This post is so long overdue it is not funny and Ange I hope I do you justice. The other week, ok a few other weeks ago I received a package in the mail. The package contained a CD. A CD that made me smile when I opened it. A CD that I had been looking forward to for quite some time and I am pleased to say it most certainly exceeded my expectations.
That CD was Aniseed Tea by Ange Takats, a collection of 9 charming songs.
First I smiled at the CD cover of a woman with parrots climbing over her, then I smiled at the linear notes. Then I put the CD in the stereo and I smiled at hearing the first strains of My Song. It is rare for me to stumble across a CD that takes all the best things from a live performance (obviously what I enjoy most) and makes it a 1000 times better. This CD is like that, the production, the “noise” is just jaw dropping. I have played the CD countless times over and every time I love it more. The instrumentation is understated and serves with the whole purpose to accentuate the fragility and gentleness in Ange’s voice. The voice that won the Lis Johnston Award for Vocal Excellence at the National Folk Festival this year.
One thing I have adored about Ange’s songs is that they are simple songs telling the tale of life. Songs about temptation, longing, individuality and living. Just plain simple songs with meaning, love and a tune.
Of course one reason I love this CD is also the fact that on one of my photos grace the CD booklet.
Go to Ange’s Myspace and have a listen or pick it up on iTunes or catch her live at Woodford (I can’t wait till Woodford)
Holly Throsby, man oh man what I can say about her and her duo of support (Bree van Reyk and Jens Birchall). I went on Friday night for The Dwarf and I went back on Sunday night to see her again. I have known who Holly is for quite a few years now and have adored her version of Not the Girl You Think You Are from the Tim and Neil Finn tribute Album She Will Have Her Way. However I have never gone to a concert, I have thought about it many times nor I have listened to much of her work. I did have a brief listen on Myspace before the gig on Friday night to brief myself a little but in all honesty listening to them on Myspace didn’t sell me on her. Clare was hoping to come along on Friday night as she was already in the Valley but by the time she got to the door the gig was sold out. I grabbed some floor space down near the front and caught the last bit of the support band Firekites and in all honesty I can’t remember much of their set three days later. By the time the support had finished the Troubie was filling up nicley and the security man walked through the sea of people sitting on the carpet and told us all to stand up and with much protest we all stood up. Then Holly came on stage and after she had said hello, a few people yelled out “Can we sit down?” to which she answered “I don’t care” and on that last word, everyone collectively sat down again. To which Holly made a few comments about that now she feels really tall.
A couple of seconds after she started singing, I sat up a little bit straighter and took a deep breath. Man oh Man, where I have been? Such an incredible sound, the little trio, soon to be known as Holly Throsby and the Hello Tigers (as of Sunday night) were just so tight in their sound, it sounded like there was just one person on stage. One of the sweetest things or perhaps I should say one of the nicest things was that at the end of the gig, it was Holly and Bree who were the merch stand and as I bought On Night on Friday, I told her that I had been meaning to go a gig for years but never got there and tonight she had blown the expectations I had for the gig by about 1000%. I was so sold that two nights later I bought the other two LPS A Loud Call and Under the Town and I would have bought a shirt but I don’t do black shirts.
The set list for Friday was as follows
1) And Then We’re Gone
2) A Widow’s song
3) Now I Love Someone
4) On Longing
5) Don’t Be Howling
6) The Time It Takes
7) One of You for Me
8) Would You?
9) Some Night Are Long
10) Warm Jets
11) Berlin Chair (You Am I Cover)
12) Things Between People
13) What Becomes of Us
14) Up with the Birds
15) Making a Fire
16) A Heart Divided
17) The Shoulders and Bends
Friday blew me away but Sunday was bliss, a lot slower, a lot calmer, more talking and the music just leading the night away.
Set list for Sunday was as follows
1) To Begin With
2) If We Go Easy
3) On Longing
4) Now I Love Someone
5) The Time It Takes
6) One of You for Me
7) A Widow’s Song
8) Don’t Be Howling
9) Come Visit
10) Things Between People
11) Berlin Chair (You Am I Cover)
12) What Becomes of Us
14) Up with the Birds
15) Making a Fire
16) A Heart Divided
17) The Shoulders and Bends
There might have been one or two songs that were changed around but my lists are from the set lists that I picked up off the stage at the end of the shows.
The Troubie whilst I love it and love it and love it is not a venue that is at all friendly for people wishing to take photographs. The lighting is two lights and a floor lamp but I wouldn’t change the fact that there is comfy lounge chairs, carpeted floor to sit on and a trendy bar. There were just so many cute, quint, funny bits that just made me smile. At the show on Sunday night, Holly asked if anyone had come to the gig on Friday night and raised my hand ever so slightly and she said that she had been thinking about wearing the same dress tonight but decided against it just in case people such as my self from Friday turned up on Sunday as well. Next time Holly Throsby is in your town make sure you go! If you don’t and I find out, well it may not be pretty.
Here is a youtube video of Holly doing Berlin Chair, the You Am I cover at the gig on Friday night. This user also has a few more videos from the two Brisbane shows.
Another thing I can’t contain my love for is the design of the CDs. All three follow the exactly same design for the CD and sleeve artwork. It is just perfect! Such a tiny thing like the fact that the
I am sitting at my desk, looking out at the bottle brush, waiting for the family of possums who live in the tree to wake up and start their evening’s play and I just glanced at the corner of my desk and caught my eye on the brochure from the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra concert I went to about ten days ago and thought I really should write about that.
I have every intention of catching the train to QPAC in my refined orchestra listening clothes but time very much got the better of me and the shawl I wanted to wear was at Mum’s place so I ended up driving but I wasn’t going to pay for parking! I parked on the street outside Gambaros at South Brisbane and walked the streets of South Brisbane in my finery instead.
They played three of the Water Music Suites first (D major, HWV 349; G major and minor, HWV 348; F, HWV 348). Which was a reasonable treat but I fully admit I dozed on and off through it (just like I always do in the first half of any performance). After the interval it was time for what I was just begging to see, Music for the Royal Fireworks. The females in the orchestra had changed outfits from black tops with purple skirts to black dresses of a wide variety of styles. It was everything I thought it was going to be and more. The opening strains had me sitting upright in my seat, eyes sparkling as I watched the various sections joining in.
I have no shame in admitting that one of the reasons that I like Music for the Royal Fireworks so much is that at the first concert for the king it featured a nice large number of bassoons ( the superior instrument) and oboes.
It was so great seeing the cellists playing cellos with no endpins, just holding it between their knees. It was also humorous watching the various horn players (all with no valves) constantly empting the spit. One of the cool things was the theorbo player, I had never seen one before it was quite interesting to watch. The funniest thing though was watching the Paul Dyer the founder/artistic director/harpsichord player get really excited during sections and get up from his bench and play with great vigour. It was a fantastic night and I am going to keep an eye out next year to see what the Orchestra offers on their next tour away from Sydney.
Lou Reed is Lou Reed. I heard this song for the first time on the weekend and I just can’t stop saying the words over. It is just a sweet little song and I guess why I love it is just how low key the instruments are, letting the focus be on Lou, his voice and the song lyrics.
Just a perfect day,
Drink Sangria in the park,
And then later, when it gets dark,
We go home.
Just a perfect day,
Feed animals in the zoo
Then later, a movie, too,
And then home.
Oh it’s such a perfect day,
I’m glad I spent it with you.
Oh such a perfect day,
You just keep me hanging on,
You just keep me hanging on.
Just a perfect day,
Problems all left alone,
Weekenders on our own.
It’s such fun.
Just a perfect day,
You made me forget myself.
I thought I was someone else,
Someone good.
Oh it’s such a perfect day,
I’m glad I spent it with you.
Oh such a perfect day,
You just keep me hanging on,
You just keep me hanging on.
You’re going to reap just what you sow,
You’re going to reap just what you sow,
You’re going to reap just what you sow,
You’re going to reap just what you sow…
It is Thursday night, about 71 hours since The Breeders walked onto the stage at The Zoo. I am laying on the floor of my bedroom with my laptop (oh yes, I got a laptop a month or so ago, it is pink, I love it) in my Breeders shirt, listening to Mountain Battles and loving it more and more. In those 71 hours all I have listened to is Breeders, The Amps and an itsy witsby bit of Kelley Deal 6000 and I could not love the sisters Deal more.
Charlyn likes to remind me round the net that I was super excited and well I must admit she is telling the truth. Man the grin I had on my face was a grin that has never appeared on my face at a concert before and probably never will, well the only time I think it will reappear will be if I ever get to see The Breeders live again and let me be honest and truthful I am by no means counting my eggs for that on the flip-side, I had a thought at the gig on Monday night that I could so see those girls pushing 70 and still singing their songs on the stage. I will have to wait and see I guess but those few hours will be a night I will cherish for the rest of my life.
I still find it so hard to believe that man oh man I saw the Breeders. I will be sitting at my desk at work or walking to the train station and I find myself smiling at the thought of how magical Monday night was.
Gaslight Radio were the supports and to be honest I didn’t really think much of them. They had one or two alright songs in their set but that was about it. The lead singer had quite good stage presence but it was really let down by some of the other band members. One of the guys spent the entire set with his back to the audience playing his guitar??? what the?????
My favourite photo I took during their set was not of them but of a piece of A4 paper I saw on top of an amp.
mmmm yeah! The set list. I close to fainted when I saw that Safari was on there. Still that didn’t stop me from yelling out for them to play it during the set and then Kim said something back to me and they they played it and well Helen went into a state of euphoria. The deviated from the set list a bit I think with the addition of one or two impromptu songs that I can’t recall. Looking at the order of the songs in the photo above and the set list from the show in Boston it seems that the set list for the shows on this world tour are pretty much the same.
01. Tipp City
02. Huffer
03. Bang On
04. Shocker In Gloomtown (GBV)
05. Divine Hammer
06. Night of Joy
07. No Aloha
08. Pacer
09. We’re Gonna Rise
10. It’s The Love (Tasties)
11. Mercury
12. New Year
13. Cannonball
14. I Just Wanna Get Along
15. Happiness Is A Warm Gun (Beatles)
16. Iris
17. Safari
18. Saints
19. German Studies
20. Empty Glasses
21. Overglazed
22. Fortunately Gone
23. Here No More
24. Drivin’ on 9
25. Full On Idle
I would have really really really liked to have heard and Flipside and Hag and When I Was a Painter and Son of Three and well the 100 other or so songs in their discography. Though I am really kicking myself for not yelling out for the Buffy theme as that would have been so fricking cool.
I don’t know where to start about the Breeders set. It was just magical. The sold out crowd was a real mix of ages; people my age, people a bit younger and plenty of people who are more Karl’s age. As there were so many people like me who had been waiting years and years to see them, the atmosphere in the crowd as they started to play the songs and banter was just incredible, Kim and Kelley interacted with the crowd a lot and seemed incredibly at ease on stage.
Tonight, was a night I have waited a many number of years for, by my count, I have waited almost fifteen years for this night. Tonight, The Breeders played The Zoo and oh my jeans what a great night it was.
When the first came on stage I started to weep, when they played Safari I just about died, actually if Tanya Donelly had walked out on stage I probably would have. At the end of the night I had the biggest smile on my face.
What was fantastic though was that they were all just so excited to be there. They chatted to the audience, they showed that fine sisterly affection to each other and constantly made each other and all of us laugh. At the end Kelley walked back on stage with a paperback and gave it to a lady standing beside me as she reminded Kelley of an old room mate and it was taking up space in her bag! how cool was that?
I just dude, The Breeders were just there and I was there and man oh man I saw The Breeders!!!! To say slightly overjoyed would be an understatement. I have looked forward to this night for soo many years now and I was so afraid that they would not meet the expectation I had built in my head but I am so so so so happy to say they exceeded all my expectations.
