♬ ...from a whisper to a SCREAM!

5 Reasons why Opeth are awesome

2011-07-22T22:43:00.000+10:00

1/5

2/5

3/5

4/5

5/5

And in case you didn't believe me:

Bonus material - an interview with the lovely Mikael Akerfeldt!

Soundwave 2011: Three sleeps left!

2011-02-24T16:42:00.000+11:00

I am getting quite excited. I know I said a year ago I wasn’t ever going to a music festival again. Well I lied. I took one look at the 2011 Soundwave line up and had no choice… And it is three sleeps till showdown! *squee* Iron Maiden and Slayer are the reason I changed my mind. Who knows, maybe I can get through the epic 11 hours without fainting this time! :D

My itinerary now:
11 - 11:30 Blatherskite
Break - buy merch?
12:30 - 1:10 The Gaslight Anthem
1 - 1:40 Sevendust
Break - lunch?
2:10 - 2:50 Devil Driver
2:45 - 3:30 Stone Sour
3:20 - 4:00 Murderdolls maybe? Not too fussed. Maybe Primus.
Break - food or band?
4:30 - 5:10 Dimmu Borgir
Break - dinner
5:40 - 6:30 Slayer
Break – wait up front for QOTSA
6:55 - 7:55 QOTSA whilst daydreaming of Rob Zombie
8:00 - 10:00 Iron Maiden

Blatherskite won the Triple J Unearthed competition and I was listening to them last night. I like them! Very reminiscent of Tool and Meshuggah.

I am really looking forward to seeing some absolute legends in three days time. I know Sunday will be something to store in the memory banks! God... IRON MAIDEN! :O

Hottest 100 2010: My picks (Pt 1)

2010-12-15T16:59:00.002+11:00

The first song to make the shortlist for my top ten releases for 2010 is Deftones Diamond Eyes, off the album of the same name. I suspect I will want to add another of their songs, but I always limit it to one. When I am satisfied with my ten (this will be HARD!) I will submit them as my vote for Triple J's Hottest 100!

The Album

A scene from the filmclip

Dimebag \m/. (-_-) .\m/

2010-12-08T16:42:00.000+11:00

Six years on, fans still remember...

Die Antwoord - Enter The Ninja

2010-10-15T12:04:00.001+11:00

I can't actually tell you why I am addicted to this song. It isn’t my sort of music, but there is something addictive about it. Richard Kingsmill from Triple J posted it to his twitter feed with a cryptic comment when he heard they were coming to Australia (before it was announced, hence the cryptic comment). I clicked the link and fell down the rabbit hole. It is worth having a look at their website (click on the About link). It is very untraditional, nearly a storyboard, showing the personality of the band in a way that is loud and clear.

www.dieantwoord.com

John Lennon - Working Class Hero

2010-10-13T12:50:00.002+11:00

As soon as you're born they make you feel small
By giving you no time instead of it all
Till the pain is so big you feel nothing at all

A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

They hurt you at home and they hit you at school
They hate you if you're clever and they despise a fool
Till you're so fucking crazy you can't follow their rules

A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

When they've tortured and scared you for twenty odd years
Then they expect you to pick a career
When you can't really function you're so full of fear

A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

Keep you doped with religion and sex and TV
And you think you're so clever and class less and free
But you're still fucking peasants as far as I can see

A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

There's room at the top they are telling you still
But first you must learn how to smile as you kill
If you want to be like the folks on the hill

A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

If you want to be a hero well just follow me
If you want to be a hero well just follow me

Spinnerette - Baptized By Fire

2010-10-12T19:03:00.000+11:00

I just stumbled across a link one of my friends sent me months ago. I love this song! Thanks Max!

Radiohead - Street Spirit (Fade Out)

2010-09-21T13:47:00.000+10:00

The first ever Radiohead song I heard. I was hooked by the sound and mesmerized by the video ♥

You can watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APLOFNMIabM
(Yep, the dreaded un-embeddable video! But the quality is awesome!)

Stereotyping People by Their Favorite Indie Bands

2010-06-15T17:05:00.003+10:00

Source: http://flavorwire.com/57909/stereotyping-people-by-their-favorite-indie-bands

The XX
Blog enthusiasts who thought wearing a keffiyeha was awesome.

Passion Pit
Bros vaguely interested in listening to music and very interested in having sex with their girlfriend.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Girls who bought checkered sneakers in the 8th grade.

Fleet Foxes
Hopelessly patchy beard growers.

TV On The Radio
Politically-correct hipsters.

Grizzly Bear
People who think that world hunger could be assuaged with four part harmonies.

Micachu and the Shapes
Chicks with bad teeth.

Wavves
Dudes who think low production value is “authentic” and would go down on Todd P.

Steve Aoki
Alts who don’t “get” Hipster Runoff.

Joanna Newsom
People who have considered befriending a squirrel.

Devendra Banhart
People who have considered becoming a squirrel.

Animal Collective
Guys who make “Best of the Year” lists in January based predominantly on “feeling.”

The Antlers
Boys who enjoy crying more than their girlfriend.

Vivian Girls
Girls who purchase a guitar, buy flannel from the Salvation Army, wear glasses that they don’t actually need, and still can’t get the guy.

Vampire Weekend
Bros who try to make out with girls at concerts by relating to them via old Nickelodeon shows. “Remember Pete & Pete??”

Death Cab for Cutie
Girls who quote lyrics as their Facebook status.

Neon Indian
Gorilla Vs. Bear readers.

She & Him
People who hate Ben Gibbard.

Bon Iver
People with self-esteem issues and probably hate Ben Gibbard.

Washed Out
Those who comfortably accept chillwave as a genre.

Memory Tapes
Those who comfortably accept chillwave as a lifestyle.

The Shins
Premature alts who considered Garden State a life-altering viewing experience.

Radiohead
Everyone.

Tegan & Sara
Lesbians and guys who firmly believe that when there are two girls on stage together, there is a 63% chance of them making out.

St. Vincent
Feminists.

Drake
Indie rap fans who thought Tha Carter III was too mainstream.

Ra Ra Riot
Girls who got their boyfriends to watch Me and You and Everyone We Know.

Bat for Lashes
Girls who wear leggings outside of ’80s-themed parties.

Japandroids
Guys who only read Pitchfork for the ratings and haven’t showered in at least two days.

Kimya Dawson
Chicks who are described by their girlfriends as “sweet” and “really nice” when guys ask if their friend is hot.

Girls
Anyone who thinks The Catcher in Rye is the greatest book of all time.

Kid Cudi
Blipsters who still wear neon shoes and smoke pot.

The Flaming Lips
Self-actualized bros who grow pot.

Antony and the Johnsons
Guys who still cry every time they watch Bambi.

Matt and Kim
Closeted Blink-182 enthusiasts.

Here We Go Magic
Guys who are ‘over’ Grizzly Bear.

Phoenix
People who don’t listen to enough music.

Sufjan Stevens
People who believe in two things: Jesus and Juno.

M.I.A.
Girls who don’t understand politics.

Regina Spektor
Girls who don’t understand boys.

Justice
Bros who, at one point in their lives, have tried to grow a mustache.

Arcade Fire
Frequent transcendental experience havers.

Deerhunter
Avid doodlers.

Wilco
Guys who go to concerts to relax.

YACHT
Someone who, if presented with the opportunity to join a cult, would most definitely join that cult.

Ratatat
Boys who think Ocarina of Time is the greatest game ever made.

Patrick Wolf
Gay guys.

CSS
Girls who throw up at every party.

Woods
Indie dudes who wear beanies and you can see the front of their hair pulled back beneath it.

Spoon
Bros who drink shitty beer without ironic intentions.

Dirty Projectors
People who like way too many toppings on their pizza.

Interpol
Dudes who are thwarted by the Chinese finger trap every single time.

Black Lips
Guys who don’t get jobs because their potential employer discovered photos of them bro icing on Facebook.

Girl Talk
Bar Mitzvah crashers.

Fucked Up
People who wish they could mosh with Shrek, Snorlax, and Lenny from Of Mice and Men.

Wolf Parade
People who throw a shitfit when someone suggests that there are too many indie bands named after animals.

Hot Chip
Men who used the cheat code to see naked, poorly-rendered 3D figures showering in The Sims.

Surfer Blood
That sweaty dude in the mosh pit who referred to your girlfriend as “Baberaham Lincoln.”

Best Coast
The girl who tries to hook up with that same sweaty dude by bragging about her cat.

Toro Y Moi
Deceptively straight males who think “riding the chillwave” is a national pastime.

The National
Dudes who would rather play chess than Hungry Hungry Hippos: The Drinking Game.

Ninjasonik
Guys who are always worried they accidently impregnated their girlfriends.

Crystal Castles
Bitches who think it’s okay to scratch guys who misbehave. And the boys who buy them soy lattes.

Sleigh Bells
Chicks and dudes who semi-ironically aspire to “Superman dat ho” at an indie rock concert.

MGMT
Pre-Congratulations: 81% of College Freshmen. Post-Congratulations: Guys who consider the ability to store 13 pencils in their hair to be an evolutionary advantage.

Dan Deacon
Smelly, un-self-aware hipsters who wear mal-fitting baseball caps and probably attend SUNY Purchase.

Andrew Bird
Girls who get sexually aroused by traditional avian mating calls.

Of Montreal
Guys who bought kaliedscopes with their Chuck E. Cheese tickets.

Broken Social Scene
People who fantasize about riding an eight-person, single-gear bicycle to the Brooklyn Bowl.

HEALTH
Guys who lit fires in their backyards before hitting puberty. Then they took up smoking.

Cat Power
Mediocre-looking girls who put Zooey Deschanel as their doppelganger on Facebook.

Iron and Wine
Grown men who always get roped into being the DD for “Ladies Night Out” with their mother and her coworkers from Office Depot.

Pavement
Stay-at-home dads.

M. Ward
Lonely, chronic masturbators who end up settling for the Cat Power chicks.

Sonic Youth
Guys who mistake their blender for a radio.

Modest Mouse
People who expressed legitimate concern regarding the state of humanity when J.D. Salinger died.

The Decemberists
Virgins, not in the name of God, but as a result of valiant attempts to achieve poetic justice.

Fiery Furnaces
Those dicks who still won’t smile, even after you acknowledge their apathy with the “Woah, don’t get too excited!” joke.

LCD Soundsystem
People who are obsessed with their creepy uncles.

The Pixies
Dudes who feel the need to comment on how advanced Ren & Stimpy was whenever someone discusses their love for Lilo & Stich.

Belle & Sebastian
People who have ended their tweets on multiple occasions with #BringBackMessengerBags.

Chairlift
Covert nymphos.

Dinosaur Jr.
Guys who refused to go on Xbox Live with Halo 2 because it eliminated the community aspect of LAN parties.

The Hold Steady
Dads who coach the baseball team, even though their kid sucks.

Feist
Chicks who”didn’t agree with the ending” of (500) Days of Summer.

Elliott Smith
People who felt really bad for Buzz Lightyear when he discovered he couldn’t actually fly. And think Toy Story 3 is a step backwards for Pixar.

Yo La Tengo
Mature men who wish Q104.3 would expand their horizons to alternative old-people music.

Owen Pallett (Final Fantasy)
Guys who use the term “breasts” instead of “boobs” out of respect for their girlfriends.

Beirut
Girls who wish their boyfriend would stop killing the mood by using the term “breasts.”

“Jesus Christ.” (the indie band)
People who wish they thought of Hipster Puppies.
Die Antwoord
Fans of Obama before and after his appearance in the “Whoomp! (There It Is)” video.

Magnetic Fields
People who “discover” new bands via NPR.

Chromeo
Guys who initially used the word “bro” ironically and lost sight of their intentions shortly thereafter.

Panda Bear
Young men who know what a 401(k) is.

Neutral Milk Hotel
People who get where Christians are coming from with the whole “hope Jesus will rise again” thing.

Yeasayer
Guys who have proposed The Holy Mountain as an alternative to watching A Kid in King Arthur’s Court at family get-togethers.

My Morning Jacket
People whose reaction to the Grand Canyon could be summed up as “Eh.”

I* am everyone, I am both boy and girl, I am a squirrel with other little squirrel friends, who loves blogging, listening to music, wearing chequered sneakers with my leggings. I am really sweet and nice, I don't understand politics or guys, I scratch misbehaving boys, am self actualised and grow pot. I revere JD Salinger, and Ren & Stimpy and I really love my music, when I am not trying to hard to be interesting.

*I am all of these apparently because I listen to The XX, Passion Pit, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Fleet Foxes, Joanna Newsom, Devendra Banhart, Animal Collective, She & Him, Bon Iver, Radiohead, Tegan & Sara, Bat for Lashes, Kimya Dawson, The Flaming Lips, M.I.A., Regina Spektor, Hot Chip, Crystal Castles, Cat Power, Modest Mouse, The Pixies, Feist, Beirut.

Big British Sound 2010

2010-05-07T15:24:00.002+10:00

I am going to "Ben Sherman's Big British Sound 2010" at The Metro Theatre tonight. I have to admitt, I am mainly going for Bertie Blackman, and partly for Deep Sea Arcade. I have seen them both perform before. I saw Deep Sea Arcade when they supported Yves Klein Blue last year (I like them more live than I do on the radio) and Bertie Blackman performed as part of the Australia Day celebration at The Rocks this year (She, Ash Grunwald and Jeff Lang just blew me away!). I am now sure how I will like the rest of the acts however, as I am sort of non-commital when they come on the radio. I don't hate them, but I am not rushing out to buy their cds either! I thought, to refresh my memory, I would share some videos with you.

Bertie Blackman

^I love her remake of the Siouxsie and the Banshees' "Peek-A-Boo"!

Deep Sea Arcade
I love some of their songs, and they are great live, but I cant find a video for Crouch End or any of their others asside from Dont Be Sorry or Lonely In Your Arms. You can listen to Crouch End on Triple J's Unearthed website here.

Jonathan Boulet

Fergus Brown

Whitley

Music Meme

2010-05-02T23:15:00.001+10:00

Put your music player on shuffle, click next, answer the question, click next again, answer the next question. No finding favorites, just what comes up next. Have fun!

If someone says ‘is that ok’ you say;
"I Hate You" - Slayer

What would best describe your personality;
“Effgy of the Forgotten" -Suffocation

What do you like in a guy or girl;
"Dark Medieval Times" - Satyricon

How do you feel today;
"Short Skirt, Long Jacket" - Cake
(Horny?)

What is your life’s purpose;
"How Can I Hold On" - Stabbing Westwards

What is your motto;
"Bartender" - (Hed) P.E.

What do your friends think of you;
"Cold and Ugly" - Tool

What do you think of often;
"Cruci-Fiction in Space" - Marilyn Manson

What do you think of your best friend;
"Every One Calls Mec Lonely" - Superjesus

What do you think of the person you like;
"Relentless" Strappuing Young Lad

What is your life story;
"Do or Die" - Pappa Roach

What do you want to be when you grow up;
"Disappear" - Dreamtheatre

What do you think when you see the person you like;
"Catch" - Kosheen

What do your parents think of you;
“A Childhood Dream” - Anathema

How will people feel at your funeral;
"Ever Flow" - Pearl Jam

What will they play at your wedding;
"World Coming Down" - Type O Negative

What is your hobby or interest;
"Strictly Diesel" - Spineshank

What is your biggest fear;
“Nails in my Feet" - Crowded House

What is your biggest secret;
"The Day You Come" - Powderfinger

What do you think of your friends;
"Wish You Were Here" - Pink Floyd

What is your life’s theme song;
"Shoot You in the Vack" - Motorhead

Metallica are touring Australia!

2010-04-08T01:21:00.003+10:00

Metallica are touring Australia and New Zealand in November. I just found out about it today, but I am hoping to go. If I go in Sydney or Brisbane depends on my two friends and if they can afford to visit me in Sydney...

Update - 29 April:

“We know, we know . . . it has been WAY too long since we visited this part of the world, but we’re here to tell you that it is game on!!!! We can’t wait to head over to New Zealand and many parts of Australia bringing the World Magnetic Tour to places it has not rocked yet. Starting October 13, 2010 in Auckland, NZ, we’ll also be in Brisbane, Perth, Sydney, Adelaide, and Melbourne . . . dates and venues are below.
Tickets go on sale Thursday, May 13 at 9:00 AM in the local time zone. As usual, Met Club members should check www.metclub.com for all the pre-sale details.
We look forward to seeing all our friends there who have patiently (or maybe not so patiently!) waited over six years!!!”

Tour Dates:

October 13 Auckland, New Zealand Vector Arena
October 18 Brisbane, Entertainment Centre
October 22 Perth, Burswood Dome
November 10 Sydney, Acer Arena
November 15 Adelaide, Entertainment Centre
November 18 Melbourne, Rod Laver Arena

Tickets are through Ticketek.

The Creepshow

2010-03-05T16:41:00.002+11:00

I took a few photos of The Creepshow at Brisbane's Soundwave Festival last month, but this is probably the best shot. We were too far from the stage to really take many good ones LOL

Soundwave 2010 - The Verdict

2010-02-24T11:32:00.001+11:00

Anyone who has been in listening distance to me since October is probably sick of hearing about Soundwave. I do apologise, as it was my first real music festival, and the music was my main kind of music. Added to that, I was to fly to Brisbane so I could attend with friends. It was held on Saturday and this is how it played out.

I had planned to go Glam Goth Metal Chick – I was making a tutu, but I ran out of tulle at about midnight on the Thursday night. As I was flying out the next day, I had a panic attack when I realised I had nothing else to wear. In the end it was my black tulip skirt (I have no idea how else do describe it) with my Contrive band shirt (I took the Aussie band shirt challenge LOL), my new (expensive) black ankle-encasing converse shoes, and my black and white stripy skull socks. I put away the glitter and heavy eyeliner because they are kinda overkill without the Goth look LOL I was looking forward to dressing up, but I guess it wasn’t to be *sigh*

I flew up after work on Friday and stayed with Richelle and Aaron in their new townhouse on the South Side. In doing so I realised that I will be visiting Brisbane more often now those two crazy kidlets are back in Queensland (whilst at the same time wishing they were still in Sydney *sob*) and inviting them to out paddock parties out at the farm LOL Anyway, the next morning Richelle and I had breakfast with Alana (who also moved back to SEQ recently) and Sam and Colin (aka Bubbles) who flew down from Townsville for SW. It was terrific! We had breakfast at a café on Brunswick Street and it was just like old times. Like we were still all back in Townsville; I really miss that camaraderie. My Sydney friends don't know each other, so we never just all hang and talk random shit. I just had so much fun hanging with my old crowd! I haven't seen Alana since she left Townsville in 2006(?), so it was good catching up – she hasn’t changed a bit! There were markets along Brunswick Street so we dawdled on the way to the RNA Showgrounds. I found this fantastic stall – Goth influenced stuff. I was talking to the owner and she is currently in the process of creating an online store, so she gave me her email – I REALLY want to buy some of her merchandise! I also found this other Gothic store on Brunswick which I WILL be going back to. They also sold Psychobilly and Steampunk items as well as some gorgeous Gothic clothing and accessories, so it is a must! I was talking to the manager, and they are also going online in the next few weeks *w00t*

So we eventually got to the RNA showgrounds for the Soundwave Festival. The Creepshow went on at 11:20, and we reached the gates at 11:40… so I missed most of their set. I was really disappointed about that, but what I saw I LOVED!! I've only seen (a lot) of youtube videos of theirs, so I have decided that I will be buying CDs (I hadn’t been able to find them at JB Hi-Fi, so will have to look around online) and try to catch them next time they are in Australia. They are a Canadian “Hellbilly”/Psychobilly band, and ever so much fun! They had so much energy and I love their sound! At the end of their set, I spotted Ari so I wandered over for a quick hello then headed back to Sami, Colin and Lillian before going off to explore the festival. There was a Berserk clothing store – I love their line… I wish I was small enough to buy their stuff, but the biggest size is too small. Cute tops, and they had these skull minis *sigh* I went to the official merch tent and bought an Isis shirt – I collect metal shirts from each big gig I go to. This one is cute. It is black with a silver print of a guy (does he have wings?) that looks like a martial arts master from his stance (he is either swinging a sword, sheaf or quill or something) and on the back is a mandala made of lyrics from “The Garden of Light”. We then had a look at You Me At Six, bumping into Colin, before heading over to see Isis at Stage 4 (the metal stage!!). Those guys were AWESOME! My only problem is I had to use my earplugs, and I wasn’t impressed with the sound. It made the lyrics clearer, cut out the reverb, but it also took away the “oomph” that you find at a metal gig *sigh* My ears are delicate these days – I fucked them up when I saw Morbid Angel last year, so I need to take precautions. I decided not to use the earplugs if I didn’t need to, because I wasn’t happy with the effect. Isis were still brilliant though despite the earplugs!! After that we wandered around, bought lunch, and went in to see Alexisonfire. My friends sat up in the stands while I went down into the crowd. That was an experience and a half! I really love those boys, and they are awesome live! I got some interesting photos LOL And had their songs stuck in my head after. Next was Paramore – not my cup of tea, so I left my friends in the stands, went in search of water, before going to save my place for Placebo!!

I found a place about 10 metres from the front of the stage to see Placebo. I got there right as Paramore started playing on the adjacent stage, and waited as more and more people arrived. Some were just trying to see Paramore but the rest of us were Placebo fans. There was a lot of jeering going on because the lead singer of Paramore keeps making comments that were funny as hell if you aren’t a die hard fan. I won’t start band bashing, because my friends are fans, but she was making a lot of silly statements. It kept us entertained while we waited for Paramore to finish playing and for Placebo to come on stage. And then Placebo did… and blew me away! Those boys… god they are brilliant! Stefan is such a poser… I think there was one song where he just lent against the speakers with his arms folded across his chest, biceps bulging LOL and other times he would pose up on the soundbox thingee at the front of the stage. Not that we minded LOL And Brian! Do I even need to comment on that man? Hot Hot HOT! And his voice…. Even his showmanship was pretty awesome! Damn but I love Placebo! They did all of their more well known songs. I was kind of disappointed that there wasn’t much coverage of Battle For The Sun. I love all their songs, so it wasn’t that I wanted them to play only old songs, but that I wanted them to play for longer!! ;-p The crowd was pretty awesome. Lots of energy, lots of fandom, lots of camaraderie. I had a flirtation with a hot mohawked guy (yum!) and was groped by a hot rockabilly chick (she then proceeded to tell the hot guy how great my boobs are LMAO). I also had an ongoing conversation going with a guy covered in glitter and a girl in leather whenever there was a break in songs (too bloody hot for leather!). Everyone commented on my hair – I’d dyed it 2 nights before LOL There was a long haired guy who had a blow up mattress and kept going crowd surfing on it. He was right next to me for most of the set, so I was getting kind of pissed off that I had to keep watching for it. Then he started letting other people go on it so it got quite distracting. I had some tall dickhead push in front of me and block my view. That is when I ditched Mohawk guy, moving so I could see the band again. I was so sad when it was over. But so excited to! I also discovered I was covered in glitter LOL I felt bad, my friends tried to find me in the pit but had no luck, and I wasn’t loosing my prime location to mosh with them. That is bad right? Selfish even? :( I ended up meeting them outside the gates after LOL After that we wandered around – went back to the market stalls so Sam could buy a mini from Beserk (so jealous) and bought dinner. We sat under a tree listening to Anthrax play, before I headed back into the pit at Stage 4 to see Trivium. I started to spin out about 4 songs into the set, and when I started having fainting spells I had to retreat to the grass. My friends had already gone ahead to save a spot for Faith No More, so I gradually headed in that direction. Jimmy Eat World had just started playing when I got there but I got confused because I thought Janes Addiction was meant to be playing. It wasn’t until Faith No More started playing that I realised that I had my time table mixed up and I HAD MISSED JANES ADDICTION COMPLETELY! *wails* I was so disappointed. I found my friends and collapsed on the grass next to them whilst Jimmy Eat World did their thing, and sucked down on a coke, trying to get some more sugar/caffeine into my system so I had enough energy for the rest of the night. Faith No More were NOTHING like I expected. They started with a cover of Reunited in a crooners style, and took it from there. They were very frenetic when they weren’t crooning. Mike Patton was ALL over the stage – he had so much energy it was exhausting just to watch. And because I was already so exhausted that I was dizzy and catching myself mid faint (I never passed out completely, just loose motor control and brain activity) Faith No More were the end of the line for me. After they did their three main songs all in a row about half way into the set I told my friends I would meet them later and needed to sit down. They ended up coming with me, and we sat in the bleachers for the rest of their set.

Okay, I LOVED Soundwave. There is no denying that. Stand out bands were The Creepshow, Isis, Alexisonfire and Placebo. Sadly I missed Meshuggah, Janes Addiction, Baroness and half of Trivium. I was so worn out that I had to skip out on Faith No More. It just seemed like SO much effort. I have ME and FM, and I just don't have the stamina needed for a full day of music! If it was spaced out over 2 days, and I didn’t have so many bands to see I think I would have been fine, but it was my first music festival, and there were too many bands I wanted to see! So while I enjoyed it, while I loved the music, the experience and hanging with friends, I don't think I will be going to a music festival again any time soon. Unless I win an all expenses paid ticket to Wacken! ;-p My ticket cost me approximately $160, plus flights to Brisbane ($400). With that amount of money I could have seen Placebo, Alexisonfire, The Creepshow, Isis, Meshuggah, Janes Addiction and Trivium when they played their “Sidewave” sideshows in Sydney. So I think that will be the route I take in the future! Then all I have to worry about is transportation to get home after the gigs LOL

Photos to follow! I haven't uploaded them from my camera yet ;D

My Facebook Updates:
Jacq Oh fuck fuckity fuck! Put my soundwave ticket somewhere 'safe'. Just looked everywhere n can't find it! $150 worth! Fly to Bris tomorrow. I’m so screwed..
Thurs at 08:23

Jacq will be in Brisbane til Monday arvo. Let me know if you wanna catch up! Soundwave is gonna go OFF! ;D So many terrific bands!!!
Thurs at 21:53

Jacq found my Soundwave ticket @ 4:30am. Just wish I could have finished my ballerina skirt, but ran out of tulle about 12am. It was the basis of my outfit, so I guess I have 2 change it completely, because the top doesn’t match the skirt. Band shirt it is! Maybe Contrive because Morbid Angel is blah. All the others are in the wash.. I wish I could wear my Opeth shirt! ANYWAY! SOUNDWAVE! HOOYAA! BRISBANE TONIGHT! *crazy dance*
Fri at 09:36

Jacq is having brekkie with Sami, Colin, Alana n Richelle in Brunswick St! Soundwave in an hour!
Sat at 11:02

Jacq needs to cut some peeps of @ the knees. Been waiting in @ front of the Pit for Placebo for an hour. But a tall dickhead just moved in front of me. Now I won’t be able to see Brian!
Sat at 17:18

Jacq Well I’m fucked. Saw The Creepshow, Alexisonfire, Trivium, Placebo and Isis. Still got Jane’s Addiction n Faith No More... I’m fucked. Bed please!
Sat at 21:01

Jacq Oh shit! Misread the Soundwave timetable! I missed Jane’s Addiction :(
Sat at 21:55

Jacq FM & ME/CFS don’t mix with music festivals. Fun but I’m buggered n still more 2 go. Then walk 2 Alana’s? Fuck I’m stupid. Learning experience!
Sat at 22:12

Jacq just discovered the secret Soundwave handshake @ Brisbane airport. Sydney here I come *sigh*
Yesterday at 15:08

Amanda Palmer's Sydney Secret Ninja Gig

2010-02-24T11:28:00.000+11:00

Firstly I need to ask if you know The Dresden Dolls? Awesome arent they?! Well, I follow Amanda Palmer on Twitter and Tumblr, as well as Facebook and Myspace. She is such a facinating lady. On a little side note, she and Neil Gaiman recently announced their engagement. Both have a cult following, and them together? Well just lets say that there are a lot of estatic and disappointed people around the world LOL

Last friday I checked twitter and she had a Secret Ninja Gig planned. It was on the steps of the Opera House, she said to dress crazy, and that there would be a bookswap. Mel said Kristy was going so we met up at Circular Quay. You could tell who was going.There is something about the people attracted to Avant Guarde type of music LOL Kristy wore her lab coat, I wore my crazy-arsed skirt I made for my Monster Mash party a few years ago, and wore to Franger's going way party last year as Bellatrix Lestrange. Awesome skirt... but I am biased. Anyway, we went, despite the rain and forcast storm. And ended up sitting RIGHT AT HER FEET! Im not a crazy stalker anymore, but that is worth some kudos! Sitting right at the feet of an amazing musician I admire while she plays the ukulele and answers random questions. I got some great video, and some photos etc. I actually had to zoom out, she was so close... One question she was asked was "where do we go when we sleep". She had a "what the fuck" expression on her face for a few moments, and then she said "why dont we call Neil?!" You can guess how loud the response to that question was! His answer was "We go down so deep inside ourselves that we all connect." They are so cute together... And he didnt even swear at her for calling him at 4am LOL

Amanda on the phone to Neil:

After all the amazing ukukele ninja-ing, including her singing unbrella when it started pissing down with rain (awesome!) we went under the stairs of the Sydney Opera House and she did some more amazing ninja-tastic performaces. One guy even stood up and did an impromtue magic show! :D We had the bookswap - I got a copy of The Little Prince for myself, and nabbed a copy of On The Road for Kristy. I then asked Amanda if she could sign them for us. I will upload more photos later, but here is the video of Amanda Palmer covering The Cure:

Yes, I know this is a very stilted and vague blog post, but it was over a week ago, and I kept forgettting to blog about it LOL More photos to follow.

amanda_to_neil

2010-02-19T01:32:00.002+11:00

amanda_to_neil_by_obsidiantears83
Originally uploaded by From A Whisper To A Scream

I was at the Amanda Palmer Ninja gig at the Sydney Opera House on 12/02/2010. As well as the divine Ms Palmer playing her ukekele, she had a QnA session. One person asked where we go when we sleep. Amanda couldnt settle on an answer (well it was left field!) and called Neil (Gaiman, her very lovely fiance!) despite the fact that is was 4am where he was. This was his answer:

"We go down so deep inside ourselves that we all connect."

Did I mention i was at her fucking feet? So awesome... and they are so sweet together <3

Amanda Palmer covers The Cure

2010-02-15T11:54:00.003+11:00

I went to Amanda Palmer's (You may know her from the Dresden Dolls) Secret Ninja Gig at the Sydney Opera House on Friday night. I sat at her feet and was able to get some video and photos... oh, and she called neil!! more info about all this later, but first, here is the video I took of her covering The Cure's "In Between Days" on her ukulele.

Devil's Spoke - Laura Marling

2010-02-10T09:00:00.000+11:00

Soundwave Itinery - What are you seeing?

2010-02-08T12:12:00.000+11:00

I am trying to organise which bands to see at the Brisbane Soundwave Festival, and who to see them with. Here is the lineup:

All Timetables
^My Chemical Romance droped from the list and is replaced with Jimmy Eat World - not my kind of music, but I thought I would give you the heads up if you didnt already know.

If you are going, do you know which bands you are seeing, or may want to see? If so, can you comment below? I am trying to figure out my itinery for the day :D

Definately wont miss:
7:00 - 8:00 Trivium
4:15 - 5:15 Placebo (I also really wanted to see Meshuggah, but it is on at the same time, and I have been a fan of Placebo for longer)
2:45 - 3:30 Alexisonfire
1:40 - 2:40 Isis

Bands I am thinking I would like to see: Faith No More, Janes Addiction, The Creepshow, Anthrax, Clutch.
Bands that I cant remember if I like or not: White Chapel, Baroness, This is Hell, Anti-Flag, Shinedown, It Dies Today

The only bands I wont negotiate are Isis, Alexisonfire, Placebo and Trivium. I am easy, for the rest of the day... I am thinking I really want to see Anthrax and Clutch, and FNM and JA will bring back memories, I've liked the videos I saw of The Creepshow, and a friend whose taste I admire is a fan of Shinedown. My friend Rat just said I should really see Baroness. What do you reccomend/what will you be seeing?

The Hottest 100 - where mine placed

2010-01-27T01:32:00.001+11:00

1- Mumford & Sons - Little Lion Man
16 - Gossip - Heavy Cross
45 - Florence & The Machine - Drumming Song
47 - Karnivool - Set Fire To The Hive
63 - Karnivool - All I Know
93 - Bertie Blackman - Thump

My other votes
Alexisonfire - Young Cardinals
Bat For Lashes - Daniel
Claire Bowditch - Start Of War
Placebo - For What It's Worth

Not too shabby! My number one was 47, and i voted for 2 of the top 20.

My 2009 Hottest 100 votes

2010-01-18T12:40:00.002+11:00

I voted in Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2009. My number one was “Set Fire To The Hive” - although realistically I think “Little Lion Man” was - however I want something heavy to be high placing, so I voted for Karnivool. I love them to bits, so I don’t feel bad about voting for Karnivool over Mumford and Sons. I also think that Mumford and Sons will be in the top ten, if not the top three. So I didn’t feel guilty about passing it over :D If I was ranking them, instead of just voting for ten (there is no tier system in this voting) I would have had a lot of trouble choosing between Mumford and Sons, Bertie Blackman and Karnivool.. Damn, probably Bat For Lashes too... I took months trying to work this list down to just ten. Even then, my shortlist was about 50 songs long... *le sigh*

Here is my top ten votes, in alphabetical order:

Alexisonfire - Young Cardinals
Bat For Lashes - Daniel
Bertie Blackman - Thump
Clare Bowditch - Start Of War
Florence & The Machine - Drumming Song
Gossip - Heavy Cross
Karnivool - All I Know
Karnivool - Set Fire To The Hive
Mumford & Sons - Little Lion Man
Placebo - For What It's Worth

I really wish I could go to the Hottest 100 event again this year, but I am going to my friend's citizenship ceremony instead... I guess I can tune in whilst in the car LOL

Emilie Autumn

2010-01-11T22:11:00.006+11:00

Emilie Autumn "Dead Is The New Alive" Promo

Emilie Autumn (Official) | MySpace Music Videos

I think I have a new obsession. I heard Emilie Autumn again today, and so I started playing some of her songs on youtube etc... then i fould out she will be here in March!! The is playing at The Metro, and I really want to go... cross fingers I do... but i have soundwave to fund before that (I need to fly up to brisvegas and find accomadation etc) so i hope i can adfford a ticket... She is a avant-garde gothic multi-instrumentalist from America. here is a two line explaination of her:

Emilie Autumn is a violinist, singer-songwriter and poet. She is best known for her wide range of musical styles, especially her usage of theatrics.

Official site: www.emilieautumn.com

and here are a bunch of pictures...

Best of 2009

2009-12-03T17:02:00.002+11:00

I know I am probably leaving out some worthy candidates, but these are what I think have been my favourite new albums of 2009. Just off the top of my head, so I may need to add some supplementries if I forgot the good ones LOL Do you know yours yet?

These are in alphabetic order because I couldn't choose definitively who ranked who...

Alexisonfire - Old Crows / Young Cardinals

Bat For Lashes - Two Suns

Be'lakor - Stone's Reach

Bertie Blackman - Secrets and Lies

Chimaira - The Infection

Gossip - Music For Men

Isis - Wavering Radiant

Karnivool - Soundawake

Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More

Placebo - Battle For The Sun

Opeth (23/11/2009)

2009-11-24T11:27:00.008+11:00

Opeth playing at the Enmore Theatre

Oh My Fucking God, I couldn't breathe. I simply couldn't breathe. Opeth rendered me absolutely breathless. I couldn’t breathe or speak or even think. For me not to be able to form words is pretty fucking impressive. I was mesmerised. They just blew me away from those first few seconds, and I was enthralled until we all started piling out of the theatre. Mournful guitar riffs, amazing bass, haunting solos and their trademark intricate harmonising melodies - and intertwined through it all was Mikael Åkerfeldt's gorgeous voice, both crooning to the crowd and gravelling growls just exploding from him. Heaven incarnate! I love their albums, but even that cant compare to Opeth live in full glory! I didn’t think they could get any better - boy was I wrong! The first song wasn’t even half way through, and I could already tell that it was the best gig I've ever been to. They played a selection of songs from across their back catalogue, and it was a range of sounds too. Opeth seems to have that contrast. Some of their songs are slow and dreamy, others are fast, wicked and brutal - and others switch back and forward through the styles.

It was a religious experience for me. Bewitching, beguiling, engaging, enthralling. I was already obsessed with Opeth, but now i would follow them to the ends of the earth to hear them one more time... Can anyone piggy back me to Melbourne and sneak me into the show? Mikael said that this is the last time they will be in Australia for some time. They have been touring for two years, so they are off back home to Sweden to rest and start on their new album, but they plan to come back when its finished. Its not soon enough! They need to come back next week!! Mikael has such a sense of humour too - he was quite jovial, cracking jokes and making comments between songs. Especially when the guy in front of me started flashing LOL When they had played their last song, the crowd started chanting "OPETH! OPETH! OPETH!" - it was rhythmic and rose to a crescendo... The lights were flashing in time to the crowd, and then peaked, orgasmed into silence... and then the crowd started singing it. Crooning their name... We all got into it, and eventually Opeth just walked back out on stage. Apparently it gave them goosebumps - it definitely gave them to me. Mikael promised just one last song, but before that, there were the solos... and god did they play well.... drum solos, guitar, bass... Fredrik Åkesson is a fucking genius on guitar!! Such speed and precision.... he took my breath away. And after that they played Hex...

+++

Me and the boys from Contrive

Contrive from Melbourne was the Support Act - and I loved them. I sort of didn’t know what to think at first, not what I had expected from listening to some of their tracks online. They seemed to have a few sounds - but they really got into it, and i loved their performance. You all know I'm a fan of The Racket - the metal and hard rock radio program on triple j - Andrew Haug, Contrive's drummer is the host of it. I met the guys after the show - they seem like such nice guys! I think I can tell the twins apart, but I wouldn’t swear that in a court of law ;-p Their new album was mixed by Devin Townsend, and Paul Haug filled in for Slayer's Tom Araya when he had laryngitis in Melbourne last month. That is pretty fucking impressive!

More pics to follow.
Blog posted from my mobile on the night:
Contrive supported Opeth
live from OPETH gig

Contrive supported Opeth

2009-11-23T23:37:00.006+11:00

Sent from my mobile:

I got a photo with the boys from Contrive! They were hanging round out the front of the Enmore after the gig. The twins, Paul n Andrew Haug n Tim Stahlmann. Andrew is haugs from The Racket, the australian wide metal show on triple j radio.