In Fiction were an average five piece rock band. They seemed to have trouble picking a genre to play in, and while April and I agreed that musical range is a good thing, changing styles four times during a song seems rather excessive.
I knew *nothing* about British India except there was a bit of hype about them, that they were supposedly pretty good. I was not prepared for how young they looked, nor for how much I liked them and how utterly enjoyable they were. They had lots of energy, played well together, and had a gloriously chaotic rock/punk sound. The lead guitarist was a tiny tiny axe wielding maniac, and the drummer looked like he was going to die of exhaustion by the second last song but managed to keep going. The lead singer, who looked like your average teenaged indie geek, didn't know what to do with his hands when he wasn't playing the guitar, and settled for trying to dance with his arms waving around loosely and uselessly. But they were definitely a new band to keep an eye out on.
The room started filling up properly for Kisschasy. Their set started with the lead singer doing a simple acoustic version of 'Black Dress' which was very well received by the crowd, and then the rest of the band came out. Their sound was more rock live than I'd expected from their almost pop singles from radio, and I found them very generic in sound; I kept waiting for the song to really interesting...by which time it was over and they went straight into another one that sounded about the same. After four songs I was ready to leave.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Fall Out Boy - 26 Sept 2007 - Acer Arena
I saw Fall Out Boy in March at the Big Top and really enjoyed it, but I was surprised then by how little they played from their latest record, the very good Infinity on High. So when I saw that they were coming out again, having gone triple platinum, and with Jack's Mannequin as support, I easily coughed up for a second go.
Jack's Mannequin - kind of Ben Folds Five gone pop punk with a detour around the lighter moments of Death Cab for Cutie - were on first, and they put on a really fun set, with an emphasis on the more upbeat songs from their one album to date (Everything in Transit). The crowd on the front floor were really into it, which resulted in a heavier crush than I expected that early in the night. Lead singer Andrew McMahon was adorably hyper, and sounded *great* live. I am a complete sucker for piano-tinged rock played with abandon, so the finale where he ended up marching up and down the piano and then on top of it was amusing.
I'm Ready
La La Lie
Bruised
Dark Blue
Holiday from Real
The Mixed Tape
MFEO
I was already dripping with sweat and completely dehydrated after JM, so I went to buy some overpriced water, checked out the merch (but was good and didn't buy anything), then went back to my spot on the floor for the Gyroscope set. Which was short, loud, energetic, and a hell of a lot heavier than the kids were expecting, considering the bemusement around me; they were much more in the rock mould. The set was a mix of old ('Doctor Doctor'), more recent ('Fast Girl', 'Beware Wolf') and really new (latest single 'Snakeskin').
Finally, Fall Out Boy came out to that instantly recognisable opening riff of AC/DC's Thunderstruck. Their set was ridiculously fun; three songs in I was already exhausted from jumping around so much, but I couldn't help myself. I ended up centre left a little way back, still within the happy moshers, but not close enough to feel crushed, and I barely needed to watch the big screens at the side because I generally had a decent view. Sound was not great overall, it was a little messy at times and Patrick's glorious voice seemed drowned out a bit from where I was but what they lacked in sound cohesion they made up with heaps of presence.
Pete was in an odd mood, not withdrawn, but rather introspective; a fair bit of his stage banter was musings on how fans react to them, and how they perceive that adoration and attention. For example, he prefaced the cover of Basket Case by talking about how people often tell him that FOB music has saved their lives, which he says he finds it difficult to respond to, but in turn they wanted to play "a song that saved our lives". How, I don't know, but it was a good cover of a great song.
Thriller
Grand Theft Autumn / Where Is Your Boy
Don't Matter (cover) - video -
Sugar We're Going Down
Our Lawyer Made Us Change the Name of This Song So We Wouldn’t Get Sued
Of All The Gin Joints In All The World - video -
Hum Hallelujah
I Slept With Someone In Fall Out Boy And All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me
Basket Case (cover) - video -
I'm Like a Lawyer With The Way I'm Always Trying To Get You Off (Me & You)
A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More ‘Touch Me’
Beat It (cover) - video -
Carpal Tunnel of Love
This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race
Thnks Fr Th Mmrs
The Take Over, The Break’s Over
One and Only
Dance Dance
Power of Love (cover)
Saturday
Jack's Mannequin - kind of Ben Folds Five gone pop punk with a detour around the lighter moments of Death Cab for Cutie - were on first, and they put on a really fun set, with an emphasis on the more upbeat songs from their one album to date (Everything in Transit). The crowd on the front floor were really into it, which resulted in a heavier crush than I expected that early in the night. Lead singer Andrew McMahon was adorably hyper, and sounded *great* live. I am a complete sucker for piano-tinged rock played with abandon, so the finale where he ended up marching up and down the piano and then on top of it was amusing.
I'm Ready
La La Lie
Bruised
Dark Blue
Holiday from Real
The Mixed Tape
MFEO
I was already dripping with sweat and completely dehydrated after JM, so I went to buy some overpriced water, checked out the merch (but was good and didn't buy anything), then went back to my spot on the floor for the Gyroscope set. Which was short, loud, energetic, and a hell of a lot heavier than the kids were expecting, considering the bemusement around me; they were much more in the rock mould. The set was a mix of old ('Doctor Doctor'), more recent ('Fast Girl', 'Beware Wolf') and really new (latest single 'Snakeskin').
Finally, Fall Out Boy came out to that instantly recognisable opening riff of AC/DC's Thunderstruck. Their set was ridiculously fun; three songs in I was already exhausted from jumping around so much, but I couldn't help myself. I ended up centre left a little way back, still within the happy moshers, but not close enough to feel crushed, and I barely needed to watch the big screens at the side because I generally had a decent view. Sound was not great overall, it was a little messy at times and Patrick's glorious voice seemed drowned out a bit from where I was but what they lacked in sound cohesion they made up with heaps of presence.
Pete was in an odd mood, not withdrawn, but rather introspective; a fair bit of his stage banter was musings on how fans react to them, and how they perceive that adoration and attention. For example, he prefaced the cover of Basket Case by talking about how people often tell him that FOB music has saved their lives, which he says he finds it difficult to respond to, but in turn they wanted to play "a song that saved our lives". How, I don't know, but it was a good cover of a great song.
Thriller
Grand Theft Autumn / Where Is Your Boy
Don't Matter (cover) - video -
Sugar We're Going Down
Our Lawyer Made Us Change the Name of This Song So We Wouldn’t Get Sued
Of All The Gin Joints In All The World - video -
Hum Hallelujah
I Slept With Someone In Fall Out Boy And All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me
Basket Case (cover) - video -
I'm Like a Lawyer With The Way I'm Always Trying To Get You Off (Me & You)
A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More ‘Touch Me’
Beat It (cover) - video -
Carpal Tunnel of Love
This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race
Thnks Fr Th Mmrs
The Take Over, The Break’s Over
One and Only
Dance Dance
Power of Love (cover)
Saturday
Thursday, August 30, 2007
RIAA vs. The People: Four Years Later
I found this fascinating; an indepth, quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the RIAA's campaign against illegal downloading of music by the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation). Some of the methods used by the RIAA are little short of extortion, and a lot of it sounds really ruthless and also rather futile in the broader picture. The paper also gives a good overview about the way file sharing has gone underground - foregoing P2P software for private networks and "darknet technology" (simple CD ripping and burning) that are harder to trace.
I found this fascinating; an indepth, quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the RIAA's campaign against illegal downloading of music by the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation). Some of the methods used by the RIAA are little short of extortion, and a lot of it sounds really ruthless and also rather futile in the broader picture. The paper also gives a good overview about the way file sharing has gone underground - foregoing P2P software for private networks and "darknet technology" (simple CD ripping and burning) that are harder to trace.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Don't Ask, Don't Tell: Why Internet Safety Policy is Cracked
The article is a good overview of why the government's $84million porn filter was a half-baked idea even before it was publicised as 'crackable', but it's the comments that really fascinate me. A lot of people who work in the net security arena have measured input as to why its not technologically feasible to have a filter that works 100%, teens add their point of view as to what is really important to address about kids online, and parents contribute the struggles and their own layered methods of internet security. It's thoughtful, interesting, and ties very nicely into the stuff that danah boyd's panel brought up (see post 3 down). Media interest and government scrutiny needs to turn to other areas in order to bring about real useful change, rather than using scare campaigns to frighten people about technology and drive parents further away from communicating with their kids over these issues.
The article is a good overview of why the government's $84million porn filter was a half-baked idea even before it was publicised as 'crackable', but it's the comments that really fascinate me. A lot of people who work in the net security arena have measured input as to why its not technologically feasible to have a filter that works 100%, teens add their point of view as to what is really important to address about kids online, and parents contribute the struggles and their own layered methods of internet security. It's thoughtful, interesting, and ties very nicely into the stuff that danah boyd's panel brought up (see post 3 down). Media interest and government scrutiny needs to turn to other areas in order to bring about real useful change, rather than using scare campaigns to frighten people about technology and drive parents further away from communicating with their kids over these issues.
...the work of Satan?
Australian government caught editing Wikipedia
This is maybe old news, but I was skimming through this article at work today (ooh, yeah, that's right, productive use of my paid time...) and the following passage caught my eye:
But. There are people working in the official administration that runs this country that would put the above sentences into public circulation. Part of me believes it's the work of pranksters - bored office people playing with the freedom and anonymity. But another part of me is thinking, "What if they really do think that?" I mean, I can't say I agree completely with the beliefs of Mormons, but "the work of Satan" is a very strongly worded opinion!
This is maybe old news, but I was skimming through this article at work today (ooh, yeah, that's right, productive use of my paid time...) and the following passage caught my eye:
This just strikes me as really hilarious, and a little scary. It's not that I think government officials editing Wikipedia is wrong - before you can yell about bias, it's the democracy of Wikipedia that allows it to be such an interesting place and a good overview resource. Anything that is obviously biased is usually pointed out by its lack of notation, and tidied up by opposing forces soon after that. Plus, the fact that it is on Wikipedia means there is a level of awareness by its users that critical analysis is important in evaluating the truthfulness and honesty of information posted.Additions to various Wikipedia entries made using government computers
included "Freemasonry is the work of Satan", "Mormonism is the work of Satan"
and "Jesus is god", the paper said.
But. There are people working in the official administration that runs this country that would put the above sentences into public circulation. Part of me believes it's the work of pranksters - bored office people playing with the freedom and anonymity. But another part of me is thinking, "What if they really do think that?" I mean, I can't say I agree completely with the beliefs of Mormons, but "the work of Satan" is a very strongly worded opinion!
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Is Me Really Monster? by Andy F. Bryan
Cookie Monster Searches Deep Within Himself and Asks: Is Me Really Monster?
Me love cookies. Me tend to get out of control when me see cookies.
Hee! Cookie Monster under psychoanalyses, perhaps; comes to a disturbing conclusion. Also reveals the depth of depravity that is lurking within the innocent looking confines of Sesame Street...
Me love cookies. Me tend to get out of control when me see cookies.
Hee! Cookie Monster under psychoanalyses, perhaps; comes to a disturbing conclusion. Also reveals the depth of depravity that is lurking within the innocent looking confines of Sesame Street...
Friday, August 24, 2007
Ryan Adams - 23 Aug 2007 - Enmore Theatre
Thursday night’s gig was 5 parts brilliant, 1 part hilarious, and an unfortunate 4 parts frustrating. Ryan Adams is a brilliant musician: the music was *superb*, his voice was strong and beautiful, the band were tight and played so well. I think the Cardinals are good for him, because they give his shiny riffs this warm, full sound that really draws out the songs. And I barely knew any of the songs tonight (more on that later) but even then, the music was wonderful. Ryan Adams can really write excellent songs and play and sing them beautifully.
BUT.
Ryan Adams was being a deliberately difficult artist last night.
Well, the first frustrating thing was (probably) not of his doing; the Enmore had been very misleading about the seating arrangements before the pre-sale, so there were lots of unhappy fans who had bought dancefloor tickets early, only to find out on arrival that floor was *behind* a whole section of seating. Not that there was much to see – that’s right, Ryan had a certain lighting plan (dim, very dim), and he was sticking to it. It was a very pretty set, with the curtained backdrop and the Chinese paper lanterns in different shapes and colours, and I understand the idea of a cosy ambience to focus attention on the music, but it was a bit disappointing not to be able to see the band you had paid to see! For the first four songs, it was kind of hard to work out *where* Ryan Adams was – as someone near me said in the first few minutes, “I can, uh, I think that’s his guitar reflecting the light a bit…?” – and it wasn’t until he spoke to the audience to respond to the few audience members yelling for him to turn the lights up (they weren’t particularly rude – I remember one being, “Ryan, we love you, but we’d love you more if we could see you!”) that we had confirmation of where he was. At one point he was still pretty good natured about it – after one such shout he got out his lighter and held up the flame near his face so we saw him flickering for a few seconds, and everyone laughed. But after 'Off Broadway', someone yelled for the lights again (even though now these requests were being met with an equally vocal response from the audience of groans and ‘shut up!’) and this time Ryan said, rather huffily, “We’re playing two sets tonight. When I come out for the second you had better have learnt how to act.” Then he stalked off the stage and the lights went on, and we all hoped like hell it was just an intermission. *sigh*
I guess it’s not a proper Ryan Adams experience without a tantrum of some sort?
After a fifteen minute break, they came back on and started playing again. The first half off the set had been easy on the hits but still fairly accessible, heavy on songs from the recent albums particularly the ones he recorded with the Cardinals, but the second half became wilfully obscure, and there has been discussion online as to whether this was a deliberate decision made in the break. Anyway, of the seven songs in the second half, one was originally written for Willie Nelson, two have yet to be released, and one was a bonus track that is not readily available. Yikes Anyway, highlights for me were 'Cold Roses', where the harmonies with the band were awesome, as well as 'What Sin Replaces Love', which I hadn’t heard before, but have utterly fallen in love with. There was a blistering extended jam in the middle of the song that was just fantastic, and by the end there was a line that Ryan just sang on his own, and it just about floored me because it was so beautiful. 'Wild Flowers' got a good response from the crowd, 'Peacefull Valley' sounded great, and 'Arkham Asylum', a new song, was well received with its last few bars being the Batman theme. However, after a good last two songs, Ryan felt the need to close the set with a ten minute drawn out feedback and drum outro of utter cacophony, while the remaining members of his band looked lost and liked they wanted to leave. Oh, not to mention the utter condescension in his voice as he ‘congratulated’ us for coming and staying for his idea of a concert, then he followed it up, in the most patronising voice, “You learnt how to listen to music. GOOD JOB."
Goodnight Rose
Please Do Not Let Me Go
Mockingbird
Wild Flowers
Cold Roses
Dear John
Peacefull Valley
Off Broadway
--
Blue Hotel
Magnolia Mountain
What Sin Replaces Love
Trouble On Wheels
Arkham Asylum
A Kiss Before I Go
Easy Plateau
I knew of his reputation, but now I’ve seen first hand how wilful he can be. It is part of who he is and what makes him interesting, but it was also *frustrating* as a fan to be treated that way all night, as if we were all bad children from the start who deserved to be punished. I still love his music, his talent outweighs the crazy, but I don’t think he did himself any favours on Thursday night. The same snippets of conversation were overheard, over and over again, as we walked out (no encore, not that we were expecting it from his mood): “What a prick!” “I’m never listening to him again!”and so on.
Ryan Adams is such a talented musician but he is also a dick, and a lot of that gig felt like a giant “Screw you!” to his fans.
BUT.
Ryan Adams was being a deliberately difficult artist last night.
Well, the first frustrating thing was (probably) not of his doing; the Enmore had been very misleading about the seating arrangements before the pre-sale, so there were lots of unhappy fans who had bought dancefloor tickets early, only to find out on arrival that floor was *behind* a whole section of seating. Not that there was much to see – that’s right, Ryan had a certain lighting plan (dim, very dim), and he was sticking to it. It was a very pretty set, with the curtained backdrop and the Chinese paper lanterns in different shapes and colours, and I understand the idea of a cosy ambience to focus attention on the music, but it was a bit disappointing not to be able to see the band you had paid to see! For the first four songs, it was kind of hard to work out *where* Ryan Adams was – as someone near me said in the first few minutes, “I can, uh, I think that’s his guitar reflecting the light a bit…?” – and it wasn’t until he spoke to the audience to respond to the few audience members yelling for him to turn the lights up (they weren’t particularly rude – I remember one being, “Ryan, we love you, but we’d love you more if we could see you!”) that we had confirmation of where he was. At one point he was still pretty good natured about it – after one such shout he got out his lighter and held up the flame near his face so we saw him flickering for a few seconds, and everyone laughed. But after 'Off Broadway', someone yelled for the lights again (even though now these requests were being met with an equally vocal response from the audience of groans and ‘shut up!’) and this time Ryan said, rather huffily, “We’re playing two sets tonight. When I come out for the second you had better have learnt how to act.” Then he stalked off the stage and the lights went on, and we all hoped like hell it was just an intermission. *sigh*
I guess it’s not a proper Ryan Adams experience without a tantrum of some sort?
After a fifteen minute break, they came back on and started playing again. The first half off the set had been easy on the hits but still fairly accessible, heavy on songs from the recent albums particularly the ones he recorded with the Cardinals, but the second half became wilfully obscure, and there has been discussion online as to whether this was a deliberate decision made in the break. Anyway, of the seven songs in the second half, one was originally written for Willie Nelson, two have yet to be released, and one was a bonus track that is not readily available. Yikes Anyway, highlights for me were 'Cold Roses', where the harmonies with the band were awesome, as well as 'What Sin Replaces Love', which I hadn’t heard before, but have utterly fallen in love with. There was a blistering extended jam in the middle of the song that was just fantastic, and by the end there was a line that Ryan just sang on his own, and it just about floored me because it was so beautiful. 'Wild Flowers' got a good response from the crowd, 'Peacefull Valley' sounded great, and 'Arkham Asylum', a new song, was well received with its last few bars being the Batman theme. However, after a good last two songs, Ryan felt the need to close the set with a ten minute drawn out feedback and drum outro of utter cacophony, while the remaining members of his band looked lost and liked they wanted to leave. Oh, not to mention the utter condescension in his voice as he ‘congratulated’ us for coming and staying for his idea of a concert, then he followed it up, in the most patronising voice, “You learnt how to listen to music. GOOD JOB."
Goodnight Rose
Please Do Not Let Me Go
Mockingbird
Wild Flowers
Cold Roses
Dear John
Peacefull Valley
Off Broadway
--
Blue Hotel
Magnolia Mountain
What Sin Replaces Love
Trouble On Wheels
Arkham Asylum
A Kiss Before I Go
Easy Plateau
I knew of his reputation, but now I’ve seen first hand how wilful he can be. It is part of who he is and what makes him interesting, but it was also *frustrating* as a fan to be treated that way all night, as if we were all bad children from the start who deserved to be punished. I still love his music, his talent outweighs the crazy, but I don’t think he did himself any favours on Thursday night. The same snippets of conversation were overheard, over and over again, as we walked out (no encore, not that we were expecting it from his mood): “What a prick!” “I’m never listening to him again!”and so on.
Ryan Adams is such a talented musician but he is also a dick, and a lot of that gig felt like a giant “Screw you!” to his fans.
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