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DREAMS AND MEMORIES, A POETIC ASSHOLE'S TALE
Counting Crows, Apollo Hammersmith - Mon, 23rd Mar 2004



He wore a Californian Golden Bears shirt.. He told a joke about 3 Texan surgeons.. His head was trying to impersonate a pineapple.. He played the piano..

Adam Duritz has always been a lyrical genius to me.. I always thought there must be thousands of troubled souls out there, being inspired by the power of his poetry every day.. but yet, while admiring the work, I never felt like I could connect on a personal level... That is.. until last night...

When I first heard about this 'greatest hits' tour, I was half interested in going.. I already knew that they were one of the great live acts of the past decade, but didn't think it justified the high price to see them... In the end, it took some hard convincing by a few hardcore CC fans, who assured me I wouldn't regret it... So I started listening to August again, and managed to get a burnt copy of Films About Ghosts.. and went along to the Apollo in Hammersmith.. ticket in hand...

The first half of the show was only just better than average.. mostly because I couldn't recognise a great majority of the songs.. but I stood in the crowd listening to the words, both spoken and sung by Adam, almost to the point where I tried to block out the music... Though, the band was very much in good form last night, and tight to say the least.. Dan had some impressive solos, and Matt's basslines had me bopping along all night... Mr. Jones and Big Yellow Taxi came and went without much fanfare.. BYT, in particular, didn't sound as good for some reason...

It wasn't until they played a wicked version of Rain King that had me in complete and utter awe... The intro and first verse almost sounded like classic Eagles, and then Adam just took over in the chorus and the whole theatre was in a trance... The place was buzzing... Then they went straight into my favourite, Long December, which just about brought me to tears, as I suddenly recalled the first time I heard the song all those years ago... I had completely forgotten about that up until then... Adam was on the piano and the lighting was a perfect blue... Special...



For the encore, they had saved Hangin' Around, Friend of the Devil, and Holiday in Spain (Ray and Natalia were pretty chuffed about that last one)... I was a tad disappointed not to hear Round Here and Mrs. Potter.. but you can't win them all, can you?

So here I am, 6 o'clock on the morning after.. I'm due to fly to Geneva tonight for another ski trip in the Alps.. and I still haven't packed... See you's on the flip-side...

KAZE WO ATSUMETE

Lost In Translation is one of those films that reminds us why we love watching them so much.. I had high expectations going into the cinema, and it delivered on all counts... Sofia Coppola has created something staggeringly beautiful, with an enchanting blend of fantasy and realism.. The ambient lighting is a direct contrast to the chaotic streets of Tokyo.. and the music.. the freakin music.. is perhaps what I like best about the movie...

I've always admired Bill Murray's work (Groundhog Day is one of my all-time faves).. Recently, I came across a movie called "Larger Than Life", where he plays a motivational speaker who finds out that he has inherited an elephant.. It was a nice Sunday arvo flick without being too memorable... While it's clear that Bill essentially plays himself in all his movies, it strangely works.. It's not annoying like the way Robyn Williams is always Robyn Williams (ok, with the exception of Charlie's Angels) - It's this understated style of acting that I find immensely appealing.. Add a gorgeous Scarlett Johansson to the mix, and you have one outstanding human study in love, life, and friendship... That very first shot in the movie is worth the price of admission...

However, it's the soundtrack that makes the movie, in my opinion.. Two unforgettable scenes come to mind - the karaoke room and Charlotte (Scarlett) going on a day trip to Kyoto...

I've had to revise my Top 5 upon seeing this.. and it may even get higher...

ALL THE PEOPLE, SO MANY PEOPLE
Blur, The Coronet - Fri, 5th Dec 2003





The Setlist:

Ambulance
Beetlebum
Girls And Boys
Good Song
She's So High
Tender
Blue Jeans
Coping
Caravan
Out Of Time
Brothers And Sisters
Song 2
To The End
End Of A Century
Music Is My Radar
Advert
Trimm Trabb
Battery In Your Leg
This Is A Low

- Encore -
Sing
For Tomorrow
Me White Noise
Parklife
We've Got A File On You x1
The Universal

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FORGET ABOUT TOMORROW
Feeder, Wembley Arena - Wed, 10th Dec 2003

WE GOTS HIM

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3447468017&category=15687

THANK YOU!

I had one of the best days on Sunday.. Thanks to all who bought me drinks, shook my hand, wrote me an email or sent me a sms/txt...

Photos

AN AVALANCHE OF MUSICAL GOODNESS

Just when you thought it was safe to breathe again.. here comes another batch of unmissable shows...

17 Dec - Jeff Buckley Tribute Show (featuring Jamie Cullum)

18 Dec - The Libertines

29 Jan - Longview

3 Feb - A Perfect Circle

10 Feb - Ryan Adams (yes, I would see him again!)

11 Feb - Sleepy Jackson

20 Feb - Damien Rice

1-4 Mar - oZomatli (!!!!)

and tonight is Blur.. ho-hum...

WHEN IT'S GOOD, IT'S SO SO GOOD
Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, Brixton Academy - Fri, 28th Nov 2003

Concert review will be up soon guys.. For the time being, enjoy these photos...





The Full Setlist:

Excuse Me Mr.
Brown Eyed Blues
Temporary Remedy
Ground On Down
When She Believes
Sexual Healing
Diamonds On The Inside
Steal My Kisses
Amen Omen
Burn One Down

- Encore 1 -
Waiting On An Angel
Walk Away
When It's Good

- Encore 2 -
Whipping Boy
Don't Take That Attitude To Your Grave
She's Only Happy In The Sun
With My Own Two Hands/War

More photos...

LLOR N KCOR
Ryan Adams, The Forum - Wed, 26th Nov 2003


Wow...

That show just completely blew me away... The guy is, in a word, AMAZING... a pure musical genius... The show just about had everything - from slow stylish ballads, to straight out rock.. from alt-country, to blues and roots...

The first song was The Shadowlands.. a slowish number that set the mood for the night... A very Kathleen Edwards sounding This House Is Not For Sale was next... However, from that point onwards, the next 45 minutes consisted of no-holds-barred-Zepplin-esque-rock... 1974, Wish You Were Here, Love Is Hell and yes, Rock N Roll were all there...

Then the pace slowed somewhat with a few songs off his earlier albums... New York, New York, one of my favourite songs, was a delight to hear.. and Firecracker was a huge hit with the crowd...

There were a couple of amusing moments with Ryan getting the drummer, Johnny, to sing during Tears For Fears' Head Over Heels cover, while Ryan himself played the drums.. Johnny had no fricking clue what he was doing and was just mumbling most of the time, but it was funny as hell... Later, Ryan decided to the 'Cookie Monster Song'!!

Another cover was The Strokes' Last Nite... I couldn't figure out what it was until the very last verse... An interesting version to say the least... At one point, the band members gathered around the front of the stage, and what looked to be a bluesy improv.. turned out to be a couple of wicked versions of Do Miss America and Shallow (both off the new album)... It was a weird mix of The Eagles and Johnny Lee Hooker!

Upon the first encore (first of three!), Ryan came out with his acoustic.. He sat down on a tiny stool to play songs like Oh My Sweet Carolina, and Call Me On Your Way Back Home.. plus Jacksonville Skyline - from his Whiskeytown days... Most in the crowd could not see a thing, least of all little old me, especially with the 7-foot French guy at times directly in front of me...

He returned with the rest of the band after the 2nd break, and played the toe-tapping To Be Young, and an excellent version of Anybody Wanna Take Me Home... And finally, after the 3rd encore, they ripped into So Alive, and the crowd went absolutely nuts.. Something I did not expect to see at a Ryan Adams concert... It was a fitting way to finish one of the best gigs I have ever been to...

The Full Setlist:

The Shadowlands
This House Is Not For Sale
She's Lost Control
Note To Self: Don't Die
Boys
Wish You Were Here
Firecracker
Luminol
Love Is Hell
Do Miss America
Shallow
This Is It
1974

- Encore 1 -
Call Me On Your Way Back Home
Jacksonville Skyline
Oh My Sweet Carolina
My Winding Wheel
New York New York
Lovesick Blues
Last Nite (The Strokes cover)

- Encore 2 -
To Be Young
Cookie Monster
Anybody Wanna Take Me Home
Head Over Heels (Tears for Fears cover)

- Encore 3 -
Burning Photographs
So Alive

Next - Ben Harper at the Brixton Academy!!

SWUNG LOW


We have dreaded this day for a few months now - England actually winning and then us having to put up with all the gloating... For us Aussies living in London, it was more about England faltering and continuing their run of mediocrity, rather than the Wallabies winning the Webb Ellis Trophy for the third time...

I woke up with a splitting headache at 7:30 on Saturday morning - the result of a drinking session the night before (red wine and pike just don't mix)... I stayed over at Ray's place so we could watch the game together at the new Walkabout in Finchley Rd, and it was lucky Pete & Belinda did likewise, or Ray and I may have missed the game completely (which, in hinesight, may not have been such a bad thing)... We managed to get there by 7:45 but the line was already 50 metres long... Further up the line, ahead of us, there were some more familiar faces, patiently waiting to get in... It felt like the whole of Sydney was in NW3...

By the time we made it inside, it was standing room only.. but I found a spot right in front of the big screen where I could sit on the floor... As tempting as it was to go for a Foster's or a Bundy & Coke, my brain somehow over-ruled that part of the stomach which cries out for a beer when watching a sporting event of this magnitude... Though, the lemonade didn't really help the headache...

What I thought of the game - The Wallabies were brave, but were clearly out-classed.. They only stayed in the game due to some dubious (bordering on bizarre) decisions by Andre Watson... If not for the referee, it could have been the most lopsided WC final ever, such was the difference of the two teams... I hate saying this, but England fully deserve their victory, and when you have a powerful set of forwards like they do, and a no. 10 that can just about do anything (yes, even tackling!), it would take a mighty effort to even get close... So credit where credit's due...

As for the Wallabies, looks like their luck has finally run out.. Line-outs were woeful, the front-row was non-existent, and the backline just couldn't get anything going without the space required... The 'leagies' were found out once again, except for Tuqiri perhaps, and that was a gamble that probably backfired for the ARU... Can't see how Sailor will be back after his pathetic performances...

For that reason, I was not too disappointed with the result... The English can celebrate.. for now... Let's hope, for their sake, it does not take another 37 years to win anything...