May 13, 2008

Elton John And His Band Live in Sydney: Review

I wish everyone I had an unnatural musical adoration for would come on tour as often as Elton Hercules John does. This was the second time I’ve seen him in a year, and the second time in my adult life. The sad, nerdy truth about me dear reader, is that Elton John was the first gig I ever went to. I was eight. I fell asleep. That is no indication of how much I love his music, as it’s programmed in my DNA care of repeat listens at the hands of my parents. 

So seeing him from drastically better seats in the same venue almost 20 years later was incredible to me. Doubly so taking a good friend of mine along whose first show was that same one, when he was eight and also fell asleep. In the review section I was sandwiched between some very prominent Sydney music journalists, and this seemed the ideal time to get up in my seat and dance like a complete idiot to the tune of I’m Still Standing.  

Dan shot some great stuff again from way up close. But still to me, not a patch on this beauty he got a couple of years ago from the mixing desk with a telephoto lens.  

I doubt there are many things in life for which we feel affection like we do for those which remind us of our childhood. Though this might be a stock in trade - nostalgia - for Elton John these days, he is still out there two thirds of the year playing live, and giving it hell for over two hours.

Old people: not entirely useless.  

May 11, 2008
The world is so meta, dude. Innit? These guys linked to my Rollins interview (originally written for this site), which was then written about on Bono’s Fake Blog. So I put it up on U2log and the circle was complete. My work here is done. I don’t feel like I really did anything, but still, I’ll take it. I was Googling myself the other day…
The world is so meta, dude. Innit? These guys linked to my Rollins interview (originally written for this site), which was then written about on Bono’s Fake Blog. So I put it up on U2log and the circle was complete. My work here is done. I don’t feel like I really did anything, but still, I’ll take it. I was Googling myself the other day…
May 8, 2008

Heavy Metal Parking Lot: The Mother Of All Viral Videos

I love this film for so many reasons. It proves than anyone can make a documentary; it never makes fun of its subjects. It’s sweet and moving, and awesome. Time has not wearied it. Also: The Prieeeeeeeeeeeeest! 

April 30, 2008
Gene Simmons continues to work Jedi mind tricks on me. This show is awesome. There’s something so endearing about it, even if you hate Gene Simmons — as I once did — you’ll enjoy how mercilessly his family takes the piss out of him.
Gene Simmons continues to work Jedi mind tricks on me. This show is awesome. There’s something so endearing about it, even if you hate Gene Simmons — as I once did — you’ll enjoy how mercilessly his family takes the piss out of him.
April 29, 2008

This Is Relevant To My Interests

This went up on New Matilda last week. Trustfund babies who don’t share the wealth shit me, what can I say?

April 20, 2008
This was a difficult interview. I think Rollins can be equal parts boorish, or fascinating, depending on what he’s talking about. His ragging on Bono and U2 for instance, bores me because it’s based in ignorance. To say as he does here, that U2 can’t play is something only someone who has never seen them would say. It also misses the point of U2, who built their post-punk career on not being able to play. As a third wave punk screamer, Rollins should know that. He has a great bit he does about seeing KISS, which is hilarious and brilliantly true. He is fearless in speaking out against George W. Bush and the War on Terror. He works his guts out. He has more intellectual curiosty than the average person. His has lead an interesting and difficult life. One thing he definitely is not - or at least wasn’t on this occassion - is friendly. I wanted to ask him so many things that I couldn’t work into the half hour we had. He’s worked with some great directors as a bit part actor, including David Lynch on ‘Lost Highway’. He’s had Gene Simmons on his talkshow, I would love to have known what insights he gleaned into the Demon. Does he prefer being interviewer, or interviewee? He’s the kind of guy I could have asked to explain Fight Club to me. He’s in a really gory horror film recently, what makes people like that stuff? Lots of questions. None of this really happened. Rollins completely dominated this interview right from the start, just through his body language. He didn’t look me in the eye very often, or refer to me by name once. He sat at one end of the couch and moved slowly further and further away throughout the course of the interview. He wasn’t really interested in talking to me, or in an exchange. I almost felt like I could have left the tape recorder there, said, “tell me about yourself” and have picked it half an hour later. How do you get the measure of someone in half an hour? Obviously you can’t. In this interview Rollins talks a mile about US politics and literature. It might still be interesting, I guess, but knowing what I wanted to get out of him and didn’t, this is a pretty disappointing piece for me. Face to face is hard, baby. Damn hard.

This was a difficult interview. I think Rollins can be equal parts boorish, or fascinating, depending on what he’s talking about. His ragging on Bono and U2 for instance, bores me because it’s based in ignorance. To say as he does here, that U2 can’t play is something only someone who has never seen them would say. It also misses the point of U2, who built their post-punk career on not being able to play. As a third wave punk screamer, Rollins should know that. He has a great bit he does about seeing KISS, which is hilarious and brilliantly true. He is fearless in speaking out against George W. Bush and the War on Terror. He works his guts out. He has more intellectual curiosty than the average person. His has lead an interesting and difficult life.

One thing he definitely is not - or at least wasn’t on this occassion - is friendly.

I wanted to ask him so many things that I couldn’t work into the half hour we had. He’s worked with some great directors as a bit part actor, including David Lynch on ‘Lost Highway’. He’s had Gene Simmons on his talkshow, I would love to have known what insights he gleaned into the Demon. Does he prefer being interviewer, or interviewee? He’s the kind of guy I could have asked to explain Fight Club to me. He’s in a really gory horror film recently, what makes people like that stuff? Lots of questions. None of this really happened.

Rollins completely dominated this interview right from the start, just through his body language. He didn’t look me in the eye very often, or refer to me by name once. He sat at one end of the couch and moved slowly further and further away throughout the course of the interview. He wasn’t really interested in talking to me, or in an exchange. I almost felt like I could have left the tape recorder there, said, “tell me about yourself” and have picked it half an hour later.

How do you get the measure of someone in half an hour? Obviously you can’t. In this interview Rollins talks a mile about US politics and literature. It might still be interesting, I guess, but knowing what I wanted to get out of him and didn’t, this is a pretty disappointing piece for me. Face to face is hard, baby. Damn hard.

April 14, 2008

R.E.M. Return With 'Accelerate': Review on The Vine

Having loved R.E.M. growing up, they were a close second only to U2. Then Bill Berry left and they kept going and I sort of gave up on the band. If felt weird to me. U2 would never go on if anyone left.

So there was a bet going, that R.E.M. had the great album left in them, and U2 did not. And now I must resign that bet, because it’s true that R.E.M. have won this round, squarely. If U2 do ever make an album this good at this late stage, I’ll be so happy, I’ll be… shiny. Or similar.