disappointment. News flash to the owners: if you are going to charge $9 for a sundae you better be using gourmet ice cream and lots of hot fudge sauce. Instead we got budget vanilla ice cream, one spoonful of fudge sauce, some Freddo frogs, whipped cream, and a sparkler that must have been an attempt distract us from the disaster we were about to eat.
Thankfully the Rock and Pop Culture trivia was more entertaining. The evening was hosted by Triple R’s Jess McGuire and Shock Record’s George H. and we had three rounds of film, tv and music trivia. It may just be that I'm getting old, but many of the questions seemed kind of easy to me. By the end of the night our table managed to tie for third place, which was pretty good considering the number of teams playing. To make up for the sundae we stopped and got some gelati from Gelobar a few doors down before heading home.
What better way to spend your Friday lunch hour than with Oh Mercy? In order to celebrate the release of their third album Deep Heat today the band played a gig at The Workers Club as part of the Mess+Noise Lunchbox series. Luckily for me the venue is close to work, so I brought my work colleague Hannah along and we met Mary there.
Oh Mercy started their set with "Deep Heat" and played most, if not all of the album. It was a guitar-free Alexander Gow, but he did work the microphone and a little egg shaker throughout. They were also without Simon Okely, who is away traveling for the rest of the year, so we were treated to Cliff on guitar. I always enjoy the chance to hear an album live before getting to listen to it on CD. It was interesting how the songs "My Man" and "Europa" have evolved since being played on the last tour. Of the songs on Deep Heat that I hadn't heard before the standout track was the reggae-inspired "Still Making Me Pay," which reminded me a bit of "Holding On" in its vocal phrasing. They finished the set with their current single "Drums" before Alex had to head out to the airport for a record store gig in Sydney this evening. Deep Heat is a huge step forward and a sonically different album from the previous two, but at its heart it still sounds like Oh Mercy.
Here's the video for "Drums"
And a bonus video of "Still Making Me Pay" and "Drums" live from the show!
One of my favorite street artists at the moment is Baby Guerrilla. I love walking around Melbourne and discovering one of her pieces on a wall. These are a few that have gone up recently around Brunswick.
Every Saturday in July has seen The Ocean Party playing at The Tote Hotel Front Bar in support of their recently released EP In A Knot. Since this was the last Saturday of their residency Mary and I made sure we finally got down there to see them play (despite the rain today). We arrived as the second band on the bill, MSG, was about to start. They were a low-fi indie trio with a female lead singer/guitarist and some short, punchy songs.
The Ocean Party began the evening with their two recent singles "On The Floor" and "In A Knot." Their set list mainly featured songs off their upcoming album Social Clubs, which showcased Lachlan, Curtis and Liam on lead vocals at various points. It was nice to have a sneak preview of these new tracks, including "Bored of it All," "Sit on the Hill" and "Waiting." We were also treated to old favorites "The Dogs" and possibly the most honest song ever written about male puberty "Shakin' Like a Leaf." After the show I had a lovely chat with Lachlan and finally got a copy of The Sun Rolled Off The Hills CD.
Here's the video for "In A Knot" (feel sorry for Lachlan- it was cold when this was shot)
The Empress Hotel has spent the past four days celebrating 25 years of live music at the venue. I have seen quite a few shows here, and even got up on stage to sing Crowded House karaoke with The Basics in 2008. Mary and I had burgers in the dining room and then headed into the band room for the start of the final night of celebrations.
The first act for the evening was Melbourne duo D.D Dumbo, which consisted of a guitarist and drummer/percussionist. The lead singer did guitar, drum and/or vocal samples at the start of each song and used those loops to build the songs around. I thought they sounded great and even played an interesting cover of Roy Orbison's "Crying." For a band that is just starting out they were very impressive.
The main reason for coming to this gig was the chance to see The Basics live again, although it was just Tim and Wally since Kris is in Kenya working with The Red Cross. Others must have had the same idea because the boys drew the biggest crowd of any act on the bill tonight. They started their set with "Second Best" and then humorously launched into "Three Cool Cats" of all songs with the audience clapping along to the rhythm. "Rattle My Chain" reminded Wally that playing the drums takes a lot of energy (he doesn't play as much for Gotye shows), and Sandra from The Empress came up on stage to dance to their cover of The Kinks' "All Day and All of the Night." "Call it Rhythm and Blues" had everyone dancing, and after a quick version of "Happy Birthday" for Tim's mum the whole crowd sang along to "Just Hold On." The last song of the set was "Money (Gimme, Gimme)" and while there were calls for an encore that was it from the boys for the night. While we did miss Kris, the "Silver Basics" were still fantastic and Wally and Tim had a good time on stage.
The Basics boys were originally billed as DJs for the night, which they also did between sets. Mary and I were standing between the turn tables and the stage for the evening so we were able to chat with them and Mary talked me into finally getting a photo with Wally (he was being very generous with the numerous fans who were coming up to him after The Basics set). I think my favorite memory of the night was when Tim and Wally had their arms around each other and were reaching out to me as they sang "We are your friends."
There was a mystery band added to the bill last minute under the moniker "Presidents and Shitkickers" who I correctly guessed was Melbourne's very own Big Scary. Tom and Jo played some old songs from their EPs and recent album Vacation as well as a few new ones. Highlights included "Falling Away," "Purple," "Gladiator," "Mix Tape" and the last song of their set and one of my favorites, "Autumn."
The final act of the evening was The Bedroom Philosopher (aka Justin Heazlewood) and his Awkwardstra. Justin is another comedian who I have been meaning to catch at the comedy festival but haven't, so I was excited to finally see him live. He started his set by regurgitating a couple of small instruments and then launched into "The Bedroom Philosopher." His songs had us laughing throughout and my favorites were "Cars 2," "Inanimate Electronic Helper," and a reworked version of his hit song "Northcote (So Hungover)" with YouTube comments on the video replacing the verses. In the spirit of the night he wrote and performed a "Song for The Empress" and finished with "Corporate Punk" just in time for curfew.
This was a wonderful gig overall and a great celebration of a venue that continues to support and discover new talent. I hope The Empress Hotel has many more years of live music to come as they are an important part of the Melbourne music scene.
Mary and I were fortunate enough to attend the Flight of the Conchord's sold out show at The Plenary in the Melbourne Convention Exhibition Centre tonight. Although our tickets were off to the side and a bit further back than I would have liked, thankfully the venue had screens on either side of the stage so we were able to see what was happening throughout the evening.
The opening act was stand-up comedian and fellow Marinite Arj Barker, who also played Bret and Jemaine's friend Dave in the FOTC tv series. Arj is a frequent visitor to Melbourne, and it was good to finally get to see him live as I unfortunately haven't made it to any of his comedy festival shows. I enjoyed his set, including his funny observations about building design in Melbourne.
Bret and Jemaine snuck out onto the stage in the darkness after Arj finished and launched into "Too Many Dicks (On the Dance Floor)" complete with decorated cardboard boxes on their heads. They then swung the boxes around to the silver painted side to play one of my favorite songs of theirs "Robots." The band for this tour consisted of Bret, Jemaine and Nigel Collins on cello and drums (the only "member of the NZSO" they brought over to Australia with them). The show ran for two hours and was full of songs from the tv show as well as some new ones. Highlights included "Inner City Pressure," "Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros," "Bowie," "The Most Beautiful Girl (In the Room)," "Hurt Feelings" and "Business Time." In between songs they told stories about their "wild" rock life on the road, which all tied together nicely in the lyrics of one of the encore songs "Back on the Road." We were also treated to some skin tight glam era outfits for "Demon Woman," which had the boys displaying a lot of chest hair as well as some wire filled scarves and capes to make it look like they were in front of a wind machine. Overall it was very entertaining and funny night and hopefully one of these days there will be a season three of the Flight of the Conchords tv show.
This morning I was privileged to attend the launch of the discussion paper I've been working on New directions for school leadership and the teaching profession by the Premier, Minister responsible for the Teaching Profession, and Minister for Education at Parliament House. The paper outlines the Government's strategy for moving the Victorian education system into the global top tier by improving the teaching profession. The three key reform areas focus on attracting great people into teaching, creating a high performing profession, and leaders providing strong direction and support. Consultation on the paper will now occur over the next few months, and should lead to a longer term strategy.
It has been ages since I last saw Danny and Ruth, so when they suggested I come along to see The Bamboos play at the Corner Hotel last night it was hard to say no. We met up for dinner beforehand at Fonda Mexican on Swan Street in Richmond, and were also joined for the evening by Ruth's cousin Anne. As you know I am always on the hunt for great Mexican food in Melbourne and am often let down. The vegetarian burrito I had was good but I would have preferred rice instead of quinoa. I will give Fonda Mexican props for having a kangaroo burrito on the menu though.
We arrived at the Corner Hotel half way through AXOLOTL's set. Their songs were very atmospheric and featured Ella Thompson on lead vocals (she is also part of The Bamboos). The last song they played "Electricity" was best of the ones we heard.
I must admit that I know very little about The Bamboos, even though they have been around for over a decade and have just released their fifth album. The brainchild of bandleader Lance Ferguson, this Melbourne soul and funk outfit features main vocalist Kylie Auldist as well as some big name guest musicians on their latest album Medicine Man. Their set was entertaining and had the crowd moving throughout the night. Unfortunately Tim Rogers wasn't there to sing lead vocals on "I Got Burned" but we were treated to special guest vocalists Bobby Flynn, Daniel Merriweather, and Megan Washington who did three songs with the band and was amazing. They finished the night with "Keep Me In Mind."
Here's the video for the single "I Got Burned" (featuring Tim Rogers)
Last night it was time to get atomic again for the Shake It Til You Break It EP launch by Major Tom and The Atoms at The Evelyn Hotel. Mary and I took advantage of the deal to received the EP for free with a pre-purchased ticket.
The first act for the evening was Quang Dinh and Band (tentatively called Naked Bodies). It was good to see Quang playing solo again as he has always been my favorite Little Red songwriter (shh, don't tell Tom). He was joined on stage by a solid backing band for a short set that included the songs "Hollywood Blvd," "For Jane" and "Monkey Blues" (which I remembered from when I saw him play a few years ago).
Next up was Red Rockets of Borneo, a psychobilly sounding rock band from Melbourne. Their front man was very charismatic and entertaining as he danced around and I thought their songs were good.
Major Tom and the Atoms emerged onto a dimly lit and smoky stage to big cheers from the crowd. They played a tight set of songs from the EP as well as other unreleased tracks. Sean roamed into the crowd several times while playing the saxophone and highlights of the set were "Rolling Stone," "Hey Flo" and an absolutely cracking version of "The House That Love Built." They finished the night with their current single "Mockingbird" and had everyone clapping along to the rhythm. It was great to see such a big turn out for the launch and lots of people dancing at the front of the stage. I highly recommend the EP, which you can order from their website.
It's that time of year where they break out a lot of pyro, wind and smoke machines- the Eurovision Song Contest! This year it was held in Baku, Azerbaijan with 26 countries competing in the Grand Final. All of my favorites from the semi-finals made it through, including this year's winner Sweden.
Loreen (Sweden)- "Euphoria"
Watching the vote count is always entertaining as you get to see all the different voting blocs among the European nations. I also wonder if some were throwing their top points toward countries they knew wouldn't have the money to host the contest next year. My favorite performances of the night were:
Nina Zilli (Italy)- "L'Amore È Femmina (Out of Love)"
Mandinga (Romania)- "Zaleilah"
Buranovskiye Babushki (Russia)- "Party for Everybody"
Last night Mary and I met up at The Forum for Boy & Bear's second sold out show in Melbourne. The band are playing in more intimate venues around the country for this tour as a thank you to their fans who have been there from the beginning. As we walked into the foyer I was quite impressed by what may be the best merchandise I've seen at a show (besides tea towels)- Boy & Bear scarves and beanies. They were very cute although I didn't buy any.
The first act for the evening was Sydney band Tin Sparrow. While I thought they were good it was hard to ignore how much many of their songs sounded like the headliners. Next up was The Jungle Giants from Brisbane, who sounded great. I enjoyed their set and it was nice to see a female lead guitarist for a change. Their bass player was very energetic and did a run through the crowd during their last song.
Boy & Bear started their set with a reworked opening to "Rabbit Song" before launching into "Lordy May." They played nearly all of the songs off their ARIA award winning album Moonfire, including "Milk & Sticks," "Part Time Believer," "Feeding Line" and my favorites "Big Man" and "My Only One." We were also fortunate enough to get two new songs (one was titled "Three Headed Woman"). In addition they did their cover of Crowded House's "Fall At Your Feet," which had me thinking of ex-Crowdies drummer Peter Jones who sadly passed away that afternoon from brain cancer. The single that started it all, "Mexican Mavis" got a big reaction from the crowd and they finished the night with an rousing rendition of "Golden Jubilee." It was another wonderful gig by the band and I'm glad they are still sticking to their philosophy of no encores even when they have enough material to actually do one now.
Here is the video for the latest single "Big Man," animated by Negative Films
After Bic Runga's show last night Mary and I walked to Cherry Bar on AC/DC Lane to catch Major Tom And The Atoms' single launch. We arrived just as the band were setting up so it was perfect timing. They started their set with "Wishing Well" and soon had the crowd in the pit dancing up a storm to their songs, including "Mockingbird," "Lizard King," "Hey Flo" and the single being launched that evening "The House That Love Built." For a few songs Tom was joined on stage by Jacqui Rath, which added some female vocals to the mix. It was a fun and entertaining set as expected, and they finished off the night with my favorite song of theirs "Rolling Stone." Now that Tom has officially left Little Red he is focusing all his energy into the new band. I'm looking forward to the release next month of their debut EP Shake It Til You Break It.
Last night Mary and I made our way to the beautiful Athenaeum Theatre for Bic Runga's tour in support of her latest album Belle. We had insanely close seats in the second row on the right hand side of the stage. The opening act was Sydney singer-songwriter Ollie Brown. He played solo on acoustic guitar and was quite hilarious with his between song banter. Ollie recently won the Australia's Best Busker competition and we were impressed with his songs. He also did a cover of Jackson Browne's "These Days."
Bic Runga began her set with "When I See You Smile." She played the first few songs solo on guitar, including "Drive" and "Something Good" before being joined on stage by her band. Bic was very thankful that we came to see here since she has been AWOL for the past six years. She alternated between acoustic and electric guitar and piano throughout the evening, playing songs from all of her albums. Highlights included "Get Some Sleep," "Winning Arrow," "Tiny Little Piece of My Heart," "Hello Hello" and "Darkness All Around Us." She finished the main set with "Sway" and had the crowd singing along from the first verse. The encore began with "Good Love" and then Bic played "Gravity" solo on piano for the last song of the night. It was great to finally see Bic live again and hopefully it won't be too long before she is back playing in Melbourne.
Here is Bic's video for the first single off the album Belle, "Hello Hello"
I have been a bit neglectful of the blog lately since I haven't been doing too much outside of my normal routine. April has been full of its usual holidays (Easter, ANZAC Day) so it's been nice to have shorter work weeks and some days off. I have been good about getting myself to the gym at least three times a week for one to two hours of classes (depending on the day).
At the end of March the Department moved into its new structure, so I am now working in a new division, but under my old general manager. My main focus is still on school workforce reform, and hopefully at some point the paper I have been working on will see the light of day. We are also awaiting the announcement of the state budget on Tuesday to see if there will be further cuts to the public service (currently 10% will be cut over the next two years).
The AFL 2012 season began in March and Essendon has had a great start to the year. We are currently 4-1, having lost the ANZAC Day match to Collingwood on Wednesday by only one point in a heart stopping finish. The boys are playing better with each round, and hopefully this momentum will continue to build throughout the season. I also hope to actually make it to at least one game this year!
Tamales at Mamasita
Although I haven't been to any gigs for the last couple months (never fear, there are some shows coming up in May) I have been catching up with friends, including Will and Helen who have been out visiting from the UK with their little ones. I have also been getting out for lunch and dinner at some old favorite restaurants (Mamasita, China Red, Shuji Sushi) as well as trying some new places such as The Hardware Societe, The Mess Hall, Miss Marmalade, and burgers at Hoboken and Phoenix Public House. I am also completely obsessed at the moment with the delicious macarons at La Belle Miette. Kat and I have been escaping work to go there on an almost weekly basis. They made special hot cross bun and Easter egg ones for Easter, and the salted caramel macaron is one of the most amazing things I have ever tasted. Check them out if you are in Melbourne.
After a relaxing tapas dinner along the waterfront at Byblos, Amrita, her husband and sister and I walked along Southbank to the Arts Centre to see Brous play at The Famous Spiegeltent. Wearing a fantastic hot pink dress she started the evening with "Little Ticket." For this show Sophia had her regular band along with some special guests including Dan Luscombe (The Drones), Mick Harvey and Evelyn Morris (Pikelet). She played mostly new songs (some just recently written) as well as "Streamers" and "Oh My Brother" from her EP. Mick joined her on guitar for "Southern Belle" and "Small Hands" and Evelyn came out to play on a beautiful song that I think was called "Lulu." Sophia's voice and vocal range were amazing throughout the night and she finished her hour long set with another new one titled "Of The Causeway." Hopefully her debut album will be released this year and if the new songs are any indication is should be a great one.
Today is my birthday and it has been a pretty good day. I went out to lunch at Shuji Sushi with Clinton, and then came back to a beautiful bouquet of flowers at my desk from my parents and cupcakes from my work colleagues. They know me too well! After work I had a lovely dinner at my favorite Mexican restaurant Mamasita with Chantal, Amrita and Onagh. We grabbed the last table and had an assortment of dishes and margaritas. Then we headed off to the bar on the 35th floor of the Sofitel for a night cap before heading home. Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes throughout the day (and to those in the US who will be sending them tomorrow when I officially turn a year older).
Tonight after work Amrita and I headed to the Kino Cinemas to see the award winning film The Artist. Shot in black-and-white it covers the end of the silent film era and the beginning of talkies through the eyes of silent film star George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) and rising starlet Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo). Most of the film is silent and I can understand why Jean Dujardin is winning all the best actor awards because he is amazing in the way he conveys different emotions without the use of dialogue. Uggie the dog is also a standout as Valentin's trusty companion. The cinematography is gorgeous, and it was great to see all the shots around Los Angeles. If you haven't seen The Artist yet you should definitely check it out as I think it will take home even more awards at the Oscars.
Major Tom And The Atoms played a mix of original numbers and covers during their very entertaining and energetic set. Tom's baritone voice sounded great and the musicians in the band are all fantastic, particularly the saxophone player who had some mad solos throughout the night. Covers played included Smokey Robinson's "Get Ready," The Box Tops' "The Letter" and a medley of the themes from Jaws, The Pink Panther, Get Smart and Batman which was used to introduce the band. Of the bands original songs, "Hey Flo" and "Rolling Stone" were standout tracks. They finished their set with "The House That Love Built" and then for an encore did an inspired cover of Guns N' Roses' "Welcome To The Jungle." It was a really fun night and we look forward to catching them live again soon.
Here's a clip of "Rolling Stone" to give you an idea of what they sound like live:
Last night Mary and I headed to The Toff in Town to see The Harpoons launch their latest single "Walk Away." The first act on for the evening was Oscar Key Sung of Oscar + Martin. It was a lovely, laid back set from Oscar who has a very soulful voice. He sang along to pre-programmed beats and also used a looping pedal for his vocals at some points.
Next up was Melbourne band The Neighborhood Youth. They sounded promising at the start with their indie rock sound and jangly guitars, but after a while their songs started to blend together. While I think they are talented their problem may be that they sound too much like a blend of other popular bands.
By the time The Harpoons took the stage the venue was packed. They played a great set with a mix of old favorites and new songs. "Faith" was the usual showstopper, showcasing Bec Rigby's amazing voice. It was also good to hear "Swim My Baby" live again and the new single "Walk Away" for the first time. We were even treated to a cover of Bill Withers' "Just The Two Of Us." They finished the main set with "Keep You Around" and played "Garden City" for an encore. I'm happy to see their popularity growing and can't wait for this debut album to be released.
This afternoon I ventured out into the hot weather to see The Good China play as part of Johnny Rock & The Limits Sunday residency at The Workers Club in Fitzroy. The Chinas played a fairly even mix of old and new songs in their 45 minute set, including "If Pain Persists," "All Nothing," "We Found 3 Whistles" and "No More Maps, No More Roads." The newer stuff sounds good, and I have heard some of it live once or twice before. There was also some amusing banter in between songs, including a discussion of the movie Predator. Unfortunately I didn't have time to stay for the full bill, but it was nice to be in a cool, dark room for a bit listening to live music.
Last night Mary and I went to the John Curtin Hotel to see The Ocean Party launch their latest single "Young Love." First up for the evening was Slow Dancer, who played a great set. Simon was once again accompanied by Rohan Sforcina on drums and James Harding on bass. "Leave It To Me" and "Home" were my highlights and it was nice to see Simon's Oh Mercy bandmates out to support him.
The second band on the bill was Melbourne three piece ScotDrakula. They played a very energetic set of punk/indie sounding songs with a hint of rockabilly as well. I really liked them and it was good to see a female drummer in the band. Next was The Eliza Band, a side project of Rory Cooke, the lead singer of Gaslight Radio. They played songs from their debut album Firework Dogs, of which "The Preston Front" was a stand out, and finished their set with a Gaslight Radio song.
Surprisingly there was just a small crowd in the bandroom by the time The Ocean Party took the stage. Nevertheless they played a solid set of songs from their various releases, including "The Dogs," "Deadbeat," "Shaking Like A Leaf" and their new single "Young Love." After the show Mary and I scored their entire back catalog for $10, which was an amazing offer. Their debut album The Sun Rolled Off The Hills will be released in February.
Last night Tash and I had dinner at Amigos on Acland Street (another overpriced, average Mexican restaurant in Melbourne- surprise, surprise) before heading to the Palais Theatre for Fleet Foxes sold out show. The last time they came through town I was away overseas, so I was very excited to finally see them live. The opening act was Grand Salvo, the moniker of Melbourne singer-songwriter Paddy Mann. He played a lovely set of folk music and was joined on stage at various times by a female vocalist and cellist for different songs.
The nearly two hour set by Seattle's Fleet Foxes was absolutely amazing. Their four part harmonies just soared and they played all the songs with energy and a sense of purpose. This was not a quiet folk show. The lighting was quite subtle with the band only occasionally lit from the front and background projections of moving stars overlaid with different geometric shapes. The set list consisted of songs from all three of their releases, including my favorites "Mykonos," "Ragged Wood," "Your Protector," "Montezuma," "Battery Kinzie," "The Shrine/An Argument" and "Grown Ocean." Quite a few of the songs were played back to back, and the band would sometimes double up on the same instruments to intensify the sound. When they did talk with the crowd the guys were quite funny, especially in telling a story about being in the same hotel elevator as Public Enemy's Flavor Flav the last time they were in Melbourne. The band received standing ovations at the end of the main set and after the last song of the night, "Helplessness Blues." This was a fantastic gig to kick off 2012 with, and will be a hard one to beat.
Here is the amazing animated video for "The Shrine/An Argument"
Another year is coming to a close which can only mean one thing- time for all those end of year top ten lists. Not to be left out, here are my top ten favorite songs for 2011 (aka songs that make me want to hit repeat after having just listened to them).
10. Slow Dancer "Leave It To Me" Slow Dancer is the solo project of Simon Okely from Oh Mercy. "Leave It To Me" is the first song he has put up online and I really love the laid back feel to Simon's music as well as his excellent guitar playing. Definitely one to watch for 2012.
9. The Good China "No More Maps, No More Roads"
2011 saw the return of The Good China to the Melbourne live scene after nearly a year's hiatus. The single "No More Maps, No More Roads" was a live favorite and has all the great hallmarks of a Good China track, including lots of hand claps.
8. Boy & Bear "Feeding Line"
It has been a monster year for Sydney's Boy & Bear, having won 5 ARIA awards for their debut album Moonfire. "Feeding Line" was the first single off the album, and signaled a new musical direction for the band from their previous EP.
7. The Harpoons "Keep You Around"
Another favorite band of mine that reemerged this year was The Harpoons. "Keep You Around" showcases Bec Rigby's soulful voice in this song about love with the great lyric "when you smiled at me I was a hopeless case." I am definitely looking forward to their debut album coming out in 2012.
6. Liam Finn "Don't Even Know Your Name"
This song was not a single but it's my favorite track off Liam Finn's latest album FOMO. "Don't Even Know Your Name" has a driving beat and an optimistic energy to it, and I absolutely love the chorus (which for some reason reminds me of "Panic" by The Smiths). Here's a live version of song, but do seek out the album track.
5. Brous "Streamers"
The first single off of Brous' self-titled debut EP, "Streamers" sounds like a song from a 1960s James Bond film. Sophia Brous' voice is quite amazing and I love how the first verse of this song keeps speeding up. There is a definite cinematic quality to her music and it will be interesting to see what she produces next.
4. Seeker Lover Keeper "Even Though I'm A Woman" Seeker Lover Keeper is the female Australian supergroup made up of Sarah Blasko, Sally Seltmann and Holly Throsby. One of the initial singles off of their self-titled debut album, "Even Though I'm A Woman" is a song about long distance love sung by Holly and written by Sally with some biting lyrics such as "I love you more when I'm missing you, it's why I'm always away." The song is a bit of an anthem for female independence.
3. Kimbra "Cameo Lover" Kimbra is originally from New Zealand but has been living in Melbourne the past few years. "Cameo Lover" come off of her debut album Vows and won her the 2011 Vanda and Young Songwriting Competition as well as an ARIA award for best female artist. I love the contrast between the verses and chorus of this song as well as its fantastic video.
2. Gotye "State Of The Art"
You may have thought that I would pick Gotye's biggest hit to date, but no, my favorite song off of his latest album Making Mirrors is "State Of The Art." Only Wally would write a song about his beloved Lowrey Cotillion organ. My favorite part of the song is when the bossa nova rhythm kicks in to the lyric "start the bossa nova beat and limbo from the living to the kitchen." The video animation by Rubber House is also exceptional.
1. Oh Mercy "Stay Please Stay"
My most played song of the year is Oh Mercy's "Stay Please Stay," the first single off their second album Great Barrier Grief. I absolutely adore the chorus of this song, especially Thomas Savage's beautiful jangly guitar. It also has a great closing lyric by Alexander with "what can I do with a love that gathers dust in a busy room?" An indie pop classic.
Merry Christmas! I hope you have had (or are planning to have) a great day. This year my manager Elvira took pity on me and invited me to join her family for Christmas lunch. We had quite the traditional/Italian feast with antipasto dishes, snapper, turkey, stuffing and roast vegetables. As we were resting from this yummy meal the hot weather became thunderstorms and we got hit with a massive hail storm- some of which were the size of golf balls. It was pretty insane and the ground was covered in hail (a white Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere, if you will). This kicked off a series of about four different massive thunderstorm episodes throughout the rest of the afternoon/evening with thunder, lightning, hail, torrential rain and even a tornado warning throughout Melbourne. I've never seen anything like it before. We watched each storm in amazement as we continued into our dessert of fruit, cheeses, pavlova and Christmas pudding. At one point lightning struck one of the transformers on the street and the power went out with a huge explosion. It will definitely be a day we won't soon forget.
Last night I went to St. David's Cathedral in Hobart to see Seeker Lover Keeper play a sold out show. This Heavenly Sounds tour is taking place in churches and cathedrals around the country. Not only are the venues and acoustics amazing, but the crowd is silent and attentive during the songs. What a luxury these days for an Australian show.
The opening act was Henry Wagons of the band Wagons. He was great and played a set of country tinged music solo on acoustic guitar. Henry was very entertaining with his stage banter and had a song about "Willie Nelson," his own version of "The Gambler," and requested that guys don't date his sister on "Keep Your Eyes Off My Sister."
Seeker Lover Keeper started the evening with "Bring You Back." Sarah, Sally and Holly were in a relaxed and fun mood throughout the night, and their voices and harmonies in that cathedral sounded fantastic. They played the entire Seeker Lover Keeper album and highlights included "Light All My Lights," "Everytime," "We Will Know What It Is" and the always moving "If The Night Is Dark" (with my favorite lyric "This is my home, this is where I belong"). We even got their They Will Have Their Way contribution of Neil Finn's "Sinner," which was an interesting cover choice considering the venues on this tour. They also each played one of their own songs, with Sarah doing "Bird On A Wire," Sally playing New Buffalo's "Emotional Champ," and Holly doing "What I Thought Of You." The main set ended with "Rest Your Head On My Shoulder" and for the encore they played a cover of Stevie Nick's "Wild Heart" and then finished with "Even Though I'm A Woman." It was exciting to see these three ladies play together live again before they head back to their respective solo careers.
Today was the final day of the AARE Conference. I attended a session on improving success in pre-service teachers field experience, and an invited symposium on teachers and leaders in low SES schools. The conference finished at midday and I have learned a lot over the past four days. I am fortunate that I got the opportunity to attend and also present. After eating lunch I had a wander around Hobart with a new friend and then headed off to the airport for the flight back to Melbourne (the whole plane may have been full of conference attendees).
Today was day three of the AARE Conference. We started the morning with an interesting keynote address on design for learning by Professor Peter Goodyear from The University of Sydney. I then attended a session on technology and learning, and the invited symposium on the international Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills research project.
For the afternoon I escaped the conference and took a ferry to the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA). Don't worry- my boss came along as well. As the name says, the collection is a mix of old and contemporary art. There are some challenging pieces, but nothing I found too shocking. None of the pieces are labeled but you use an iPod Touch to get information (it geotracks where you are and pulls up details on the art that is nearby). The building and grounds of MONA are also amazing. It was a fun way to spend the afternoon, and a great site for the last photo of the Wear My Wardrobe Challenge! I'm standing in front of the piece Snake by Sidney Nolan.
Today's outfit:
Blue long sleeve top (Now)
Black pants (Gap)
Black flats (Tony Bianco)
Today was day two of the AARE Conference. I attended sessions on NAPLAN exams, the Radford Lecture by Lyn Yates from The University of Melbourne, and a social justice panel discussion on equity and education research, policy and practice. Oh, and I also presented as part of a symposium with Deakin University on learning space redesign and pedagogy (the reason for this trip). I really dislike public speaking, but the session went well. I gave the Victorian Department perspective on our learning spaces research agenda, and Deakin talked about a few of the projects they have done for us. I am glad it is over and now I can relax a bit. Tonight I have a special interest group dinner to attend to meet others who are interested in politics and policy in education.
Today's outfit:
Floral top (Banana Republic)
Black skirt (Ann Taylor Loft)
Black tights
Black heels (Steve Madden)
Today was the first day of the AARE Conference. We were welcomed by the Governor of Tasmania and had a keynote address from Professor Miriam Zukas from Birkbeck, University of London on the conference theme of "Researching Across Boundaries." I attended symposia on supporting early career teacher resilience, reconceptualizing rural-regional pre-service teacher education, and contemporary professional issues for teachers in the 21st century. Today's photo was taken along the waterfront in between sessions (sorry I couldn't get a full shot).
Today's outfit:
Black long sleeve top (Mossimo)
Olive pants (Gap)
Black flats (Tony Bianco)
Last night I ventured down to The Hi-Fi Bar for Oh Mercy's final headline show of the year. The first act of the evening was five piece band Buckley Ward, who played a decent set of indie music. Next up was Owl Eyes (aka Brooke Addamo). She and her band performed a very entertaining set of electro/indie pop music which got crowd up and dancing. The biggest response was for her Triple J Like A Version cover of Foster The People's "Pumped Up Kicks."
Oh Mercy took to the stage and started with "Hold Out Your Hand" and then played one of my Privileged Woes faves "Broken Ears" (complete with a blistering guitar solo from Simon). For these shows they had a keyboardist in the band to filled out the sound. Alex was in a very giddy mood and did lots of hand gestures while singing throughout the night (almost like Neil Finn video level stuff). They played four new songs, including "Lady Eucalyptus," "My Man" and "Europa." Other highlights were "Confessions," "Let Me Go" and "Lay Everything On Me." At one point the band left the stage and Alex performed David McComb's (The Triffids) "The Good Life Never Ends" solo and mostly a capella to the attentive room. The first single off Great Barrier Grief "Stay Please Stay" was the final song of the main set, and for the encore they played "Keith St." and finished with a raucous version of Leonard Cohen's "Memories." This was one of the more interesting Oh Mercy live gigs I have attended, and will probably be it for a while as they take a break to start writing for the new album.
Here is a clip of Oh Mercy's Triple J Like A Version cover of ELO's "Evil Woman"
It is Saturday in Melbourne, which means it's raining (again). Today is a good day to relax, get laundry done, and pack as I am off to Hobart tomorrow for a conference.
It is a long trek up the two sets of escalators to get out of Parliament Station in the morning. I usually walk up the first set, but the second one is twice as long so I just tend to stand to the left and let others tackle the climb. Another work week is coming to an end and tonight I am off to The Hi-Fi Bar to see my faves Oh Mercy play their last headline show of the year.
This week is Melbourne Music Week, with today being the Live Music Safari where over 60 acts were playing for free in various venues around the city. Tash and I met up at The John Curtin Hotel in Carlton to catch the first act of the night on bill there, our beloved and much missed band The Harpoons. They started the evening with "You're The One I Love" and played a half hour set of old and new songs, including "Faith" and the fantastic new single "Keep You Around" (have a listen here). Bec Rigby's voice was as amazing and powerful as I remembered it to be, and the band harmonies were lovely. It is so great to have The Harpoons playing live again and hopefully a debut album is on the horizon.
I also had another concert to attend this evening, which was the first of two shows at the Palace Theatre by Boy & Bear in support of their debut album Moonfire. I arrived at the venue as Ball Park Music was finishing their set and caught their last two songs "Sad Rude Future Dude" and "It's Nice to be Alive."
Boy & Bear came out onto the stage to big cheers from the crowd and started their set with "Lordy May." They played the majority of both the Moonfire album and With Emperor Antarctica EP. Highlights of the set for me were "Blood To Gold," "Mexican Mavis," "Milk & Sticks" and "My Only One" (the end part of that song gets me every time). The band were accompanied by a violinist and cellist on several songs, and the crowd sang along to almost everything, including their cover of Crowded House's "Fall At Your Feet." Towards the end of the set they brought out all the supporting bands to sing backing vocals on "Big Man" and then finished the evening with their hit single "Feeding Line." Staying true to previous tour stops in Melbourne the boys continue to maintain their tradition of not playing encores. It was an excellent show and all the touring they have done this year has made them into a really tight live band.
Here's the video for the latest single "Part Time Believer"
Today was a day of industrial action in the city. The Community and Public Sector Union held a stop work rally at 11am around our campaign for Fair Pay For Fair Work from the Victorian government because 2.5% is not enough. Considering our department executives have been receiving yearly bonuses of around 14%, I think the government can at least give the public sector workforce something that meets the current CPI level of around 3.6%. After gathering for the rally we marched to the steps of Parliament House. We also joined the big Australian Nursing Federation community rally at lunch time where they marched from Bourke Street mall to Parliament House. It was a sea of red along Bourke Street as the nurses fight to maintain and improve nurse patient ratios and ensure a high quality public health sector.
Today's outfit:
Black shirt (Now)
Grey striped pants (Old Navy)
Black flats (Tony Bianco)
If there is one store you should not allow me to go into, it is JB Hi-Fi. I am old school in that I like to buy physical CDs, and I have quite the music collection of them at home. It is also impossible for me to leave the store with just one CD, as you can see from today's photo.
Today's outfit:
Blue-green top (Gap)
Grey pants (Gap)
Black flats (Tony Bianco)
Today's photo finds me in Parliament Gardens by the Coles Fountain. We walked past here on our way to lunch at the always yummy MissChu tuck shop on Exhibition Street.
Today's outfit:
Floral dress (Banana Republic)
Black heels (Steve Madden)
Unfortunately the weekend is almost over. I went to the gym this morning, did my grocery shopping, and then had a surprise visit from Chantal, which was nice. We spent the afternoon chatting in my courtyard, site of today's photo. Now it's time to cook some dinner.
Today's outfit:
Black striped long sleeve shirt (Gap)
Brown corduroy pants (Old Navy)
Flip flops (Old Navy)
