Cinéma-Fanatique

2008-01-23T08:50:00.000-08:00

RIP

Heath Ledger

April 4, 1979 – January 22, 2008

"I only do this because I'm having fun. The day I stop having fun, I'll just walk away."

BDO-08 Timetable (Revised)

2008-01-22T21:11:00.000-08:00

11:00am-11:45am - Something with Numbers

11:45am-12:30pm - Operator Please

12:30pm-1:15pm - Anti-Flag

1:15pm-2pm - Shy Child

2pm - Food/Drink/Toilet

2:15pm-3pm - Kate Nash

3pm-3:30pm - Food/Drink/Toilet

3:30pm-4:15pm - Enter Shikari

4:15pm-4:30pm - Food/Drink/Toilet

5:30pm-6:30pm - Arcade Fire

6:30pm-7:30pm - Silverchair

7:30pm-8:40pm - Bjork

8:40pm-8:50pm - 'The Lords of Lightning'

8:50pm-10pm - Rage Against The Machine

10pm-10:15pm - MERCH

10:15pm-11pm - Carl Cox

That is the timetable. We're sticking to it, dammit.

~Film-Fanatic

Yep, it's one of those nights :)

2008-01-07T02:14:00.000-08:00

Err, 2008..

2008-01-01T03:26:00.000-08:00

Let me be the first to wish you a happy new year. Wait, that's wrong, no doubt a million people have wished you a happy new year by now, and hearing it from me means absolutely nothing. But, in all honesty, I do wish you all a happy new year. I care for you all for some reason, and I want you all to have the best things in life.

2007 was fucking awful to me - with the exception of about a handful of days, I felt sick, worried, anxious, distressed, unloved, lonely, unappreciated, hated, depressed... I dont hope - I prey - that 2008 will welcome me with open arms as my saviour. I need something. Please, let this be it.

I am drunk. Yes. But, I mean every word.

Kisses to some. "Fuck you"s to many others.

~Film-Fanatic

The 11th Best Album of 2007

2007-12-30T23:28:00.000-08:00

After much debating about it, I've decided to announce that my 11th favourite album of 2007 was Britney Spears' Blackout. Yes, I know... It's Britney, bitch. This is Spears' best album of her entire career - edgy electro-pop songs, comparable to Timberlake's pop-music-changing album FutureSex/LoveSounds. Easily the hottest pop album of the year. It's a shame that the true artistry of this album has been overshadowed by all the negative media that Spears' has recieved throughout the year.

~Film-Fanatic

Top 10 Albums of 2007

2007-12-29T13:24:00.000-08:00

Artist: Daft Punk
Title: Alive 2007
Highlights: Robot Rock/Oh Yeah, Around The World/Harder Better Faster Stronger, One More Time/Aerodynamic, Da Funk/Daftendirekt

Artist: Justice
Title: †
Highlights: Genesis, Let There Be Light, D.A.N.C.E., The Party, Waters Of Nazareth

Artist: Arcade Fire
Title: Neon Bible
Highlights: Intervention, Neon Bible, Black Wave-Bad Vibrations, Keep The Car Running

Artist: Tegan and Sara
Title: The Con
Highlights: The Con, Knife Going In, Are You Ten Years Ago, Back In My Head, Nineteen

Artist: M.I.A.
Title: Kala
Highlights: Boyz, Jimmy, Paper Planes, Come Around

Artist: Silverchair
Title: Young Modern
Highlights: Young Modern Station, Straight Lines, If You Keep Losing Sleep, All Around The World

Artist: Kate Miller-Heidke
Title: Little Eve
Highlights: Words, Little Adam, Shoebox, Mama, Dont Let Go

Artist: Anberlin
Title: Cities
Highlights: Adelaide, Godspeed, A Whisper & a Clamor, The Unwinding Cable Car

Artist: Of Montreal
Title: Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
Highlights: Cato As a Pun, Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse, Suffer For Fashion

Artist: Motion City Soundtrack
Title: Even If It Kills Me
Highlights: Fell In Love Without You, This Is For Real, Broken Heart, Hello Helicopter, Where I Belong, Point of Extinction,

2007-12-25T13:15:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Top 10 Gigs of 2007

2007-12-21T21:43:00.000-08:00

1) Daft Punk (with Sebastian & Kavinsky, The Presets, Bang Gang Deejays, Cut Copy, Modular DJs and Muscles) @ Sidney Myer Music Bowl, VIC; December 14
What can I say that I haven't already written in my epic review just under this post? It was the best night of my life. Nuff said.

2) John Butler Trio @ The Gov; April 2
Who would have thought that one of the best gigs I've ever been to would be a Myspace Secret Show? Well, it was. Crazy, huh. After lining up for about 6 hours, we got to witness a solid 2.5 set from arguably one of the best bands in Australia. The first time they ever played any material of their, at the time, newly released album Grand National, they played the ENTIRE new album, as well as many old favourites. The intimate venue of the Governor Hindmarsh Hotel really made this gig something special and to remember - totally packed and just a room full of so much joy. They specifically chose Adelaide to play their fist gig for the new album, and it was amazing. Highlights from the set included Daniella, Peaches and Cream, Something's Gotta Give, Good Excuse, Funky Tonight, and, without a doubt, the epic 10+ minute acoustic guitar solo song that John performed called Ocean. It had us all in awe, just staring. Was beautiful.

3) Peter Combe (with with Thom and Emily from The Finishing School and The Beards) @ The Gov; November 11
As with the Daft Punk review, there is a big post on this gig just a bit further down this page. But, let me say that it was glorious, every 18+ person in the venue that night reverted back to a little kid, and it was joyous.

4) Dave Matthews Band (with Xavier Rudd) @ Festival Theatre; May 2
This was quite a special show, indeed. The amazing Xavier Rudd opening the show, and recieving a standing ovation (crazy for an opening act!), and then only to be followed by the amazing Dave Matthews Band.. They haven't played a show in such a small and intimate venue in quite some time. I had never been to a real concert at the Festival Theatre, and the acoustics were great. Their setlist wasn't as good as what I'd hoped, but I still had the time of my life, none the less. And, to think, I went solo! Such a great night. Highlights from the set included the opening track Dont Drink The Water, Crash Into Me, Sister, Crush and Ants Marching.

5) Beyonce (with Chris Brown) @ Adelaide Entertainment Centre; April 24
Okay, while I usually do stick to a kind of "alternative" music theme for my gigs... there comes times when an artist comes along that I just have to see, regardless of all hype and popularity surrounding them. One of them was Beyonce. This woman really knows how to please a crowd, a really full set that spanned material from both her solo albums, as well as an awesome medley of Destiny's Child song, she was great. She really worked the stage, her dance moves are flawless. Her all-female band is amazing, such a tight group. And her voice.. my god, her voice is unbelievable. Highlights from her set included opening number Crazy in Love, Deja Vu, Ring The Alarm, Listen, and the amazing Irreplaceable. Really glad that this big superstar actually came to lil' old Adelaide. Was quite the show.

6) Bass in the Grass (with Mammal, Hilltop Hoods, Young Divas, Shannon Noll, Enth Degree, TZU, Little Birdy, Behind Crimson Eyes, Eskimo Joe) @ Darwin Ampitheatre, NT; May 26
Not only was this my first trip to the Northern Territory, but on top of that I got to attend an annual music festival that takes place in Darwin called Bass in The Grass... and it was great. All Australian bands, some more famous than others, but all having a great time performing for this musically deprived audience. The crowd was great, the Northern Territory is left of tour schedules so much that when a band finally does make it up there way, they really show their appreciation. As I'm sure some of you read in my review in May, the highlight was (much to my suprise) the Young Divas! Crazy! I'm going back to Darwin next May for this festival, again. It was great fun. I urge everyone to make it up there at least once for this event. It really is such a fun day.

7) Dappled Cities Fly and Red Riders (with Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire!) @ The Gov; June 24
The Dappled/Riders co-headline tour finished up in Adelaide on June 24.. after both bands came on stage to flip a coin as to who would "officially" headline (Dappled winning), the show opened with local band Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire! unleashing a whole heap of awesome new tracks onto the crowd. Red Riders were different to what I expected, but still great. But, wow, the highlight was Dappled Cities Fly. I had never seen these guys before, or really known too much about them... but, jeez, they were great. So much energy on stage, they were really having such a fun time. And so were we. I had the biggest smile on my face for the entire show. Was great.

8) Justin Timberlake (with Paris Wells) @ Adelaide Entertainment Centre;
November 3
Yes! That's right! THE Justin Timberlake came and played a show in our fair city of Adelaide... and it was great. His show was so well polished, and usually that hurts the flow and the enjoyment factor... but, it just added to it. Highlights from the show included FutureSex/LoveSound, Cry Me A River, What Goes Around and SexyBack.

9) Parklife (saw: Greenskeepers, Kid Kenobi and MC Shureshock, The Sounds, MSTRKRFT, Digitalism, Busy P, Justice, and M.I.A.) @ Botanic Park; September 23
This was just an all-round great day. Checking out acts I'd never really heard of before, and also checking out acts I've been wanting to see for quite some time. That day I saw one of the best live acts I've ever encountered... The Sounds. This Swedish group is amazing, and I had such a fun time jumping around to them at the barrier. MSTRKRFT and Digitalism played killer sets... and while I was a little dissapointed by Justice not doing a live set as advertised, and instead doing a DJ set with Busy P, I couldn't complain. Checking out M.I.A. was great, though. Despite her sound problems, she puts on a great show.. and, y'know, her crowd surfing and me touching her ass didn't hurt my enjoyment of her set one bit :)

10) Toni Collette & The Finish (with Brendan Welch) @ Fowlers; March 9
Earlier in the year, when I found out that Toni Collette had released and album, I listened to it.. and discovered that it was actually brilliant. Great songs, with an exception band and beautiful vocals. So, when I found out she was taking it on tour, and playing Adelaide for only $21, I had to go. She puts so much energy into her performance. While the show did bring out a very strange "arty" crowd that probably had never heard her album... it was still great. Being front row was good fun, and she looked at me several times. Muriel looked at me! hahaha.

~Film-Fanatic

Daft Punk @ Sidney Myer Music Bowl, VIC; December 14

2007-12-18T22:37:00.000-08:00

How can I? How can I write an entire blog entry about the night that will forever be placed on a mantel in my mind as the night that I.. shit, for lack of a better word.. had as close to a religious experience that I will probably ever know? How can I formulate the right words to rightfully express the emotions that I felt, and still feel now? I cant. That's the simple truth. But, I'll be darned if I dont give it my best shot, people.

After a few false starts trying to find the right tram to take us past the King's Domain parklands where the Sidney Myer Music Bowl is located (seeing people all walking in a certain direction and asking ourselves "do they look like people who would go to Daft Punk?"), we finally made it to the parklands, and found a hoard of people making their way up the hilly walking trails into the heart of the Domain, to where the Music Bowl was situated in the middle. The gates were all well managed, and we went in easily without a long wait.

The venue was already very full, the big roaming grassy knoll full of thousands of individuals all excited as hell with the knowledge that in a matter of hours they would be witnessing the biggest show of the year. We walked around a bit, I bought an ALIVE t-shirt, with the awesome pyramid image on the front, and the world tour dates on the back. Bought a couple of drinks, and while they did have inflated prices, weren't as bad as what I imaged (same as the t-shirt, which was only $40), and the lines were quite good. We (and by 'we', of course I mean Ana-Maria) familiarised ourselves with the location of the restrooms and then headed down to our awesome 2nd row position in the stalls section.

The stalls were great. The stage was, fuck, it was RIGHT THERE. The excitement was high as we suddenly realised how close we were going to be. The Robots, their pyramid... it was going to be directly there in front of us. It was all getting real.
Muscles was the act to start off the proceedings. And while he was alright, he really didn't play a lot of the songs I wanted him to play, and the crowd didn't really get to into him. Although, when he played his "hit" 'Ice Cream', the crowd did participate a little bit, with quite a few "WOOO"s and "AHHHH"s coming from the audience. Playing songs like Chocolate, Raspberry, Lemon & Lime, and One Inch Badge Pin, he really could have done a lot better, missing out awesome songs like Jerk and Lauren from Glebe. His voice seemed a bit flat, too. Maybe he was under the weather (as I think he's dropped out of the tour).

After a short 15 minute set from some random Modular DJs, Aussie indie-dance outfit Cut Copy took to the stage and didn't fail to impress. Opening with their new single So Haunted, they thoughtful lyrics and pumping basslines kept the crowd happy. A nice moment was had when the lead singer simply said "I can't believe we're opening for Daft Punk". Their energy was high, and kept the tunes coming. Highlights from their set were That Was Just a Dream and, of course, one of the best dance-anthems of the year, Hearts on Fire, which the crowd lapped up.

It was at this time that we realised what we were in for. The crowd that we were in - the people in the stalls - were going to walk away with a totally different concert experience to those up on the grassy knoll behind the stalls section. We were right into it because we were forced to - the acts were right in front of us. Those up on the hill nearly had no choice but to do the complete opposite. While the roadies set up for The Presets, the Bang Gang Deejays played a set that we didn't really pay too much attention to, and either did the rest of the crowd. We went and got some more drinks, just in time to see The Presets grace the stage.

The Presets were great. So much energy - they know how to hype up a crowd, and that's exactly what they did. Opening with Down Down Down, the stalls section lapped up everything they gave us. The GA area was a bit hard to get moving, but there were many patches in the crowd that were enjoying it as much as us. It has been a long time since The Presets have played shows on Aussie soil, and a nice little "Melbourne, it's been so long since we've danced" was mentioned. Are You The One was played suprisingly early in the set, and the crowd went wild. The highlight of their set was, without a doubt, their new single, and easily the hottest summer anthem of the year, My People. That went off harder than Are You The One, in my opinion. They closed with I Go Hard, I Go Home. That didn't really sound as good live as it does on the album, but it was awesome, none the less.

The wait between The Presets and Daft Punk was awesome. Brilliant French DJ duo Sebastian & Kavinsky, who have been opening for Daft Punk on this entire world tour, played an absolutely flawless set that the crowd loved. These two DJs were the highlight of the openers. Playing great remixes of songs such as The Gossip's Standing in the Way of Control, Jay-Z's 99 Problems, and, of course, Sebastian's awesome remixes of Kavinsky's Testarossa Overdrive and.. the best remix of the year, without a doubt.. Rage Against The Machine's Killing in The Name of. That remix is just so fucking epic, the distortion and the all-round electro vibe that song now has is great. I love it even more than the original track.

By this time it was already after 9pm, and it was pretty dark, especially due to the overcast sky that hung above the Music Bowl. People started chanting "DAFT PUNK! DAFT PUNK!"... but, none of it seemed to be working. The crowd was so excited, the vibe was amazing. The stalls had become very crowded - no doubt many people from the general admission area had somehow made their way into our section. It was packed. Looking up the grassy knoll to see a sold-out 30,000-strong crowd was amazing. We stood there, unable to speak, somehow communicating in squeels... and then... it happened..

The classic tune from Close Encounters of the Third Kind sounded through the speakers, and the crowd just knew. Everyone who was close enough just jumped up on a chair, and then everyone who didn't have a chair either lined the isles or tried to squeeze their way to the small pit that had formed in front of the seating directly in front of the stage. The black curtain were pulled back to reveal, through all the smoke and the haze, the pyramid.. and, on top of it, the two greatest individuals in the history of dance music... Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo... better known as "The Robots"... or, as mother fucking DAFT PUNK. I couldn't believe what was in front of me - the image that I had for months been watching countless amounts of time on youtube... it was right there in front of me. And I couldn't believe it. The youtube videos... there are some things they just dont capture. They dont capture the haziness of the smoke, they dont capture the shine off their helmets.. they just dont capture the awe-filled vibe of 30,000 people who couldn't believe their eyes.. and who were about to lose their shit.

Suddenly the speakers burst to life, with a robotic voice - "ROOOOOOOBOOOOOOOOOT". A light shining from behind the robots. And then, BAM, the lights switch and their on us. The crowd. "HUUUUUUUMAAAAAAAAAN". This repeats, building up pace, sometimes Daft Punk dropping the robot vocals for the crowd to scream out "Robot".. they pace got faster and faster, until... Robot Rock exploded in all it's Daft Punk glory. The simple, yet effective, white lighting that was used during this song was great. And the crowd went nuts for it. Everyone orgasmed at the same time as the electronic guitars exploded through the speakers and into our ears. And the bass.. my god, the bass. You could feel it all the way down to your arsehole. And it was amazing.

Going straight into Technologic, with the lighting changing to reveal a screen behind the pyramid that had all the lines to the song on it. People tried to sing along, but, of course, it was a bit hopeless. The set was exactly the same as all the others on the tour.. but, the pitch and distortions were very different to what I have heard from several bootlegs. The robot on our side, who I do believe is Bangalter, was working overtime on the controls - and he was really getting into it. A lot of dancing and head-banging.

Highlights from their set were... well, it's hard to pick a certain favourite. Television Rules The Nation was great when it just burst to life, with the static screen behind them.. but, the Around The World/Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger remix was great, too... so was One More Time/Aerodynamic... as was Da Funk, and Human After All. Ohhh, choices, choices. I'd probably say One More Time/Aerodynamic and Da Funk were the best of the night, One More Time being just for the great sing-a-long aspect and the way it just fitted in so well on the night, and Da Funk for being a song that I found could be a great dance/slow-mosh song. Who knew?
When Human After All finished they stood there for a solid 3 minutes, just acknowledging the crowd. They looked at all of us, they scanned the knoll, the stalls, everywhere.. and they applauded. They applauded us. I know they were in robot costumes and you couldn't really be sure.. but, I tell you, they were really blown away by the crowd and the response they got in Melbourne on that Friday night. It was special - not just for us, but for them, too. They dissapeared, and then the chanting started again.

"DAFT PUNK! DAFT PUNK!" "ONE MORE! ONE MORE!", etc, etc. The screams were constant, and the excitement was massive. Everyone wanted to know what they would encore with, with everyone believing that all their big hits had already been played. They finally imerged and played the most badass electro remix of Stardust's Music Sounds Better With You (pretty much a Bangalter song, anyway). Their suits during the encroe were amazing. Red LED lighting was around the rimming of their suits to create a kind of outline effect. Couldn't believe what I was seeing. When their set finished, they turned their backs to the audience to reveal, in the red lighting, their Daft Punk logos. And then.. they were gone.. but, not forgotten. They left us with one more treat. Through the loud speakers suddenly started a familiar tune, and everyone looked at each other and we all just had it written on our face. Elvis Presley's Can't Help Falling in Love playing, and all of us singing along, people embracing everywhere. Everyone just shared this religious experience with each other. We realised that night that there isn't one god, there's two.. and they're robots.

And there it was, the best night of my entire life had just happened. It was over. But, the memory shall remain forever. Sure, it will one day be replaced with person memories of a marriage or a birth or something.. but, until then, this is my life. This is what I live for. Everything that night.. that's what my life is all about. I am serious - I can honestly say, without a shred of exaduration at all, all fanboy-ism aside... it really was the best night of my life.

To think I may have never have gone makes me shudder with disgust. And I owe going to Ana-Maria.. here's an excerpt from the email I sent her on August 30 when the tour was announced..

"I want you to come with me. Please. This isn't one of those things that I say and doesn't happen. I honestly want you to come to Melbourne with me to see the best show we will both ever see... You're my favorite person ever.. I want you to be there when I go insane because of Daft Punk."

.. and there she was, right next to me on Friday night, miles from home, a few hundred dollars poorer.. and sharing the experience of a lifetime that I promised her. In all seriousness, big concerts will come and go, so will money.. but, friendship and love and loyalty and everything that I feel for that girl will stay the same. The biggest event in your life is nothing if you have no one to share it with.

ROCK. ROBOT ROCK.

* * * * * out of * * * * *

~Film-Fanatic

2007-11-30T03:32:00.000-08:00

Les Anges Exterminateurs

(Jean-Claude Brisseau, 2006)

*** out of *****

2007-11-24T21:48:00.000-08:00

I voted for John Howard. I'm not ashamed to say it.

I wish he won. Rudd is a cunt.

Goodbye, Johnny. We had a blast, hey?

McHappy Day

2007-11-17T23:41:00.000-08:00

I worked today, and my god, let me tell you, I haven't worked that hard for nearly a year. We were so damn busy over lunch, but it was good fun because everyone was dressed up and we have so much staff on that we didn't feel the pressure one bit. But, over dinner, there were only four in the kitchen, and we all got slaughtered. Extremely busy. We did a $1500 hour with just four in the kitchen - that is something rarely done. Was very exciting. But, damn, so tiring. All day I had a thurst that I just couldn't quench, drinking so much water, and soft drink, and frozen drinks... just couldn't stop the feeling of being thursty (although, no doubt the immense heat in the kitchen didn't help that either). But, I just cracked open a beer then, and wow, the thurst is gone (well, maybe after one more..). Beer is the best thurst quencher, without a doubt.

Also, my store earned over $1000 today for the Ronald McDonald House Charity, just through donations alone.. Hooray for us!

~Film-Fanatic

Sneaky Sound System @ Thebarton Theatre; Nov. 16

2007-11-17T03:43:00.000-08:00

Arriving at the old Thebarton Town Hall just after 4:30pm in the afternoon today, my companion and I were suprised to discover that we were the first ones there. Yet, as time slowly passed, a que (two, actually) formed and excitement was rampant throughout the cluster of youngsters that seemed to form the mass of the audience attending the show. With doors opening somewhere around 7:20pm, we then found ourselves at the front of a different que, one which was in a small corridor, with closed doors at the end that we all knew led to the floor section of the theatre. Sound check for the opening act was still taking place, and we all grooved to the funky beats and breakdowns, and stared at the closed door with anticipation as stage lighting filtered through the gap between the door and the floor. Finally, doors were opened, and naturally, we were front-row centre.

Local Adelaide group Former Child Stars opened with what was quite an impressive set. This much talked about local group is full of indie-dance awesomeness, yet have a kind of brit-pop/rock sensibility to them that makes them appealing to more than just the average indie kid. I was very happily suprised by the lighting used for these guys during their set, with the lighting crew actually working to make their set looks impressive - unlike most opening acts, who have lousy lighting during their set due to tech guys simply worrying about the main act and main support.

In-between sets Adelaide DJ, and bass player in the Sneaky Sound System band, Donnie Sloan played a DJ set, and while a lot of the stuff played wasn't too much chop, considering how mainstream the crowd was, I did really appreciate hearing Daft Punk's Television Rules the Nation and Aerodyamic, both of which got the crowd excited more than any other song, as well as Music Sounds Better with You, Back in Black and a great remix of Timberlake's LoveStoned.

Main opening act, Modular artist Robyn, from Sweden, was trying her hardest to impress this small town crowd who obviously had no idea who she was. She popped and locked her dance moves across the Thebby stage, belting out song after song, yet the crowd never really seemed to respond. Her European beats, which we mostly all slowish, weren't what this crowd was hoping for, and her vocals were too low, lost the majority of the time under the sound of the two dual-drummers she has accompanying her.

Finally, at around 10:30pm, Sneaky Sound System graced the Thebby stage, in their biggest Adelaide show to date. Opening with the sans-Connie song Tease Me, the crowd was very excited. It had become apparant that SSS have come to town with quite the laser light show in tow. Awesome lasers darted out towards us, and around us. Sometimes coming in the form of beams, other times overlapping to create a "grid" type effect. The always beautiful, and easily the hottest chick in Australian music ever, Miss Connie joined her band on stage during the second song, a new tune that I'm not too sure on the name of. Blasting through hit after hit, the immense heat that was locked into the theatre had reached the stage, and sweat poured off all the performers. New songs were roadtested, with the highlight being the first song from the encore titled Kansas City, a song with their same stylings that they had for their debut album, but with more mature lyrics. Highlights from their set were all the usual fodder, I Love It, UFO, Pictures and Goodbye - but, with tunes as fun as these, who can complain. It has become very apparant to me that this really is Connie Mitchell's band - she commands the stage with her deep stares and theatrical posing. Her vocals are so strong and the rest of the band, just like their audience, melts under her presence. MC Double D is a great hype man, but his stage presence doesn't stretch much further from there, and Black Angus, who is the creative mastermind behind the group, has a continuous look of being drunk or on some very heavy drugs. He pulls the look off, but, only just.

I'm sure all of you know by now that a Sneaky Sound System show means a frickin' party, and I honestly do urge everyone to see them when the visit your town. They have a few festival gigs coming up in the new year, and I for one will definitely see them when they play Adelaide again on February 21. Also, keep an eye out for their sophomore album. It shall be huge, just like their debut.

* * * * out of * * * * *

~Film-Fanatic

'City of Men' trailer:

2007-11-14T22:40:00.000-08:00

Peter Combe @ The Gov; November 11

2007-11-12T03:11:00.000-08:00

Tonight I attended a gig that was about 19 years overdue for me. Tonight I attended a gig where a capacity crowd of over 700 adults sang along to their favourite songs from when they were a child. Tonight I transformed from a boring old fuddy-duddy into everything that I was when I was 6, I was a child for one night. Tonight I saw the legendary Australian children's performer Peter Combe, and it was one of the best nights of my life.

Opening act Thom & Emily, Combe's son and daughter from the band The Finishing School proved to be a nice acoustic act to start the night off. Their ballads were well-written, although the excited crowd was a little too psyched to be listening to anything that slow or serious.

The main opening act was Adelaide band The Beards, and they were definitely one of the funniest local bands that I'd never heard of. Each member sports a beard, and, funnily enough, every song was about beards. Some corker lines from their songs include "If your dad doesn't have a beard, then you have 2 moms" and "Derin Hinch shaved off his beard, and now he's shit".

The sold out crowd waited with much anticipation for their childhood hero to grace the stage, and when he did, he was greeted with a tremendous roar from the crowd that almost did sound like a room full of little children. Each song hit the crowd like some kind of time machine, I found myself saying "Oh my god! THIS song!" with each forgotten gem played. The repetition in the childrens songs made it easy to sing along, even if you didn't know the words. I had totally forgotten about songs like Chopsticks and Parcel in the Mail, both of which we would all sing along to during 'music time' in primary school, along with many other Combe favourites. The song Rain proved to the audience that Combe's lyrics, while simple, are effective and quite moving. And, much to my suprise and joy, it was seen fit to have Happy Christmas to You played, with the christmas pageant on yesterday. Just like when he used to perform to children, Combe used the crowd as his own personal backing choir, and everyone harmonized beautifully - going up notes as the singer himself did so.

It became obvious tonight that Peter Combe wasn't just a regular children's performer, unlike The Wiggles and Hi5, Combe doesn't talk down to his young audience, he sings to them as he would to anyone. His lyrics are educational, from teaching children to brush their teeth, to helping them learn how to tell the time. His lyrics are timeless.

The big hits of the night were Spaghetti Bolognaise, Mr. Clickity Kane, Newspaper Mama, Toffee Apple, and the absolutely epic in it's awesomeness, Juicy Juicy Green Grass. Toffee Apple came out of nowhere, like an explosion of joy that suddenly took place within the audience - up until that song, while every song was brilliant, none were the definitive Combe songs. From there onwards it was hit after hit, and the crowd lapped it up. The call and answer style of Newspaper Mama and Mr. Clickity Kane worked brilliantly - the infamous "Bellyflop in a pizza" part of Mr. Clickity Kane was amazing live. The big song of the night, though, was without a doubt Juicy Juicy Green Grass, it being amazing in the first encore of the night, with everyone in The Gov singing along at the top of their lungs... but, after being conned back on stage for another encore, and having nothing else to sing, and performing Juicy Juicy Green Grass for the 2nd time in a row... wow. It was EVEN BETTER! "I've never been sooo huuuungry beeeeeeeeeefooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooreeeeeeeeeeeee". Amazing. And his backing band, my god, these blokes are all veterans of the industry, no doubt - all very professional and talented. Haven't seen such a good band in a long time, to be honest.

Combe was obviously humbled by this hometown crowd, he loved performing to us tonight just as much as he enjoyed performing to us all 15 years ago. He said in a moment of seriousness that he felt like we were all family, only to bring a giant "awwww" from the crowd, myself included. I have so much admiration for the man, realising that the generation that grew up on his music needs him again - as if he saw us heading in the wrong direction, and knew we needed him to steer us in the right direction again. I haven't danced and sang along like that in such a long time, I was overtaken by a feeling of just pure joy. Everyone was 6 again, we all liked Peter Combe, and therefore we were all best friends. Honestly, I was fighting back tears during Juicy Juicy Green Grass, the entire nostolgia aspect pared with the perfectness of the entire thing made me well-up inside.

This was an amazing show, one of the best shows I've ever been to, without a doubt. If you ever get the chance to see Peter Combe, whether you're a fan or not, go see him. Your inner-child deserves to have fun once and a while.

* * * * * out of * * * * *

~Film-Fanatic

Adelaide Festival of Arts Program Announced

2007-10-25T21:42:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's that time of the year, where all the festivals that shall be hitting town in the first few months of 2008 are announcing their programs and line-ups. Today the 2008 Adelaide Bank Festival of Arts had it's official program launch, and it is just as impressive as 2006's, without a doubt.

Opening with a pyrotechnic display that will see North Terrace closed from 6pm onwards, the "City of Light" shall live up to it's name, with the sky igniting, all to the beats and rhythms performed by DBR & The Mission. This festival is unlike any other in Australia - outdoing Sydney and Melbourne, once again. Incorporating music, theatre, dance, opera, film, literature and visual arts... this festival is without a doubt the best festival South Australia has had, and will probably ever have. This is the Fringe Festival for the more refined art lover.

I hope to check out Tim Supple's critically acclaimed production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, a theatre production from The Netherlands titled Kommer, highly anticipated Australian theatre-dance fusion piece The Angel and The Red Priest, and a documentary film that I have been anticipating for nearly 3 years now titled 4.

Yes, the 2008 Adelaide Bank Festival of Arts shall be quite the spectacular array of arts in Adelaide next year.

The festival runs from February 29 to March 16.

The full program can be accessed on the festival's website.

www.adelaidefestival.com.au

~Film-Fanatic

15 Random Songs:

2007-10-25T12:24:00.000-07:00

1) Teenage Millionaire ~ Repeat Offender - ***
2) Chia-Like, I Shall Grow ~ Say Anything - ***1/2
3) Another Day in Paradise ~ Reel Big Fish - ***1/2
4) Me and Bobby McGee ~ Janis Joplin - ***1/2
5) The Wrong Company ~ Flogging Molly - ***
6) After The Garden ~ Neil Young - ****
7) Your Guts (I Hate 'em) ~ Reel Big Fish - ***
8) Evil ~ Interpol - ****
9) Harder Better Faster Stronger (Alive Radio Edit 2007) ~ Daft Punk - ****1/2
10) Queen Of Apology ~ The Sounds - ****
11) Full Metal ~ Vents Ft Mortar, Trials - ***1/2
12) Reach ~ The Butterfly Effect - ****
13) Vökuró ~ Björk - ****
14) Unfold (Live) ~ Jason Mraz - ****1/2
15) Your Algebra ~ The Shins - ***1/2

~Film-Fanatic

HAIRSPRAY

2007-10-25T00:23:00.000-07:00

Tonight I saw Hairspray at the cinema for the 2nd time, after craving to re-watch it for a few days now. The good news is it most certainly stands up on multiple viewings - this movie is pure gold, from start to finish.

Focusing on Tracy, a chubby girl living in 1960s Baltimore who dreams of dancing on local television program 'The Corny Collins Show', the film tells the story of a this program and it's closed-minded views in regard to integration of races on 1960s small town television. With a colourful array of characters, ranging from Tracy's mother, played by John Travolta, to Tracy's on-screen crush Link, played by Zach Efron.

The acting is superb, not in a long time has the screen seen such a strong ensemble. John Travolta, as stated by pretty much every review, is a revelation - playing a woman, Travolta immerses himself in the role. If Travolta doesn't get an Oscar nomination for his performance, then there is certainly something wrong with the Academy. Michelle Pfeiffer hams up her role as the evil station manager, and hasn't been this good since White Oleander. Zach Efron proves that he is big screen material, and Christopher Walken is more than solid with his role as Tracy's father. Queen Latifa as the host of the "negro day" edition of 'The Corny Collins Show' is warm and lovable. But, the role that stands out more than any other, and rightfully so, is Nikki Blonsky's Tracy - one of the greatest film debuts of the last decade, without a doubt. Her naive, yet oh-so-brave performance is the glue that holds the film together, holding her own alongside actings giants.

The film's production is lush and necessarily so. Capturing the groovy feel of the 1960s, yet also keeping with the themes of opression that was rampant at that time, the costumes and sets are great. Colourful and eye-catching. Director Adam Shankman's choreography is brilliant, his double-roll helping him properly capture his vision. The make-up department does a magnificent job, John Travolta's transformation is a testiment to that. The music and lyrics of the songs by Scott Wittman & Marc Shaiman are spot-on and fantastic - if Oscar nomination aren't heading their way, then I will be very dissapointed. The quirkiness of opening number Good Morning Baltimore, to the near-tear endusing I Know Where I've Been, each song creates mood and tells the plot so well.

So, as if you need any other kind of urgings to go see the film. Seriously, check it out, you wont regret it. I've seen it twice now... what's your excuse?

* * * * out of * * * * *

~Film-Fanatic

2007-10-18T20:21:00.000-07:00

Returning soon.

~Film-Fanatic

2007-06-28T15:42:00.000-07:00

Knocked Up

(Judd Apatow, 2007)

**** out of *****

Just got back from the library:

2007-06-26T18:06:00.000-07:00

I borrowed:

McLibel (Franny Armstrong and Ken Loach, 2005)
Love Serenade (Shirley Barrett, 1996)
Let's Get Skase (Matthew George, 2001)
Keep The River On Your Right: A Modern Cannibal Tale (David Shapiro and Laurie Gwen Shapiro, 2000)
Mystery Men (Kinka Usher, 1999)
The Paper (Ron Howard, 1994)
The Dish (Rob Sitch, 2000)

~Film-Fanatic

Just got back from the video store:

2007-06-16T18:35:00.000-07:00

Little Children (Todd Field, 2006)
Bound (Larry and Andy Wachowski, 1996)
Confessions of an American Girl (Jordan Brady, 2002)
The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift (Justin Lin, 2006)
The Matador (Richard Shepard, 2005)

~Film-Fanatic

Setlists:

2007-06-16T02:13:00.000-07:00

I'm tired, and figured I'd post the setlists I've collected over the last year and a bit from some gigs I've been to. Some are actually really awesome.

The Cloud Room (supporting End of Fashion) @ The Gov; May 20, 2006

The Sunlight Song
Blackout!
Devoured in Peace
Lord, I’m Tryin’
Waterfall
Beautiful Mess
We Sleep in The Ocean
Always
Hey Now Now
Follow Me

Motion City Soundtrack @ Fowlers; May 21, 2006

Intro
Attractive Today
Better Open The Door
Capital H
Boombox Generation
Don't Call It A Comeback
Makeout Kids
Time Turned Fragile
Autographs and Apologies
My Favorite Accident
Perfect Teeth
Feel Like Rain
Modern Chemistry
L.G. FUAD
Everything is Alright
Hold Me Down

Encore:

The Future Freaks Me Out

Bic Runga @ The Gov; July 30, 2006

Something Good
No Crying No More
Bursting Through
Blue Blue Heart
Birds
Say After Me
Winning Arrow
Get Some Sleep
Honest Goodbyes
Election Night
Be All and End All

Encore:

Sway
Drive

Encore 'Spares':

Last Kind Word
A Day Like Today
She Left on a Monday
Beautiful Collision
Suddenly Strange
When I C U Smile

Kashmir (supporting Something For Kate) @ HQ; September 24, 2006

Kalifornia
Jewel Drop
Surfing The Warm
Ophelia
The Curse of Being a Girl
Rocket Brothers
The Cynic
She's Made of Rubies

Kate Miller-Heidke @ Jive; October 6, 2006

Monster
I Got The Way
Out & In
Blah Blah
Apartment
Dreams/I Love You
Little Adam
The Day After Christmas
Where Have I Been All Your Life (Keir Nutall on vocals)
Space They Cannot Touch
Mama
Ducks Don't Need Satellites
Little Water Song
Words

Encore:

Australian Idol
Don't Let Go
Psycho Killer

Kate Miller-Heidke @ The Gov; May 11, 2007

Out & In
Make It Last
Little Adam
Ducks Don't Need Satellites
Mama
Dreams/I Love You
Space They Cannot Touch
I Got The Way
Shoebox
Don't Let Go
Toxic
Words

Encore:

Apartment
Australian Idol

One of the Best Albums of 2007:

2007-06-16T01:29:00.000-07:00

Little Eve

Kate Miller-Heidke

***** out of *****

Don't Let Go

2007-06-16T01:23:00.000-07:00

It's nearly 1am on Saturday morning - I dont have work in the morning (or at all tomorrow, for that matter), and I'll be able to just lay in bed for hours and sleeeeep! Yup. Awesome. I've had quite a few late nights this week, working on essays for uni. I finished them both on time, which is quite a stretch for me. I'm on Uni break now until late July - I'm excited about next semester; I have classes that I will really enjoy (a creative writing strand of English, especially), and with my joining of a gym, I feel really motivated and just all round enthusiastic.

Anyway, yer, I'm currently watching The Good, The Bad and The Ugly on Channel 7 - figured I'd watch it, simply because it's on tv and I've only ever seen it once before. The direction is sooo masterful - Sergio Leone was a genius. And the score!!! Ohhh man, ORGASMIC soundtrack.

I'm currently uploading videos to youtube, still from last Thursday's Rock The Vote concert at The Gov - check 'em out on the right hand side bar.

I shall soon be posting the recipe to my awesome homemade pizza that I made for dinner tonight. It was one of the best thing I've ever tasted, and easily the best thing I've ever made.

~Film-Fanatic