Expect Delays: 2007

Singapore

Am currently killing time in Singapore Airport. Havent been in this neck of the woods since May 28 2005. I guess keeping a blog is good for something .. my own memory !!! Anyway .. that makes it about 2 yrs and half years ... yikes. Too long - looking forward to some sunshine :)

In One Week (Almost Exactly!) ...

I will be back in Adelaide. Can't wait. Am in Adelaide from Wed 19th to Sun 23rd, going home for a week then off to Perth for NYE + 1 week and then back to London. Hopefully I'll be seeing y'all along the way.

Sevilla

Am currently in Sevilla which is a beautiful city. Am again studying at a Spanish language school four hours a day - is good fun but am covering a fair bit of the same stuff as I did last week. Has been beautiful weather, sunny and up to 20 degrees during the day, but at night it gets pretty cold. Only one day left of school, then spending the weekend in Sevilla and then catching the train to Malaga to fly back to London to work for two weeks.
A few photos from Seville ...

Estoy en Granada

Have been in Granada (Spain) almost a week now. Has been great fun, but is colder than I thought it was going to be !! Am doing a Spanish language course - four hours of lessons a day - it's hard work - much practice required ! Leave Granada tomorrow and head to Sevilla (via Cordoba - well that is the current, rather hazy, plan) for a week. After that, back to London for two weeks of work before heading home to Oz for 3 weeks. Can't wait !

23/10/07

LCD Soundsystem @ Brixton Academy. Actually not as good as I thought they would be - seemed a little flat on stage. Maybe that was just in comparison to Les Savy Fav last night !!

22/10/07

Awesome gig - shame I forgot my camera. Lead singer was amazing - climbed up onto a balcony and got people to hold his legs as he leant backwards over the railing and kept on singing ... dont try that at home kids ..

LCD Soundsystem tomorrow night at Brixton Academy. Sweet.

21/10/07

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Sunrise From Waterloo Bridge

Autumn #3

Simian Mobile Disco

Saw Simian Mobile Disco at Scala tonight. They were pretty good - stage setup and lighting were awesome. (Note that the lighting in the photo was taken before the show started !! All my other photos turned out blurry. Got a couple of vids - maybe I will try and YouTube them. ) On a downer, the set was by far the shortest I have ever been witness to at a gig for a headlining act - even to the point that they got some boos at the end ! Nasty !
We were watching from upstairs and managed to avoid the After Party heavies checking for wristbands. Got to hang around and dance to some tunes for another hour or so before catching the tube home. Off to Barc elona for the company weekend away tomorrow. Should be an awesome weekend if previous efforts are anything to go by ...

Chemical Brothers

Went to see the Chemical Brothers perform in Trafalgar Square on Sunday night. It was a "free" concert, which meant that most people, like me, probably got their tickets off ebay off people who drink Becks but dont like the Chemical Brothers !

Was a great night for it - almost a balmy English summer evening. Got reasonably close to the front and it wasnt actually that packed. I think the crowd was more packed at the back and they just assumed it would be packed up the front so didnt bother moving forward. Works for me !

The concert was great. Awesome visuals. A lot closer than I was for Glastonbury when I saw them. Really starting to wish now I had bought tickets to see them in December @ Brixton academy :-(

After the concert headed in to Soho for a cheeky pint and then onto The End to check out Superfreq. Pretty cool music. Headed home earlyish considering it was a "school" day the following day !!

The Flight Is Booked

Arrive Adelaide Wed 19 DEC 2007 09:05
Depart Perth Tue 08 JAN 2008 16:50

Parklife Festival

Aaaargh. Would love to be in Australia to check out the Parklife festival. Some great names in electronic music on the lineup, including a few on heavy rotation on my mp3 player - Justice, Goose and Digitalism. (And the Greenskeepers for you maria ...) Well worth checking out if you get the chance ....

Justice @ Koko

Went to see Justice last Thursday at Koko. Crowd was warmed up nicely by a DJ set from the Klaxons who spun some great tunes. Justice were brilliant. The crowd was packed in down the front which resultant in some moshing at an electro gig ..... Much better than the Field Day gig - I couldnt hear the people next to me talking for a start !

A Spade Is A Spade Is A Spade Is

If Only It Was Summer ....

Summer put in a brief appearance this morning ....

2 Years Ago ...

2 years ago today I arrived in London, having flown in from Prague after a great couple of months traveling. Well, the blog has slowed down but I am still alive and living in London. 2 years has gone really quick ... it certainly doesn't feel that long. Hmmm ... I don't really have too much else to say. Oh well, consider the occasion marked.

REM Dublin 4th July 2007

Below is the setlist of the REM show I saw in Dublin. (They did five shows in all - all "working rehearsals" - the premise being they were to play their new songs penned for the next album. )

The new songs were good - but the "olive branches" (as stipey called them) included songs from Chronic Town EP which havent been played for years live. Brilliant show. Brilliant venue. And the band were in fine form.

Here is a review of the show.

-------- Setlist --------
Living Well (new)
Middle Distance (new)
Circus Envy! (Monster - 94)
Mr Richards (new)
Wolves Lower (Chronic Town EP - 82)
Houston (new)
West of the Fields (Murmur - 83)
On the Fly (new)
HarbourCoat ( Reckoning - 84)
Man Sized Wreath (new)
Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars) (Chronic Town EP - 82)
Disguise (new)
1,000,000 (Chronic Town EP - 82)
Accelerate (new)
Horse to Water (new)

-------- Encore --------
Second Guessing (Reckoning - 84)
These Days (Lifes Rich Pageant - 86)
Until the day is done (new)
I'm Gonna DJ (newish)

Another Pilgrimmage ....

Just got back from Dublin after going to see REM do a "live rehearsal" gig at the Olympia Theatre. Very cool. Will write more about it tomorrow ... but for now .... some photos.

In the meantime - more info here : REM HQ (Dublin 4th July 2007)

Hoodoo Gurus

Spooky. About a month ago I bought the Hoodoo Gurus Tunnel Vision DVD in a bout of nostalgia, thinking I would never get to see them again.

I get home tonight and check my email to find that they will be playing the Shepherds Bush Empire in London on August 24th !

Sweeet .....

Dave B

Sorry - but this is a shitty post. Yesterday I was told that one of the guys I worked with, who had been off sick for a copule of days, passed away. He was 24. It doesnt make any sense. He was one of the smartest and kindest guys I knew. I am going to miss you Dave. Nothing helps at times like this - I dont really know what to say and I dont know why I am writing this - but you taught me stuff beyond your years - just by being you. Going to miss you Dave.

Glastonbury

Over the weekend I braved Glastonbury with 174,499 other wellie boot wearers. (Yep - that is 175 thousand people through the gates!). Sure it was muddy. Sure it rained. Sure getting home on the train was painful. But who cares - it was an awesome weekend. Some highlights. Seeing rufus wainwright, arcade fire and bjork back to back on Friday night - from the fifth row. Discovering my tent didnt leak. Discovering pear cider. Not falling over in the mud. Watching the sun come up with tent neighbours (who when they found out I was Australian questioned me endlessly on Neighbours !). Discovering pear cider (yes ... it is worth mentioning twice). Four brilliant days wandering around surrounded by a huge variety of sights and sounds. Biggest regret. Not taking more photos on Friday night - grrrr - oh well - too busy enjoying the music. Anyway ... it is now time for the obligatory photos.

Waiting For The Rain To Stop