NEWCASTLE WRITERS FESTIVAL

This is long, I was going to split it into a few posts, but figure if you are interested you are going to read through to the end, if you aren't it won't matter how many posts there are! There are some photos and I did get to meet Richard Fidler and drive him back to his hotel if that sort of thing interests you!!

(I believe they call that a teaser to get you reading...)

 

Newcastle Writers Festival

I was thrilled to attend the inaugural Newcastle Writers Festival on the first weekend in April.

What a wonderful weekend, filled with intelligent conversation, laughter, tears, joy and learning.

But above all, a celebration of books and the remarkable people who put words to paper...writers!

I love reading and books and of course writers, there is probably a thousand blogs I could (and should) write on the topic! That love of books is why from a very young age I wanted to work in libraries and have done so for almost 25 years. So not only was this festival a personal weekend of exploring a world that is MY world, it was a fact finding mission as a Librarian to retrieve as much new information for my team and for my customers. And fact finding is what Librarians do best!!

 

Friday Night Opening Night - Why Words Matter with Miriam Margolyes at The Conservatorium
I love Miriam Margolyes, I love her enthusiasm, her wit, her outstanding command of the English language and most of all, I love her naughtiness and her total disregard of what others may think of her!! I really grew to love her when I saw her perform her one woman show, Dickens' Women, at the Civic a few years back. A newcomer to Dickens, I was in awe of her capacity to draw people into his world, and her love of him and his very flawed characters knew no bounds.

As M & S & I sat in our seats at The Con looking down we had no idea what a ride we were in for. The fabulous Richard Fidler (more on him later) was our MC for the night. We had various people, including the amazing Rosemarie Milsom, the brains trust/engine of thrust behind the festival giving speeches about the preparation and organisation of the weekend ahead. And then Richard gave us a spectacular introduction for Miriam: of all the things...she wasn't! And she appeared, overwhelmed by our gratitude and admitting to a little stage fright. Miriam is used to acting, performing words from others. This was her talking about Why Words Matter, her own words in fact, and she had never done anything like this before. You would never have known.

So she cheekily introduced a lovely young pianist and asked us all to join her in singing Daisy, in the hope of relaxing us all and leveling the playing field so to speak. It was a perfect way to begin and so she embarked on a whirlwind hour or so of stories from her life, both sad and funny, covering topics from royalty, politics, her mother's stroke, her love of language, acting, and a huge selection of her favourite pieces of writing.

 

The pieces included Dickens (Bleak House and Great Expectations), John Donne, Shakespeare, Walter de la Mare, Les Murray and much much more.

She told Rosemarie that is was worth being bold, and gave her the nickname of "Engine of thrust"

She also said that "arts hold the soul of a nation" and it was "criminal to reduce their budgets"

"Voices and words are what truly connects us as human beings"

"Clearly words matter dreadfully. They express anger, joy, and passion"

"Vowels carry emotion and consonants carry the sense, do not mumble"

"words are the currency of thought, the connection"

I cannot do her piece any justice, and luckily here is audio from the night, so take the time to enjoy it yourself.

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/1422875/audio-hear-miriam-margolyes-speech-at-the-newcastle-writers-festival/?cs=2372

The night was inspirational, poignant and so very entertaining, which is what a good book should always be. It was the perfect start to what was going to be one of the most perfect weekends I have ever had.

Saturday

S & I, still alive and buzzing from Miriam the previous evening, made our way into the Lock Up, part of Newcastle's cultural hub in the east end of town. This would be the HQ for us and most of the festival today. There was a buzz inside that can only be explained if you have been to a festival such as this. Anticipation, excitement and intellect buzzing about, and that feeling of complete contentment when you are surrounded by 'your people'.

Our first session was called Crossing Over: Why Young Adult Fiction isn't just for teens. The panel of Margo Lanagan, Alexa Moses, and Felicity Pulman was hosted by Kaz Delaney.

 

The group felt there was a shift in publishing for adults/teens and this was evident in the popularity of these titles. Kaz said she gets more feedback from adults than teens. She also said people tend to prefer to read up (read titles that are for older ages) but this trend is seeing adults reading down or reading back, that is, adults reading about teens.

Margo Lanagan is a fantasy writer, popular titles being Black Juice and Tender Morsels. Her new title, Sea Hearts, is a sea/fantasy/romance including mermaids and other such creatures. She writes for 15 years and above, and offered author, Tobin Anderson, as one of her favourites. He has written the Octavian Nothing series of books, set in 18th century Boston and featuring an African American slave. There is ample sex and swearing with brisk plots, as Margo says, "what's not to love" ?

Alexa Moses is a first time author, her book, Slave girl, was inspired by a visit to the Roman Forum. She did not intend to write for a teen audience, but her subject matter didn't really fit into a genre in terms of adult writing. Her pace was more direct and the book was marketed at teens, though a lot of adults read it too, and it worked.

Felicity Pullman writes a lot of historical and crime titles for teen. She mentioned the Dolly Fiction titles and said they were similar for that age group as Mills and Boon were for adults.

Kaz Delaney is a Lake Macquarie author of the Dead Actually series. She believes you need to know your character, know their world and keep it real when you are writing for teen/crossover audiences. Also to be careful of language, as using modern terms can date your books. The right tone is more important than words in this case.

Whilst all spoke well and their books sounded great, it was Alexa Moses and Margo Lanagan that stood out to me, and I have sought out their titles.

We moved quickly into the next session, Me, myself and I: writing memoir with Michael Sala, Marion Halligan and Pip Newling. This session was hosted by Karen Crofts from Newcastle Writers Centre.

One of the first questions given to the panel to discuss was how far do you go with personal details and honesty. Marion Halligan writes both memoir and fiction, she said if you can't be honest or personal then don't. Leave it until you can, it's easier to write about someone when they're dead. In her book, Taste of Memory, she thinks it is how things happened, yet her sister disagrees. Her fiction is based on reality yet her memoir tells it straighter.

Michael Sala, has just written his first memoir, The Last Thread, and says everyone he wrote about is still alive but he pretended they were dead! He said he was never sure about truth, how he remembered, what he had written and how it was arranged. He did feel the facts were correct. His brother thought his version of events was true and he was the person Sala was most concerned about. Although he was never entirely at peace with Sala's honesty.

Pip Newling's first memoir was Knockabout Girl. She said memoir writing was about being fair and looking at perspective. She is currently writing a memoir of Taree and spoke of the direct voice on the page.

Marion spoke about writing as therapy. She said it was all very well but you don't expect it to be published. She wrote a fictional book based on her husband's death. It was a funny process, a grieving process. She said the voice is my voice, the character's voice is my voice, but some of the things she does I didn't do.

Michael said the therapeutic side was something you're working out and how you approach it. He started writing about his childhood in his 20s but couldn't work it out. But once he found his voice, it made sense and he went back to that place. He saw a series of images with symbolic power when looking back at his childhood.

Pip said she has verbally told her stories over many years so had honed it. She knew what was funny, people who knew the stories said reading the book was like she was telling the stories to them. Also important to respect the reader, people want to trust the story and spend time with you.

The most important thing was that no one writes like you, which is true!

I then took a little break to have some lunch and met back up with M & S at the Newcastle City Business Centre for Why We Read: Ramona Koval in conversation (hosted by Magdelena Ball). Ramona read passages from her book, By the Book, a Reader's Guide to Life, and told the stories around them. She started with the section on how she asked her mother to buy her a book when she was very young, her mother did, it was the Kama Sutra. Ramona had no idea what it was really about until she read it, she had just heard it was a good book. This was hilarious.

 

She said, for her, normal life was mysterious but she looked for clues in books. She wondered why we choose certain books over others, and this is why she wrote her book/memoir. She also felt that you can do an archaeological search of yourself if you look at the books that surround you. And that if a book doesn't sing to you straight away you should give it away. I'm a believer of that, you can always come back to it later if you still think you 'should' read it.

Ramona also felt that going back into books you have read previously was like a time machine, they take you forward, back and to places we've never been. She also said she learnt from people's tragedies and experiences.

"Reading keeps us alive" Amen!!

She went into her background as a microbiologist and geneticist and she had also studied anthropology. She uses the truth of these scientific subjects in her journalism and writing. How does she know if 'this' is the truth? Is there evidence, what is the source? You can use what you have read as a map to point your forward.

"Reading is the key to writing"

We then dashed home exhilarated and ready for our evening at the festival.

Saturday Night 

Our 'twitter posse' and 'Anita Heiss fanclub' met at The Towers for What Women Want: a discussion about desire with Lexxie Couper, Anita Heiss and Marion Halligan, and hosted by Ruby Hamad. Marion, I had heard earlier in the day, a thoughtful intellect who writes about life and love from an older perspective. Lexxie was writing erotic fiction long before that awful 50 shades of bogan came along. And Anita, a smart, sassy talent who is the foremost chick lit writer in Australian AND writes and edits Aboriginal literature, including her own magnificent, Am I Black Enough for you. It was a fun filled hour or so of intelligent women discussing what we want.

 

And guess what? We want different things, there is no universal answer....deep down, I suppose we knew that all along. But it was entertaining to hear them talk about their own desires or desires they have written about and from three very different perspectives.

The evening was slightly marred by a totally inappropriate question by an elderly male. When I say question, I mean rambling, incoherent jumble of words and when I say inappropriate I mean sexist, rascist, in fact pretty much all the ists!

Anita 'shut it down' with class and intelligence, something the questioner will never have, and our posse swept her out of the building and onto her (and our) next gig!

 

The next gig was the old Crown and Anchor Hotel, quite beautifully done up and now called the Theatre Lane Hotel. It was called 15 minutes: sin, and was hosted by Richard Fidler. Each speaker had 15 minutes to talk about sin, and was followed by a Q and A  with Richard.

 

 

Whilst it was an interesting evening, with fascinating speakers I found the subject matter too heavy for what I was expecting. John Turnball got things off to a rollicking start with his retelling of a section of the Rime of the Ancient Mariner. The next four speakers tackled subjects such as being gay and religious, mental health, refugees and incest. So it was a breath of fresh air when Anita came on stage to tell her hilarious piece which took the form of a confession for all of her sins!

 

We were then free to have drinks and catch up, taking poor Richard Fidler with us to a corner of the downstairs bar. Far from being held hostage, I think Richard was in his element with a bunch of chatty, intelligent women. Of course what was discussed that evening shall remain in the vault, but when it was time to head home (eg hotel closed and kicked us out!), my friend S offered to drive Richard, his producer (and our lovely Anita) back to their hotel. I, of course, was driving S, and just about died on the spot. Well my 20 year old self did, whilst my sensible 42 year old self, led the way to my car. Oh! My!

 

 

Yep, Richard Fidler, my favourite DAAS, in the front seat of my car!!!!

Sunday

After staying up way too late, and then conversing online about our evening's exploits and quite possibly a little bit of squealing and giggling, Sunday arrived and we were back to do it all again.

Today we were based at City Hall, a more splendid location for the festival I think.

 

The first session was a favourite, A Toast to Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice turns 200 with Professor John Wiltshire, Amanda Hooton, and Miriam Margolyes and hosted by Felicity Biggins. Town Hall was packed and a group of us settled towards the front, awaiting Miriam and indeed our beloved Jane Austen.

 

The session started with a quote from Mark Twain, "Every time I read Pride and Prejudice I want to dig her up and beat her over the skull with own her shinbone" Maybe he was envious of her writing style and subject matter!?!

John Wiltshire started with some interesting facts including Jane Austen loved plays and that would have influenced Pride and Prejudice as there was more dialogue in it than in any other romantic novel of the time. He then read the passage about what makes a good marriage.

Amanda read the passage where Elizabeth meets Darcy at Pemberley. She has admiration for the ease in which Austen moves her characters around the 'stage' and that it must have been written in a very happy time for her as it is written with a smile of understanding and enjoyment.

 

Miriam choose a passage featuring Lady Catherine de Bourgh...of course! Miriam says all English comedy is social comedy and Pride and Prejudice is a wonderful example of this as it dissects, examines and presents the minute of English society. Miriam also felt Wilde's Lady Bracknell was a homage to Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Pride and Prejudice has relevance today if only to teach people manners!

 

 

John points out that Austen would only write from her own experiences hence there are no scenes where only men are present.

It was a perfect first session, that only could have been better if Colin Firth himself had burst in halfway in a wet, white ruffled shirt and ran through the room...an idea for next time perhaps?

After a quick lunch at the Clarendon L and I found J & C along the way and headed back to City Hall for A Fine Debut: the pleasure and pain of your first book with Courtney Collins and Cathryn Hein, and hosted by Rosemarie Milsom. It was interesting to hear both Courtney and Cathryn's very different accounts of having their first novel published. Cathryn's first novel, Promises, is chook lit or rural romance. Courtney's is, The Burial, based on a true story about a female bushranger.

 

The Promise was not the first book Cathryn had written, so by the time she was published she had honed her craft. It was a combination of that, the story and luck that rural romances had started to become popular. Whereas Courtney's took 7 years to write and she was nominated for a Vogel award. Vogel Awards are sponsored by Vogel Bread, and all nominees get a loaf!!

Tips on where to start are with conflict as that works best. I have also heard Morris Gleitzman say that is what he does.

Cathryn treats writing like a business and is very disciplined, 8 hours work, 8 hours play and 8 hours sleep.

The editorial process can take up to a year, there is always much change as the author can get too close to things. Social media is also important in terms of promotion and connecting with your readers. Readers will also give feedback which is always interesting, good and bad.

The final session for the weekend was The Great Escape: writing about travel with Hilary Linstead, Nancy Knudsen and Monica Trapaga and hosted by Pip Newling. L & I lost C and J, but were joined by S.

 

 

Hilary began with her book, Growing Old Outrageously, about an extensive round the world trip. Nancy's, Shooting stars and flying fish, started as a journal/blog while sailing for a year with her husband. It is about 2 people in a completely new environment and focuses on change, conflict and reinvention along with the visual journey. Monica's, A Bite of the Big Apple is part cookbook, part travel, part art, part coffee table book. When she first went to New York she felt like she had come home. (I felt exactly the same way!)

They all spoke about place as the main theme in travel writing. Place in terms of description, your place within the place, what you see, feel...all the senses.

Monica feels writing is facing your fears. For her it was also about running away from responsibility to see if she liked her own company.

Other comments on writing and why write were, every time you write, you take yourself out of your comfort zone. Have a good time and enjoy yourself.

The words need to sing. Keep writing. Better to see a flawed performance with brilliant moments rather than something competent.

And so the weekend ended, in the makeshift bookstore at City Hall. I lined up with a copy of A Bite of the Big Apple for Monica to sign and we chatted about New York City.

I went home completely full of information and rather exhausted, but in the very best way. The weekend has fed me for the past month and I haven't even begun to read the books I bought or have got copies of having enjoyed hearing about them.

It was announced that it will be held again next year, not long afterwards. No wonder, it was a fabulous weekend, inspiring and intelligent and educational. Can't wait for 2013!!!!

 

 

MARCH ROUND UP

I thought February was busy, well it would appear March was super busy! I packed a lot into my month and it was loads of fun.

 

Let's see how I am going with the 42 things first!

 

6. More live music

Yes, knocked this out of the ball park, seeing Tim Rogers, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon and Rufus Wainwright.

 

I've been a huge fan of Tim Rogers for a long time, but never seen him live! So I hit my old stomping ground, The Cambridge, early in the month with my friends A & L to see him. He was touring with his new bad, The Bamboos, a soul/funk outfit. We managed spots up the front, stage right, which is pretty awesome. The band were fantastic, with an excellent brass section, great rhythm team, boogie woogie pianist and soulful backing singers. They played a few songs before Tim came on, which I thought a little odd, but very generous of him. As the night progressed, I realised it was very generous of them! Finally Tim came on, looking tall, and lean in a cream three piece suit. He sounded great, but as the set continued it appeared things were not so great. He kept clutching at his stomach. 

 

 

He was a physical performer, so at first we thought it was part of his 'shtick' but it became obvious something was really wrong, when he dashed off the stage in the middle of a song, albeit an instrumental section. This continued on and off until he left the stage completely and the back up singers took over. Someone said he'd had 'shit food' in Sydney the night before. It all seemed very weird. It was like watching a car crash in very slow motion. By the time he came back after the little break, he was singing from almost fetal position on the floor of the stage. By then it was awful to watch. He left the stage again for a few songs and then I saw him off stage to the right, banging his head against a wall and pumping his fists in the air, he came back for one final song, gave it his all and it was like none of the other had happened. Very strange indeed, I'm not going to cast any aspersions about why he was behaving as he was, maybe he really did have food poisoning! Luckily it was a relatively cheap gig and it is certainly a story! Rock 'n' Roll!!!!!

 

 

Here are the links to my experiences at Bruce Springsteen:

http://www.reviews-vyv.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/see-this-iconic-album-cover-i-stared-at.html

And Paul Simon/Rufus Wainwright:

http://www.reviews-vyv.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/paul-simon-and-rufus-wainwright.html

9. Go on a picnic

L and I had our final picnic for the Lighthouse Cinema. It was a lovely evening, no rain this time until we were safely home. What a great experience though, to have picnic up there, I hope they do it again. I highly recommend the experience.

 

 

13. Write more, post on my blog more regularly

I have been continuing with my writing, can't say I am blogging that regularly, but they are extensive posts when I do! I also had ABC radio host a writing workshop at work of which I participated. Part of their 500 word Online project is to connect Hunter people with each other over a theme each month. I wrote a piece for A Scary Moment, you can read it here:

 

https://open.abc.net.au/projects/a-scary-moment-89yk8go/contributions/in-the-wilds-of-africa-at-night-44nn6ez

 

15. Spend more time outdoors and less indoors

I've been out and about at events and continuing to go for walks. I'm certainly spending less time on the couch, as the piles of books and DVDs in my lounge room are turning into walls and furniture, but winter will be here soon and plenty of time for indoors.

 

 

19. Eat and drink out more

Had some lovely meals over Easter with the family, some lunches out with friends. 

 

26 Go to farmers markets more regularly

Managing once a month, which is regular enough at this point

 

 

33. Go to lots of fun social events

Oh yes!!! One of note was the inaugural Bibliotweeps Book Club. A group of us from twitter met at a local cafe to discuss The Other Hand by Chris Cleave and books in general. Some of us knew each other, some of us didn't. We had a lovely time over coffee and food, discussing our love of books and debating the selected title for that month. Next month Anna Karenina!

 

34. Make sure those that mean the most to me know that they do

I have been very busy this month, spending time with my nearest and dearest. I hope they know what they mean to me. My shoulder is always there for their head to rest.

 

36 Take time to daydream and do nothing more regularly

Despite being super busy, I have had some moments of lovely quiet and contemplation. I do enjoy it, and highly recommend. In the middle of the month I arrived early at the Civic for a play, it was a sunning sunny day, so I sat in Wheeler Place, watched the passing parade and took some photo. It was just the pick me up I needed. 

 

 

41. Have more fun

Yes! This month is a perfect example of having fun!!!

 

42. Surprise myself

I continue to do this in small ways. This month my juggling skills have come into play, not only has it been a busy social month but a busy month at work. I have managed to keep all my balls in the air without dropping any, and mostly with a smile. A fluke, or careful planning, or a combination of both, who can know, but I find it exhilarating and surprising!

 

So what else have I been doing to make me so super busy!?!

 

DVDs watched

• Lola versus - Starring Greta Gerwig (who is just lovely) as Lola, who has a perfect life and is engaged but her fiance calls the wedding off at the last minute. She goes into a spiral and the film is about her versus her reality. A really lovely take on the romantic comedy.
• Ruby Sparks - I LOVED this film, a successful young writer is stuck, he needs to write a follow up but is struggling. He has a dream about a red headed girl and begins to write about her. By doing so he brings her to life and she appears for real. His family think he is going crazy, until they meet her. This is funny, sad and very clever. Paul Dano is the writer and he captures the pathos so well.
• Wish you were here - Australian film about the aftermath of a family after an Asian holiday goes home and they return with one member of their party missing. Joel Edgerton is particularly good, as the man with all the clues as to what may have happened. the story slowly unravels as you watch stunned. I wasn't sure I would like the film, but was totally mesmerised.
• Darling Companion - To be honest, this is a bit of a sookie film about a dog that changes the life of a family. However is starred Diane Keaton and Kevin Kline, so I watched it. They were excellent, the film so so. I think I'd watch them in anything.
• Mad Dogs - this was an interesting British mini series with John Simm, Philip Glenister and Ben Chaplin. Four mates go to visit an old friend on his island. The friend appears to be doing very well for himself, the other 4 have issues. But things aren't as they seem, and the 4 suddenly find themselves caught in a trap with serious consequences. It did linger, but was a good watch.
• Jayne Mansfield's Car - this was a mess, but it shouldn't have been. Directed by Billy Bob Thornton, about 2 families, one from the US and the other from the UK connecting after the death of their mother. She was married twice and each family represented the marriages. The cast was amazing and it was an interesting story, but the characters never really worked. Shame as it had potential.
• Goodbye First Love - a lovely French film about a young girl. She falls in love with an older boy, 19, but he is a free spirit and moves away to work. She is bereft, and can barely manage, but takes studies in architecture and falls in love with her professor. As she is finally settling with him, her first love returns. Her world falls apart, as she has never gotten over him, what to do?

Television watched

• Final Season of Gossip Girl - I do love my GG, but found the final series a bit disappointing, a bit of a rehash of old storylines, and some annoying turns for some characters. However the fashion, as always, was stunning and NYC perfection as a backdrop. And then there was Chuck, there was always Chuck. Goddamn, I am Chuck Bass, has to be one the all time cool lines! The ending tied things up and of course I sobbed. I will miss their antics, most especially Blair's peonies and fabulous outfits, her Audrey fantasies and her schemes. And of course, the man, Chuck Bass, how he smoldered his way through the entire series, with cravats and purple suits...sigh. For the record I truly thought GG was Deroda, which when you think about it was crazy, as if she would ever do anything against her beloved Blair. The revealed GG makes perfect sense, he was always the Nick Carraway to the groups collective Gatsby.
• Agony of Life - I was not a big fan of Agony Uncles, I thought it came across a bit misogynistic. I only caught a few episodes, so I will revisit. I loved Agony Aunts, some of their stories just killed me, especially one episode with Julia Zemiro, it still haunts me. But Agony of Life, took it up a notch. For those who haven't seen it, it's worth a look. Adam Zwar (Wilfred, Lowdown) interviews Australian actors, singers, presenters, comedians about the stages of life, from birth to death. It is funny, poignant, clever and entertaining. I miss it still and eagerly await the next one, of which I believe is coming soon.
• Please like me - another Australian gem, loosely based around the life of Josh Thomas. I sometimes find Josh a bit affected in his mannerisms, and this does heighten that. But as the series went on they grew on me. I still don't get his 'accent' though!?! The cast were brilliant, with stand out performances from Debra Lawrence as his Mum (wow, that was something else!) and the amazing Judi Farr as Aunty Peg. There were some truly remarkable scenes, in particular the church scene, that stood out for me. And whilst things tied up nicely at the end, I would love to see a second series.

Books read

I'm still not getting a lot of reading done, hard to find the time with everything I am doing, so thank goodness for talking books!

• The Other Hand by Chris Cleaves - I did re-read this for book club. An interesting story with a twist, the promotion says you can't talk about what it is about, so I won't, but the subject matter will make you think.
• The Great Gatsby - I do love this book, and having re-read it recently, I decided to listen to Tim Robbins reading it instead. He was quite excellent, doing great voices for each character, including Daisy!! We were doing this at our work Movie Book Club. I was disappointed when no one really loved it. It's rough when that happens. They did appreciate the writing though. And what fine writing it is!!
• Continuing with Bill Bryson reading his own books, I devoured A Walk in the Woods, about his trek through The Appalachian Trail. This was a great read/listen, entertaining, funny and informational! Then the wonderful Neither Here nor There, about his travels in Europe. This was great as I could picture in my mind some of the places he visited as I had been there recently.

Cinema Experiences

• Argo - loved this, it got a late re-screen just after the Oscars, and you can see why it won best film. A great story and cast. It was filmed with love and extreme attention to detail. Despite being a drama with a horrific back drop, there was ample humour, mostly delivered by the brilliant pairing of John Goodman and Alan Arkin. The casting was spot on, the end of the film shows real life still photos of players and scenes against shots from the film. Remarkable imitation, right down to the gritty opening credits, this film would stand up alongside the great films of the 70s. I've enjoyed all of the films Affleck has directed, but this is a masterpiece.
• Oz - this was much better than expected. Franco was so so and it was a little long, but the witches were excellent and the set design magnificent. I loved the little links back to the original Wizard of Oz. Didn't see it in 3D, which was possibly a mistake.
• Amour - this was a bit of a rough film to watch. But that is Michael Haneke. Friends had seen it the night prior and were devastated by it. I was not as much, possibly as I am used to Haneke's detached style of film making and I had steeled myself up for extreme upset...and it just didn't happen. It is about an elderly couple trying to cope with the wife's stroke. It was upsetting for sure and very confronting and I wept on and off throughout. I do keep thinking about the ending and the beginning of the film and wonder if they are linked. It is worth seeing, great performances and outstanding soundtrack, but a hard slog. Oh, and I sooo want their Parisian apartment!!!
• Hyde Park on Hudson - this was ok, I will see Bill Murray and Laura Linney in anything. Bill is continuing with his melancholy period of acting which I love. He was very good as Roosevelt. But Linney was disappointing in yet another 'put upon woman' role. It is a style we are accustomed with, but it is growing weary. The story of how his cousin Daisy was his 'companion' was weak and at times scenes didn't ring true. It wasn't hugely funny, and not that dramatic either. It was a nice film to take your granny to.
• Doctor Who on the Big Screen - what a fabulous evening, the first 2 episodes of Season 6, up there on the big screen with an audience of devotees, most of whom were dressed up in some way! The episodes were The Impossible Astronaut and Day of the Moon, both lending themselves perfectly to the big screen. What I loved the most was seeing the glorious River Song light up the big screen. Everyone looked great, but she shone. Alex Kingston does the finest job with River Song, and seeing her 'enlarged' as we did, made it all the more brilliant! I do love the Day of the Moon episode, where do they get these ideas from?? Makes me really wonder, could such things really happen...
• A Simple Life - this was our final Lighthouse film, a beautiful film from Hong Kong, about a young man caring for his elderly maid/nanny after she suffers her stoke. Like, Amour, rough in parts, but more heart and tenderness here. A simple, quiet film that potters along at a lovely pace, giving you time to know these characters and their lives.

CDS listened to

I have had no time to listen to anything, I have bought HEAPS of discs, but they are sitting unopened in a pile on the stereo...the shame!!!

I did have a quick listen to the new Bonnie Raitt, and I enjoyed hearing her husky rock voice again. As always a solid piece.

And then I listened to a lot of Spingsteen, Paul Simon and Rufus.

Hopefully more next month! 

Plays

• The Complete Works of William Shakespeare was at The Playhouse and a play everyone should try and see at least once. I have seen it before a few years back, but this was better. Every work from Shakespeare with a comic, modern twist, enhancing The Bard's classic language. A side splitting delight, that will leave you smiling.
• Animal Farm, was a young, modern take on the classic tale, with 5 actors acting out each part wonderfully. It is a depressing tale of course, and this came through, but also high energy and poignancy.

Other things in March

The month began with a whirlwind trip to Tweed Heads (via Brisbane airport) to farewell my beloved Great Aunt. At 93, Marie had led an amazing life, and had been well up until her stroke 2 weeks earlier. Whilst life is certainly sadder without her around, it is absolutely richer for the privilege of knowing her.

 

 

March was the start of the F1 season, so a weekend of couch surfing, soaking up Melbourne was very enjoyable. A race I have attended in the flesh many times, you do get to see a lot more via tele. Added bonus my favourite drive Kimi winning.

 

I went to the optometrist and walked out without glasses, not bad for 42! 

And finally had a wonderful time with family over Easter. Good Friday saw me reuniting with some of the family and friends we travelled with at the beginning of our European Vacation last year, including seeing my cousin and her husband for the first time since their amazing Italian wedding. We had a lovely meal of seafood, chocolate and wine and reminisced travel stories afterwards...bliss. Easter Sunday was a family BBQ with my entire immediate family and was joyous and fun. 

 

 

I thought I was exhausted after February, but March was way busier. April is not letting up either. I am not complaining, life is rich and exciting, it's important to grab it and join in! Stay tuned for the entertainment and education of the inaugural Newcastle Writers Festival.

Paul Simon and Rufus Wainwright

When I heard Paul Simon was touring - with Rufus Wainwright no less - I got very excited. A huge fan of both, I was ready for action, but the dates available made it impossible for me to go, and one was at the vineyards, a location I am not fond of for concerts. But when the vineyard concert changed to the Newcastle Entertainment Centre (again, not a great venue) it made my attendance easier! I couldn't believe, for once in my life, luck was on my side.

Rufus Wainwright, fabulous son from a talented family, is a prodigious talent. His sister, definitely has the better voice, but how can you not love this gorgeous man who did a whole concert paying homage to Judy Garland at Carnegie Hall! Our seats were good and we were thrilled when he arrived on stage looking Rufusy! Just him and a grand piano, he sounded good, though appeared nervous at times. He toggled between guitar and piano with no band whatsoever. That is brave and he pulled it off easily. His piano playing was superb and he was physically dramatic, swaying along with his playing. Such intensity, as you would expect!

I can't find a setlist anywhere online for this, so can only remember some songs from his 30min set. He sung The Maker Makes from Brokeback Mountain, which I love. Montauk and Out of the Game from his latest album, both excellent tunes. Memphis Skyline, his tribute to Jeff Buckley followed by Hallelujah. He spoke before starting to sing this double about Jeff Buckley. He had been asked to sing Hallelujah for the Shrek soundtrack and had never heard the Buckley version. I find this odd, but there you go, he heard it afterwards and said had he heard it prior he would never have recorded the song. I love Rufus's version, but Buckley's is definitive for sure (after Cohen of course). Both songs were stunning, and I was very moved by hearing his Hallelujah. 

He ended with Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk, which is a personal favourite and we were sad to have it end. Next time we shall see him as a main act.

Prior to attending I has been thinking about why Rufus was touring with Paul Simon and vice verse, pleased, but it seemed not quite right. Different styles, different eras and presumably different audiences. I thought Simon may have been friends with his parents, and this may be so, but it was something quite different. They live near each other in Montauk, and are friends...simple and sweet...and come to think of it, probably have a lot in common, given their pasts!

After a short break, out came Paul Simon, the crowd cheered. He had a large band with him, very tight, very funky and assisted him brilliantly in presenting all these classic songs. I have attached the setlist below, and you can see it was a fabulous mix of classics, new and some Simon and Garfunkel classics.

I grew up with Paul Simon, as my Dad was a fan, and came to know Simon and Garfunkel through music lessons. I adore both, I love the funky grooves of Simon, and Graceland is one of my all time favourite albums. Bridge Over Troubled Water is my second favourite song of all time (after Hey Jude), I am not good at picking a favourite and staying with it, but this will never change. I actually went into the concert hoping he would not attempt this, he did not...phew. It is beautifully written, with the most comforting and uplifting lyrics, perfected by Art Garfunkel's angelic voice...but I digress, I am pretty sure there is a whole post to be written on the beauty of this song!

Paul Simon knows his place in music history, not in a cocky way, just an assured and confidant stance, as one should be when they are a musical icon in their 70s. He commanded the audience and enjoyed their interaction. He is also a very still performer, he does not move much when playing and performing. He certainly got down and funky in instrumental sections when not singing, but mostly it was perfect delivery and stillness. A complete contrast to seeing Bruce Springsteen a few weeks earlier, yet equally as impressive.

He started with Gumboots, the jaunty African tune from Graceland and you felt that immediate joy of a well known song touching your heart. Graceland is just one of those albums, still relatively 'new' compared to his older tracks...yet over 25 years old, yikes! And after a song from his new album, which I really like, he went straight into the cannon with 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, a great song and we were entranced. By the time he got to an incredibly cool cover of the classic Junior Parker blues number, Mystery Train, we knew we were in for an interesting ride that was covering every track and turn of his musical career.

And so it continued until the diversity of the last three songs. All you need to know about Paul Simon, post Simon and Garfunkel was there! The great title track from So Beautiful or So What (the new album), followed by the exquisiteness of Graceland's Diamonds on the Souls of Her Shoes (a personal favourite), to the rockin' groove of Late in the Evening. Of course, by this stage almost everyone were on their feet!

After a short break he came back, just Paul and a guitar, and simply sung Sound of Silence, you could hear a pin drop. It was beautiful, stunning and emotional. Then the band joined him for Kodachrome, then he soloed on a lovely version of Here Comes the Sun, such a surprise and a gift really. Only to be topped by a rousing rendition of You Can Call Me Al. This is one of those catchy pop songs, but on a closer listen, it is so much more. Great lyrics and great beats, hence the easy transition to pop, but a very funky bass line, soaring horns and a flute bit. 

And that's the thing about Simon's music, it is authentic, yet borrows from everywhere. I read he writes the music first and then the lyrics. This explains the intricate words, they need to fit the rhythm. I love his rhythms, but his words have always fascinated me. Some of his lyrics are better than poetry. The twist and wind and fit into the music so intrinsically, you would think they appeared simultaneously by divine intervention. Not many do it well, but he is one of the best. 

So, was all that enough...of course not, another encore, this time Graceland, and then a Bo Diddley cover. He says Graceland is the song he is most proud of and I believe it is a masterpiece. Of course, I bastardised his opening line over a decade ago when I saw the Mississippi for the first time. He begins, "The Mississippi Delta is shining like a national guitar", I was like yeah, nuh, more like a slimy, muddy bathtub! It was not a clean river! But seriously, the lyrics in this are stunning. I love "I see losing love is like a window in your heart. And everybody sees you're blown apart" He gets it, for sure!

Then he walks back off the stage, but that can't be it. Some people start to walk out, obviously not seasoned concert goers. Everyone knows you wait until the houselights come on! And of course, he comes back out for the final encore, dragging a reluctant Rufus with him and they attempt The Boxer. I do love The Boxer and whilst I really enjoyed hearing it, it was obvious Rufus has not really rehearsed it and was very nervous. He didn't wreck it, but he shouldn't have attempted it. Nonetheless, it is a powerful song and we all joined in the chorus of lie la lie...

I walked back to the car, the night sky lit by a full moon, still air and songs going round in the head. Lucky and blessed I am to have been able to bear witness to history. And a huge thanks to A and D for letting me tag along, especially to D, who had to put up with A and I getting a little cranky with some rude people behind us! 

SET LIST 

1. Gumboots (Graceland)

2. Dazzling Blue (So Beautiful or So What)

3. 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (Still Crazy After All These Years)

4. Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (Paul Simon)

5. That Was Your mother (Graceland)

6. Hearts and Bones (Hearts and Bones)

7. Mystery Train/Wheels (Junior Park/Chet Atkins cover)

8. Slip Slidin' Away (Greatest Hits, etc)

9. My Little Town (Simon and Garfunkel non-album track, Still Crazy After All These Years)

10. The Obvious Child (Rhythm of the Saints)

11. The Only Living Boy in New York (Simon and Garfunkel, Bridge Over Troubled Water)

12. Crazy Love, Vol II (Graceland)

13. So Beautiful or So What (So Beautiful or So What)

14. Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes (Graceland)

15. Late in the Evening (One Trick Pony)

Encore

16. The Sound of Silence (Simon and Garfunkel, Sounds of Silence)

17. Kodachrome/Gone at Last (There Goes Rhymin' Simon/Still Crazy After All These Years)

18. Here Come the Sun (Beatles/Harrison cover)

19. You Can Call Me Al (Graceland)

Encore

20. Graceland (Graceland)

21. Pretty Thing (Bo Diddley cover)

22. The Boxer (with Rufus) (Bridge Over Troubled Water)

Here is a link to the breathtaking version of The Boxer that Paul Simon sang on Saturday Night Live on their first show back after 9/11...

http://en.channel.pandora.tv/channel/video.ptv?ref=em_nom&ch_userid=ssofficer&prgid=34579920&categid=all&page=1 

THE RISE OF THE RUDE AUDIENCE

I have been to a lot of live theatre and concerts over the years. The saying goes 'there's always one.' What has grown increasingly frustrating over recent years, is the 'one' has grown significantly and audiences are becoming ruder and more frustrating. 

 

So apologies before I continue, this is a cranky blog! Regular readers will know I try to keep things pleasant, upbeat and hopefully entertaining. But as I endure audiences to bring you most of my posts, sometimes things aren't pleasant and in the realms of disclosure, I am going to share honestly. So there may be language, there will be home truths and I have pulled on my cranky pants! 

 

Those that know me well, know this is a little (ok huge) bugbear of mine, so why now...well Easter Saturday was a great day, back to back movies and a double concert, but from these I was witness to some pretty shitty behaviour and whilst it did not completely ruin my experiences, they sure as hell would have been heightened without!

 

Let's start with the cinema, because audience behaviour there can be pretty awful too. Cut about 10mins to the end of Amour. A movie I might add that was quite incredibly sad, emotional and exhausting to sit through (though very good!). I noticed a couple climbing the stairs to where I was sitting with a friend. I thought it was odd I did not see them leave, but continued watching. No, they had never left, they were arriving for the NEXT film!?! The choose the row in front of us....there were 7 people in the cinema, all spread out! They shuffled along until they almost got to us, sat down, had a conversation and mucked about with their phones. My friend and I exchanged glances that pretty much equated to WTF!?! Well, mine certainly did! Then, they got up and shuffled to the very 2 seats directly in front of us. How I did not smash the backs of their head I have no idea...I really mean that. The credits rolled, I wiped away my tears (it was that kind of movie) and we stood up to move out, they apologised in case they had disturbed us. My friend told them they had ruined the end of the movie, they looked back with shock and as I stood gobsmacked at their utter rudeness, they looked at me with a bit of a how dare we comment. I gave them my very best fuck off and die look (if you know me, you know it is pretty awesome) and moved away. Had I opened my mouth, I would not have been as eloquent as my friend. As I walked away, In heard one say to the other, 'we said sorry, what is wrong with them.' Why would anyone behave like that, I have absolutely no idea, but it is becoming fairly normal and common behaviour from my observations!

 

Cut to an evening at Newcastle Entertainment Centre to see Rufus Wainwright and Paul Simon. First off, I have to disclose I am a fuckwit magnet at concerts, ask anyone who has been to a concert with me, without exception I always sit next to a complete twat! I've even experimented with friends either side, yeah that was REM where a douche spilled beer down my back from behind all night! So behind us at this concert were two loud women, who conducted a conversation rather loudly throughout the most of the concert. That was when they weren't singing very loudly off key or clapping out of time...give me strength!! I used my evil eye, my friend told them off on more than one occasion, they looked at us as if we were the idiots! At one point they told us to shut up! My friend said something about they are probably waiting outside for us, hmmm I wish! You don't piss me off at a concert! Of course these are the same people who when Rufus was doing a lovely introduction to his song about Jeff Buckley, said to each other, 'never heard of him'. WTF? As my friend A said, "philistines". Paul Simon covered Here comes the sun, the very same people were like that is a XXX song, thinking they were cool we didn't exactly get the band they were referring to, but it sure as hell wasn't The Beatles or George Harrison.

 

So here is my list of really uncool things to do at a live event, concert or audience based activity:

• Constantly walk in and out of the concert/show while the performer is performing, we are all adults, go to the toilet before hand, if you cannot go a few hours without alcohol, STAY HOME. Seeing people stream in and out is embarrassing, what a waste of money. And how must the performer feel, seeing someone walk out during Paul Simon singing Sounds of Silence is inexplicable!
• Don't be late, YES parking will be a bitch, leave time to find one, get to your seat before the performance starts, it's not brain science. Even better get there earlier, have your drink and conversation prior to the event, as opposed to during! 
• If you are going to stand to dance (and please do, we want to enjoy), think about those around you, some people cannot stand due to health reasons and you would be a complete arsehole if you stood up in front of them. Sometimes the polite and correct thing to do is jiggle about in your seat. If you cannot handle this, purchase tickets for GA or don't come.
• It is not cool to talk through any performance where you are in an audience of people you don't know, or even with those you do. By doing this you are pissing everyone off around you AND everyone can hear what you are saying...and (trust me) it's never anything that makes you look smart or interesting!
• If the venue (in my experiences a cinema) is quiet or almost empty, you don't have to sit on top of the only other person there. I mean, seriously, what is wrong with people that do that???
• If the phone rings, don't answer it and have a conversation. Surely by now you know how to silence or vibrate it. If you are waiting for an important phone call, possible an audience based activity it NOT where you should be.
• If you need to really do leave a live venue during the performance, then do so as discretely as possible
• if you are eating or drinking, try to do so as quietly as you can, especially in the movies.
• Denim Jeans at the theatre, or shudder the Sydney Opera House, are not cool...ever!
• Taking photos and videos are par for the course these days, but be mindful of those around you and check the venue's rules first...or be discreet!

Now, here are music gigs specifics. These are just wrong, on so many levels:

• if you are at a Stevie nicks concert, don't yell out for Christine McVie songs
• if you are at a Dave Stewart concert, don't ask where is Annie
• Don't wear the band t-shirt to the band, it's poor form. If you must, wear one you just purchase over regular clothes (you still look like a dick, just less of one)
• Fancy, shiny, stiletto type shoes at a rock concert are not cool unless you can move at ease up and down stairs in them...you still look like you might be 'with' the band, if you get my drift, but maybe we'll appreciate that...maybe, probably not, but you know, some people can't be told
• Women, you are going to a rock concert, not the Oscars, dress appropriately...to the venue and band
• if you are not into the support act, sit quietly and meditate or leave, cause some people might like them
• If you get all jiggity when you drink, don't hold full glasses of beer behind people
• if you are going to eat crappy, smelly food before attending a gig, please don't burp during the gig
• if you decide to be cool and dance down the front, don't do it in front of someone who is sitting down in the front row! Yes, they got the good tickets (maybe for the first time ever) and do not need some twit jigging up and down and ruining the moment.
• if you decide to be cool and dance down the front, be sure you actually can dance cool!
• if you are going to get up on stage with Australian rock and roll royalty, and you are over a certain age (in this case I think 60) please wear a bra, especially if you are wearing a strapless dress,
• (Sidebar: this rule is a basic fashion rule...one a LOT of people seem to be breaking lately, they may as well be running around naked!)
• if you are at a venue that is a bit classier and seated and people are more chilled, we don't need you downing 10 drinks to everyone else's 1 so that you run around the venue off your tit, showing your tits and being a twit!
• If you are going to buy 4 beers at once to drink just for you, please don't leave the on the floor, cause if you're drinking that many at once, chances are you are shitfaced and will kick them over, and I will be sitting next to you and it will look like I wet myself and also wreck my shoes...arsehole!
• don't wait till the quiet, sensitive moment in the concert to yell something out to the artist...it will always sound moronic!
• if someone is trying to move through the crowd, let them through
• if you are really tall or wearing a hat, check to ensure someone smaller is not behind you and you are not blocking their view

Seriously, I have seen all of this and more, I do not understand this behaviour, is it a Newcastle thing? Is it just how people are now? It has certainly shifted over then years.

I am not going to apologise to any who may take offense with this, it is written with tongue in cheek but meant with a fair dosing of reality, if you don't get it, nothing much must bother you and I wish I could be the same, but I'm not made that way! But honestly, the behaviour of a lot of the above is simply rude and is definitely disrespectful to the artists 'you' have (often) paid a lot of money to see.

Pretty sure I am preaching to the converted here, just venting and eager to hear your own stories of inappropriate audience behaviour???

 

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

 

See this iconic album cover, I stared at it for hours and hours, daydreaming about dancing in the dark with the singer, Bruce Springsteen...and you know, perving at that bottom!

 

I was 13.

 

Now almost 30 years later, I finally got to see him perform at Allphones Arena at Sydney Olympic Park.

 

Whenever you (I) go to a gig, there is anticipation, the bigger the gig, the more beloved the artist, the larger the anticipation. Then, there is expectations, will they play this song or that? And I, as for most things in life, have high expectations!

 

It is very easy to be disappointed. 

 

I was not only not disappointed, but the evening exceeded my expectations...quite significantly.

 

Our seats were in the nosebleed section, back row to the right of the stage, looking down to the stage. They were incredibly steep, and my Vertigo set in immediately. I could barely move, let alone dance, but in time it disappeared...phew!

 

He started at a little after 7.30 and finished at nearly 11pm. He was on stage the entire time, bar maybe 2 mins before the encore. That is 3hrs and about 15mins of sheer entertainment! Oh, and the man is 63!! No mean feat!

 

So the lights went down, the crowd got excited and out came Bruce...the crowd roared. Brooooooce...which kinda sounds like booing, but of course it wasn't. As he walked out he already had the crowd in the palm of his hand. He was solo, in black with a vest. He played an acoustic version of Devils and Dust as a tribute to 10 years since the Iraq War. It was powerful and haunting, and along with my overwhelming excitement I got a little bit emotional...ok, I blubbered.

 

Once the brilliant E-Street Band joined him, things started to rock. I don't think I have ever seen such energy on stage before, with the exception of Prince and possibly The Rolling Stones. And whilst the band were on fire, mostly it came from Bruce, he put every fibre of his heart and soul into the evening, and the crowd loved it. And the more the crowd loved it, the more he loved it, and the more he put into it. I've NEVER seen anything quite so outstanding before. 

 

 

A huge range of songs were played, 27 in total, and there was a perfect mix of new tracks, hits, and album tracks. Of course he can't play everything with a back catalogue such as his, but by god, he gave it a pretty good go! I really wanted him to play Badlands, Born to Run, The Ghost of Tom Joad, Atlantic City and Hungry Heart. I got the first three, but there were some surprises. I love Because the Night, I just never thought he would sing it - but he did and it was magnificent. A song written for Darkness on the Edge of Town, he was never satisfied with it, so excluded it, and then spent time with Patti Smith (another hero) and rewrote it with her, it became her song. I thought he would shy away from Born in the USA tracks, but we got 5 and then there was the fabulous Detroit Medley, a heady mix of covers from the 50s...awesome!!

 

 

Of course, there's also The E-Street Band, a great band, some who have been with him forever, some brand new. For me it was bittersweet, without the presence of Clarence Big Man Clemons, Steve Van Zandt and Miss Patti I was worried. I have no idea where Patti and SVZ were, and why they were not touring. Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine, took over guitars. He is a great guitarist, and whilst no SVZ, he added a bit of an extra rock appeal to the evening, with a sublime nod to Hendrix with some teeth gnawing plays!!

 

Since the passing of Clemons I worried about his replacement, how would they find someone good enough (forget great) to do all those sax solos. Well, they have, in the name of Jake Clemons, Clarence's nephew, a hulking, funky, young dude, who more than easily pulled off those sections. It gave me chills, he obviously spent a lot of time with his uncle learning the ropes. In the last song, Tenth Avenue Freeze out, there was a lovely tribute on screen to Clarence and to Danny Federici. The love Bruce has for his band is equal to the love he has for his music and his audience.

 

And speaking of the audience, this show was really all about us! Some artists put on a great show, and sound fantastic but there is heart and soul missing, this was never going to happen here. However, I was completely unprepared for how gobsmackingly joyous he would be, and how much he interacted with us, the  audience, the crowd! He was genuinely loving every moment, the more the crowd went wild, the more he gave. He came out into the crowd early, 7 songs in at Out on the Street, along the side of the GA section, and to a slightly lifted corridor in the middle, singing, and hugging and shaking hands of his adoring fans. Then he turned his back on the GA, and flipped backwards into them to be crowdsurfed back to the stage, singing as he went...it was to be seen!

 

 

He took signs off the crowd, and played their song requests. One lady, had used an art flipchart to request her song with some other funny things written within, Bruce read it all out and promised her she could dance in the dark with him later...the crowd went wild! She, I imagine, almost fainted!! Later, towards the end of Dancing in the Dark, she was escorted onto the stage to dance with him. The Courteney Cox moment all us girls wish we could have. It was brilliant, he always does this, but presumably with younger, model types. She was lovely, but neither of those, a true fan and we all beamed for her experience!!

 

Then later in the evening, I think during Waitin' on a Sunny Day, the cameras panned to a young boy, about 12 I'd reckon, on the shoulders of his father, jigging and singing along. Bruce plucked him out of the audience and handed him the mic, he shyly sung some lines and Bruce encouraged him to dance along, he then took him up to the back of the stage and danced and chatted, then they went down to the front section again and ran along the stage to do a knee slide...so much fun, the kid was old enough to get it, but young enough not to be phased. Bruce was loving every minute of it.

 

This love and interaction, with the audience and band including using every part of the stage to address every part of the audience, was what really made the show. Such energy and spirit lifted everyone through the roof of the stadium. It was a natural high, one everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime. I realised that night, he is called The Boss for a reason, a reason you don't wholly realise until you see him live. 

 

As he left the stage at the end of the final song, he was drenched in sweat and water, he looked like there was nothing left to give, although he looked happy, satisfied he had given it all. We all left on a high, with countless earworms going round in our heads, thankful and appreciating the experience.

 

 

Setlist, Wednesday, 20 March, 2013

1. Devils & Dust (solo acoustic) (Devils and Dust)
2. Last to Die (solo acoustic) (Magic)
3. The Ties That Bind (The River)
4. Darkness On The Edge of Town (Darkness on the Edge of Town)
5. Wrecking Ball (Wrecking Ball)
6. Death To My Hometown (Wrecking Ball)
7. Out In The Street (The River)
8. Does This Bus Stop At 82nd Street? (Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ)
9. The Promised Land (request) (Darkness on the Edge of Town)
10. Cover Me (request) (Born in the USA)
11. No Surrender (request) (Born in the USA)
12. I'm On Fire (request) (Born in the USA)
13. My City Of Ruins (The Rising)
14. High Hopes (Blood Brothers, cover - The Havalinas)
15. Because The Night (Co-written with Patti Smith)
16. Open All Night (Nebraska)
17. Shackled & Drawn (Wrecking Ball)
18. Waitin' On A Sunny Day (The Rising)
19. Lonesome Day (The Rising)
20. The Ghost of Tom Joad (The Ghost of Tom Joad)
21. Badlands (Darkness on the Edge of Town)
Encores:
22. Jungleland (Born to Run)
23. Born To Run (Born to Run)
24. Bobby Jean (Born in the USA)
25. Dancing In The Dark (Born in the USA)
26. Detroit Medley
27. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out (Born to Run)

February Round Up

Well and truly into March and I'm just now writing my February Round Up!!

 

That's because February was huge.

 

First off, how am I going with my 42 things:

 

4. Walk more and explore my own surroundings

Before the weather went a bit mental, I was walking in Belmont at lot. There are some great walks around the Green Point area which I highly recommend. A beautiful part of the world, as you can see in this photo. The large tree by itself is my favourite tree ever. I've also been walking around Swansea at lunch and after work.

 

6. More Live Music

Yes!! T and I hit The Great Northern for a dance and to see King Tide. King Tide are an awesome Dub Step/Reggae band. A mix of old school reggae, ska and dub step and very cool. I have always loved reggae and ska, so this was a blast from the past for sure. Great Northern (and the now defunct East Room) part of my stomping ground as a teen in my 20s.

 

7. Go on a picnic

Yes, L and I got through a picnic and the film without being rained out (ok we got soaked leaving, but that was after it finished) atop of Nobbys mid month.

 

 

13. Write more, post on my blog more regularly

I have been enjoying writing more. I don't profess to a great writer, nor am I trained to be one. However, I get a lot of enjoyment out of it, and it is for me and me alone...but if others enjoy it, that makes me smile to. I have guest blogged for ABC and Anita Heiss over the past month, plus upped the ante on my own blog and been doing some other project writing. Good for the soul.

 

15. Spend more time outdoors

I've been trying, a nocturnal, indoors creature by nature, this goes against my being. I hate the heat and wind and not great with critters, but as you can see by 4 I have been trying! The wet weather hasn't helped!

 

17. Mini Breaks to my favourite places and try new ones

I like the mid north coast, plenty of places to get to relatively easy. I used to visit Port Macquarie a lot when staying with my grandparents, who lived in Wauchope, and have ducked into Port on my way up the coast. But, I have never stayed there. So I met L halfway for a girls weekend. This was the nasty weather weekend, where parts of Port were flooded and they had to evacuate! Luckily we stayed closer to the beach on the hill at The Observatory Hotel. Highly recommend The Observatory, we had an apartment, reasonably priced and spacious with a nice view of the beach...well, when it wasn't raining! Despite the weather, we still had a great time catching up, drinking, eating, shopping and relaxing. Poor L got stuck there some additional days, we will try and book our next trip around bad weather!!

 

 18. Pamper myself more

L and I treated ourselves to an afternoon at a day spa whilst in Port Macquarie. Long overdue and sublime. Starting with a foot massage (feet carry your body, so important to look after them), then a body massage, then a facial. 2 hours later we slipped out of there feeling a little zonked out...in the best possible way of course.

 

19. Eat and drink out more/20. Get through my list of local restaurants and cafes

Whilst in Port Macquarie, L and I ate very well, for breakfast, lunch and especially dinner. Amazing 3 course meals with fab wine, champagne and cocktails both nights. Also tried the Thai at Charlestown Square (outside) and had breakfast at Peg's Cafe, Whitebridge - highly recommend both. Went to a few cafes for hot chocolate (don't drink coffee) and cake, and thoroughly enjoyed champagne and Hors D'oeuvres at The Civic Subscription launch.

 

26. Go to the Farmers markets regularly

Only made it once as I was away at Port Macquarie for the second one. Got a range of goodies and treated myself to some Lillies.

 

 

30. Say no

Yes, a few times and yes, it still feels good!

 

31. Have fun and laugh more at work.

Been busy and there has been a few moments during February where you wonder why? However, the fun and good I do as a Librarian and watching my fabulous team evolve make it worthwhile and yes there has been fun and laughter.

 

33. Go to lots of fun social events

Well, that's a given. Aside from everything I have already mentioned, I was lucky to hear Graeme Simsion talk about his book, The Rosie Project, at Charlestown Library. The book is now No. 1 in Australia...wow! There was the Subscription Season Launch at The Civic Theatre which was held backstage. Family dinners, lots of movies, and The Oscars.

 

 

41. Have more fun

Ha ha, for sure!!

 

Secondly, here are some other things I squeezed in to an already packed month!

 

DVDs

I watched Decoy Bride (with David Tennant and Kelly McDonald, both of whom I love), Seeking a friend at the end of the world (with Keira Knightly, whom I really cannot stand and Steve Carell, whom I love) and Friends with kids (large cast), they were all ok, wouldn't rave though. Also Rock of Ages, which was even more crap than I thought I would be.

 

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, which starred Emily Blunt and Ewan McGregor, both can do no wrong in my books, and it was delightful, definite recommend. And finally Beasts of the Southern Wild - WOW, just wow, it is a hard one to describe. It views like a documentary, but is not, set in Louisiana in 'the basin', it is about an African American Community post Katrina, their life and their struggles. The young actress who plays Hushpuppy was magnificent. She was nominated for Best Actress at The Academy Awards. I can't recommend this enough, it's a must see!!

 

TV

Loving Series 3 of Downton Abbey, yes it is a soap opera, but I am sucked in, why not!?! Finally caught the second half of Smash. It has gotten so so reviews, but I think it's great. Set behind the scenes of Broadway, about the staging of a musical about Marilyn Monroe. The songs are magnificent, the cast great, the bitchiness and backstage antics fascinating. Debra Messing is great, as is Angelica Huston - she should be in everything, such gravitas! And then there is Jack Davenport, a love since the brilliant This Life, he can do no wrong, especially when he is playing a bad boy. Looking forward to Season 2.

 

Movies

Being Oscar month, there was much to see.

 

I saw Les Miserables, and cried and sung my way through it. I was sitting isolated by myself! Hathaway was magnificent, Jackman was solid, but his pitchy singing let him down and I loved Crowe, he was perfect for the role as bad boy and his singing was spot on. Entire cast magnificent, but really with those songs and Hugo's story, you can't go wrong.

 

I loved Django Unchained, I adore Quentin and his offbeat world. The first half was as close to perfection as you could get, it got a little muddled and messy in the second half, but that is Quentin. Waltz stole the show, from the amazing cinematography and great soundtrack.

 

Again, I adored Silver Linings Playbook. (so many great films!) A little film, that had so much love, heart and honesty. Stellar acting and a great end. Plus Jennifer Lawrence acting De Niro (in a fine return to form) off the screen.

 

Finally Lincoln, with an outstanding performance from Daniel Day Lewis, he had the Oscar as soon as casting was announced. Fabulous supporting cast, great story, and while the first half was slow, the second half was indeed the pay off. Dare I say a killer ending!?!

 

The Giants was the film L and I saw at the Outdoor Cinema, a modern French film about 2 youngish boy who are essentially homeless. Filmed in the beautiful French countryside, which made the grittiness of their situation stand out even more. As the boys get themselves into more and more trouble, you become invested in their ending. Very bleak with a few uplifting moments, I thought this was a great film too.

 

Books

I only read one book in Feb, which is dreadful. But I was busy. However, it was a great book. Caitlin Moran's latest, Moranthology. I love Caitlin's sass, style and humour. She is a journalist and commentator, and Moranthology is a collection of articles she has written for various journals and newspapers over the years. She writes about music, film, politics, sociology, her family (especially her long suffering husband) and well, anything that amuses her. I loved her article on the greatest film of all time, according to her, Ghostbusters. She also loves Doctor Who and the Sherlock Holmes reboot, so there are a few articles dedicated to that. A hilarious one is where she asks if Rihanna owns a cardigan. but my two favourites were one on Paul McCartney and one on Libraries. She describes Libraries as cathedrals of our souls, a firm supporter of Libraries, this article is a love letter to the thing I love...so how can I not love her. She, like me (we do seem to have a lot in common!), also adores Paul McCartney, and hilariously gets to meet and interview him. It made me tear up and laugh. If you like things I like, you will love this ;)

 

Music

The new Nick Cave was the soundtrack for my road trip to Port Macquarie, it is excellent, but really, I expected no less.

 

Listened a lot to Rogers sings Rogerstein, the latest Tim Rogers. Had this for a while, but really got into it, I love his melancholy. More on Tim for the March Round Up!

 

And finally, a fabulous album by a 'new' group, Baby et Lulu. Baby et Lulu are Abby Dobson of Leonardo's Bride and Lara Goodridge from Fourplay. Both are bands I adore, and both have stunning voices. So to hear them sing a lot of my French faves is mind blowing. I have just about worn this one out already!

 

That's all folks...