Jumping On The Bandwagon

I hate it when the seniors get feisty...

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 01:16:26 PST

Hmmmm... Sometimes it pays not to underestimate the people around you.

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Song #19

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Sat, 10 Sep 2005 04:19:25 PDT

Graham's 32 Songs - #19 "Song So Uncertain" by Fred Smith. "So many of us gathered that December afternoon To hear the final tune of the laureate buffoon Ceremony over with, Louise had said her piece We poured into the Street, drank our heads off till the morning" Sometimes it is only with the hindsight provided by the distance of time that we are able to truly identify just how much any single individual managed to influence our outlook on, and approach to, the world. When I first worked with David Branson, a Canberra-based director, actor, musician, producer, poet and creative force of nature, I found him difficult to deal with. His energy was undeniable and his manic approach to everything was infectious, but the truth of the matter was that I found the chaotic whirlwind of creativity, madness and excess which surrounded him to be remarkably intimidating. Incredibly charismatic and bombastic, David was constantly working on a multitude of projects. Conversations with him were kaleidoscopic in nature and would often leave me feeling equal parts confused, amused and astounded. His energy was rarely focused on anything other than creating his latest piece of theatre, his latest song or his newest poem and he would approach all tasks with a passionate mania which I struggled to comprehend, let alone deal with. In response to his unique approach to life, I often found myself criticising the fact that David rarely devoted his energies to just a single project. I...

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A little bit psycho...

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Sat, 03 Sep 2005 22:09:25 PDT

Professionally the last few weeks have been some of the most difficult that I've ever experienced. After arriving back in Melbourne from the tour of "Two Brothers", I immediately immersed myself in the bump in of "Hitchcock Blonde", MTC's latest production. Walking into a bump in without having been involved in any of the pre-production process isn't the easiest of things to do and, in this instance, was made infinitely more difficult by the fact that it quite a few people didn't see any need to achieve a lot of the things which would normally be done prior to the bump in done. It appears that the phrase "Graham will be back on Monday, so he can handle it then" was used quite a bit in the week leading up to my return. As a result the last two weeks have been the epitome of hectic, with me racking up around 80 hours work in each week. Despite having been back for a fortnight, I have only just unpacked my suitcases. Hopefully this week will be a touch more subdued, although I wouldn't bet on it...

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Home!

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Sun, 21 Aug 2005 17:31:52 PDT

After six and a bit weeks on the road, I have finally arrived back in Melbourne. Good cafes, broadband internet, my own bed and, most importantly, Sharn. Sharn and I just had brekky together and then she went off to bed (she's currently working nights). Now, just to emphasize the bizarre nature of both of our schedules, I'm off to another MTC bump in and won't be finished until 3am... Could someone please remind me again why it is that I want to work in the arts? Now that I'm back at home and not having to struggle with dial-up modems and timed local calls (thanks very much Mr. Hotel Manager sir) there'll be a bit more action on this blog... Maybe... Check in soon for my thoughts on sunny Wollongong...

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Congratulating friends...

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 16:22:47 PDT

I'm constantly amazed by just how talented and incredible some of closest friends are. It's heartening to know that when the cynic in me starts to despair at the general mediocrity of the world I need only look to my friends for a reaffirmation of my faith in humanity. For a while now I've been meaning to point you all towards some of the things that my friends have been up to and as this seems as good a time as any - Firstly I want to offer up a huge "congrats" to Sharon, whom I do not hesitate to describe one of my nearest and dearest even though she is based in Adelaide and we've spent a sum total of about two days in each other's company during the last three years. For the last year Sharon and her husband have been trying ever trick in the book to get pregnant. Well now it's happened, so it's time for "congrats" all round and a dance of joy in my hotel room (arms in the air, wave 'em around like I just don't care). The second lot of congrats goes to one of my college buddies (and fellow Fitzroy-ite) Harry Saddler, who apart from authoring the impressive online serial "Instant Life Substitute" has also just had his very first book "We Both Know: 10 stories about relationships" published by Ginninderra Press. It's fantastic news which should put the rest of us who aspire to have our names on book spines to shame... The final thing that I want to leave with you today is the admission that I must have been living with my head up my arse fo the last few months. How else...

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Song #18

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Thu, 11 Aug 2005 22:53:43 PDT

As Jared has been doing his damnedest to put me to shame, I figured it was about time for me to once again take up the "32 Songs" Challenge. The decision to do this entry now was influenced more than a little by my recent visit to Newcastle. Graham's 32 Songs - #18 "Even When I'm Sleeping" By Leonardo's Bride. "don't be confused by my apparent lack of ceremony, my mind is clear. i may be low or miles high off in the distance, i want you near. i love you even when i'm sleeping. when i close my eyes you're everywhere" In 1989 the city of Stockton (located just outside of Newcastle) was rocked by the rape and murder of a 14 year old school girl named Leigh Leigh. It would be an understatement to say that the incident devastated the community. Senseless and horrifying, the murder of Leigh Leigh, and subsequent trial, remains one of Australia's most memorable murder cases. Struggling to find a way in which to respond to the incident, Newcastle's Freewheels Theatre Company commissioned one of Australia's most prominent playwrights, Nick Enright, to pen a play which addressed the tragedy. The result was "A Property Of The Clan" a heart-rendering and confronting examination of how a community deals with tragedy, the nature of friendship and the line between morality and loyalty. As a play it was extremely well received and Enright later revised and re-released it under the title "Blackrock." It was under this title that the script was transformed into a movie in...

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Let's talk about... Newcastle.

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Thu, 11 Aug 2005 00:36:11 PDT

Due to the almost never-ending computer debacle that I've experienced over the last month, I've been less than thorough when it came to relating tales of the tour that I am currently undertaking. It is my hope to remedy that now with a brief reflection upon my time spent in Newcastle. For those of you with a limited knowledge of Australia, Newcastle is a coastal town located about two hours drive north of Sydney. It is, in parts, a picturesque city, but one which lives under the shadow of recent hardship. In 1999 the Newcastle Steelworks closed. It is the single event which has most determined the modern make-up of the city. Up until 1999, Newcastle was a steel-works town and B.H.P was one of the city's biggest employers. With the closing of the steelworks, 4000 people lost their jobs and Newcastle experienced a near fatal blow to its soul. The evidence of this injury to the cities economy and psyche is everywhere. Many of the shopfronts on Hunter Street (Newcastle's main thoroughfare) have been abandoned and there seems to be an overabundance of pawnbrokers and 2nd-hand retailers. In addition, to the casual observer, Newcastle also boasts an extraordinary high number (by Australian standards) of homeless and destitute individuals. Now all of that might make the city sound incredibly dire, but Newcastle also seems to be well on the road to recovery, a fact which has probably been heavily influenced by its proximity to Sydney and its plethora of beautiful...

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Cruising for friends...

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Tue, 09 Aug 2005 07:11:11 PDT

As I now have a new computer I thought that it might be time to try a few additional online practices that I have normally avoided like the plague... One of those practices is online chatting, which I'll now be engaging in thanks to a little program entitled Trillian. Now I need to stress that it's been years since I've done anything like this, so I'm a little out of touch about how it all works. I do, however, know that I now have an ICQ number and that if I publish it here then some of you will be able to contact me. So here goes nothing - 238734532 Hopefully that means that the next time I log in I'll be greeted by a flood of messages along the lines of "Hello! Welcome to the future...." If, however, there is something else I'm meant to do, then I'd greatly appreciate any advice/help you all might be able to offer.

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Back online v3.01

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Mon, 08 Aug 2005 23:45:14 PDT

So yesterday the ongoing operetta of my faulty new computer saga reached a crescendo. Here's a brief dramatisation of my day - [phone rings] Graham: Hello? Friendly Computer Repair-man: Hello Mr. Henstock. It's the friendly neighborhood computer repair man here. I just wanted to let you know that we can't get the part for your laptop, so you'll have to wait until September 1st to get it back. Graham: WHAT? That's totally unacceptable... Friendly Computer Repair-man: Well... You could try calling Toshiba and seeing if they can find an alternative... [two hours of phonecalls, several CDs of hold music and thousands of dollars worth of dental damage done by grinding teeth, later...] Toshiba "Customer Relations Girl": Yes sir, I agree it's unacceptable. I'm happy to authorize a replacement computer for you, but as you purchased it from David Jones in Canberra you will need to arrange for them to take delivery. [another phone call and some more hold music later] David Jones "Sydney store computer dude": Well sir, according to our policy you're meant to take it back to the place of purchase, but as I can sense the irritation in your voice I'm sure we can come to an arrangement... I'll just need to confirm with Toshiba that the replacement is authorized, so if you could just give them a call and arrange for them to send you a letter and then... What's that sir? You've got the direct number for Toshiba's "Customer Relations Girl"? Oh, and I...

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Time to become a luddite...

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Sat, 06 Aug 2005 18:39:41 PDT

I hate technology. No seriously, I hate it. With a passion. Within days of getting my shiny new Toshiba laptop home it started playing up. An annoying event at the best of times, but when you're on tour it just becomes that much worse. After some calling around I finally located an authorized Toshiba repair place which was at least vaguely near the theatre and checked my new purchase in for it's 100m check-up. Apparently the motherboard is faulty... Oh... And the CD/DVD drive too... Don't worry sir, we'll have the parts in about a week and a half... Oh... What's that? You're only in Sydney for two weeks? Oh, we should be able to have it fixed by then... Yes sir, I'm well aware that means that we'll have spent more time fixing your computer than you have actually had it in your possession... Sorry about that, but this should fix the problem and you should have no hassles after that... Unless, of course, the motherboard isn't actually the problem... I hate technology! Maybe it's time for me to buy a luddite computer...

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Unfinished Stories.

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Sat, 30 Jul 2005 01:18:56 PDT

I know it's been over a month since I promised you a second tale of my recent encounters with Australia's societal underbelly, but never let it be said that I don't fulfill my promises... Eventually... Before you read on, I must confess that, when compared to my first tale, this next account may appear somewhat anticlimactic and banal, but decidedly more sinister. Two days prior to the King Lear bump-in, Kerry (my boss), Spencer (one of MTC's mechs) and I (the writer of this blog) were making an early evening delivery of gear to the CUB Malthouse (the venue into which we were putting "King Lear") when we had an extremely sinister encounter. It was about 6pm on a Friday evening and we were driving the company's 4-ton truck through the inner-city suburb of South Melbourne when we noticed that something strange was happening on the side of the road. As we passed a parked car, the situation became more apparent. A young man who looked to be in his early twenties was lying on the road behind a parked car. He appeared to be convulsing uncontrollably. Naturally we assumed that he was in the midst of an epileptic fit and so stopped the truck. As we went to his assistance, however, something strange happened - He looked at us, stood up and signaled that we should leave. As we were obviously still quite concerned, we continued to approach him whilst saying things like "Are you okay?" and "Do you want us to call you an ambulance?" He kept assuring us that he was okay, but as we...

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I can hear Naomi Klein screaming from here...

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 16:37:43 PDT

Which means that she has probably just read this article... Seriously though, the Spider Jerusalem approach of retreating to a mountain and surrounding yourself with razor-wire and "Trespassers will be eviscerated" signs whilst you type out daily dispatches from the wilderness is starting to sound a whole lot more appealing.

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Back online!

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 16:49:16 PDT

At last! Two unintentional hiatuses in two months... Coincidence? Or just plain unforgivable? Either way, this time I'm back for the duration. Since my last major post, I have been blindsided by work and computer troubles. Four weeks ago I started the bump-in for MTC's "Gangster-chic" version of "King Lear" (which just, by the way, happens to be my favourite Shakespearean play). As my boss was on two weeks leave, it fell to me to get the beastie up and running. "King Lear" is, without a doubt, MTC's biggest show of the year, so it should come as no surprise that I clocked up more than 150 hours worth of work during the two week bump-in. It almost killed me, but I have to confess that the achievement of making it rain on-stage for thirty minutes of the play was remarkably satisfying... Thirty minutes of a storm with actual storm-like rain on stage? Now there's something you don't see in every theatre show. Understandably, my focus during the "Lear" bump-in was work and sleep. As a result, my online presence became next to nothing. Two days after "Lear" opened, I was on a plane to Sydney to collect "Two Brothers" from the Opera House. As I write this, I am currently sitting in my hotel room in sunny Newcastle, "Two Brothers" has already opened here and I am enjoying what is only my second day off in about a month. After Sydney and before this stint in Newcastle, "Two Brothers" did a two week run in Canberra. Which was a heap of fun, very tiring and mostly involved me...

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Thinking of my friends...

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Thu, 07 Jul 2005 05:13:48 PDT

Despite the fact that my television is showing me images of double-decker buses blown to pieces, and speculating that there may be a massive loss of life, I find that my thoughts are only of my friends. Cynan, Suzy and Sam, I hope you're all okay and far away from the news...

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Rubbing society's underbelly...

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Fri, 24 Jun 2005 22:39:41 PDT

In way of explanation of a number of the points listed in my recent post, and just in the interest of relating a few of the interesting things I've witnessed, I'd like now to tell you about some of my recent encounters with the darker side of Australian society. About five weeks ago, at the very start of the "missing month", MTC sent me to Sydney for a week to do the bump-in of "Two Brothers". All-in-all, the trip went remarkably smoothly, although it did get off to a relatively surreal start. Due to a desire to "cost-cut", as well as a decidedly sadistic bent, MTC determined that the best way for me to get to Sydney would be via a 6am flight on a Sunday. This meant that I was out of bed at 4.30am and standing on the street, waiting for a taxi, by 5am. When my taxi arrived I was surprised to discover that it was a Maxi-taxi, a van which can seat up to 11 passengers. This was just the luck of the draw, but definitely constituted "overkill" when you consider that there was only my two bags, my half closed eyes and my tired body needing to get to the airport. The friendly taxi driver assisted me in getting my bags into the back seat and then suggested that I should sit up front with him. We'd barely gone one hundred meters down the road when he turned to me and asked a question that I certainly wasn't expecting at 5.10am on a Sunday morning - "Excuse me mate, but do you know what marijuana looks like?" Acutely aware of my stunned expression, the fact that there are...

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Rhetorical...

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 14:34:22 PDT

How is it that, despite resetting my alarm clock to give me "mmmm... just twenty more minutes sleep..." on four separate occasions, I kept waking up feeling more tired than the time before? If you need me, I'll be the one dozing in the corner... Just another twenty minutes... I swear, that's all I need... Come on buddy, can't you spare twenty minutes...

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Powers of Persuasion...

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Sun, 19 Jun 2005 05:09:34 PDT

Listen up all you Canberrites and ex-territorians! For the last few years I have attempted, without much success, to persuade you to come and check out Earthcore. Well after seeing this year's line-up, I suspect that my level of persuasive power have just received a much needed boost. DJ sets from the Propellerheads, Perry Farrell, and Phil Hartnoll (ex-Orbital) ? Live performances by Regurgitator and the Future Sound of London's psychedelic band? Tons more acts yet to be announced? How much more persuading do you need? Am I the only one who's more than a little excited?

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Conspiracy or Bureaucracy?

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Thu, 16 Jun 2005 14:58:29 PDT

Everyman and his goldfish has, by now, written something about the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in America. The publicity surrounding the attacks has meant not only that you'd have to have been living in a cave for the last five years to be unaware of the event (although there are some cave dwellers who were apparently well aware), but that there is the equivalent of a small library of books, ranging from the subtle and intelligent to the bizarre and obscene, which have been written on the subject. Due mostly to the fact that I was working for the ABC in Canberra at the time, the echoes of September 11, 2001 have reverberated through my mind for many years and, as a result, I have read more than a few books on the subject. Unfortunately, bizarre conspiracy theories run rampant throughout many of these books and those tomes which resist the urge to descend into mumblings about CIA plots and aliens in The White House often reveal nothing that wasn't available in the newspapers at the time. So it was with some trepidation that I started reading "Ghost Wars - The secret history of the CIA, Afghanistan and Bin Laden, from the Soviet invasion to September 10, 2001." A weighty publication authored by Steve Coll. Now don't worry, I'm not about to have a scientology moment in which I read one book and yell "Eureaka, now I understand everything", but I will say that Mr. Coll's book is one of the most fascinating that I have read on this subject. In an extremely...

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Ouch!

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Tue, 14 Jun 2005 14:49:43 PDT

Just as I have recently been absent from the blogging community, my work commitments have also caused me to be absent from my Aikido classes... Last night was my second night back. Ouch! No really, OUCH! Still, I've taken some vague comfort from the fact that I didn't entirely embarrass myself. I might be extremely sore today, but I was still managing to mix it up quite successfully with belts of my level last night... Now, once I figure out how to get my legs to move, it's time for me to drag myself to work...

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Hiatus Endus...

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Tue, 14 Jun 2005 14:50:05 PDT

It's been over a month since my last post and the first thing I want to do now that I have returned is say thanks to those of you who I know noticed I was missing... Which means that I only want to say thanks to the two of you who took the time to send me an email. Which reminds me, Cyzilla and Teigan, I have received your emails and will respond within the next few days. Where have I been? Not far, just busy. I will, over the next few posts, go into a little bit more detail, but in the meantime I thought I'd tease you all with some snippets of what I've been up to. During the last month I have - * Been winked at by a penguin. * Been surrounded by more bats than Batman. * Fought my way through thousands of Jedi. * Been in the presence of thousands of dollars worth of marijuana. * Devoted in excess of twenty hours to making it rain. * Watched a Chaos Butterfly pounce. * Conquered Europe. * Achieved a greater understanding of America's foreign policy. * Scrounged for food. * Been invited to see the "best tits in Australia". * Discovered the pleasures of unicorns. * Been accused of trying to take an explosive device aboard a plane. .... And much, much more.... Will I reveal all? Only time will tell. In the interim, however, it may be safer to believe that my recent blogging hiatus was merely another attempt to make myself more like Jared. Welcome back Jar, you were gone too long!

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Sarah Connor?

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Thu, 12 May 2005 04:19:11 PDT

Okay then, I've seen the movie, I've played the computer game, I've read the book and I sure as hell know how this ends... Just remember, the dogs know they're not human...

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Tonight my inner geek is weeping...

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Mon, 09 May 2005 04:25:58 PDT

My inherent geekiness is one of the world's worst kept secrets. I'm a Star Wars fan, Star Trek fan, Doctor Who fan, X-files fan, Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan, Angel fan, Vampire the Masquerade fan, Lord of the Rings fan and Comic book fan... And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Taking that into consideration, my little geek heart was devastated today when I had to turn down a dream gig. My reasons for turning down the gig were remarkably adult. The tour, offered to me today, was only two and a half weeks long, whereas the tour it clashed with is around ten weeks long, so basic economic reality won out in the end. It was, however, a hard fought battle. Today I was offered a two and half week tour, as a lighting guy, traveling around the country with a show which will include the four remaining living actors who have played Doctor Who... and I turned it down... ...My inner geek may never forgive me...

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That's a first...

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Sat, 07 May 2005 16:35:37 PDT

I have just woken up from my first ever Neurocam-themed nightmare... ...creepy... I guess that'll teach me not to do any masked web surfing before bedtime...

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So today...

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Sat, 07 May 2005 00:27:55 PDT

... I bought a book. Whilst I was in Melbourne's foremost alternate bookstore, I noticed a little white book which had no name and no explanatory information anywhere on the cover. It is smaller than an average book, checks in at a meager 200 pages and cost less that six dollars. Inside the book there was a small white card which reads - MANIFESTO is an anonymous novel dedrabbit International Artist Collectives is an underground network of people committed to art, individual freedom and social activism consider yourself affiliated IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE GOVERNMENT - BE THE GOVERNMENT IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE MEDIA - BE THE MEDIA www.geocities.com/dedrabbit Needless to say, my interest was piqued so I bought the book. It's next on my list of books to read. Once I've read it I'll revisit this subject and let you know what I thought...

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Just because it's been bothering me...

noreply@blogger.com (Graham) — Fri, 06 May 2005 03:01:56 PDT

... and entirely because I'm a sucker for semantics. I just wanted to clear something up... Now before I say this it is important to note that despite my concerns (stated here in the past) about the reasons why Australia joined America in the invasion of Iraq, and despite my general anti-violence stance, I don't believe that Australia should draw its troops out of Iraq purely because an Australian citizen has been taken hostage. In fact, I strongly agree that giving in to hostage takers and blackmailers, in this instance, is a very bad idea. That having been said, however, I have, over the last few days, heard politicians say ad nauseum that they are "doing everything within our power to see that Douglas Wood is released" and it's been bothering me because it is simply not true. Why? Because they could always just pull the troops out of Iraq. Now I know that I'm getting hung up on semantics, but let's just be clear - Just because there is something that you are not prepared to do doesn't mean that you can't do it. Not that I'm saying that they should pull the troops out, just that they should stop trying to play down what is already an extremely ugly situation.

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