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extraordinary event at 3RRR
Oct 24th, 2008 by michael chalk

Wed 8 Oct — Don’t cut my fringe straight please .. was totally intriguing and mostly enjoyable. 12 artists playing live to air over 2 hours was a very ambitious idea for the Dance Cadaverous lady (Sophie B) .. and it was well worth the mad pins and needles you get from sitting on a hard floor and twisting in five different directions.

Bum Creek set a really good tone for the night. They are utterly weird, yet strangely good fun. Noises and growling merge with instrumental random-ness to produce a nice kind of bizarre. Kind of like Bad Taste by Peter Jackson. Horror music.

At the end of their set they switched over by pulling the jack out of the amp .. and the next guy plugged in. Some artists i could have listened to for much longer, while others were unbearable at the two minute mark.

Most fascinating instrument of the night went to the guy who’d built a box out of metal springs and coils. There’s no way i could describe either his action or the sound that emerged .. it was entertaining.

Pikelet i love. Great loops, driving rhythms .. endlessly creative.
Qua brought people to life with some dancey beats.

It was fun watching the host attempting to give each band their two minute warning .. most artists were fully absorbed in the experience, so she would have to creep up quietly and make a play for eye contact. Everything went smoothly.

Until the final segment, where everyone jammed together. This was ugly .. and got the most walk-outs. Intriguing, entertaining, but just noisy. i stayed out the distance, to test my endurance.

PS: Qua and Pikelet are playing with Mountains in the Sky, 8th November at the Corner.
gray is playing with Qua, plus it’s my birthday – who wants to come along?
(now here’s a test to see if anyone’s reading ;-]

from deceased estate, to dance-a-thon 6000
Oct 17th, 2008 by michael chalk

What a great fringe festival! i’ve only been to three or four events but i’m sure i chose the best ones:

  • Deceased Estate by Roundangle
  • Don’t Cut my Fringe Straight at 3RRR
  • the fully enjoyable dance-athon 6000 from the Town Bikes and known associates ..

oh the Town Bikes .. how ever did the world manage without them, way back in the 20th century?? That’s right, we had the Butt Funky troupe of mischief-makers. Along with their buddies .. the magical dj marieke, the hot slush puppies and more, they roused the crowd into a wet and wild state of krumpy frenzy. Yum.

( What’s this video .. a Town Bikes showreel? They are fun. i love them. )

Deceased Estate was insanely wonderful. Many old stories from the history of an East Brunswick house. Blindfolded sessions, of course, down the side of the house. Shadow theatre, hot milo and monsters in the backyard, a neighbourly dinner party in the front yard with the original family back in 1946.

Harry pours scotch for the gents and tells us he’s delighted that Chifley’s at the helm. The 1940’s couple freeze, as we flash forward to a teenager climbing out the window and listening to Joy Division on her walkman.

.. the live event at 3RRR was a thoroughly weird adventure. Pikelet and Qua were on the bill, so i’d thought it would be fun. Bum Creek started off the action with their bizarre journey into sound .. and the night looked promising. One guy had invented an instrument made out of old coils and springs .. he was hilarious and i wish i’d gotten a photograph.

Ah Melbourne – joy and delight and wonderful weirdness at every turn!

Theatrical Joy
Oct 7th, 2008 by michael chalk

i’ve had such a good run of great theatre!

  • That Kid’s Show that Lynne took me to see, oh what was it called, with The Woman from the Kransky Sisters (Christine) .. um ..
  • Miracle Man by Bernard and Bruce
  • Yana Alana and the Paranas by Sarah Ward (aka MC Eila of Sista She)
  • The Plains directed by Lachlan for his VCA Masters (brilliant puppetry)

..and now, The Burlesque Hour. Finally after four years of waiting i have seen the show. Very delightful, and completely insane. We love our theatre insane. Moira Finucane pouring milk all over herself has to be seen. Azaria Universe doing a Zombie routine on the trapeze. Yumi Umiumare’s Japanese schoolgirl is such a funny way to start the show, and her kimono striptease was extraordinary and touching.

Oooh i love it.

Annie and i agreed that The Town Bikes could have been given two appearances really .. they are so good. Look at this if you haven’t seen them:

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