Sat 27 Oct — Mountains In The Sky, Qua, Flying Scribble

Lou and gray were utterly astounding, although they won’t admit it.

This was a pearler of a night, with Flying Scribble, Qua and the Mountains In The Sky. Gray’s (FS) Drums stood out as really superlative, with inventive and original rhythms. They couldn’t see the crowd, because of the lights, but the crowd totally appreciated them. There were many cries for more.

Qua and MitS hit the straps with the crowd, but hey FS just booted their wicked beats into the stratosphere.

i’m glad i saw this gig. What a joy.

Drums and versus amazing sound systems.

i’ve had another buckwheat experience ..

Saturday night was so great, Madame Zu Zu was in fine form, and the Open Studio crowd so much more into her than at Bar Open the week before. Dancing everywhere. Lovely vibes, happy people.

..but then i tried one of the new crepes.

i was so looking forward to it. and i tested for buckwheat reaction before diving in; but i really should have asked. i must be healthy at the moment because it took three mouthfuls to set me off. so i went home, and fortunately had a couple of Finurgen tablets left over from the time i had to go to hospital after my birthday pizza night last year ..

The tablets stop all the symptoms and allow me to sleep. Good.
but, oh boy, a couple of Finurgen tablets would knock out a horse!

The next morning i couldn’t move, i could barely talk. Tim and Sam came around, wanting to take me out to breakfast, and all i could say was “Bbbckwhhht lllst nght, ca’nnt mmmv”

.. and i’m still feeling groggy monday morning;

PS Later that month: the new sign reads Crepes (Buckwheat). Thanks.

xox, michael

(image: hi dad by tashland at flickr)

The other week, i saw Martin Martini and the Bone Palace Orchestra playing the outdoor stage for the new northcote town hall/ outdoor space.

Aah magic, brilliant musicians on stage, and about twenty people in the audience. i don’t know who was in charge of publicity, but it was so far from the time this mob played Open Studio at the ’06 High Vibes festival (around the corner). That day there were people dancing up the walls.

it was funny, because i could hear them from my backyard, but i was having one of those “i’m not going out” days. finally i dragged my sorry behind onto the street, and recognised their sounds before i saw them. i got there to find Lynne in the audience, “i was going to text you,” she said.

Caught the last five songs, but how could i be so lazy!! Maybe that was it, the whole of Northcote knew, but they were having one of those “Tell me it’s not winter” days.

Thank you Sasha and Paul for your great DJ story!! and Sam for sharing your funky videos.

the musical highlight for me would have to be the night of farewell for housemate Louise and gray. It was their party really, and they did some amazing setup, including candles down the alleyway, and a genuine earth-mapped pinyata, with roaming dinosaurs hanging off the hills hoist.

Lu made her room into a band room, with drum kit, amplifiers and all sorts of electronic connections to complement the Farfisa organ. She was so thrilled when people brought their instruments to play (but not so thrilled when Ben played so hard that he bled on her guitar).

Now there’s blood on my guitar you @**& .. and it’s all your fault ..

My favourite moment was in the back yard, under the summer tent, Renato on piano accordion, Kiri on the fiddle and Tarquin playing clarinet. Sublimey!

Rhiannon said at one point, “We were expecting the usual michael quiet evening, and we arrive to a Genuine Northcote Party.” People kept played until five am; but by then i was asleep, having watched the very final episode of Buffy downstairs with Sam and Booshi.

(They watched the whole seven series in around ten weeks! Now that’s an achievement.)

Now, post departure, the house on the hill at James street is still its usual mess of cables flying from room to room. Louise has moved out and headed over to San Francisco; she and gray started their adventure by seducing their way into the qantas lounge, ha ha ..

much love to youse all, michael

Sat 24 Mar — Spoonbill, miso

i’ve never seen the Spoonbill before so i wasn’t ready for the mix of visuals (2 vj’s), funny theatricals, and broad australian samples from TV, movies and radio. But i loved it ..

Opening with two unfolding puppet spoonbill dancers, the deep throbbing tones of ‘Low and Easy’ grabbed our attention straight from the start.

The dancing was energetic and hilarious, and the Social Club has very good bass on their speakers, the low kind that send chunky vibrations through your legs.

Their last song was hard and thumping, like chemical brothers meets wolfmother, as the solo guitarist went well over the top to meet the crazy laptop beats.

Spoonbill has a song called “half a lamington”.
How much fun is this guy!!

and miso is just too gorgeous for words. The singer has a funky and balanced phrasing that is very trip hop; and the cello + double bass combo work well over the top of laptop-rhythm guy.

i’d go back for more of either of these two bands