It's All Those Little Things

I'd like to know when we decided that instead of writing 'diet' on diet type drinks, we changed it to 'light'. Last week I accidentally bought a bottle of diet cranberry juice instead of regular cranberry juice, because the word 'diet' was no where to be seen on the bottle. I must have missed the meeting where we decided to kowtower to people who feel that the word 'diet' written on their beverage of choice makes them feel inferior. Who the fuck enjoys the taste of phenylalanine anyway? Go on an actual diet if you're that committed to losing weight.



Sorry.



It's Sunday afternoon.



I fucking hate Sunday afternoon.

Come On Over

I received a lot of raised eyebrows and looks of genuine disappointment when I announced at work that I was going to see Christina Aguilera live. One of the benefits of getting old is you care less and less what people think of you, so I was unphased.

I wont prattle on and on (for once) about the show. Suffice to say it was jaw-droppingly amazing, and out of all the shows I've seen in the past year, it would have to make it into the top 3.

Here's a few snaps (taken from my top notch vantage point, right near the front). Apologies for some of the less than in focus shots-my borrowed camera isn't what it used to be.

Show Opening

Xtina appears

Rug cutting

Circus set

The Spinning Wheel (she grabbed a random dude from the crowd and strapped him to it later in the show. With the treatment she gave him I dare say he's still in a state of high arousal).

Candyman

Bowing after 'Beautiful'

Favourite shot

Welcome To My Alice Cooper Review

I'm not sure if it's my age, or the collective age, or just an incredible marketing coincidence, but there seems to be a surplus of artists touring that fit the 'I'd better go see them this time as they probably wont ever come back' bill. Alice Cooper fits into this category for me (although in all likelihood he'll be back), and even though I had kind of forgot I was going to see him, I was brimming with excitement as I took my seat before the show.

I think it's important to try and comprehend what a shocking figure Alice was perceived as back in the day. Parents the world over were completely terrified of him (to be fair, I'm sure he did his fair share of perpetuating this). It's also important to take into account that Alice did things like appearing (3 times) on The Muppet Show, so you know, he's really got quite a story to tell. For what it's worth, there was one point in the show in which I was genuinely shocked.

The show for me was a 10 out of 10. A band that was nothing less than smoking hot (featuring none other that Eric Singer, who still has chops to burn), a healthy dose of rock melodrama (which culminated in Alice's hanging) and more than 1 staggering, logic defying body switch between a dummy and a real person, all made for an excellent show.


I was inwardly tickled pink with the audience demographic. Aging metal heads dressed up in full Alice makeup, young kids dressed up in full Alice makeup, women of all ages not dressed in full Alice makeup but visibly excited to be at the show, and lots and lots of black t-shirts. I love that shit and I can't explain why.



He didn't sing 'You and Me', which would have to be my favourite Alice song, but he did sing 'Only Women Bleed', 'Poison' and 'Welcome To My Nightmare' just to name a few. 'Feed My Frankestein' was a particular highlight. I have to admit I was surprised that he didn't talk to the crowd at all, like not even to say good evening, but he referenced Brisbane in one of the songs and what he lacked in on stage chatter he made up for with a massive set list. It really was an onslaught of songs and his voice, whilst tired by the end of night, stayed in impressive shape for a 59 year old.

It was one of those shows that left you feeling completely entertained and knowing you were just in the presence of a true professional. We're not worthy.

ps. Apologies for the crap text layout. Blogger sux for that sort of thing.

Bad Habits

So I've been erring on the slack side in terms of new posts, but if you just give me another chance I'll do better. No really coach, I'll do better.

Coming up next, reviews of Alice Cooper and Christina Aguilera (seperate shows of course).

Memories Twisted Around Somebody's Finger

I've just been looking through a heap of old photographs (well, when I say old I'm talking about 5 years ago). Maybe it's the fact that I seem to be a little more emotional than usual lately, or maybe it's winter, or maybe it's just a slow night, but I could feel the tears welling up as I scrolled through the pics. The funny thing is, is that I don't particularly miss the people in the photos, but I dearly miss that period of my life.

I don't really know what that means, but if I had a time machine, I'd go back in a second and savour it much more than I did the first time 'round.

Across The Silverchair Show

So in keeping with the concert review series, here's my take on Silverchair live @ The Tivoli (27/04/07).

By now we all know the Silverchair story, which for my money, is a great one. I would hazard a guess they used to (and probably still do) cop a fair bit of stick about being so young when they first hit the scene, but it was something I never had a problem with (and when they did hit the scene, I was of the age which has a problem with everything). In fact, I think their freshman album contains one of their best songs.

Obviously I can't speak from experience, but it would HAVE to be difficult to literally grow up in the public eye, much less doing so through your body of work. I think their album catalogue is one of the few that portrays genuine growth, and I've enjoyed each one more than the last (though to be fair, I haven't heard a lot of their latest offering). Commercial success aside, that's right up near the top of the goal list for any artist.

But hey, enough of my yakkin'. On to the show.

It was a sold out Tivoli and a captive audience. I arrived in time for the support act this time, and whilst they didn't do anything to offend me, they didn't do anything to capture my attention neither.

The 'Chair take to the stage and the place goes suitably nuts. It's easy to forget that these guys have been a band for the last 14 or so years, and they're a force to be reckoned with on stage. Much better commanders of their instruments these days, they really do have something special and totally kick the shit out the place with their sheer brute force. There were 2 keyboard players on board as well, which helped beef up the sound, but every now and then the extra guys would leave the stage and Silverchair really took off.

They played a lot of the new album and almost all of 'Diorama' (a personal fave) plus a couple of cuts from Freak Show ("The Door" nearly lifted the roof off the place*) and Neon Ballroom ("Emotion Sickness" still totally nails me). I think this was one of the first or second shows of the tour and the setlist had a few kinks in it, but I have no doubt they would have ironed those out pretty quickly.

Daniel seemed to be in good spirits (thanks in no small part to the gigantic bottle of Jack he swigged from all night**) and he was genuinely appreciative and humbled (well, I thought it was genuine) by the loving throng stretched out in front of him. As a punter, that's all I ask from my rockstars.

All in all, it was a cracking show and there's no way anyone could have walked out of there and not take away a new found respect for the 3 Novocastrians who won a contest on SBS and made it big.







*no pun intended here

**nor here

And Now Back To Our Regular Programming

Over a month since a post.

There's all sorts of reasons why, some interesting and some not so interesting, but hey, that's the general vibe of this blog, no?

Anyway, strap yerselves in.

Or don't.



(but please do)