Back in the Nineties, I was a bit of an Acid Jazz freak.

Dig was one of my favourite local groups.
Recently they played at the Darling Harbour Jazz and Blues festival in Sydney.
This is a video of them performing Dreamtime.
I remember this song being a lot more 'pumped' ;-)

Dreamtime

Final video of Oz day 08

Some more music for you folks.

Last year I had a clip taken of the Whitlam’s, this year it’s Dan Kelly. Lots of shot’s of Australians sprinkled throughout, and some sky divers.

Online Videos by Veoh.com

Dan Kelly sings on Australia day 'Babysitters of the world unite.'

One of the things I like about this city is the Sydney Festival

It runs for a couple of weeks in the summer, with great music and activities.
Especially good are the free events. The backpackers must love Sydney in the summer.
Golden beaches, northern winter gear forgotten, and free gigs all over the place.

Last week the festival opened and a big chunk of the city had its roads closed, and stages were erected.
Huge range of music, and a trio of couples had public weddings.

I ended up with a couple of mates down at the Domain Park where a local musician, Paul Kelly was playing a warm up set for an international. Brian Wilson.
Weather was a bit crap, but the intermittent showers were really light and refreshing.

Mr Wilson seemed to be very distant and kept scratching himself. He looked like your dad sitting on the couch at home but suddenly transported to a stage in front of an audience of thousands. Huge video screens amplified every movement.
The crowd loved the music and everyone was dancing and singing along to songs which seem to have embedded themselves into the group unconsciousness.
The people I was hanging with, kept making comparisons with how dynamic contemporaries of Brian, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger were.
I argued that Mick and Keff weren’t musical geniuses that had had suffered a breakdown and a long reclusive period.
They are brilliant showmen, but Brian was never really a 'front man.' This is possibly the secret to the harmonies and instrumentation, and why the entire band ‘features’ in a lot of the Beach Boys music.
I got to thinking about it, and I reckon some performers like Prince can be both amazing live, and as creative forces.


Last night it was the famous ‘Jazz in the park.’
This event has been regularly held for years. It was shut down for a while cause it was ‘too popular.’ The audience in the Domain Park would overflow and cause the organisers to have conniptions.

The event was restored and this year the main act was El Barrio. I reckon there were possibly more people who showed up for the Salsa then to gawk at last weeks Beach Boys living legend.
When we arrived a valiant four piece jazz band on stage was almost inaudible over the racket of picnic dinners.
We made sure we didn’t sit behind the ‘installation like’ jerry-rigged Bedouin tent held aloft with inflatable trees.
Found a spot behind an old couple who looked like they had been there since lunch quietly reading books and ignoring the hub bub.

The field was covered with picnics and blankets, and umbrellas, and booze, and children, and pillows, and collapsible or inflatable furniture.
I saw one older couple Unpacking folding chairs from the back of a huge Honda Goldwing which was parked amongst a crowd of tiny little Italian scooters.


I’ve been overseas for a bit, and busy the last couple of years so it’s been a while since I attended a ‘Jazz in the park’ and things have changed a bit…
Being buzzed by the police chopper during the Paul Kelly set was a bit crap. They whipped out the flashing lights and played the search light over the nearby buildings as though they were hunting for those evil (huh can’t really call them ungodly these days ha ha) terrorists.
Bicycle parking and chair hire: funny little bike parking station had been set up behind the stage, and the queue to return rented chairs once the performance was finished was almost as long as the queues to the toilets.
The sound-desks have turned into sound-towers
The food stalls are better quality. For some reason the beer drinkers had to use plastic cups but people supping wine were allowed to walk off with liquid filled glass clubs (a full bottle of wine.)

One of the things I like about this city is the Sydney Festival

It runs for a couple of weeks in the summer, with great music and activities.
Especially good are the free events. Backpackers must love Sydney in the summer.
Golden beaches, northern winter gear forgotten, and free gigs all over the place.

Last week the festival opened and a big chunk of the city had its roads closed, and stages were erected.
Huge range of music, and a trio of couples had public weddings.

I ended up with a couple of mates down at the Domain Park where a local musician, Paul Kelly was playing a warm up set for an international. Brian Wilson.
Weather was a bit crap, but the intermittent showers were really light and refreshing.

Mr Wilson seemed to be very distant and kept scratching himself. He looked like your dad sitting on the couch at home but suddenly transported to a stage in front of an audience of thousands. Huge video screens amplified every movement.
The crowd loved the music and everyone was dancing and singing along to songs which seem to have embedded themselves into the group unconsciousness.
The people I was hanging with, kept making comparisons with how dynamic contemporaries of Brian, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger were.
I argued that Mick and Keff weren’t musical geniuses that had had suffered a breakdown and a long reclusive period.
They are brilliant showmen, but Brian was never really a front man. This is possibly the secret to the harmonies and instrumentation, and why the entire band ‘features’ in a lot of the Beach Boys music.
I got to thinking about it, and I reckon some performers like Prince can be both amazing live, and as creative forces.

Last night it was the famous ‘Jazz in the park.’
This event has been regularly held for years. It was shut down for a while cause it was ‘too popular.’ The audience in the Domain Park would overflow and cause the organisers to have conniptions.

The event was restored and this year the main act was El Barrio. I reckon there were possibly more people who showed up for the Salsa then to gawk at last weeks Beach Boys living legend.
When we arrived a valiant four piece jazz band on stage was almost inaudible over the racket of picnic dinners.
We made sure we didn’t sit behind the ‘installation like’ jerry-rigged Bedouin tent held aloft with inflatable trees.
Found a spot behind an old couple who looked like they had been there since lunch quietly reading books and ignoring the hub bub.

The field was covered with picnics and blankets, and umbrellas, and booze, and children, and pillows, and collapsible or inflatable furniture.
I saw one older couple Unpacking folding chairs from the back of a huge Honda Goldwing which was parked amongst a crowd of tiny little Italian scooters.

I’ve been overseas for a bit, and busy the last couple of years so it’s been a while since I attended a ‘Jazz in the park’ and things have changed a bit…
Being buzzed by the police chopper during the Paul Kelly set was a bit crap. They whipped out the flashing lights and played the search light over the nearby buildings as though they were hunting for those evil (huh can’t really call them ungodly these days ha ha) terrorists.
Bicycle parking and chair hire: funny little bike parking station had been set up behind the stage, and the queue to return rented chairs once the performance was finished was almost as long as the queues to the toilets.
The sound-desks have turned into sound-towers
The food stalls are better quality. For some reason the beer drinkers had to use plastic cups but people supping wine were allowed to walk off with liquid filled glass clubs (a full bottle of wine.)

Festival season (part two.)

Twas a very hot day and I scored a sunburn despite the posh Nivea sunscreen lol
While looking for a coffee, I discovered a stall selling ‘non colonialist’ coffee and chocolate.

www.mayancoffee.com.au

Great coffee (I went back for a second later in the afternoon)
All the staff looked like they were volunteers, and I bought a bag of chocolate coated coffee beans with a hint of cinnamon and chilli.
They were canvassing for volunteers to travel to Guatemala to teach English and suchlike.
Boy the French must be pissed that English and Spanish became the international languages.

Online Videos by Veoh.com

I like these community festivals cause all sorts of folks can be found
wandering between the stalls. Lots of dogs and kids about too. This video is of a dog show, which seems to be traditional at these events.

Online Videos by Veoh.com

There’s the party animals too, and they tend to gravitate towards the
dance party style sound systems. such as at the end of this ‘stream of
consciousness’ type video.


Lots of music, people, and a brutal slaying of a stuffed toy.

Entry for April 01, 2007: Peace and quiet again.

Houseguests have gone up to Queensland for a few days.
I’m having a period of detox before they reappear on my doorstep in a couple of days.
Nice to see I’m not the only one feeling my age, as they are both taking longer to recover in the mornings.
Went out last Sat night and walked out of the pub around ‘one’ to find one of the missing visitors and a huge Samoan bouncer wouldn’t let me back in.
I don't remember walking a couple of K's to find a bus, but remember getting on the bus and paying, fell asleep and woke just in time to get off at my stop.
Don’t remember walking to the flat, or getting undressed, but awoke in bed the next morning with the oblatory ‘trail of clothes across the floor.’

Had a dinner party for my visitors and made mashed taters with sheep’s yogurt (smells like a sheep) a couple of cloves of garlic, n paprika.

Opened a bottle o favourite scotch that I carried all the way home from U.K.
Opened bottle of Calvados ‘for the ladies.’
Played with deaf dog.
Scored an Easter egg.
Received sloppy wet kisses from drunk wives.
All the dishes were washed up by pre-drunk wives.
Smoked cigars with their husbands.


With the passing of Daylight savings, we see this year’s festival season drawing to a close.
These clips were taken from outside the V fest.

As with the other festivals we’ve had in the park during the year, hordes of kids were drawn to the noise and energy to ‘walk the circuit.’
Parameter defence was pretty lax compared to the enthusiasm of festival security I’ve previously observed.

There was a single fence erected and it didn’t look much effort had been applied to its construction.

It\u2019s as though the organisers didn\u2019t care if people got in?

I noticed an ABC TV offsite broadcast van so maybe the organisers were making more cash from selling the broadcast rights?

Entry for January 30, 2007: Oz day 07

The country celebrated Australia Day last Friday.
I don't really do this 'flag thang.'
I like to think of the whole planet as my domain, rather then just one tiny corner roped off with border control.

I was down at the beach early cause the Google plane was doing a hires geo photo shoot.
There were a few people mulling around with signs lying on the ground.
The thing is, that we didn't see any plane fly over.
Read in the paper today (Tuesday) that the plane was diverted, as it might have interfered with the landing of commercial flights at the main airport.

That afternoon, I joined some mates down at the harbour to see a free gig by the Whitlams.
This is a short clip I took while down there.

Great group, good music, and proper lyrics that tell a story.
Interesting choice of band to perform for Sydneysiders celebrating Oz day.
I\u2019ve included some lyrics including the ones for the song in the video.

I've highlighted favourite bits.


(YEAR OF THE RAT) by WHITLAMS

Creeping into town with all these changes in my head
Funny how my old haunts all look new
A taxi from the airport to the Paris end of King
I'll drop my bags I'll see who's in

My dirty streets
My fabulous friends
Here I am
In your arms again


It's easy being famous in Sydney
Cause everyone's a star
But its got to be deepest darkest night
For you to see them all

There's beer and women even for the thinking man
Join the circus come on down
I've heard they'll even stop kicking you
Just before you hit the ground

My dirty streets
My fabulous friends
Yeah here I am
In your arms again
I'll get a shine-on
All night and day
You rough me up
Till I gotta get away

You know I love you but you try and kill me
Gotta hold your head up in the Year of the Rat
Newtown I love you but you try and kill me
Gotta hold your head up in the Year of the Rat
Tat, a tat-tat, tat

Second rower with the earpiece and the rumble in his eye
Making sure that I don't stumble, wishes all the freaks die
Over there a plain-clothes cop looking at his watch a lot
Wondering is it time to call in the dogs

My dirty streets
My fabulous friends
Here I am
In your arms again
I'll get a shine-on
All night and day
You rough me up
Till I gotta get away

You know I love you but you try and kill me
Gotta hold your head up in the Year of the Rat
Newtown I love you but you try and kill me
Gotta hold your head up in the Year of the Rat
Tat, a tat-tat, tat

You know I love you but you try and kill me
You know I love you but you try and kill me, yeah



BLOW UP THE POKIES


There was the stage, two red lights and a dodgy P.A.,
You trod the planks way back then,
And it's strange that you're here again, here again.

And I wish I, wish I knew the right words,
To make you feel better, walk out of this place.
Defeat them in your secret battle,
Show them you can be your own man again.
Don't, don't explain, lots of little victories take on the pain,
It takes so long to earn, you can double up or you can burn, you can burn.

Chorus
And I wish I, wish I knew the right words,
To blow up the pokies and drag them away.
Cause they're taking the food off your table,
So they can say that the trains run on time.
Flashing lights, it's a real show, and your wife? I wouldn't go home,
The little bundles need care and you can't be a father there, father there.

And I wish I, wish I knew the right words,
To blow up the pokies and drag them away.
Cause they're taking the food off your table,
So they can say that the trains run on time.

Another man there was made the trains run on time.


YOU GOTTA LOVE THIS CITY

You gotta love this city, love this city, you gotta love this city
You gotta love this city, love this city, you gotta love this city
Too sick for breakfast, the car wouldn't start
The train was really full, and his girlfriend had a boyfriend
The houses all the same, now here's the rain
Not falling but collapsing at his feet
Deep breath and he clocks on, raincoat on his arm
He wishes the hours would disappear
But the trip's in vain 'cause awaiting him
A lay-off notice and his severance pay
He shuffles back to the train again
You gotta love this city
You gotta love this city, love this city, you gotta love this city
You gotta love this city, love this city, you gotta love this city
Back home he lies in bed for days and days
Watching American television, smoking
And playing with himself ringing double-O double-5
Into town on Thursday night
The girls are pretty and the lights are bright
At least he loves his city
Holding court on Taylor Square proper was the man he could become
Lear's Fool is a bum now
With seven holy parcels by his side
You gotta love this city, love this city, you gotta love this city
You gotta love this city, love this city, you gotta love this city
He walks along the foreshore, he's got a bottle
And he's breathing with his city
It was busy everywhere he went
There was a crowd over the bay
And a fireworks display
It's all very strange for a Thursday night thought he
Then it dawns on him as a cracker explodes
And who the hell is he going to blame?
It dawns on him - the horror - we got the Olympic Games
You gotta love this city for its body and not its brain

And he screams My city is a whore, opened herself to the world
Jumped up and down in pastel shirts
And lathered up thinking about designs for T-shirts
You gotta love this city for its body and not its brain
It's more than he can take, and the stars' reflection breaks
'Cause you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it enjoy the view
You gotta love this city
He's had enough and he sinks to the bottom


I MAKE HAMBURGERS

My first customer was Megan
She came in for a hamburger with the lot - no meat
Hey that's a salad roll I said and we started going out
My second customer was Susan
she came in for Diet Pepsi morning tea
Each day and I said You don't need to be on a diet.
Do you wanna come out tonight?

I said I'll bring Gringo he's got a lot of money
And he'll take us to the bars where they've got a view.
He'll buy us all those beers they give it to you in bottles
They put lemon in the top it don't taste too bad I'm telling you
My third customer was Maria she came in for hot chips and sauce
More sauce she said. I said now you're talking
and she took me home to meet her mother
My fourth customer was Sandy she came in for nothing I could see except me
So it was I too, was eating a hamburger of sorts within an hour
I make hamburgers I get all the girls
and I take 'em out to dinner and I give 'em all a whirl
and If they work I keep 'em If they don't I keep 'em too
But I teach 'em all how to be dirty girls like you