JANUARY ROUND UP

Hello 2014, one month down (and a bit) already and what a splendiferous month it has been!!!

 

I spent more time in Sydney this month than I have spent in years. When I was much younger I was in and out of Sydney all the time, enjoyed it, had fun, shopped even...but then I discovered Melbourne and it kinda paled in comparison. I still went and there is nothing like driving over the bridge and seeing the Harbour Bridge and Opera House, and hanging out around those areas, but it's all a bit splashy with no soul, money but no sense if you will!

But Melbourne, ahhh, there is something that makes me feel at home immediately, the art, the ease of moving about, the later starts, the trams, I even shop in Melbourne (not normally a fan of shopping) mostly as you feel like you are exploring and not shopping at all, the food, the laneways, the architecture and the people...it's very European and cosmopolitan in a way Sydney just never will or can be.

 

Nonetheless I went to Sydney three weekends in a row.

 

First up was to see Sgt Peppers and Abbey Road played Back2Back by a range of Australian musicians at Sydney Opera House. We travelled down via Bobbin Head, had a wander and a meal at Circular Quay and loved the show.

 

The following weekend, we stayed overnight for Amanda Palmer's Sydney Festival Show, taking up the atmosphere at Hyde Park, before and after.

 

And then back the next Saturday for the Yoko Ono Exhibition and to see David Sedaris at Sydney Opera House, with a bit of chillaxing in between at the Garden Party just outside the Opera House.

 

The Australia Day weekend was relatively quieter, but the month was rounded out by a visit to Melbourne. I went with my good friend C and we had a blast. We saw shows and exhibitions, ate very well, and explored the streets and took photos.

 

Being the lead up to The Academy Awards, I have been also soaking up as many nominated films as I can.

 

I also saw The Secret life of Walter Mitty, which was lovely and sweet, I much prefer Ben Stiller in what I call his melancholy roles, it suits him better. Also two French Films as part of the Summer of Film Festival at The Towers, A Lady in Paris (starring Jean Moreau as a formidable older Estonian lady living in Paris but needing live in help, a black comedy with the usual French flair) and Looking For Hortense (another comedy with melancholy longing, affairs and double crossing was Tres Francais!).

 

As usual I've been out and about eating and being with my fabulous friends. We said hello to S with a group at Bar Petite, lunched at Beaumont Street with C, ate fish and chips in the mall, entertained B at Club Cathy, and had the most god awful meal and service at Pippis with M - thank goodness the company and alcohol was good - but won't be going back there in a hurry!

 

I also spent some time with my family, hanging with my niece and nephew, dinner with my parents.

 

The start to the working year has also been good, hectic in the right kind of way with many exciting projects that I am working on plus the usual stuff and all rather enjoyable.

Also managed a few walks and started a little photography project...more on that in weeks to come.

 

Amanda Palmer

Last Saturday I saw Amanda Palmer...live...for the first time...and it was brilliant.

 

I can't remember when I first came across Amanda Palmer. I certainly knew and loved The Dresden Dolls, and was aware of her in your face attitude. As a huge fan of Neil Gaiman I guess I started to come across her more when she became his wife. Initially I was a little gobsmacked, but following both of them on social media, you can see they are the golden standard for modern romance. I know Amanda has toured before, Newcastle even (how I missed that I still have no idea!), so was keen to see her in the flesh.

 

And with Amanda, that can be quite literally. She is an all encompassing performer, embraces nudity, and (in my thoughts) is a real feminist. She loves men but doesn't need them, incredibly independent, tells it like it is, isn't precious about feminity, yet always looks amazing, and is kick arse! We all should be that cool!

 

I mean, she IS Amanda Fucking Palmer...or AFP as she is known!

 

So I set off on The Shitkansen with my friends, L, J and A for our AFP Adventure. (Every outing needs a hashtag) After some roving round the city we met up with our fifth accomplice, S and changed our hashtag to Five Go Wild at AFP (homage to our beloved Enid Blyton).

 

Amanda was doing a ten night residency at The Spiegeltent in Hyde Park, as part of The Sydney Festival, and Saturday was Performance 3. It was GA seating but we scored some great seats about 7 rows back.

 

The lights dimmed and we waited with anticipation and behind us a voice and ukulele started up, Radiohead's Creep. It the shadows near the bar she sang, cracking herself up from time to time and finally seductively making her way to the stage. She ended on a long operatic note, which was dazzling. I believe she is classically trained, or at least it certainly sounds as if she is. Her vocal range is stunning and her piano playing amazing.

 

 

I always enjoy her music, but I guess it is more for listening to live, and finally seeing her cemented that thought. She gives so much of herself for the entire time you feel like you might be in her bedroom looking in. Yet she makes you feel special and loved. There is much chatting and frivolity in between most songs, with stories of how they came to be or little comments about Australia. Amanda loves Australia and gets our humour and lifestyle.

 

Now, as wonderful as it was, I feel my descriptions do it no justice at all. It is such a visceral and powerful thing to hear such raw emotion and honesty delivered through songs (humourous or not) that I just can't find the right words...but I shall try.

 

The first song after Creep, was Coin Operated Boy, a Dresden Dolls song I have always loved because of it's theatrical tone and whimsical AND melancholy feel. By the end of that, if she hadn't already, the audience were in the palmer of her hand and behaving accordingly. My god, the first concert I have been to in forever that no one is annoying, in fact I cannot recall even noticing the audience. This is something!

 

 

The set was only an hour (as it is each night) and it went fast, too fast, but by god it was amazing.

 

Standouts for me were Vegemite (mostly because it is one of my favourites of hers, she does not like Vegemite, and neither do I...I know from experience we are in a minority, so when I first heard it, I whooped with glee!), her duet with Brendan Maclean on Bats For Lashes' Laura, Drover's Boy, and Bigger on the Inside.

 

 

Ted Egan's Drover's Boy, a song I knew but not well, was simply stunning. It was haunting and brought a tear to my eye. It's moments like that, you really think there is nothing this woman can't do!

 

Also the haunting Bigger on the Inside, dealing with a lot of traumatic and sad material and about being pushed to your limits had the audience hushed and you could hear a pin drop.

 

And then when we thought we could take no more, she ended with the delightfully upbeat Ukulele Anthem. About the joys and simplicities of playing the ukulele.

 

 

We left feeling great, Amanda came out to sign items and hug people after, we watched from afar, eating our gelatos and feeling fabulous.

 

 

P.S. My photos are not that great. I was using my phone, which is usually pretty good, in a very dark environment without a flash and then had to contend with the staging lights. But you get the gist!