HOLY SHIT MY LIFE (PART THE ACTUAL THING)
SO it's not quite the day after that last one but STILL here we go.
Just, holy shit. This week. Has been incredible, if exhausting.
edit Sorry, the cut deleted itself, I have no idea how!
Tuesday, I had to wake up at 4:45 in order to get to work at 5:45. Had to get the studio ready for a Ksubi shoot and the Rolling Stone Magazine awards party. Worked for nine hours and as I was about to leave one of the women organising it asked if I'd be coming for the actual party.
So I did. I met Kenny and Adam from the Birds of Tokyo and chatted with Adam for a while. That was pretty cool. They seem like really awesome guys, very down to earth and friendly. I also danced to music DJ'd by the lead singer of Art vs Science, who it also turns out is a very good DJ. So that was fun (by which I mean time of my life, I was rather star struck after the Birds of Tokyo bit so everything was all buzzy and happy.)
Got home around 12, went to bed so I could start work at 7:30. To clean the aftermath of the party. I was impressed we made it as clean as we did, because the party resulted in the white part of the floor becoming black from dirt. That was another nine hours (on Australia Day!) but I was earning extra there so it was alright. Then at around 5:30pm, I had to leave to make it to see... AMANDA FUCKING PALMER performing at the Opera House, backed by The Jane Austen Argument and Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen.
And let me tell you, folks, they are all absolutely incredible. The Jane Austen Argument's male singer has an incredibly unique and lovely voice and lyrically he's quite clever; he was all awestruck to be playing the Opera House, it was adorable. Amanda came on and performed a duet with him called Bad Wine and Lemon Cake, an absolutely gorgeous song that I recommend youtubing. "I wish that I could rent a wife. And then rent a husband to keep her for life. And we'd three be happy, well, them with each other and me with company."
I'd seen Mikelangelo perform last year, but it was a whole different level of amazing with the Black Sea Gentlemen backing him up. Gorgeous accordion, violin, clarinet and double bass, with a massive helping of delightful cabaret, pompadours and humour. A lot of laughing was done. Then Amanda Palmer came on and it was tied for the most fun I've ever had. Everything was disorganised, she lost her setlist, missed a lot of songs on it and basically it was all a clusterfuck, in the most glorious, spectacular and fun way that only Amanda Palmer could have made it. Early on, while performing "Missed Me", she crawled into the audience and up to one person, whose wife started to glare at her. She apologised about that, moved to somebody else, who was likewise married. Asking "... ARE THERE ANY BOYS HERE WHO ARE SINGLE!?" a bunch of us put our hands up. She pointed at me and said "you" before crawling up towards me. Then the sixty-something-year-old British man sitting next to me started (overdramatically) creeping towards her, making her run off and yell "somewhere where there isn't a creepy man!" and then went to somebody else. Coming back this way, she said "where was he? Oh, there you are, see me afterwards!" and started crawling through the crowds some more.
Partway through, her husband Neil Gaiman came on stage to read an excerpt from her book "Who Killed Amanda Palmer", a short story he'd just written called Mega Fauna (fantastic) and then something she didn't know he'd be doing, "The reasons I love Amanda Palmer". It was very sweet, but the best bit was her face at part the fiveth "She fucks like a wildcat". It was hilarious.
The concert continued on, I could write about it forever but I might save that for somewhere else. In the last song before the encore, she moved to one of the stalls, making me have to turn around. Where I saw my favourite English teacher, who I got into Amanda Palmer's music and who also happens to be named Amanda. Coincidences! Afterwards there were signings; when my turn to have something signed came around, she grabbed my neck and pulled me in and kissed me. Blushing, lack of speech abilities etc. Also, she was sitting next to her husband and the time so ahahaha;;;; I also got the Jane Austen Argument's EP (on the first day it was released!) and it was signed by the two members and then I got Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen's album, signed.
The day afterwards I had more work, before sort of crashing. Not the most interesting day. Although I did Skype with demute, which was fun!
Friday I enrolled in university. So now I've picked my subjects for this year! Japanese, French, Psychology, a philosophical unit on analytical thinking and a unit in astronomy. Also, my friend Jonathan was in charge of my enrollment which I thought was pretty hilarious. And then I went and hung out at his place, got to play Valkyria Chronicles and eat a bunch of sushi. 'twas lovely.
Then today. I did nothing much, played a lot of P3P, got out of bed at 1pm, cleaned my room, then...
SAW AMANDA PALMER AGAIN FUCK YES she held a free "ninja gig" at Carriageworks. I was right up the front. Tom Dickins from the Jane Austen Argument and Kim Boekbinder were there also. My mum and stepfather also came and they really loved it, which is nice! Tom Dickins' second song was absolutely fantastic, I really can't wait for them to record it and put it on their record. Kim was also fantastic: her voice is beautiful. It was a good three or so hours worth of concert, before Amanda Palmer and Kim auctioned off one of Kim's ukuleles, signed by the two and drawn on by Amanda; the proceeds were split 50/50 between the Queensland flood relief and Kim, who was completely broke and needed money to tour. I won it! Ow my wallet, but totally worth it.
Kim then performed a song for me in the guys bathroom (there was a reason it was in the bathroom, but this is getting long enough!), which was absolutely gorgeous. I got to chat with Tom for a bit, who then gave me a free shirt for buying the ukulele! Then Amanda Palmer was doing signings and photographs. I got my phone signed and when I went in for the photograph she slipped behind me, grabbed me tightly and groped me. Just. What. My life. See my icon? Yeah, that was me.
Then, I came home, where I am now. And now I should sleep, as I have to get up in about six hours for work.
AMAZING WEEK JUST WOW. Definitely going to see her the other two times she's in Sydney this year.
(P.S. Sorry for the essay)
Just, holy shit. This week. Has been incredible, if exhausting.
edit Sorry, the cut deleted itself, I have no idea how!
Tuesday, I had to wake up at 4:45 in order to get to work at 5:45. Had to get the studio ready for a Ksubi shoot and the Rolling Stone Magazine awards party. Worked for nine hours and as I was about to leave one of the women organising it asked if I'd be coming for the actual party.
So I did. I met Kenny and Adam from the Birds of Tokyo and chatted with Adam for a while. That was pretty cool. They seem like really awesome guys, very down to earth and friendly. I also danced to music DJ'd by the lead singer of Art vs Science, who it also turns out is a very good DJ. So that was fun (by which I mean time of my life, I was rather star struck after the Birds of Tokyo bit so everything was all buzzy and happy.)
Got home around 12, went to bed so I could start work at 7:30. To clean the aftermath of the party. I was impressed we made it as clean as we did, because the party resulted in the white part of the floor becoming black from dirt. That was another nine hours (on Australia Day!) but I was earning extra there so it was alright. Then at around 5:30pm, I had to leave to make it to see... AMANDA FUCKING PALMER performing at the Opera House, backed by The Jane Austen Argument and Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen.
And let me tell you, folks, they are all absolutely incredible. The Jane Austen Argument's male singer has an incredibly unique and lovely voice and lyrically he's quite clever; he was all awestruck to be playing the Opera House, it was adorable. Amanda came on and performed a duet with him called Bad Wine and Lemon Cake, an absolutely gorgeous song that I recommend youtubing. "I wish that I could rent a wife. And then rent a husband to keep her for life. And we'd three be happy, well, them with each other and me with company."
I'd seen Mikelangelo perform last year, but it was a whole different level of amazing with the Black Sea Gentlemen backing him up. Gorgeous accordion, violin, clarinet and double bass, with a massive helping of delightful cabaret, pompadours and humour. A lot of laughing was done. Then Amanda Palmer came on and it was tied for the most fun I've ever had. Everything was disorganised, she lost her setlist, missed a lot of songs on it and basically it was all a clusterfuck, in the most glorious, spectacular and fun way that only Amanda Palmer could have made it. Early on, while performing "Missed Me", she crawled into the audience and up to one person, whose wife started to glare at her. She apologised about that, moved to somebody else, who was likewise married. Asking "... ARE THERE ANY BOYS HERE WHO ARE SINGLE!?" a bunch of us put our hands up. She pointed at me and said "you" before crawling up towards me. Then the sixty-something-year-old British man sitting next to me started (overdramatically) creeping towards her, making her run off and yell "somewhere where there isn't a creepy man!" and then went to somebody else. Coming back this way, she said "where was he? Oh, there you are, see me afterwards!" and started crawling through the crowds some more.
Partway through, her husband Neil Gaiman came on stage to read an excerpt from her book "Who Killed Amanda Palmer", a short story he'd just written called Mega Fauna (fantastic) and then something she didn't know he'd be doing, "The reasons I love Amanda Palmer". It was very sweet, but the best bit was her face at part the fiveth "She fucks like a wildcat". It was hilarious.
The concert continued on, I could write about it forever but I might save that for somewhere else. In the last song before the encore, she moved to one of the stalls, making me have to turn around. Where I saw my favourite English teacher, who I got into Amanda Palmer's music and who also happens to be named Amanda. Coincidences! Afterwards there were signings; when my turn to have something signed came around, she grabbed my neck and pulled me in and kissed me. Blushing, lack of speech abilities etc. Also, she was sitting next to her husband and the time so ahahaha;;;; I also got the Jane Austen Argument's EP (on the first day it was released!) and it was signed by the two members and then I got Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen's album, signed.
The day afterwards I had more work, before sort of crashing. Not the most interesting day. Although I did Skype with demute, which was fun!
Friday I enrolled in university. So now I've picked my subjects for this year! Japanese, French, Psychology, a philosophical unit on analytical thinking and a unit in astronomy. Also, my friend Jonathan was in charge of my enrollment which I thought was pretty hilarious. And then I went and hung out at his place, got to play Valkyria Chronicles and eat a bunch of sushi. 'twas lovely.
Then today. I did nothing much, played a lot of P3P, got out of bed at 1pm, cleaned my room, then...
SAW AMANDA PALMER AGAIN FUCK YES she held a free "ninja gig" at Carriageworks. I was right up the front. Tom Dickins from the Jane Austen Argument and Kim Boekbinder were there also. My mum and stepfather also came and they really loved it, which is nice! Tom Dickins' second song was absolutely fantastic, I really can't wait for them to record it and put it on their record. Kim was also fantastic: her voice is beautiful. It was a good three or so hours worth of concert, before Amanda Palmer and Kim auctioned off one of Kim's ukuleles, signed by the two and drawn on by Amanda; the proceeds were split 50/50 between the Queensland flood relief and Kim, who was completely broke and needed money to tour. I won it! Ow my wallet, but totally worth it.
Kim then performed a song for me in the guys bathroom (there was a reason it was in the bathroom, but this is getting long enough!), which was absolutely gorgeous. I got to chat with Tom for a bit, who then gave me a free shirt for buying the ukulele! Then Amanda Palmer was doing signings and photographs. I got my phone signed and when I went in for the photograph she slipped behind me, grabbed me tightly and groped me. Just. What. My life. See my icon? Yeah, that was me.
Then, I came home, where I am now. And now I should sleep, as I have to get up in about six hours for work.
AMAZING WEEK JUST WOW. Definitely going to see her the other two times she's in Sydney this year.
(P.S. Sorry for the essay)