i'm all ska'd out...

hello there family and friends (although none of my family read this, so this is to my interweb family. you are the real stars here)

so my ska phase is drawing to a close. it was a good week, but when you come across the same band for the 3rd time in one week, it starts to lose its excitement. yes, i saw captain stu AGAIN this weekend!! but let me just launch a preemptive strike here, i was going to see city bowl mizers (will get to them just now), and as i arrive, i see that the stu's name is suddenly featured on the set list! all i could say was, 'oh, fuck!'. as much as i do love them, 3 times in one week is a bit crazy and kind of screams 'crazy fucked up fan', which i am not by the way. but hey, why am i arguing here (with myself it seems)? i assume that no one here will believe me anyways, so lets just continue. i did enjoy their performance, once again, but need to take a break. i actually realised that i missed listening to music i dont understand ie afrikaans music. i need some of it, and soon!!! especially foto na dans. i saw their vid today, and realised that its been a MINUTE since i last saw them, and they are one of my fave bands to watch. hello, alex, make a plan here!!!

ok, but lets get to the real deal: CITY BOWL MIZERS!!! the scene loves of my life. recent addition to my heart. and not because of their music, which is pretty cool, but because of their vibe and energy. i am going to become their best friends, and then over a series of drunken nights, take a different member behind the middle school...and ja *sigh* i mean, you have the dorkishly cute guitarist, the crazy awesome lead singer, the small man with a big bass ;), the shirtless drummer (who sort of reminded me of the lead singer from iglu & hartly. thank you), and the random other dude who played something in the band. i dont know, i was distracted. i had no bottom lip left by the end of it, and just stood there having 'mildly' inappropriate thoughts. the trampoline dancefloor didnt help much #imjussayin

but in terms of music, they are pretty cool. they remind me of the rock bands featured in all those teen movies in the early millenium sans female vocalist and bad hair. i can imagine that they were those weird 'punk' kids at the school socials who unlike the masses who enjoyed backstreet boys and nsync, they were on their skateboards listening to sum41 and blink182 (ha, bands with numbers in their name. random). and that other american band whose name escapes me right now. i think it started with an 'a', and was really popular. i think they sang that song, 'pretty fly for a white guy'. wait, its offspring (thank you, jamie). not entirely sure if i enjoyed the tunes cos they all sounded the same to me, AND they didnt play my track, so wasnt too chuffed. tsk tsk CBM, but its ok, i can think of various (well, one) ways that you can make it up to me ;)

woow *phew*

i have realised...

...that i am over my indie phase (or at least temporarily)
...that i really am a fan of captain stu, and im not ashamed of it.
...that people ACTUALLY read the crazy shit i talk about

these are points that i feel i should just own, and let the world know. i am not ashamed of my decisions, in fact, i am proud. thank you.

saw the dear captains for the second time this week. was actually going to check 'curious incident' out, but literally left after 2 songs. i dont know, the fact that the bassist was wearing a t-shirt that said 'dirty skirts' and a pair of neon coloured braces just didnt work for me. yeah...no. we all know how i feel about the dirty skirts. but from what i could gather, i think they were pretty cool. i dont know. but thanks to the marvels of technology, i was able to get their EP emailed to me!!! yes, shit is that cool and that real. when i was told that i could download the EP, i told the saleswoman aka faith, that i had stupidly left my flash at home. but then, thanks to the elves in our computers, they could just email it to me. so, when i finally listen to them, i shall let you know my true thoughts. stay tuned.

ah, captain stu. i dont actually know what else i can say. i love them. and that is that. not much else to say on that issue. and i dont mind being a fan, actually. i very rarely own such things, but in this situation, i dont mind it. sweet. good vibes. good tunes. fucking good people. i want to live my life in a ska/reggae inspired LP. wake up to it, dream it, live it etc etc etc (i actually dont like that phrase 'etc'. yuck)

i am hungover and hungry, and therefore, i am off :) CITY BOWL MIZERS ON SATURDAY!!!!

joburg....interesting

hello there!!!

well, even though i said that i would probably not be hitting band vibes in the jhb, i actually ended up doing just that! was weird. found out that my dear friends from captain stu would be gracing the fabulous concrete jungle with their presence, and it just would not have been right if i didnt pay my respects.

but this post isnt about them as performers, although once again i thoroughly enjoyed it. i think im beginning to prefer them to ashtray. but thats neither here nor there. anyways, im here to discuss the environment that i suddenly found myself in that i just didnt understand and still do not understand. weird.

so, this gig was at cool runnings in fourways, which as a venue, is a really sweet spot. they even have a fire in the middle of the yard. i could imagine spending my lazy saturday afternoons there getting exceedingly drunk on booze and good banter, but the people might just kill the vibe. its this giant hole of inbred individuals who were caught in a timetrap of 90s grunge. its the most bizarre thing i have ever seen! but like, not even in that cool, quirky way that capetonians seem to do it with. its in that really worrying, what the fuck is happening here, kind of way. captain stu are a happy bunch, i felt like these people drink each others blood instead of a glass of wine.

thats my uninspired tidbit for the day. i have loads of work to get through, so cant regail you with more exciting/scary tales of my experience at cool runnings fourways.

later

'appreciation's never been your scene...'

ola all of you in the blogosphere!!

so, this past friday night played host to the official wrestlerish album launch. i think i have finally learnt how to say the name of this band, which i think is a huge achievement! go me!!! and they were supported by the lottery tickets (i didnt feel like they made me want to tata ma chance, or tata ma anything besides a tequila to make the noise stop), and my old favourites, ashtray electric.

so, as per usual, ashtray gave a sterling performance. i usually get very happy to see them, but this time, i had a different feeling. it was a warm fuzzy feeling that you get when you get home after a very long trip, coupled with this strange sexual arousal. i dont know what it was, but it was something new. especially with reference to ashtray. i think its the new single air that rudi has, cos he was rocking it in a way that i have never seen before. it could also have easily been the tequilas, but whatever it was, he must tap into it and let it be experienced by everyone else. and as i always say, they are best suited to small intimate gigs, and just rock it out there. i love it! listening to them in the car just doesnt have the same feel, and i feel it takes away from them in some sense. the only thing i get out of listening to their cd is that i learn more words before the next performance. a friend of mine said that they have the perfect combination for a rock group, the sexy/dangerous guitarist; the emo lead singer; the shy bassist and a random band member that no one can really place, but it completes the picture. i totally agree, and with every performance of theirs that i see, they get better and better. LOVE IT!!!!!

wrestlerish were also fantastic. its not very often that i get to awesome bands in one night, but here i was being fortunate. the lead singer tried some rudi-esque bad ass moves (ooh, just thinking about those rudi moves and energy makes me giggle a little), but they just didnt work for him cos they didnt suit him. so after 2 songs, he regained his composure and was himself, and THAT worked! fun, folky, with a bad ass twist, and i was totally satisfied. if you want something melodious to just groove to for a bit, they are totally the bizz, and i would def see them again at a music festival this time round. yes, while i sit on the grass with my jamesons (cos thats how i roll), and some phenomenal entertainment. yes, please!

unfortunately this isnt filled with the usual zest, but it is tuesday, and the gig was on friday, and i was busy over the weekend, so by now the excitement has unfortunately worn off. apparently joburg burning with surrounded by pre-pubescent teenagers-probably friends of the candyman, so i can understand why jamie didnt enjoy it too much, and actually left. you know, joburg mustnt try and create cool music festivals. they just end up attracting an unfavourable clientele. yuck.

i must be off. in jhb for the weekend. doubt any bands, besides those in my bedroom, will be enjoyed (i dont even know what that means). so might be a quiet week next week. but we do have curious incident, captain stu and holiday murray next wed, and CITY BOWL MIZERS next sat, so that will make up for the poor performance this weekend.

#imjussayin

Beautiful people in the blogosphere, how are you? hope each and every one of you had a fabulously fabulous long weekend, filled with good times, good vibes, good food, good people, and most of all good wine. i most certainly did. this is going to be a short one, as there is very little to comment on, and i think im still very tired from my incredible weekend (#ivbnsayin)

so, i did actually do a bit of a band vibe at the end of the weekend. wanted to go to mercury on friday, but margaritas with the best friend seemed more appealing, so went with that. but after 20 million bottles of wine on monday, i was easily coaxed into heading to the waiting room to catch wrestlerish. i was always going to go to the album launch on friday to catch them and the ashtray boys, but i thought, in a pretty environment on a monday night, why not end off the weekend with a good vibe.

i was pleasantly entertained by wrestlerish's performance. i didnt expect anything less to be honest. granted i only knew one song, but i dig that song and i think the lead singer has a very sweet voice, so was pretty happy with the evening. i would say that they were folky rock, but with an edge that you dont see it coming-its in their lyrics. its crazy. i actually chuckled to myself cos i was shocked to hear a swear word at one point. its like watching an old lady pull a zap sign in the traffic-you dont see it coming, but are totally impressed when it happens. truth be told, i cannot give an accurate evaluation/review/opinion about wrestlerish due the copious amount of wine i had had, and the deep convo i was in during their performance. but what i could peace together, did make a pretty picture. I will have to go to mercury on friday then, wont i? im not going to fight it.

sorry this isnt an exciting insert, im just feeling very tired and uninspired. sweet lord, i sound like a parlotones song...or maybe their pending bottle of champagne. who knows. speaking of parlotones and their champagne, i am sure that you have seen/heard of their wine that is currently being sold at a Woolies near you. rumour has it that its really good, but i cant in good conscience drink a wine thats named after lame parlotones songs (namely 'push me to the floor' and 'giant mistake), and with the tagline, 'wine notes sponsored by the parlotones'. its all a bit too lame. it would be a giant mistake for me to get involved with that crap, what with the immense hatred that i have for that band. corporate sellouts, but its okay, cos they are pathetic none the less. and the fact that they are considered SAs number 1 band by all the multinationals is disappointing and not surprising. i mean, no band with a microcosm of talent would sell their soul like that, so kfc and woolies, i dont actually even know what to say. hmph.

and with that, i am off.

oh, he's back

ola,

finally went to a gig, and boy did it feel goooood. had a black label in my hand, was with some wicked cool cats, and was shaking my head to the beat. order was restored in the little universe i live in. good times. i will however say, that if i see another fedora donning, plaid shirt/ripped tshirt wearing guy, it will be too soon. assembly, you are cool, but can all the pseudo-indie kids please just calm down and try to dress for themselves and not pre-plan their well co-ordinated outfits. but we are not here to discuss the fashion and dealings of the uninspired youth, we are here to talk some music, so lets get to it!!! :)

quick aside: do you remember that guy who was having a sugar induced epileptic fit?? he was at the mercury/captain stu/sex for breakfast gig. well, guess who i saw last night, and this time was no different. i laughed, and then cried when i realised that i was standing behind him whilst watching LARK (yes, thats who i went to see, by the way). and due to the limited amount of space, he couldnt really jump around. but that didnt sway him, only made him shake his dirty, unbecoming hair even harder. and the fact that he was shouting profanities to inge beckmann was just uncool and unnecessary. come on. im going to call this cat, 'candy man'. i have a feeling that this wont be the last time that we have an encounter.

so, back to the music. went to the assembly last night to catch some LARK action. only seen them once before, and i was particularly inebriated at that time, so this was basically like the first time for me [insert inappropriate giggle here]. truth be told, they are wicked cool, and phenomenal, and amazing, and crazy, and i thoroughly enjoyed the performance and all that jazz, but unfortunately, i am not into that kind of music. it was a bit heavy for me, and as a result affected the experience i was having. i mean, they brought it and brought it well, and inge beckmann's voice is some other kind of fucked up cool, and crisp, and clear. someone told me that she's actually trained as an opera singer? thats madness! but totally understandable. its an amazing thing to hear actually, and im glad that its out there in the world for everyone to experience. they are different to what one hears generally, and appear to have a niche following..and all the cool kids of cape town. but i just felt (and a mate of mine agreed with me) that if i had been on drugs or something, then it would have been AMAZING. not because of the drugs themselves, but because the music would have been vibrating through a different kind of channel, and the mystery, purity and beauty of the moment could have well and truly been appreciated. at least i have a heads up for next time. haha. ooh, put it this way, i wouldnt play them in my car, but give me an open field and i am there (just took a stab at myself in reference to ramfest. why would i do that?)

all in all, good times, learning experience and order was restored. i am satisfied :) oh, and i do plan on actually owning a camera one day so i can put my own pics up of my awesome experiences, but until then, google image is just going to have to do (oh, and facebook fanpages). but at least this baby is developing some personality. yay!

peace, love and awesomeness (im testing out sign offs, cos i've never used one, and feel that a cool one could be fun)

apologies

ola!

i feel like the worst blogger in the world, because i havent done any research in a very long minute, and feel like im robbing you guys of the complete tambourine popeye experience. its just not cool. a mate of mine (who i dont think even reads this blog) asked me when i last went to a gig, and i was even embarrassed to give him an answer...or at least an honest one. but i did. lets just say its been a while, and im sure you guys have noticed too. i am going to kirstenbosch today though if that counts for anything...yes..no...maybe? i mean, its goldfish, so i dont really know. in think in this space it might not count, but lets just let it slide for once today. cool? im just going to put some opinions out today. like, dislike or even unlike.

oh, i love new holland. really do. its not right. but whats also not right is my new close on obsession with the city bowl mizers. its very real and not too recent. i want to take their music behind the middle school and get it pregnant, and i want each of the band members to take me behind said middle school...and ja. they are this durban-based band who have been around for a few years and apparently they recently siged with sony bmg and are featured on the 5fm playlist. you know how i feel about bands on that playlist, but every rule has to have an exception, and they are it. firstly, they are just a good looking bunch of lads who seem to have this really good, fun, somewhat flirtatious attitude about life and everything else(i have not personally encountered them, but i lived vicariously through Fresh on 5fm on thursday-they were being interviewed), and this translates so eloquently into their music. i feel i know them through their music. its lighthearted, fun, funny, kind of 70s carefree beachiness. and they dont seem to take themselves too seriously. a fellow blogger always mentions them on her blog, and she is one who has her finger on the pulse of whats happening. they didnt seem to get a SAMA nom, but hey, the fact that they were considered for nominations anyways is good enough for me :)

my second opinion is on those locnville lighties. this stuff has been brewing in my head for the past few weeks as i've tried to form a proper, and somewhat educated, opinion about them. and i think i've managed to come to it. ok, so they are hip-hop-synth-electro something something, right? we'll let the assembly name that genre. they remind me of Dr Alban. i dont know if anyone will remember Dr Alban, but he was like late 80s rap with that dancey element to it. i used to love him. and now these kids are reviving that vibe. do you think they even know who the good dr is? he was before their time. anyways, so its dr alban brought back to life by these 2 12 year olds. go them. thats a love for history. anyways, i have decided that i dont know how i feel about them. yes, their music is cool to listen to you, but i dont think i would ever pay money to go see them in the fear that i might be trampled to death by horny 14 year olds in brightly coloured skinny jeans. i feel that they cater more for the younger market, and not for us adults. but that could just be due to the youth on their brows. its probably that. oh, and this twin thing really seems to be the latest trend. came across these twins on mtv the other day called, jedward, and they were doing a remake of Ice Ice baby. this song was out before their time. whats with these twins reliving history???

im trying to keep these posts as short and concise as possible, so im going to end it here for today. will let you know how goldfish goes. heres to hoping they bring something new. a remix of an old album isnt new.