I can’t tell you much about the support act because I slept through most of it. You get me sitting in a dark room for and for the first 30 mins I will sleep. I do it quite often. I don’t think I missed much.
Tori was damm! I am so glad I got a ticket. I especially loved it when it was just her and the pianos and yes she occasionally played two at the same time whilst singing. I love the band but when it is pared back to just her and the piano(s) I just grin.
Whilst I absolutely loved hearing the old classics which just put a grin on my face like Cornflake Girl or Cooling or Hey Jupiter and it was great to hear the new stuff live, I was blown to shreds along with I would say everyone else in the audience with an improv song she did called Homo Spirituality. That song was just so touching.
For the set list as well as some pretty dedicated Tori fans feelings on the show, head over to undented.
I am by no means a huge Tori fan, I don’t know all those obscure songs, I don’t know the words/meanings of the songs but there is something about the way she plays piano and sings that just haunts you in a good way right to the bones.
It was all topped off by ABC2 playing a Tori Amos concert from 1997 in New York the following morning. I taped that 😀
At the moment I can’t get enough of some of the live recordings from Bonnaroo. I also just like saying the word Bonnaroo. Even if it is meant to be Cajan Slang it sounds quite Australian to me. This year there was also a swag of Aussies showing the people stateside how music is made. Well two of them did, I am still not sold that the third one makes music. The first two are Xavier Rudd and The John Butler Trio. Both of whom have been nominated for ARIAs as could be expected.
John Butler Trio: 2007-06-17, Bonnaroo (Sendspace link) [mp3] Regina Spektor: 2007-06-16, Bonnaroo (Sendspace link) [mp3] Xavier Rudd: 2007-06-16, Bonnaroo [mp3,ogg,flac]
I still have quite a few artists on that list that I want to check out live.
On the weekend Clare and I went to the Acoustic in the Park afternoon at Southank. It was a nice afternoon of relatively unknown local singer/songwriters. We went because we wanted to check out Georgia Potter who delighted us.
Clare’s Shoes
Georgia and then two of the other acts. I can’t recall their names at the moment and can’t find the slip of paper I was writing it down on. Southbank has not posted the names anywhere.
Also went to the farm on Sunday morning and took a few photos. These two are my favs.
Work is still going pretty well but getting quite busy.
I reckon I was not the only person saying no thank you to the price tag!
I picked up a pretty decent seat to. Section: S11, Row: K, Seat: 183. Pretty similar to the seat I had for Bernard Fanning but on the other side of the stage. I am soooooooo excited.
One of the things I was able to photograph whilst in Melbourne was the Album launch for Owls of the Swamp aka Pete and what a night it was. From the very nice bottle of Aspall Draught Suffolk Cider to the various Melbournians and sole Canberran I met and of course the very fine music from Owls of the Swamp with backing band, Young Werther and Svavar Knuter. It was such a delightful night. I can’t urge you enough to check out Owls of the Swamp.
Of course the photos 🙂
When I left the Troubadour early last Monday morning, we had made plans to catch Parents on Tuesday night and maybe go to the beach on Tuesday. Monday Arvo, I was awakened by a phone call from Svavar, asking me if I wanted to go to Noosa with them for the night. As I had just bought my BIFF tickets for that night minutes before I said no. Then a phone call to Mum to hash it over I decided to skip BIFF for the night and to hit the road to Noosa. I rang Svavar back and then an hour so later I was at Thor’s house ready to pile into Ronnie’s land cruiser for an escape from Brisbane.
Once we were up the highway we made a toilet stop and supplies stop. For most journeys that is nothing out of the ordinary. Ronnie’s car often takes a little bit of fiddling to get going again. This of course proved a perfect time for some photos.
We made it Noosa and found the YHA, after a walk round town we headed back to the hostel for dinner as well everything else was just slightly out of our price range. Had a very nice veggie lasagne from the hostel kitchen. Then it was time to socialise, play with cameras and watch the International Ping Pong tournament between Pete and Svavar, I believe Pete may have won this round.
From a photography perspective, I love this shot as I took it just as the flash went off on Svavar’s camera.
After some shenanigans, it was down to the beach for some ‘walking after midnight (though it wasn’t midnight yet), chasing the waves, doing cartwheels/handstands and having fun with some shadow plays.
The next morning we woke up and made pancakes for breakfast, Ronnie headed off to do a mornings work with some guys who came to the hostel the night before.
We headed off into the wilderness, well Noosa National Park. Where 3/4 of our party went swimming twice. Do the maths and look at the photos, I was not a crazy nutter. I didn’t go swimming.
Svavar, he relished the chance to swim in the Pacific Ocean and he ended up swimming at all three beaches we stopped at during the day. Pete was also in the water, but he is a Melbourne boy. Thor well she is 50% Icelandic compared to my 25%. I well I am a Brisbane girl, we don’t go swimming at the beach in Winter, the water is just too cold!
After a while it was wisely decided to head round to a more sheltered beach where the distance from trees to water was less. We walked up to Hells Gate which provided a great chance to whip out the 12-24mm and take some portraits.
Shooting straight into the Sun gave me some sweet as sugar flare with this photo.
We then started walking again to the next beach where, Pete, Svavar and Thor frolicked in the ocean like Puff the Magic Dragon.
Before it was time to retreat to the towels for some relaxing and some music.
As well as checking out the local wildlife.
Once we had all baked like chickens in an oven we headed back to the entry of the National Park where we were met by Ronnie and we cooked up a pretty wicked BBQ lunch made all the more special by Svavar’s made on the spot Guacamole. Then we headed off to Noosa’s main beach where we spread out under some Pandanus , chatted and enjoyed some more music with Pete and Svavar providing a perfect soundtrack for an arvo at the beach.
All good things to come to an end and before too long we were back in Ronnie’s land cruiser heading home to catch Parents with Thor’s parents, my dad and Tom the other member of this travelling trio of Troubadours.
A totally random trip and quite possibly the most spur of the moment thing I have done with people that I didn’t really know and it turned out to be the most fantastic experience.
Sunday night in short the most touching or moving concert I have ever been to. I have been to concerts where I have loved the music and danced or grooved the show away but to have a concert where the three headliners reach inside and touch you with each song they sing is a rare occurrence. There may not have had any fancy lights or a packed house but the music was soul music. Music about Iceland, about life, about travelling and just music. When I eventually got home, I wept not cried, not sobbed but wept myself to sleep as I was just so moved by the music of Tom, Pete and Svavar. Sunday night also set the stage for two days of fun on Monday and Tuesday with the Icelandic Posse as Clare called it. I was with one of my best mates (Clare) and made a swag of new friends as well. What more can you ask for?
First up was local lass Tara Simmons. I haven’t seen Tara play an entire set before so it was nice to finally catch a set and it was quite nice to start the night off with her.
Next up was Pete or Owls of the Swamp as he is known. Pete, touched something inside a few of us on Sunday night as he talked and sang about his experiences in Iceland. There were times when you would think to yourself, hey I have been there or I know exactly what he means. And as much as you want to get on the next plane to Iceland and see all those familiar sights again and give endless hugs to your nieces and nephews you know that you can’t.
Mr Woodward, Tom Woodward. Mr Tom has a song called Reminding Me Of You(follow link for a listen) which in 20 years time I can see people drunkenly singing it in Pubs along to the covers band in the corner or on the Karaoke machine. I reckon that Reminding Me Of You is the “Sweet Home Alabama” of 2007. Since Sunday night I just can’t get it out of my head. And with a mop of curls like this how could you not just love him.
Svavar. Frankly words don’t describe it from Clemetine to a lullaby to the rip roaring drinking song and everything in between it was pure magic.
Check out the Rave review for more flowing and structured notes on the night, I think you all know by now that I don’t do/can’t do that sort of review. I am very much looking forward to seeing all three of the guys sing again either round Aus or in Iceland.
Oh and Clare, the polaroid is coming. How could I not share that.
