2013 was a big year.

Lots of stuff happened. Some of it was good, some of it was shit. If it had a sound track, it may have sounded like this.

New Year’s Day – U2

Nothing too serious – icehouse

Victoria – the kinks

Dancing In The Dark – Bruce Springsteen

The Rising – Bruce Springsteen

Cross The Border – Icehouse

Let’s dance – David Bowie

Come To Me – Diesel

Beautiful To Me – little birdy

Help – the Beatles

Three Little Birds – Bob Marley

Talk Tonight – Oasis

I guess I should go to sleep – jack white

Boys Don’t Cry – the Cure

True Love – Pink

Who knew?- Pink

Get lucky – daft punk

Blunderbuss – jack white

One Perfect Day – Lou Reed

How Do You Sleep – John Lennon

Love Will Tear Us Apart – Joy Division

Dog days are over – Florence and the machine

Take Me With You When You Go – jack white

Good Times – chic

Whole lotta love – Prince

Ordinary Love – U2

So, was it good for you?

I am pleased to say that I got everything I wanted for Christmas. Absolutely everything. This year’s Christmas is easily the best Christmas I can remember – its the best one in at least 13 years. Before that, they all blur into one Christmas and I’m not sure about which one I’m thinking of (although the ones where my dad and nana both rode my or my sisters bikes were pretty good.

In all fairness, my standards for best Christmas ever aren’t that high. No one died, so that automatically beats seven previous Christmases. I had a smile on my face. This tops another two after the seven (as you can imagine, I started to become a bit suss of the month of December when that pattern emerged) and I got to spend it with all the people I loved (one and a half with the help of technology) so to me, that is the best Christmas ever. As a bonus I got to make one of my best friends very happy, gave my sister and her hubby a break from the kids (they have two toddlers, it’s the perfect gift), gave all my workmates enough sugar to make Christmas Eve fun and my sister gave me a Joy Division mug. Score! I love any thing that reflects how well someone knows me or my passions.

I spent Christmas Day eating food with my family. I cooked rice for my nana, got so little sleep that I slept for hours yesterday to catch up (and I still feel like I’m behind) and watched my dad play my nephews toy keyboard whilst they watched because he didn’t want to give it up. These are the things that make Christmas perfect, not how much you spend at the shops (although I do find it strangely ironic that we spend Christmas being thankful for what we have then people fight each other for a towel on Boxing Day)

Merry Christmas, everyone.

Year in review

So, as the year draws to a close I’m starting to look back at some of the things that have happened and the gigs I have seen. Gig of the year is tough but I think it goes to The Boss live at Hanging Rock. Why? That was when I knew I would be following this dude EVERYWHERE and I’m bloody glad he’s back. There area few other honorable mentions though. Let’s start with this one.

Icehouse live at just about everywhere.
I can’t pick the best gig and perhaps that’s a reflection of why I love Icehouse – there are no dud gigs. They are that bloody good all the time. Again, to a lesser degree I went because someone else wanted me too. Sure, I didn’t mind going and I knew the music (my parents believed in giving me a musical education) but I didn’t have the compulsion to see them. My friend wanted to go and I said “sure, why not?” Why not indeed!

Icehouse essentially have just about everything I love in a band. They’re kind of the perfect storm. Solid song writing? Check. Have you heard their back catalogue. I have. In fact every time I get into a car with my lovely friend I hear it whether I want to or not and let me tell you, some good did come of the 80’s (just not Iva’s mullet.

The second thing they have is a lead singer that doesn’t scare the shit out of me. Now you may be laughing but the truth is that most of them do. They’re a strange bunch I tend no to pay much attention to at best and run away from at worst. I find they’re less intimidating when they have a guitar and Iva has a more than generous share of talent. These things help.

Finally, and most importantly, the band. This is where and musical act will get my attention and in this case it was the musical stylings of Steve Bull that I noticed first, followed very closely by Paul Wheeler.

Apparently they’ve been playing together for longer than I’ve been alive, which explains why they’re so damn good at it. Steve is just a champ. There is no other way to describe it. He’s not overly fussy, there’s no sign of guitarist complex (I want to play guitar but can’t so settled for bass cause I thought it was easier and I’m better at it) he plays exactly what needs to be played when it needs to be played and does it brilliantly.

The same can be said about Paul Wheeler. In terms of drumming, he’s just so consistent. It’s ridiculous. Every time I see him play I want to lock myself in my music room for a couple of hours and try and improve. He plays with energy and style and what else can I say, really? I’ve seen him play with Kevin Borich and it’s the same deal. You just can’t fault the guy.

Add to the equation Paul Gildea and Glenn Reither and you have yourselves not just any band but a bloody awesome band. Paul’s guitar playing is beyond description, if you haven’t seen it, use YouTube. That will help more than any adjectives that I can come up with. In fact if you don’t know what I’m talking about use YouTube. If you do know what I’m talking about, have a look on there any way. You’ll be happier for it.

You’re welcome.

As you were

So, as you may or may not be aware, I met Nile Rodgers. Man, what a show that was! There is something special about a band that play purely from a place of joy. I find that it’s those players that pull me in. There aren’t many I can think of (although Angus Burchill’a gotta be one of em, Hadyn Meggitt another…. Always drummers. We’re happy folk).

Anyway, it was a band full of joy and positive energy. The friend I took with me was quick to point out that we were the youngest ones there and I was okay with that. It just felt like one big party. Highlight of the night had to be Le Freak and Let’s Dance as well as possibly Good Times. If he comes round again, you gotta go! I’ll be there along with about the 50 friends I want to drag along with me. That is all.

So, this happened last night.

AWOL

That pretty much explains where I’ve been. How about you? My rabbit went missing and therefore every waking moment for the past week has been spent trying to search for him or finding new ways to get him back. So far we’ve had no success rate. It makes me sad.

It also means I’ve had to go to the lost dogs home (as they keep rabbits there) and it’s a very sad place. I want to break all the animals out and set them free.

In other news, I’ve worked out the technical difficulties that have been holding me back and I’m just about ready to start trying to record again. That should be fun and hopefully help me focus on something other than my little list friend. In times of doubt, there is always Bruce. Not long to go now.

The start of the year is actually shaping up to be pretty massive. There are three Icehouse gigs, I’m seeing The Choir Boys just after that, going on a bit of a road trip, doing three Bruce gigs and coming back for the Between The Bays festival, then off again for the final show in Brissie. If anyone would like to suggest interstate gigs I can go to around the time of the local ones, I’d be happy to take a look.

Anyway, that’s a wrap for me for now. See you soon.

Conned

Pretty much. I came home and slept last night cause I had a migraine (12 hours is now a sleep. It’s if I open my eyes, something horrid will happen)

So this morning I decided to talk to a friend that knows more than me (that could be any one) and who is willing to help me get what’s in my head out and record it. I’m excited about that because in my head, I am desperate to move forward.

Live long and prosper. I’m off to start planning what I’ll do with the rest of the songs.

Third time’s a charm…

So, last night I took a look at my recording and although the video is great, the sound is woeful, so here I go again tonight. It’s been a learning experience, that’s for sure!

Between editing software and trying to get a Mac to co- operate with a video camera and apogee…. Maybe it’s got something to do with the operator?

I’m already wanting to move on to new things. I’m so ready to move on that it’s not funny, really. I’ll take the duet down to the shop I bought it from tonight and see what happens.

I feel like I should be moving on to new things. I have ideas in my head for other songs and feel like I should be practicing them instead of flailing about with a bunch of software trying to get this thing to talk to that. Tech savvy is not my bag, I’m sorry to say. I just wanna be learning drum parts for Streets Of Fire or exercising.

Ohhh time to work out, why must you evade me? I had it all planned yesterday, but even the best laid plans……

Ohhh well, what can we do?

I’ll see you later, I guess.

Another space and time…. Combined and caught on camera

It’s often said that I come from another space and time. In fact people I know have asked me why I came back from the 60’s at all (my answer was that the wormhole I climbed through shut and now I’m stuck here)

Any way, this is my way of telling you that I’ll post my recording tonight so that I can work on the next one. I’m incredibly excited about it. I hope you like it as much as I do. I did my best in the heat.

I also plan on working out tonight. I feel excited about that, too.

Btw, The Rolling Stones are coming!!!!
Ohhh, and Adam, the new bass is incredible, thanks fretted instruments. Thanks Danelectro. Now to get a telecaster and an Airline. My life will be complete then.

The world’s on fire

Well, that’s what it feels like, anyway. As much as I love Melbourne, I will be much happier when this weather breaks. I will worry about the rabbit less (and perhaps not have to stand guard over it whilst it eats) and my music room won’t feel like a furnace.

Either way, I’ll be back in there today. I have work to do. It feels kind of amazing to me that I still haven’t made a dent in Bruce’s material. There’s just so much there. I’m still listening to stuff I’ve never heard before and I’ve been listening since April. It’s a lot to get through but doesn’t feel tiresome. Listening to music should never be laborious. Music in general shouldn’t. When it is, you know you’re doing something wrong.

Speaking of things I need to do, can someone please give me some time to go to the gym. That would be great. At least I’ll get a workout on the drum kit today.

And now I’m off to work. December has started and I feel a reasonable amount of calm. I haven’t shut out the world and started listening to Nirvana yet. Give me time.