Flight of the Conchords: 14 July - The Plenary, Melbourne

More than a week post Conchords and I'm still in full crazy fan girl mode. This is so true. Went to see Men In Black 3 for some Jemaine action on Monday, gosh he is brilliant! 

Lets travel back in time to the 14th of July, in Melbourne. It was a wet afternoon in Melbourne so we took to our hotel and watched all our favourite episodes in preparation for the night ahead. It was finally time to reveal my secret project to the world and don my homage to my second favourite of Bret's jumpers.  

Then we got all dressed up then did what they call a photo shoot. Posing, posing With my arm. Posing, posing with my leg. Posing, posing like a swan. Posing, posing for a portrait. Posing a threat!

Pretty much!

We grabbed some dinner and headed to the venue. Then I started feeling a little "bulimic" as Jemaine would put it, so I spent the rest of the evening trying to ignore my stomach and enjoy the show. 

Our view of the stage

Arj was a fabulous opening act for the boys and I loved that he joined them on stage in Dave regalia for Too many Dicks and Sugalumps.

I love them so much, those big dags. It was super laid back, like hanging out with two friends not New Zealand's fourth most popular folk parody duo. Super weird not being disappointed a band hasn't played all my favourites, they fulfilled all my wishes. But I don't think there is a song of theirs I dislike.

From the top, their costumes and subsequent jokes about said costumes were great, spinning their heads around wasn't too good on the stomach though!

Loved the new tune, F*** on the Ceiling. Well it is totally parodying one of my favourite bands. It was adorable when they stuffed up the lyrics. 

Adored when Jemaine played the flute super awesome bad in Inner City Pressure. 

Loved how their jokes about Australia went over most of the crowds heads. They know more about our country's history than many do. Sadly most of us were taught a different story at school. 

Super sad that no one requested to see their tits. Apparently that was their measure of a good show in Australia.The crowd wasn't amazing, hardly anyone was dressed up or singing along, but we were pretty far back (did not get impregnated by the Hiphopopotamus! :'( ). So I just have this photo to make up for the lack of tits shown.

It was particularly hilarious when after they mentioned how sad they were no one wanted to see their tits and someone baaed and Jemaine replied "We're going to f*** you later!" the to and throw between him and Bret that followed which involved a crowd orgy and 4000 blow jobs.

I just about cried when they played Carol Brown as I really didn't expect all my favourites.

All the songs were performed with wonderful comic timing and skill. I loved it and hope they tour again someday. 100 stars.

Went to JJJ's Nick Cave tribute concert last night, it was very enjoyable. Even with a stomach bug. So yeah, stuck in my head.

Beards?

I’ve been experiencing lots of different music lately being a music reviewer’s side kick. It is probably beneficial for my indie snob tendencies right?

It has certainly been interesting. 

I learnt not to order margarita pizzas from Transit bar.

We saw this dude:

He made my face hurt from laughing/smiling too much.  I would like to see him have a dance off with Bob Fossil. Yes.

Anyway, last week we saw The Beards and having watched this video I was a little terrified as someone incapable of growing a beard.  Also not having heard any of their music I wondered what the quality of the songs a band who only sang songs on the topic of beards would be.

Now, I don’t like beards in general. They kind of gross me out really, I blame Roald Dahl (I should really stop blaming children’s authors for the state of my mind).  And pash rash is super unfortunate.

So the band! They were fun. Their beards were well groomed and their songs weren’t anywhere near as bad as the ballad my father sang as I left the house to go see them. 

I rather enjoyed A Wizard Needs a Beard and No Beard, No Good. 

And one special punter gave us the experience to "consider having sex with a bearded man" as we jostled to leave the venue. We politely declined.

Sadly, I haven't changed my mind regarding beards. I really wish there was a band devoted to sideburns, as a bar full of sideburned chaps would be quite delightful.

Pulp: Remembering the First Time (part two)

Full of Pulpy goodness from the show we headed back to our hotel bar (yes we considered searching out Bar Italia as mentioned by Jarvis) and had some Pulp themed drinks (although I have been told that rum and coke would have been more apt). 

After a few hours sleep we got up and got ready to head to the airport, we turned on the telly and A Little Soul was playing on Rage. I was highly excited by this fateful moment. 

Fast forward some shopping, eating, drinking, film festival viewing of Submarine, learning about mummies, and a whole heap of me singing lines from Pink glove, Sorted For E’s and Wizz, and made up lines from Like a Friend it was time to do it all again! 

We headed into the city to meet Anna for dinner at Grill’d before the show and had some delicious burgers before heading out to Festival hall. We lined up behind a few people and before long we heard the opening lines of Do You Remember the First Time? blast through the wall – sound check complete! 

An hour and a bit later we were allowed to enter the venue. The security was pretty lax for Festival Hall, where was my customary bag check and pat down??? I could have snuck in a Cherry ripe for Jarvis! We rushed over to “sit down” near the barrier and waited ready to pounce once we were allowed to stand up (now personally I don’t understand why Festival Hall make you sit down before a gig as when they make you stand up there is always a stampede reminiscent of The Lion King). 

Anyway, we survived the stampede and ended up on the far right barrier in front of the speakers. We hoped that Jarvis would dance on them. Belles Will Ring came on and the bass nearly knocked my socks off! I couldn’t really hear them so the set was far less enjoyable than in Sydney. They seemed even more excited which was still endearing. 

Then it was time for Pulp to come on, even though I knew what to expect and from my vantage point the effect was ruined it was still thrilling to watch the bright green messages come up and wonder what is going to happen? Then hearing the opening notes of Do You Remember the First Time? Then seeing the fluorescent purple and pink PULP logo struggle and flash then come to life as the chorus kicks in, pure brilliance.

The band played another great set this time including Joyriders and Party Hard. It was great spending more time in the presence of Jarvis.

• Watching him change his shoes (appreciating his sense of self preservation!)
• Asking us to dance to Disco 2000 (try and stop us Jarv!)
• Now when I couldn't breathe when Jarvis sang "want to see you standing in your underwear" whilst pointing in my direction you can imagine my reaction when he sang "you are hardcore, you make me hard" a meter or so from me then proceeded to do sexy dances in the vicinity. Guh. Just Guh.
• Telling us about learning some new vocab “bogan” "Festy Hall"
• Looking back at the rest of the crowd during Common People (do it!) they really did "blow the roof off"
• Finishing off with a sing along to Mis-Shapes (the first ever Pulp song I heard and loved)

As he left the stage Jarvis said, "Maybe we'll see you again in another 13 years". My brain was quick to do the maths. “I don’t want to wait til I’m 40!” I said with my remaining voice.

And then it’s over, oh, what a hell of a show.

And this hollow feeling grows and grows and grows and grows.. 

Pulp: Remembering the First Time (part one)

I confessed to my mother, “If I ever have a son, don’t be surprised if I name him Jarvis”. She laughed it off, “Your infatuation won’t last that long honey”. Then I scanned my memory for a time where I didn’t love, love, love him, I couldn’t remember one. I smiled to myself.

I had just spent the last week being as close to a Pulp groupie as I was ever going to get, going to see them in Sydney then in Melbourne.

I must admit my memory is rather rubbish and the reason I want to write this, I don’t want to forget! 

I never expected to see Pulp live. Nevertheless when they announced Splendour I was rather devastated I couldn’t afford it and would be missing my only chance to see one of my favourite bands. But there was a gap in their schedule so we prayed to Jarvis for sideshows. When I heard they were doing sideshows as I drove along I couldn’t help screaming out “YESSSSS!”. Best. News. Ever. I didn’t know it then but I was going to see Pulp, not once but twice. 

Pulp week started early on Tuesday watching F.E.E.L.I.N.G. C.A.L.L.E.D. L.I.V.E. singing and dancing along to all our favourite tracks. The next morning we hopped onto a bus to Sydney. In a few hours we would be lining up to see pulp, I couldn’t believe it.

We chatted for hours about our favourite songs and what we thought it would be like seeing the band we had loved for years. A band who we found we shared an appreciation for whilst sitting around in a dodgy St. Kilda hotel years earlier when Common People came on the radio.

I was pretty happy with second row middle. It wasn’t long before Belles Will Ring came on stage. For a change I enjoyed the support act, and thought it was really sweet how excited they were to be supporting Pulp.  

   

As Belles Will Ring left the stage the anticipation grew within the crowd and finally at around 9pm luminescent green messages started to appear on the thinly veiled black sheet that blocked the view of the stage. Within seconds it had the crowd screaming, laughing and ready to see the band. Then there they were playing the opening chords to Do You Remember the First Time? It wasn’t a hoax! 

Even though I was “practically dying from a cold” I sang, danced, and thoroughly enjoyed myself as Pulp played an epic set. As I had previously seen Jarvis’ do on his solo tour back in 2009 he had an amazing way with the audience, chatting away between songs, throwing out sweets, and moving how only he can.  

Moments to remember!

•  Falling even more in love with Something Changed
•  Realising they were about to play Disco 2000 then dancing like a giddy school girl to it
•  Nearly touching Jarvis during I spy, then wishing for longer arms
•  Losing the ability to breathe whilst Jarvis sang “want to see you standing in your underwear” whilst pointing in our general direction
•  Learning that Jarvis’ favourite chocolate bar is a Cherry Ripe and having intense cravings for one every day since
•  Realising spending all my money on going to see Pulp twice was one of my best decisions ever
•  GINGER PULP! <3
•  Going to a bar and ordering Vodka Sunrises afterwards