The Gossip rock!

Maximo Park

Mr T and I saw Maximo Park on fri night. I wasn't even sure if I should go as I'm not a huge fan of their music. I think their music is so-so but decided to go since it was cheap-ish.

I'm so glad I did. It was a lot of fun thanks to both the keyboard player and lead singer. They did not stop dancing throughout the whole show. Their energy was reflected in the audience too. It was contagious, so much so that the guys in the audience were dancing more so that I have ever seen at any show before. Everyone also sung a long and loudly to most of their hits. It was such a nice change from the usual bored looking musicians that we often see. I strongly recommend going to them see if not for their music but for their stagemanship.

Ultra quick reviews

Comedy festival
* Lawrence Leung learns to breakdance: if you are contemplating going to see one more show at the comedy festival then and go and see it. I cried not once but twice from laughing so much.
* Best of Edinburgh festival: Ok, but far from great. Much better last year.

New Albums
* Bright Eyes-Cassadaga. I loooooooove all of Bright Eyes's albums except for this one. I don't hate it, but it's not up to the scale of his older stuff. The rawness in Conor's voice that I know and love so much is missing from this album and it's a bit too country for him.
* Arcade Fire-Neon Bible. I was addicted to the first album but unfortunately the second album fails to deliver as much variety and greatness as the first album. Again, I don't hate it but am a little disappointed.
* Modest Mouse- Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank: unlike the other two new albums this was not at all disappointing. I received it for my birthday over a month ago and it still on high rotation on my iriver and my cd player.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Went and saw them on Tuesday night. We arrived super early only about 20 minutes after the doors open and already all the couches/chairs and the first half a dozen rows of people standing very filled at the forum.

The first thing I noticed was the smoke, the last two venues (northcote social club and east Brunswick club) have been smoke free. The second thing I noticed was how many teenagers there appeared to be. For some reason it never occurred to be that teenagers loved them probably because most of the shows I got to don't have many teenagers. I was stuck between two teenagers smoking I felt like I was developing lung right then and there. Really gross, anyway back to the show review: they were awesome. In the top 3 or 5 shows I've ever seen. The suspense before they come at was amazing you could feel it in the air and hear in what seemed to be everyones comments. Once they started playing everyone seemed to be singing and dancing it was just one of the moments where you went 'wow'. The one thing that surprises me was how much Karen O smiles. I don't recall any other musician smiling so much in their shows. Mr T also remarked that she looked sad at some point in the evening and that he worried about her (so sweet). I was half expecting her to spit something out at the audience (bananas, grapes, beer) but she didn't. It was one of those shows as well where it was all about the lead singer. I loved the way she dances around in circles kind of reminds me of a little girl completing not caring at all. Her costumes kind of remind me of that as well. Its hard not to dance when the lead singer is enjoying dancing so much herself. I normally enjoy watching the other members of the band too but I kind of had to tell myself too and even then it didn't work.

I have to admit I'm biased about the band though. I liked the last album but I fell in love with them with this current album. I know, I know many of their fans were disappointed and the reviews have been mixed with this album but its just had a fuller sound or maybe it was just timing. I have a theory that the first album you really listen to, I mean over and over to and give it a chance is normally your fav. For example white stripes. For me it was elephant for Mr T it was white blood cells and for someone else maybe their older or their latest album.

It was great mix of songs from both albums and a couple from their EP. I loved the combination of songs, and their faster and slower ones.

In summary, it was worth all the smoke and worth every dollar I paid for +

I'm think it is quite likely I'm now go into a mini obsession where I can't enjoy anything but the yeah yeah yeahs for a couple of weeks like I did with bright eyes last year.




*Photos taken by Mr T

Sunday

This sunday was a special sunday since it was the last one I will have a for a little while without the guilt of homework in the back of my mind.

Sadly I return back to uni this week.

Which also mean the end of full time for a little while too which translates to less money and less fun time.

I can't say i am looking forward to it at all.

Anyhoo, enough feeling sorry for myself. This sunday i was determined to set out to see and do as much as possible.

So we started off at the tibetan buddist festival (see temple below) which proved to be quite dissapointing. Although in fairness we didn't pay to see any of the talks and are not buddhist so maybe thats it. We went however to check it out because it was supposed to be beautiful and it was ok but in comparison to something like the chi lin nunnery in HK it was pretty bland. I have to admit as well that we were both expecting some good tibetan food (whatever that is) but they were serving western style veggies burgers and veg pies. Stuff you could get anywhere.



From there we went to see the Gossip play at Missing Link for free. First were thunderbirds are now who sounded ok but just seemed to be trying a little to hard. I kind of felt for them though because the audience wasn't exactly giving them much a chance and refused the lead singers attempts to move closer.

No thats not a enthused member of the audience but the keyboard player at the front trying to get everyone to dance or perhaps having some sort of fit

The gossip however were awesome. The lead singers voice was so amazing it sounded so soulful very gospel while the rest of the band were kind of rock-punkish, which might sound like a weird combination but sounded great. By the far the best live show I have ever seen for FREE! I will be getting one of their cds once I have some more money.



We then moved on to Ten Rens Tea Time (on swanston st) where we had a very late lunch consisting of lots of dumplings and BBQ 'pork' buns and a yummy green bean icee and chatted for a while with one Mr T's new co-workers.

I'm going to miss sundays like that.

Sodastsream on sat night and yes the guy on the right is playing a sword.

Thankful

I attended emergency relief training over the last couple of days.

Its been a good experience. An experience which has once again reinforced how bloody lucky i am to have the following:

a place to sleep
family and friends
education
employment
no disabilities
no kids
a loving non- abusive partner
english skills
no major medical costs/debt


Its been great as well to see those who orginally started the training asking questions such as 'how can you tell if they are just trying to scam the system' to realise that the vast majority of clients don't come for help unless they really need it. As the instructor pointed out, they don't think to themselves 'i wouldn't mind some extra kidney beans better go beg for them'.

Others have stopped the victim blaming and started realising that sometimes clients are in a really horrible situation because of bad circumstances rather than bad choices.

And i doubt anyone walked away without being thankful for what little they may have.

Speaking of which, i have something extra to be thankful for:

Mr T handed in the immigration forms today!

Now back to one thing i'm not so thankful for: homework.

The drummer's hand after the pillable show (from Alok's 31G)

Why Native English Speakers are sometimes arrogant fuckers

Most of us only speak one language-English and sometimes not so well (i can vouch for that!).

Many travel to other countries where English is not commonly spoken and try to speak English only to get annoyed when they can't communicate back-what a big surprise! Even sadder when this is happening and you are in a non english speaking city and the person on the receiving end of the abuse is apologising for not speaking good english (witnessed in a few parts of asia).

And then when someone is attempting to speak English in our country we either tease them, laugh or the worst thing possible start to raise our voice and talk to them to in a patronising/angry manner. I have seen this over half a dozen times in the last week. Just try for once to slow down and have a tiny amount of patience it might prove more successful than shouting at them like they are deaf.

They are trying to speak a second or perhaps third or fourth language and rather than appreciate the effort, many get annoyed, and even angry and start to spew out comments like 'he/she/they can't even speak English' to others. However generally that comment is made about someone who is speaking English, its just imperfect and/or slow.

Get over yourself arrogant fuckers you can speak English most probably because you were born and raised here (or there), so what?

Stop giving the rest of us decent native English speakers a bad name!

To those of you who are attempting to speak english if you are being treated like that from someone while they are at their workplace (shop, restaurant, etc) make a complaint to their supervisor. Its the only hope to get the message through to them, and even if doesn't they will hopefully get into trouble for it.