Georgiezine

Political Context : KRudd back. Julia Gillard handled herself with dignity and grace, left a legacy, chipped the ceiling Egypt-overthrow president> what does this mean for Arab spring? Bolivia-president emergency landing in Austria because Spain et al denying airspace, suspect plane offering political asylum, South American nations very angry at the snub Cultural context or how 80s arts and culture is still having an effect on contemporary life Asked this question of someone recently and then, attempting to answer it myself, got in a twisted corner. Hard question!  Music I am listening to: When the kid lets me (he always wants to play the "twinkle star" CD) I have been listening to stuff added to my record collection.  Social context: Kylie was on my train this morning. She has been out, gone, outback, far off places, just moved back this week, and lives around the corner. She was my go-to person back when my older sister wouldn't let me read Dolly magazines wit...

Yesterday I lived the dream. We fitted our new kids bike seat to the back of Andy's bike and as a family, we caught the train to the beach and cycled up and down the esplanade. Bec, Ned & Gus joined us and we kept cycling past Fort Glanville and the surf club before returning to Noonies for mediocre milkshakes.  But the outlook was great: beautiful ocean with the sheen of a sunny day and wave crests formed by the wind. Next time, we plan to get off the train even further north. I love the peninsula, it's quaint and slightly dated. Whilst Andy and the kid got their playground fix, I went and got our caffeine fix. After getting takeaway coffees, I visited the supermarket to get biscuits. Sitting outside were two "disaffected youths"-that being the term if I was an out of touch sub editor or the like. I've got "disaffected youths" on my mind, ever since reading "Girl" and it's sequel "Dream School" by Blake Nelson, who also au...

I recall 1980s as two stages. Edgier part of the decade, when post punk music emerged; ABC "Sweet and Sour" and a local girl could be seen wearing fingerless gloves and black and red glamour flannel shirts with fluffed up fringe; later 80s, shoulder pads; every guy in primary school with mullet. I got caught up in 1983 last night, when I read the Jimmy Barnes biography. I know.... I was surprised to discover something like nine solo albums be incredibly successful, I've never rated his music, always imagined his fans would be like the girl from primary school that wore acid wash jeans and a Ford windbreaker every day. But thanks to this biography I paid too much for (cost per book brought down by all the $3 books I'd bought the previous day at the Lions Book Mart), I have become a big supporter.  At Semaphore Music Festival, I bought two Cold Chisel albums, an Icehouse album, Dragon and Split Enz. My friend only approved the latter; associating the audiences of th...

Friday night I invited myself along with Adam and Rachel and the No 1 scrabble player from WA and Simon (newly relocated to Leichhardt and in shell shock at the difference between small town Adelaide and big smoke Sydney) to go to some basement venue in Twin Street. The venue was so small as to be highly difficult to attend, unless you were friends with the performer. We were there to see Rachel's friends, a trio of female DJs, she assured me the audience would all be their circle.  Due to the technology being a DJ these days only involves clicking a few times to queue up a few songs and a lot of sitting at the ledger trying not to look bored. I assured Russell he could return to WA and reassure his peeps he had mingled with the cream of the cream of Adelaide's hip society, that he couldn't get any better, on a Friday night, than hanging out in a basement level venue, discretely lighted, being served diminishing supplies of Coopers Vintage Ale (Simon assured me that it...

I arrived in Hobart yesterday. First time I've been back since I left 5 years ago. Mixed feelings. It's kind of the same really, a small state that has many wonderful natural attributes but a localism that partly protects it and partly restricts it. This evening I was briefly talking to some of my friend's crowd and was thinking how nice they were-educated but not snobby, relaxed but intelligent-and of course they were all PhD students: science no less, well rounded and interested people. Louis had fun mugging in his beanie for them. This was at Rektango, the regular Friday evening gig in Salamanca Square, where an outside bar is set up, a band plays and people and children mingle. Louis got adopted by four boys, who were about 7-8 years old, who thought he was very cute and were delighted by his ability to give "High Fives". This was the highlight of the night for him, having 4 big kids dance with him and pat him and pay him attention, once they left, he ran am...

"Behind the garages of this country there are tires choked by grass" David McComb. . Have been listening to The Triffids, after returning on a long road trip, through murray mallee country, and many a place with tyres choking in the grass. It seems again, as though Australia is made up of the red dirt interior, or dreams of ocean swimming, wriggling free in deep water but fighting the powerful ocean waves. Last weekend I swam around the Semaphore jetty. It was probably the highlight of my week, month even. On Monday I visit a port town, busy with the industry associated with shipping out minerals via the sea. There is a long jetty for the cargo ships to be loaded from. When the plane circles in the sky above, you see it all, the deep turquoise of the sea, the red hills rolling everywhere, and the busy industry of the waters edge. I’m always a sucker for the working wharves, the portside culture, the downmarket seaside life, loved the vulgarity of Brighton: lace curtains,...

Sarah Watt died yesterday. She made Look Both Ways and My Year Without Sex, two films that I love. Reading a transcript of Australian Story here and a final interview in The Age, I was even sadder. Her gift was her ability to observe and turn the day to day into a story with depths and meaning, an essayist who told stories with visuals, a great writer. It was sad to hear that there had already been tragedy in her life-that she and her husband experienced a still birth. And I laughed at her stories of her husband as a young struggling artist, her brief yearnings to go out with someone who could "add a video recorder to my tv"... Great woman, lot of integrity and a sad loss.   I also went and saw Autoluminescent last night, which was the documentary on Rowland S Howard. I was have blogged here a while back, about last summer's obsession with reading biographies and piecing together the late 70s/80s Australian scene, which seems to have been dependent on inner city Melbour...

Can you tell what's wrong with this quote from Empire Records? "What's wrong with you? Yesterday you were normal and today you're like the Chinese guy from Karate Kid" (yep, Mr Miyagi was Japanese). Mr A and I watched Empire Records yesterday. This movie was peopled by emotional  kids . The guys wore turtlenecks and gradpa cardigans, floppy hair (the beard of the 90s), whilst the girls appearance included shaved heads, retro tartan and mens pants. It seemed that in the grunge-lite movies of the 90s, guys appropriated femininised accessories (lots of wrist jewllery) tempered with facial hair and girls appropriated masculine attire such as heavy boots, tempered with fluffy midriff bearing tops. Already the store seems so quaint, from a far off era. Its pitched as a cool indie/alternative music store, stocking CDs, vinyls and tape, staffed by younge people who are all knowing about music. It's a large space with balcony levels, listening booths, a resident ...

Lu is doing well. Cooing and chatting, sleeping more during the day and still at night. We have afternoon naps together (which I am REALLY going to miss). He looks cute in recycled clothes. He is learning to roll, and is more interactive when I read to him. Today I had another random chat with a strolling mother along Halifax street; starting to learn where I will bump into likeminded friendly/interesting mothers. Also browsed festival options. Like the look of Life in Movement, Here I am and the New Pollutants live soundtrack for Metropolis, at the Adelaide Film Festival. Visibility (photographic exhibition of Aboriginal and refugee residents) and Spirit Festival at the fringe. There are also art exhibitions at the Port in the Diamond Gallery and Better World Arts, walking tours to enquire of and the eco market. Busy times. Garden of unearthly delights has free concerts in early evening and Rymill Park is in walking distance. Nice. Across the road the park is finalising preparations f...

Hardly any films or music or literature comes to mind as finds of 2010. I think that's because the year was dominated by my personal life-new job, renovations, marriage and becoming a mother. Do have to join the new century though-am currently listening to a Liz Phair CD I borrowed from the library. The whole purpose of browsing their music collection was to make a new discovery, and instead I am listening to confessional 90s singer/songwriters. Which I DO like, and I do think in general that women are under represented in the music scene and I give blessings to the whole early 90s riot grrl scene for challenging that.... but I just don't find the music that great to listen to whilst at home on a hot early new years eve. Maybe if I was walking down a city street, anticipating a crowded smokey night with friends. (Sorry Liz). Stephen Cummings provided some amusing analysis of current female singer songwriters in Australia, with reference to people such as Sally Seltmann and C...

I posted before about the 80s, not the cheesy 80s, but the 80s I remember. And I forgot to mention my rediscovery of some of the soundtracks from this time: Deckchairs Overboard-That's the Way ; Sweet and Sour (soundtrack, cast, real musicians). Have been reading the Sails of Oblivion blog, where in a nice link, he has reformed his original band The Ears, which included Cathy McQuade who then joined Deckchairs Overboard. And she was cool, still is cool, was exactly what I aspired to be when I grew up. She was the archetype that people like Tracy Mann's character in Sweet and Sour was based on. Had totally forgotten my 1983 aspirations to grow up and have spiky hair, wear black lace outfits and live in a warehouse and be tragic.

I made a fortuitous call to Rachel on Saturday afternoon, and scored an invite to join her and Adam at the Semaphore Workers Club that evening, where Dave Graney was playing as part of the Semaphore Music Festival. As spring weather had finally started, it was good going out in the evening, though no less of a battle to try and work out what to wear besides blue jeans (managed black pants, red top, striped short sleeved jacket). I love the workers club, have written of it before-an old villa with bay window overlooking the beach, large terraced garden at front, huge room with 2 pool tables, memorabilia laden walls and now there are refurbished bathrooms which are fabulous! We met up with 2 guys, who initially I assumed to be a couple, due to them both being decently dressed, and over 40 with no obvious wedding bands/wife references (told my husband this, and he sadly agreed that neat men, of a certain age, get cliched). Anyway, they were both fun to meet and talk to, so the 5 of us c...

I'm starting to get tired, but have decided whilst I can still socialise, I will. On Friday night I made it to 11pm, attending the screening of an Adelaide movie called ADELAIDE, followed by performances from 3 of the bands that were on the soundtrack. Purchased the DVD before even watching the movie, as it had a song by my friend's former band, Emergency Crank Radio.  As the movie had an extended full frontal male nudity shot, my new acquaintance S commented on her relief she too had pre-purchased the DVD and was free of having her motives questioned. One of the bands performing was Frequency Seahorse (or similiarly titled), which was made up of 2 guys called Andrew, who shared mutual friends. One of the Andrews I recognised from uni days, the other one wore a very classic navy and red and green and pink geometric 80s jumper and pastel checked pants, that made him resemble a brainy bachelor doctor from the early 90s. Great look. They played 5 songs from their EP, which given i...

Jen and I met the young gentleman from the photo whilst giving him directions to find the Opera House so he can photograph the steps. He explained it was his first visit from Melbourne, that he lived in St Kilda, that he used to be a metalhead until one time he listened to Crowded House and they became his favourite band ever and now he's making a visit to their final resting place. "And have you heard of a band called The Smiths?" he says us tentatively, as if it will be too obscure. I tell him I listened to them when spending warm summer days indoors. We explain that we are much older than him and knew them when they were still releasing. The kid was born in 1986. He sings different glimpses of songs, as he tries to work out his favourite tune. I confuse him by mixing up This Charming Man with How Soon is Now. "Yeah, so my three favourite bands are Crowded House, The Smiths and Icehouse" he says, and that's when I decide I need to take his photogra...

The weekend was spent in Botanic Park. Not as dusty as last year, and whilst I didn't miss the 40 degree heat, I did miss how the dust motes swirled around in the evening sun and created a magical vibe. Was fortunate to continuously bump into friends all weekend, and spent plenty of quality time with them, from Megan and Ali, Pen and Ben, Mills and Luis, family and plenty of acquaintances too. Luis gave me a tip about Ego Lemos, an East Timorese musician who charmed us all at Moreton Stage when he paid tribute to International Womens Day, and to women everyone for giving life. He also sent shout outs to Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, sitting in his audience. GGY was also wonderful, beautiful voice but also quite playful in his own way, as though Womadelaide was a forum that he could embrace and enjoy. Neil Finn was a legend, I love his songs, he is the ultimate songwriter. The Audreys were good to hear again but I still walked away, nothing being able to touch the gigs I enjoyed in ...

Managed to fit in a coffee at buongiorno's, wine sprizter at the exeter, pizza back at buongiornos (best margarita pizza I've had for ages), a browse of duckworth's bookshelf and a visit to an antiquarian book sale, all by three o'clock. Whilst at the exeter I wondered what sort of people normally drink before lunchtime on a Monday (it was a public holiday). Hard to say, but one visual artist was drinking a vodka, single shots (he was a good looking red head, with short hair and the even symmetrical face that is best associated with Ben Mendelsohn and his ilk). We were the only ladies drinking, thus P's choice of a wine sprizter. Later on at D's flat, I once again expressed my love of it, the ultimate bachelor flat, with a long wooden kitchen bar and a look that always reminds me of Welcome Back Kotter. He thinks I have odd ideas, but that's part of my appeal. He may be moving on, but in the meantime I enjoyed looking at his photo albums, reminisicing about ...

I picked up some second hand copies of the New Yorker from my op shop recently. They're all from October/November 2008, so they predate Obama's election, however the analysis is astute enough to know that Obama will be elected and Republican's free market management has failed. What amused me though was a theatre review of a Scottish theatre troop performing in New York. Their piece was about Scottish veterans of Iraq, a kind of anti war piece that American veterans of Iraq were invited to. The writer of the piece interviewed several of the guys to see how they liked the play, most were positive except for a heavily tattooed guy that questioned the play's premise about the effect of war. He explained that he'd read historical writings about being a renaissance men and explicity chose to join the armed forces so that he could experience being a warrior. Yep, he'd decided that he needed to be an artist, a warrior and a philosopher and was working his way throu...

I'm one of the lucky people that have a really good hairdresser who is also an interesting person. Midweek I saw her, and she offered to let me listen to her Drones album. This interaction actually started with me ducking my head into Frankie magazine and her teasing me for being a bookworm but confessing she likes the silence to concentrate... but then we pleasantly diverted into a talk about modern music and the dark side and kindred quirks. She talked up the drones, and I thought I'd like them, they're on a path of musical interests for me that goes from Nick Cave, Dirty Three, Mess Hall, Peter Head and Bridezilla. Plus I remember admiring their duffel coat. Then she asked if I was heading to the All Tomorrow's Parties gig for the Sydney Festival. I said that I was eyeing it off, but didn't currently have a buddy to attend with, what with my kindred Nick Cave spirits being parents of under 2s/overseas/travelling in South America or China/working 7 days a we...

Not having access to a guide (bad idea: guides help you remember the bands and details that you liked) I can't really comment on what I liked. There was the choir from the far north of SA of Aboriginal elders performing with Shane Watson and Archie Roach; the dancers with commentary and then Uncle Larry leading the Rainbow serpent as part of the lantern parade, and hundreds of children clutching their lanterns. It's all a bit of a blur and my camera caught the blurs but here are the photos.

Yesterday I was travelling up the highway in the middle back seat of the rental car being driven by Rachels in laws. We were travelling to markets and asked if we'd be finding anything at the markets that was,  handmade, locally made, home grown. Negative. Then I spotted, like a beacon amongst all the consumerist materialist shop windows the sign "I hate my skirt" and I yelled "That's where we want to go". Kindred (fashion) spirits and all that. Speaking of kindred fashion spirits, I spotted my favourite Bellingen teen last week, rummaging through Vinnies for more clothes, and realised he is the son of my former workmate.  Hmmm. At the markets I scowled my way through an early morning coffee and read of the paper-all curmudgeonly of a Sunday morning before 10:30am, before realising I need to Put Myself Out More. But I was so keen to find any limited newspaper references to Australias newest pole vaulting championship (Rachel disocvered him first, headb...