So, we hit that moment that many a gay boy enjoys... his first listen of a new Kylie album... and in this instance, 'Body Language'... I'm greeting this album with a selection of mixed feelings. Firstly, there was my initial reaction to 'Slow', being that I have grown to like it, but wondering on first listen where the actual 'song' was. Also, being the fact that this is the first Kylie album since 'Light Years' that I haven't had some 'hand in' on the Australian marketing side... it feels a bit like your old friends are throwing a party and you are most certainly no longer welcome... it's a bit hard to explain and I know that i'm being overly precious about it all... but it does feel like that after something that i've spent so much time, energy, enthusiasm and pure love in.
So... we all know 'Slow'... can I add that I love the clip too. Funnily enough, I was surprised at the number of people who felt inclined to tell me how 'gay' they thought the clip was. Yes, men in speedos lying around a pool equals big homosexual fest... apparently. I can think of some individuals that this may apply to but really, the clip looks like a poolside in Barcelona to me... which, funnily enough, it was.
I've given up on the idea of doing a track by track. There are already a few out there that the 'die hard fans' would have seen them all, and it is difficult to do a real track by track on first listen anyway. I guess I can talk about the stand out tracks for me though, of which there are a couple on first listen.
The one that has really rocked my world is 'Chocolate'. It is, without doubt, one of the most subtle yet sensual and seductive things that Kylie has ever done. It is timeless pop, and seems to suggest everything right about 'Body Language'. One thing is clearly obvious about 'Body Language' - it isn't a 'get out there and shake your booty all night long like you don't care' album. It is a little more mature for that, and while many fans are screaming that it is a blatant attempt to crack the US market based on the three tracks that they've heard ('Secret (Take Me Home)' and 'Red Blooded Woman' have both leaked), it actually does feel more like a natural extension to 'Fever' in context to a full listen.
Granted, tracks like 'Red Blooded Woman', which does tend to make me cring a little, does feel aimed more at the US market... but tracks like 'Still Standing' (very electro pop with some nice cutting synths slicing through the mix) and 'Chocolate' more than compensate. Tracks like 'Someday' are very... ahem... Sunday... they're slow groovers with a pleasant melody but more background than face slammers. 'Loving Days' has some rather lush string arrangements, although I can't help wish that they had made it even a little more epic and melodramatic and gone the full 'over the top' hog.
The second half of the album really does tend to 'slow down' (no pun intended, considering there is both 'Slow' and 'Slo Motion' on the album)... and actually, there seems to be rather a lot of mention of food during the album... or atleast I got a late night appetite from somewhere... maybe that's it, cause there is a lot of mentions of 'taking it to the floor' on the album too and yet I felt no urge to listen to the album horizontally.
Jumping back a bit... 'Sweet Music'... which is also appearing on the album... fans will wet themselves over this track... another great track and people are going to draw comparisons to how great 'Limbo' was as a b-side and album track to 'Some Kind Of Bliss'/'Impossible Princess'.
In summary, it won't become my favourite Kylie album... I still have too much of a soft spot for 'Rhythm Of Love' for my early 20's and 'Light Years' for my late 20's... but it certainly isn't taking a step back for her either. Some of the tracks are what those in the music industry like to call 'growers' (which translates as boring unless it was done by an artist you're biased about), but then I disliked 'Fragile' from 'Fever' when I first heard it and it grew to become one of my favourite tracks from that album. Most importantly, people won't be disappointed, and while the 'singles' may not be obvious ('Chocolate' and 'Secret (Take Me Home)' seem the most immediate choices initially), it isn't filled with filler either.
More onto my life lately... Seb, better known as DJ Kinky, is heading over from Perth to Melbourne Saturday week, and personally - I cannot wait to see him. He already knows my housemate, and it will be fun to have a visitor stay with me for a while... read his blog (link to the right) - Inferno In Disco - very VERY funny stuff, and it's all real... scary... is Melbourne ready for this?
On another note, one of my closest and treasured friends, Jimmy, celebrates his birthday this coming Thursday night... so it's another big weekend out and about for us! Ant is organizing the cake for him (Ant is such a sweetie), and it looks set to be a rather massive night!
Work wise, I got up this morning, and even though I was tired, I was actually looking forward to getting in and 'doing it'... first time I kind of felt that since FMR. Yes, I do obviously still miss FMR... I miss the artists I was working there, especially Kylie... but more importantly, I miss some of my 'old family' there. There are certain individuals that I feel I may have invested too much time in trying to develope a friendship with, and I guess if I had known that, what I thought was a real friendship was just infact a friendly working relationship, I perhaps wouldn't have invested as much... but there are a few people there who just continue to prove themselves to me to be not just amazing at what they do, but amazing as human beings as well... certainly the man who has picked up working Kylie (again) fits into that category and has won as much respect from me since leaving FMR as he did when I was there working alongside him. However... some of them... look, I know they haven't lost touch cause they dislike or don't care for me... but you know what - IT'S A JOB, people... it doesn't love you for you at the end of the day... it doesn't care about how your are... it doesn't send you an email just to say hello... and it certainly won't keep you company when you're lonely... and one day, it will go away from you. Friends don't do that... but jobs do.
I keep saying it but i'll say it again... 2003 has turned out nothing like I would've expected, considered, or even potentially wanted... but it will be one of the most valuable learning periods of my life... and those moments, no matter how painful and upsetting they can be, will always be the ones that make us better people.
Finally, to all those that sent me an email lately that I haven't got back too... sorry! The new job, and everything, has just been a little overwhelming lately. But I am getting to grips with it and starting to resurface again, and so if you have yet to hear back from me... you will soon - I promise!
1. What time is it? 3:36pm
2. Who's making you fill this out? Andrew O'Brien
3. Nickname: Lol
5. Number of candles that appeared on your last birthday cake: 30
6. Date that you regularly blow them out? Early January
7. Hair color: Mouse brown
8. Eye Color: brown (I know... how common)
9. How much do you love your job on a scale of 9?: 9 being...? I'd say a modest 5 at the moment. Touchy subject really.
10. Favorite color: Calming ones... usually a deep blue.
11. Hometown: Prahran, Melbourne
12. Current Residence: Fabulous housemate Andrew.
13. Favorite food: Asian and Indian.
14. Been out of your country: France and UK, with lovely and quick stop overs in Singapore and Dubai.
15. Loved somebody so much it hurt? Most certainly. One of the best learning experiences ever.
17. Croutons or bacon bits? Ideally, both... but lately, it would be neither.
19. Favorite Movie(s): American Beauty, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Beatiful Thing, Star Wars, Cabaret... far too many to mention...
21. Favorite day of the week: Saturday
22. Favorite Restaurant: Sadly, probably Babble.
23. Favorite Flowers: I don't really go much for flowers...
24. Favorite beverage: Pepsi Max and Vodka (though not together).
25. Favorite sport to watch: Footy and Swimming
26. Preferred type of ice cream: Vanilla
27. How many times did you fail your driver's test? Once
28. Who is the last person you got an email from? Andrew's was the first one I read today...
29. Which store would you choose to max out your credit? Another touchy subject... let's not go there.
30. What do you do most often when you are bored? Read or listen to music.
31. Name the person you are friends with that lives the farthest: Andrew Murabito in the UK, Alex in Paris and Geordan in New York.
32. Most annoying thing people ask or tell me? Used to be pointless Kylie questions (like I know her any better than they would!)... actually, I really don't suffer fools lightly and the easiest way to make me lose interest is to ask really stupid questions.
33. What is your Bedtime? Generally around 1am but trying to get to bed earlier lately. I guess the boyfriend helps there too.
34. Who will respond the quickest? Ahhh, the beauty of blogs... never having to worry about who replies...
35. Who is the person you sent this to you that is least likely to respond? I probably won't forward it as i've been in trouble with certain friends in the past for forwarding too many quiz's (ahem, David...)
36. Favorite TV show? Simpsons, QAF and Family Guy
37. Last person you went out to dinner with? I think it was Andrew (being someone who I was seeing at the start of the year Andrew and not the multitude of other Andrews I seem to have around me).
38. Last movie you saw in a movie theater? Mambo Italiano
39. Tattoos or piercing? None, but have always been tempted to get the rose from the cover of Depeche Mode's 'Violator' tattoo'd on my arm... but it is both such a cliched tattoo and tattoo position.
40. Usual response when you don't know the answer? I just say "I don't know" repeatedly in a sturdy voice until they get the hint.
41. Time when you finished: 3:49am
Now that gay marriage is legal in some areas, there are new guidelines for the ceremonies:
1) On the day of a gay wedding, it's bad luck for the two grooms to see each other at the gym.
2) Superstition suggests that for good luck the couple should have: Something bold, something flirty, something trashy, something dirty.
3) It's customary at gay and lesbian nuptials for the parents to have an open bar during the entire ceremony.
4) Gay wedding tradition dictates that both grooms refrain from eating any of the wedding cake because its all carbs and sugar.
5) It's considered bad luck for either of the grooms to have done the priest.
6) During the first dance, it's considered unlucky to use glow sticks, flags,whistles or hand held lasers.
7) For good luck at the union of a drag queen, the bouquet is always thrown in the face of a hated rival.
8) The reception hall must have a disco ball and at least 1 go-go dancer.
9) The wedding singer is not allowed to play/sing "Let's Hear It For the Boy," "It's Raining Men" or "I Will Survive."
10) The father of the bottom pays for everything...
Just taking five minutes to update my blog since it feels like there is far more space between postings of late. I feel back in full swing now at my new home, CD Fulfillment. The team here are truly great, although it is sad to see my 'two bosses', Kelly and Jeremy leaving... Kelly today and Jeremy next Friday. I must admit that i'm having a bit of overload this week and feeling a little like i've been thrown in the deep end, but i'm sure it is just the culture shock of the whole thing and that, over time, this will become all a bit clearer. I guess there is just the nervousness of knowing that my boss, who knows all the procedures, is off at the end of the day and who I turn to for clarification in future may not be so clear. But as long as I have a pen, a postit note pad, and a calm rationale, i'll work through whatever.
The guys here have such eclectic tastes in music too... from Elton John to Roxy Music to Coldplay to Holly Valance to 70's disco... we've listened to it all and given our 2c on what we think of it. I'm already beginning to feel very comfortable here, and while some of the customers can drive me to near insanity, I think this will be one place that i'll be happy to stay in for a while. Even better is the fact that I get items at cost price - I can see me watching the new Cher DVD tonight!
On really nice days here, when Melbourne is capable of turning on the sunshine, outside is so pleasant. Shock/CDFA are located in a factory village in Northcote on Beavers St. Walking out the front door, I look down onto bank (although fenced off) banks of a running creek, and on the other side is this farm that serve organic food. It is so picturesque, and there is something just very comfortable about it all. No more than two minutes walk is a service station for all my petrol and Pepsi Max needs too. The kitchen could do with a little more work here... it just looks so disgusting, in a very 'student shared house where nobody can be bothered cleaning' kind of way. They are constantly running out of milk, and the coffee should just be relabeled 'dirt' as it truly is the most generic and horrid substance available. But i'm slowly beginning to make my desk feel like 'my desk', with thanks to a few posters and some coloured feather bowers that Kelly has given me.
Saw 'Mumbo Italinano' for the second time on Wednesday night with Ant. Well worth seeing. Very funny. Not sure if 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' is necessarily the correct comparison, but I did enjoy it enough to see it twice and would certainly go a third time if the opportunity arose... which it may over the weekend.
Going to Jacob's party on Saturday night. He has an 'international drag queen' named Heidi performing, along with DJ Charlie Zee. Personally, I don't really care much for the drag or DJ, i'm going just cause it would be good to catch up with Jacob. I'm also planning bowling on Sunday night, which the drag queen apparently is coming to as well... which could be an interesting experience (wonder what they'll do about the shoes?)
Anyway, that's my five minutes for now. I'm sure i'll get back to writing something decent soon, but I guess the madness of the job lately and the tiredness that I seem to be suffering can explain why some of you may not have heard from me as much lately. But i'm sure that this will sort itself out sooner than later and i'll be able to get back in touch with all of you again soon.
Speaking of Kylie, with the lack of official mixes in circulation at the moment, I took it upon myself to play around with my ACID software at home, and decided to do an hybrid bootleg mix of my own. The end result has been mixing 'Shake It' by that band who's name I can never remember how to spell but it looks like Mascaria along with 'Slow'... and so the 'Slow (Shake It Hybrid Mix)' was born. I had decided to burn it to disk to give to DJ Tony Svela at The Market over the weekend, passing it to him and saying, "hey, have a listen to this at home and tell me what you think..." On the PC, it sounded like it needed to mix levels adjusted a little but I was keen to get some feedback on it. Not more than an hour or two after I passed the disk to him though, it began blasting out of The Market's speakers, leaving me standing there freakin' out a little... "I told him to take it home first and listen!", I began yelping... but I was actually surprised by how good it did sound and it seemed to keep the dancefloor happening. So, yep, i'm rather proud of that little puppy, even if it was the simple act of mixing two tracks together and doing a bit of editing here and there. Speaking of which, if you want to check out the new clip, you can here.
Things with Ant are going well... we hit the six week mark this weekend, and i'm glad i've taken the approach of being a total open book with this. Certainly it means that there is no fear of confrontation as I raise everything on my mind comfortable that it can be discussed freely. He truly is a sweet man, and I guess i'm just enjoying getting to know someone new.
Speaking of enjoying someone new, I still have to sing praises for my new housemate, Andrew. Although he can be a tad evil sometimes (certainly humming the 'Wedding March' everytime I walk into the room as he knows it triggers my fear of commitment), he is ultimately one very real and genuine person who is exceedingly generous and kind... except for when he wants to torture you. Honestly, I doubt I could find a better housemate at the moment if I tried.
Onto the new job... CD Fulfillment... started Wednesday, but my new boss had extended her leave until Friday... and so i'm still without a proper job description at the moment but very hungry to sink my teeth into the action. The team here are GREAT - Tony and Michelle are just wonderful, both really different and really friendly, and to work with music again is just the best. I mean, we just had Roxy Music's Best Of on, and started the morning off with a touch of Minogue... can it get better than this? I think not! And moreso, they really respect what experience I have and are really keen for my thoughts on everything. I think I am going to grow to adore it here, and really pleased that I accepted this job. The only thing being on Friday last week, Kelly, my new boss, called me into the boardroom where she proceeded to tell me that she and Jeremy (my other boss) had handed in their resignations that morning and were leaving in two weeks. I was disappointed, as both Kelly and Jeremy seem absolutely amazing and I was looking forward to working with them... but I guess it is also good as it means that I feel like I am the start of a new order within CD Fulfillment. Anyway, keep your eyes posted for any future developments.
Ironically, where I am sitting at CDFA is where my previous boss, Craig Handley, used to sit when he worked for Shock. Take that as an omen, if you will.
Officially broke at the moment... but happy with where i'm at. Funny how a decade ago, lack of money would've stressed me out more than anything. Now, it's frustrating, but I know what my real priorities are.
Big congrats to Michael and Jimmy too, who celebrated their first anniversary this past weekend. They're still the perfect couple.
Track of the moment: Kristine W - Fly Again (Scumfrog Club Mix)
...but still loving 'Deepest Blue' (by Deepest Blue - out this week on Ministry Of Sound) and Kurtis Mantronik...
May as well, while there seems to be the time, sneak in to update this quickly from my new office pc...
So, I have a new Shock email... and I think i've got my head around the basics of the sales system here, and so I think i'm okay for the first day here. The guys are really friendly here (i've been lucky twice in a row now), and I think once i've decorated my area and start to get to know the guys, this will feel like home. People have already started to come forward and introduce themselves, and while that 'new kid on the block' feel will probably last a while, I can see myself fitting in well.
The bank was not willing to help me out with my legal costs. I figured that, since I already have a personal loan with them, I may as well just ask about getting an extension on that and paying it back. "All good!", they told me at the start of the call... but by the end, it was a "we can't help you..." It's more the conversation in the middle that tends to get to me more...
At one point, after asking how much I earned and all that sort of detail, they asked me about accomodation.
"So, how much rent do you pay?"
"$500"
"Per calender month?"
"Yes."
"Do you have a housemate?"
"Yes."
"How much rent is it total?"
"$1000"
"Is your name on the lease?"
Now, at this point, I couldn't be bothered going through the agreement I have with the rent and decided to just say yes...
"And is your housemates name on the lease?"
Again, although there is no lease, I said "no..." After all, there was no lease, therefore no way a housemate could have his name on it.
"In that case, you have to wear the entire cost of the rent per month..."
Well, there goes my chances, me thinks...
After he told me that he couldn't help me out, I told him that I had no option then but to pay the amount out of credit cards...
"Are you sure? That's going to be expensive!", says Captain Obvious...
"I know... that's why I was phoning you...", I calmly state, "But unless you have any other suggestions, I have no option!"
The realisation lately though, is that it is only money. I'm not as concerned about all of this as I used to be, or as some would argue, I should be. I realise how essential it is, and certainly know that I need to earn enough to put a roof over my head and food on my plate... but I've also come to prioritize what is important in life... friends are important... family are important... having a sense of purpose is important... sometimes money may come into play there... money gives you independence... I don't say all this to play down the value of money... I just feel that sometimes people place too much emphasis on it. I don't want to be poor. And if someone came along and offered a wad of money to me, of course I would accept it. But at the same time, as long as I have fine friends... i'll be 'fine'. How very Epicurian of me, I guess.
I still feel like I have a backlog of recent things to talk about... all in good time I guess, since now I should be working... or atleast learning how to work... I'm sure there will probably be another thrilling installment sometime tonight though...
Like exercise, I thought the best time to probably write this quick blog entry was in the morning prior. Today, I begin with CD Fulfillment Australia, part of Shock Records. I think everyone knows how important landing back in the music industry was for me, and therefore, how important this role is. I'm not nervous about it at all... infact, i'm more nervous about figuring out the quickest route there... but it does feel like the beginning of the 'next chapter' in so many ways. I keep thinking of a quote I saw in a recent book on Australian promoters that basically said that if you didn't lose a large sum of money in a short amount of time, you weren't a real promoter... It keeps reminding me that we all have set backs occasionally, and it is more to do with how we choose to deal with them and move on from them that sets each other apart. Some will let it devastate them. Others will accept that it is a fact of life and learn from it. Either way, I guess the whole lesson from what I feel I should be learning about this year is shaping up to be about 'priority'... about realising that true importance of some things and the illusion (or dellusion) that we have about others. I prefer not to be deluded anymore. It IS still important to work in a field that I feel is my home... but it is important to realise how much it is still just a job, and that outside of that, I have a home, family, friends and goals that I still should be greeting and achieving.
You would think from my recent lack of blog entries that i've been sitting at home pretty much doing nothing lately... but then I think when I sit around doing nothing is when you actually do get the most blog action from me. I will sit down when I find a spare fifteen minutes or so and write something a little more comprehensive about the last few days... about seeing 'Mambo Italiano' on the weekend... about spending a bit of time with Ant... about catching up with David Knox, Dean and Cam last night for dinner... my final day at Alphalink... and my last two days off, filled with parents, a tiny bit of gym and wrapping up some loose ends... in short, it feels good to start today knowing that, although at great financial cost (it's only money), that I can finally begin to move on... and perhaps give the bird to a few people in the process.
...When I was at FMR, it was one of my responsibilities to update their website, and to receive all the emails that were sent through. As a result, I ended up getting in contact with a vast array of interesting people. One of them was this delightful artist in Paris named Alexandre, and we ended up becoming good friends online... which i'm glad to say was solidified when I went to Paris and stayed with him in 2001. Same thing with David/Margeaux... I had received an email from him attentioned to Kylie/TBM alerting them of his website, Planet Margeaux. I checked out the site, and thought it was one of the most funniest brilliant things I had seen in a while, and sent him an email back telling him how much I loved it and how I was definitely going to forward it onto her management. We hit it off on email, and agreed that we should have a drink when I was in Sydney. On the final night of the On a Night Like This Tour, we met before the show, and again afterwards at Stonewall (between me jumping from Stonewall party to official after party). It would be the start of a really close friendship, and i'm thankful for that connection. So, yeah - I do know what you mean. I have another great friend that i've made in the US named Geordan, and I would dearly love to meet him... and there are a few more local lads, like Discowboy (DJ Kinky/Seb) in Perth who I am dying to meet, although he is heading over to Melbourne in November so I guess I know that one is for certain. In short, I guess I can say that modern technology has brought many people into my life either virtually or eventually for real that i'm incredibly thankful for (and some that I wasn't so thankful for! lol!)
Entry #2
Context: My life as a... actor?
Actually, I wanted to be an actor when I was a child and even went so far as to attending acting school. However, when I hit my teens, I also hit a enormous wall of self loathing and decided, in my own twisted and dramatic little way, that I was not attractive enough to be an actor. ...yes, I know... there is no logic there as acting has about as much relation to attractiveness as music has to Sophie Ellis Baxter... but that was something that took my interests away from acting and installed it in... *gasp* music!, of which I have made a living out of for over the past decade, either as a musician and performer or on the other side of the desk, doing pr and marketing. I'm about to re-enter the music industry after my departure from it in July this year, and move into an area that i've yet to do before for a company - sales... I've worked in retail before and I guess there wouldn't be terribly much difference except it's all the other way around, but I am looking forward to making a re-entrance into the industry that I consider my home and moving on from there.
Entry #3
Context: Being creative.
I lost my creative being for a while. It has only just started to return. It was lost from exhaustion at marketing too many other creative beings. But I think a voice is beginning to return to me and I try to find creative ways of doing even the most simple things... like writing an email back to a friend! ;p Sometimes it works... sometimes it doesn't.
Entry #4
Context: Just how much do you put in a blog?
Some times the best time to keep a blog IS when you are having some inner turmoil. After all, people find comfort in viewing other peoples insecurities and thoughts... reminds them that we're all human and that we all feel the same thing. I find whenever I wrote anything a little more emotional and angsty in my blog, the next few days would be filled with friends just calling to see if I was ok, if they could do anything, and reminding me that they're there... it's not a sign of weakness to contemplate and discuss the things that occupy our minds, so I don't think you should see it as something to hinder your creative process. However, having said that, I guess it all comes down to how private you want it to be. I don't care anymore. I like being an open book. It's like a terms and conditions on a contract. No one can never claim they weren't informed when you're an open book! lol!
Entry #5
Context: Being liked by everybody.
I guess i've come to appreciate in recent years that sometimes some people just don't 'hit it off'. I used to be one of those people that would go out of my way to make people like me if I knew they didn't. Nowadays, it's more of a 'can't be everything to everyone' kind of person, and just figure that there is little point in trying.
Entry #6
Context: Making friends online and are they real friends?
There is a stigma attached to it, isn't there... which is funny... i've met some people online who became such good friends that it seemed strange to chat to them online anymore... I guess my point is that it is possible to make real and strong relationships online that can translate into the real world, although sometimes I feel that what people can offer online may not translate as well offline... either way, if something someone does makes you think, or question, or laugh, or get an emotional responce, then it is an experience worth having, and a real one.
Entry #7
Context: How straight men should be and why gay men hang around together (apart from the obvious reasons).
Ahh, should be more straight men like you. Want to know something funny. Someone once asked me why it was that gay men hung around together all the time. I told them I thought it was because gay men didn't sit around necessarily talking about what it was like to be gay all the time. They might talk about attractive men or camp music, but it wasn't trying to explain or rationalise why they were gay, and inevitably, with straight men, I ALWAYS find myself in that conversation and it gets a bit tiresome after a while... so to answer the question - why do gay men hang around with gay men? cause they don't necessarily sit around talking about being gay. And I like straight men that can act on that same level - that can recognize the common humanity that exists regardless of sexual preference and just be themselves. It makes me feel less cautious about how I talk too... I can actually just be myself and say what I think rather than be paranoid about if I am going to offend or scare off or disgust anyone.
Entry #8
Context: Feeling the need to become musical again...
I actually pulled out all the ACID loop disks I have at home last night and decided that I really need to start playing around again since it has been YEARS and I feel the need to be creative again. But it really does mean starting from scratch. I feel like, if I was to try to write a tune now, it would perhaps rival Twinkle Twinkle or Mary and her freakin' lamb, but not much greater. But if you don't start somewhere (again), you never end up somewhere better (again).
Entry #9
Context: Dinner at Andrew's place last night...
I'm having dinner with a few friends tonight over at a friends place. He actually lives in an old lunatic asylum in inner Melbourne. It was actually the largest lunatic asylum in the southern hemisphere at one stage and the place basically freaks me out most of the time. It's beautiful and stylish now, but I don't doubt that it is haunted to every corner.
Entry #10
Context: Amiel gig at The Evelyn last Thursday night...
I have to say that last night was magnificant. She is sounding, and looking, fantastic at the moment and the band exceeded my own expectation of how they were going to perform. It was even a notable improvement on the dats that I got sent from the Leading Edge performance.
Setting the scenario here... i'm sitting at work... answering painful phone calls... I even had one yesterday from a woman who accused us of lying because we claimed our account was unlimited and yet she was paying connect costs on her phone bill each month... I sat there trying to casually explain to her that the phone call connect costs were her costs and not part of the package and she kept arguing that we had lied on the application form... how do you argue with such stupidity? You can't really, can you... she ended up hanging up on me thankfully... anyway, back on track... answering painful phone calls when suddenly I feel my mobile happily vibrating in my pocket.
Turned out to be my friend Michael (yes, how many friends named Michael can one person have?)... this isn't Michael, as in Michael and Jimmy... or Micheal, as in Hussey... but another Michael yet again. This Michael, well known for his height and stylish good looks, runs his own successful recruitment agency for graphic designers and the like. He is one of the few friends I know that can actually state that they're going to do something, and then go right on ahead and do it. I've often found him rather inspiring, realising that nothing ventured is truly nothing gained.
Anyway, he was phoning to ask what I was doing that night.
"Nothing much... perhaps a bit of gym and to watch 'Mile High', but that's about it..."
"How would you like to go see Tony Bennett and Kd Lang?"
Stunned silence.
"Sure... how much?"
"No, nothing... free... do you want to come?"
Even more stunned silence and slight stuttering as I try to comprehend the offer.
"Er... well, yes... of course... I mean, I LOVE Kd Lang and Tony Bennett is a living legend..."
"Excellent, cause I totally forgot the concert was on until last night and I need someone to come with me."
"Sure. I'd love to come along!"
"Yeah, we've got great seats too..."
Now, not wanting to spoil the rest of the story, i'll leave the phone conversation there and skip ahead a bit...
The weather in Melbourne last night was truly disgusting. Cold, wet and miserable, we decided that I would drive in and park. Of course, it meant that everyone and their dog had exactly the same idea... and even worse was the fact that I didn't have time to go to the bank before hand and was totally out of cash. We rocked up at the stressed out man in the parking booth screaming, "Can we pay by credit card?" at him. He kindly let us in and told us to come back and see him about payment.
We found a spot... realised we had about one minute left before the show was due to start... and sprinted down to the booth to pay. We were officially running late. This wouldn't ordinarily be a problem but... oh yeah, that's right... I don't want to spoil that part just yet...
So, we race down to door one... find a small group of people standing out the front waiting to get in during a suitable break in the show (including someone I know... typical)... and then walk in... and we continue to walk down closer and closer and closer to the stage... and opps, another song starts and so we stand by the side again waiting until it finishes... and then continue to walk down closer and closer to the stage... till we hit the third row... and where should our seats be but... dead bang in the middle... no where near an ailse... with us needing to climb over all of the people already seated... in front of the entire Melbourne Concert Hall... yeah, it was a little bit embarrassing...
Even worse was to spin around to face the front and find Kd Lang standing there, smiling, saying, "Hey guys... you've missed the best songs already!" I just went bright red and started saying, "I'm so sorry, Kd..." It was just one of those surreal experiences to lock eyes with her and have me smiling my head off and have her suddenly break out into this huge smile back.
I had actually met Kd once before. It was during the promotional tour for her 'All You Can Eat' album, which is my absolute favourite of hers. Warners had over invited and filled out the corner bar of the Greville Street Bar. The queue to meet and have a picture taken with her was just out of control, and I was towards the end. The whole time in the queue, I was trying to think of something profound and witty to say to make some form of impact on this lesbian icon. And as the time dragged on and on, it became more of a challenge to the point that, by the time I got to meet her, I was clearly over it, and she was even moreso clearly over it.
"Nice jacket...", I said, in a pathetic attempt.
"Yeah...", she replied. "A few people have commented on that..."
I think my third row caper with Michael probably made more of an impact that me commenting on her jacket in retrospect... so I guess I have Michael to thank for that too.
Can I add that I have seen Kd in concert once before too. Warners kindly gave me two tickets to her 'Sexuality' tour. Can't remember the year... all I remember was that it was at The Palais in Melbourne (one of my favourite theatres) and that it was filled to the brim with women. I grabbed my favourite lesbian friend Liz along for the ride, and we agreed that if the show was too 'country', then we could descretly get up and leave. Well... by the end of the show, we were howling for more... and considered that, if we could find tickets, we would pay and go again the next night. I still remember her performing 'Crying'. I remember feeling the goosebumps on my arm just stand up immediately, and wondered if anyone else in the room was getting off on her performance as much as I was. At the closing cry of the song, the entire room just erupted and stood on their foot in a standing ovation that lasted for what seemed like minutes. I wondered if this was a rare occurance. Turned out the standing ovation happened every night. I could understand why.
The other thing that struck me about her performance that night was her sense of humour. She was remarkably funny, very approachable, extremely likeable, and very humble. You felt like she was actually giving the real her on stage... all very WYSIWYG... no bullshit. And I loved that. She made up laugh. She gave me tingles down my spine with her voice. She gave me one of the best concert experiences possible, which would explain our eagerness to get back to see her immediately... and thus why this opportunity to see her again could not be turned down...
Highlights of Kd's performance... of course, 'Crying' again... from the opening chords of the piano, that song just rips my heart out every time. She followed that up with a very slinky and sizzling version of 'Fever', definitely showing Madonna how to get it done right. 'Constant Craving' also appeared in the set... introduced as being a 'medley of her... hit.' And, of course, as soon as the table and ashtray appeared, I knew that 'Three Cigerettes In An Ashtray' was about to appear, and again; a remarkable performance. Her voice is just so fluid and smooth... it's like a dark chocolate.
Tony Bennett... my god, that man IS a legend. He just is so Vegas... so slick... so ratpack... so funny... describing himself as 'the Britney Spears of his day', he worked his way through so many numbers and just blew me away. I was disappointed that 'The Way You Look Tonight' didn't seem to make an appearance in the set since it is my favourite, regardless of if 'I Left My Heart In San Francisco' is his signature tune or not. Highlight from Tony had to be his blistering version of 'Maybe This Time' though...
When Tony and Kd performed together... my god... it was like a double chock cake... two forms of smooth chocolate melted together into something so unbelievable delicious, you immediately got the guilts for enjoying it so much.
I'm continuing the music fest this week by going to see Amiel perform tonight at The Evelyn. Not entirely sure why, but she is going on at midnight too... talk about bizarre time slots on a school night. But i've yet to see Amiel actually perform an entire show before, and I have so much time for her that I want to show my support and see how she is in translating one of my favourite albums of the year into a live show. I guess we'll see how tired I feel tomorrow...
Arrived back at EMI's office in York Street Melbourne slightly... well... it was a liquid lunch for the lads. Their female vocalist at the time didn't do interviews. Rumour has it that it conflicted with the times she liked to breathe or something... regardless, she wasn't there. However, the other two guys were... I asked about the album titled 'Becoming X' and had this long winded but interesting philosophical breakdown of what it meant, followed by, "We usually don't tell people what it means cause it's so complicated... but we're drunk now so we'll tell you anything!" I explained that I had studied philosophy at uni and actually understood everything they just said and they got tremendously excited. One of them then continued to spend the rest of the interview rolling around the boardroom table while the other one giggled at him. Truly bizarre.
Steps
First time was with Lee, who was possibly one of the moodest people i've ever had to interview before. Second time was with all five of them. The interview began on an odd note, with a request that we were not to mention any questions regarding homosexuality or the like... odd, since I was a writer for a gay publication... and even more odd since the band would bring up the topic later in the interview. When the band arrived in, H asked if he could read their press release. As he read it, he began howling in laughter, stating that it made them sound like some theme park... He then realised that I already had my tape deck running and asked if I could rewind it. "No...", I politely replied with a smile. The interview went incredibly well, and made me even more keen on the band... Lisa wanted to know all about day clubs and immediately asked her manager what time they had off... Claire and H were joking about 'the man in the clinque mask'... I immediately fell for Claire... her bio had her described as rather bossy, and when I asked for her thoughts on this, she wanted to know where I had read that (slightly offended)... when I had shown her the bio, she laughed and realised that she had written it. Later that night at the showcase, she would wave and smile at me from the stage, making me feel rather special indeed. Years later, I would interview her again, only to have the interview delayed cause she was having a problem with her new fax phone... the problem being that it wasn't a phone...
Love & Devotion
Ok... I think that was the name of this band. I think they may have been Swedish. I think their single was also called 'Love & Devotion'. All the same, it was a Transistor label act (small and, dare I say, sometimes rather dodgy label)... and they could barely speak a word of English... great for a phoner! Memorable for two reasons... my attempts to try to ask questions to them when they can barely understand a word... and the (ahem) sing-a-long at the end (in a resort to kill some time) with us doing a blastering international version of Wham's 'Careless Whispers'.
Gina G
I had been out for all of the previous day and night, and had raced home from a dance party to do this phoner with Gina G... which ended up with me asking a question and then just letting her ramble on for minutes with an occasional grunt from me to prove that I was still actually conscious. I'm sure she must've thought I was half dead of something as she would stop talking and I would realise at this point that I needed to ask a new question... about 30 seconds later. It was a strange interview to listen back to on tape, that's for sure...
Dimitri From Paris
Any close friend will tell you that I worship this man... and his compilation, 'A Night At The Playboy Mansion' rates as one of my all time favourite albums. Whilst interviewing him, I mentioned that I thought 'A Night At The Playboy Mansion' was "the best compilation ever to be put onto CD ever..." He replied, modestly, "It's ok..." I snapped back aggressively, "IT IS!"
