Don't fall over in shock because there is another update within a six month period... ok? It's just, for once, I guess there is something to write about. Believe it or not however it has been a pretty social period for Ant and I lately. In fact, i've been able to get Ant to go out - on a school night no less - till 9.30pm! In all fairness to Ant, he does get up at something like 4.30am every morning for work and he works HARD, so I can't truly blame him for coming home from work and just wanting to shut the world out.
We went to the JOY FM Volume 5 CD launch on Thursday night at the Xchange which was fun - and great to see them supporting so many local pop artists, such as Emaar, Johnny X, Route 33 feat Costa and Cosima, who did an outstanding job. They also had a personal favourite of Ant and mine performing; Supagirly! She is just too funny! I also caught up with my friend Paul Brandoli who some of you will recall was from a band called Culture Shock in the 90's before moving on to a group called Eclipse and then, over a coffee and discussion on Radiohead at the start of the decade, Paul told me how he was too old to do pop anymore (*cough* bullshit) and that he would just write and produce - which he does well - however I always knew there was more of a performer left in him. Anyway, the other night he was telling me that he was going to go back to performing live at the start of next year so it will be truly great to see him perform once again.
Last night we went to see the new Kylie film 'White Diamond'. I was actually rather surprised by it, expecting it to be another usual light and fluffy doco; which it was - however what surprised me was my own personal reaction to it. I found myself getting rather emotional during most of it - even a little teary - and it was almost a bittersweet kind of feeling. I guess, as she has used many of the same people over the years, seeing the familiar faces who were on the 'On a Night Like This' and 'Fever' tours brought back a lot of really great memories for me. I mean - record company people are never that necessary on tour. Kylie Martin, her Australian PR/Publicist definitely is however she fields calls (expect for the ones she gratefully put through to me on the 'On a Night Like This Tour' - that was a hoot!) however the rest of the time was generally spent just being there, 'showing support' because that is what the record company people do.
In fact, I dare say that record company people on tours are a bit of a nuaisance to the touring party. They just stand there, get in the way, drink all the grog back stage and then piss off home. However, I have to be thankful that I got to experience what it was like during those tours and watching 'White Diamond' last night, there were just moments where I felt some of that flooding right back. There was one bit where we see 'the line up' next to the stage door beside the stage where tour personnel and VIP passes would stand and watch the show each night - watching Dannii bop away beside the stage while her sister was up there performing. I remember racing down five or so minutes before the show and grabbing a possey beside the stage and just looking up and seeing her perform effortlessly every night. She always made it look so easy. Even when she was really sick; I remember one night in Melbourne during the 'On a Night Like This' tour in Melbourne where she was so sick, a doctor gave her an injection between songs to keep her going. They actually modified her leather medley outfit that night to make it cooler for her and the outfit was so effective, the change was kept from then on.
I remember Terry looking at me amused when we were standing in the production office in Brisbane a day or two before the opening night of 'On a Night Like This' and my faced dropped when I realised they were rehearsing 'Did It Again' to put into the show... as short lived as it was! I remember the poor dancers on that tour having to put up with a drunk and flirty me at the post-first show party in Brisbane too... and Kylie asking me that night what my favourite part of the show was and me rambling about the medley cause it reminded me of "all the good times with my friends".
It's hard to explain and almost corny however the film managed to successfully remind me of some of the things I truly missed in my former life. However, it was a trip that I didn't mind exploring once again and I guess I thank her and Will Baker for that reminder.
