It is summer at the moment. Matthew is working at a new fruit shop. They get the best stone fruit, actually they get some of the best fruit in general, I have started to eat mangos this summer as well, as the ones they get taste just right. I love stone fruit in general but Nectarines are so good in that you don’t need to peel them first.
Eating a nectarine is such an enjoyable moment. Standing on the front verandah leaning over the railing you listen and watch suburbia around you, a dog in the next street is barking, a car drives up the street, the son next door is channelling his inner heavy metal self. You however have only one concern at that present moment and that is the ripe nectarine you hold between the thumb and forefinger of your left hand. As you raise it to your lips, your mouth automatically opens anticipating that sweet flesh. There is that split fraction of time when the nectarine is in your mouth but the skin is still unbroken and you are overwhelmed with desire to close your jaw firmly, breaking that reddish skin, eager to get to that brilliant yellow flesh that awaits you. As your teeth break the skin, your can feel the first trickle of juice hitting your taste buds and the rest of the world is truly forgotten. For the next period of time, you have only one concern and that is savouring that nectarine bite for bite till you have sucked the last piece of flesh off the stone and licked your fingers clean of that juice. Your stomach is placated for a while until a few hours later you feel the urge to have another nectarine. This time however the rain has arrived and instead of leaning over the railing, you lean over the kitchen sink instead and repeat what you did before.
Tuesday night I had nothing better to do so headed along to The Arena to photograph the Vans Boys of Summer Tour for The Dwarf. Was a big change from what I normally photograph so that was fun still totally not the music I listen to but fun and a challenge to photograph (thank goodness for Raw and the ability to push the exposure). The Arena was only about half full which made it easy to move around, instead of other times when it is packed to the rafters. I managed to sit in gum though đ which was not nice.
the title says it all, the last few days in pictures.
Movies, fun with the 50mm, rain, food, music. In fact all these photos are taken with the 50mm. a little collection of photos for you.
Last Saturday night before heading to the Step Inn, I took this photo at Newstead.
Last night I went back and took this photo, this time I managed to get the entire couch in the frame (just) and not have such a visible tripod shadow. I am going into the Valley again tonight for a concert so I might swing by and take yet another photo.
After that I went down to the Story Bridge and took some photos.
The gig last night was quite possibly one of the most soul enriching gigs I have been to since the Misery and RedemptionFun back in August. I started to write some notes about the music of the night but that is not what the night was about. It was about this eclectic mix of people enjoying a really fine night of music that all falls under the wide Reggae umbrella some was on the Hip-Hop end, others were more on the rock end and others moved about the middle. I ended the night having been exposed to a wide range of people and really just had a really good night. It was also a night of the Watussi shirt as well.
I had a poke round Newstead on my way into The Valley scoping out some places I want to take photos of, walked round the Valley/New Farm observing the street life or more likely getting some exercise since the last week of rain has killed the morning exercise. Another night in The Valley. Another night at the Step Inn. The stage lights at the Step Inn work ok for your standard rock band with three or four members, however when you start putting reggae bands up there with perhaps six, seven, eight members the light just doesn’t work. It means that you get a number of decent photos of anyone who is in the centre front of the stage and the success rate diminishes as you move away from that. Back to photos and music though as that is what we are here for.
Shisha.
A jam band that was there just to provide some background music. A guy jumped up from the audience with a Sax to join in, after a while, I realised that I knew him. It was Jonathan Sri. He was three years below me at school but we were both in the various bands at school together, although then he was playing Clarinet and I was able to hit him on the head from where I was sitting with my Bassoon (sigh I miss her). Was nice to be able to catch up and do the required high school gossip exchange/catch up. Back to Shisha, it was fun stuff and a good start to the night.
Cool Calm Collective.
The horns section never appeared and keys lady was late. It worked though (of course). Some of those lyrics are stuck in my head again. A nice change to Don’t Mess With The Dragon that I have had up there since April. This was a “shot that I have wanted to take for a while” and given the light I am pretty happy with the result, band framed by crowd.
De Jah Groove.
Having seen this guys a couple of times in the last few months I had a photo planned. A photo that I have attempted to take the last few times but have not been happy with the result. I was prepared for it this time. The photo was going to be Dave throwing the Shekere up in the air. I was waiting. I was 99.9% that it would happen. However they didn’t end up playing the song so I didn’t get the photo. I was talking to Dave afterwards and mentioned it, he told me that it was on the set list and they just didn’t play it. Next time I will get it.
Grass Roots Street Orchestra.
GRSO were something. It was reggae with some hip-hop elements and I really loved it, which bowled me for six.
1:10am, the music is over and the instant mood swings security guy starts kicking anyone out who is not in a band. We all promptly step outside and some of the Poetikool Justice and some other guys start a beatboxing circle after a long while someone decides to take the next step and some words, it was really impressive. More chatting and then it was time to bid the St Pauls Terrace farewell.
Emily Barker.
She had just the right blend of folk, country and alt. It was the first time she had played in Brisbane and I am looking forward to her coming back and playing the Troubie as she was sort of drowning in the audience last night
