360°

I went to see the U2 360° tour!!!

I've been a fan of U2 since I was in high school. I was never big on music when I was young, but U2 was one of the first bands that I began listening to late in high school, helping me to develop an interest in music generally. I still remember that their album "All That You Can't Leave Behind" was one of the first I ever bought.

People may complain that they're too political or that they've got problems with Bono, but I still like their music. It's strange hearing people criticise them, often the criticisms seem to have nothing to do with their music and performances, but more to do with "who" they are.

None of this was going to stop me enjoying my first ever U2 concert though. This was the 360° tour as well! I had wanted to see this since I had first seen the incredible circular stage set up.

The opening act was not to be ignored either! It was Jay-Z!!!

It seemed like a strange opening act. A hip hop artist doesn't really come to mind as a natural opening act for U2, but I wasn't complaining.

Jay-Z was fantastic and the crowd definitely appreciated what they were hearing.

Seeing him live wasn't something I had ever expected I would experience, so hearing him rapping out "99 Problems" and "Empire State of Mind" seemed almost surreal.

Andy in particular enjoyed Empire State of Mind. He's heading to New York next year on secondment, so this song game him more than enough opportunity to gloat to the rest of us.
As great as it was hearing Jay Z and showing him our "diamonds", he was still just an opener. It's amazing to think that U2 is so massive that someone as famous and talented as Jay Z is willingly reduced to being a warm up act (though a very fine warm up act he was).

Still, not everyone was as keen as the boys and I were to see Jay Z and the stadium crowd reflected this. There were a lot of people, but most people were still filtering in as Jay Z finished up.

The clock on the stage began to slowly countdown.

At "midnight" the clock began to break apart.
The song "Space Oddity" by David Bowie began to play as the stadium erupted!

U2 began their slow march towards the stage, with smoke filling the ground like four astronauts approaching the launching pad.
It didn't take long for the stadium to erupt again as they began playing "Beautiful Day"!
Seeing this concert live was more than I could have hoped for. It is a true sensual immersion as you find it difficult to work out where exactly to look.

The cylindrical screen they use is also something special.

During the performance, it began to open out like a concertina.
The screen became more than just a place to watch the video, as it transformed into a light show that filled the entire stadium with colour.
The screen then changed again, to float images only slightly off the stage.
I was amazed by the set list that U2 had chosen as well. The concert seemed to keep going and going (in a good way). I later found out that they played 24 songs! If nothing else, they definitely gave value for money.
It was also great to see them playing some of their classics. Songs like "Sunday Bloody Sunday" being played to the stage being illuminated in Irish green were very inspiring.
As the night wore on, it seemed as though they were done and the band did a few bows and the lights went out.

Some people began to filter out of the stadium, but then the stage began to glow an eerie red.
The band reappeared on stage, with Bono decked out in leather jacket covered in red lasers.
The lights slowly began to change from the red to blue as Bono asked the audience to turn on their mobile phones.
Combined with the lights shining off the mirror balls, the entire stadium began to glow.
The crowd looked like a moving sea of lights as the band sang "With or Without You".
It was hard to not be awe struck.

This band has been around for so long, and yet they still seem more than capable of capturing the imagination of audiences everywhere. It was definitely an experience to be remembered.

Very very loud

I never expected to be here.

I have always appreciated music, but I have never been a dedicated or passionate fan as others are.

So it was more than surprising for me to be at a Metallica concert.

This band conjures up such passion amongst its true followers that I felt almost like a heretic at a religious event. Seeing the adulation and the adoration of the fans towards the hallowed stage, I was a distant observer.

It probably didn't help that I only have knowledge of a few of Metallica's most famous songs.

So as the others around me sang word for word what I found to be at times to be lyrics that were impossible to decipher through the volume of the music, I was forced to smile and soak up the atmosphere.
None of this prevented me from enjoying myself.

I have always been one to appreciate the spectacle, and this was well and truly a spectacle.

Metallica have finely tuned their performance abilities and it was amazing to see the precision of the show. The songs were well chosen, the effects impressive, and the choreographed movements around the stage perfect to ensure that no part of the arena felt neglected.
A few pyrotechnics also helped to keep me nicely enthralled.
As the night came to an end, it was great seeing the band hamming it up. They engaged the crowd and they even provided additional fun with a Metallica beach ball drop.

Standing in the crowd, it looked as though there were dozens of droplets of oil dancing and bouncing around in a surreal sea of people.

Damn it was loud though.... my ears are still ringing.

Thunderstruck!

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to get a free ticket to AC/DC!

Like many Australians, I hold a soft spot for AC/DC and their music. It's hard not to have an appreciation for what is probably Australia's most famous and successful band.

When Josh managed to get tickets, Andy and I were more than happy to join him at the concert.

Armed with our jeans and black shirts, we dashed out of our respective offices. Wandering through the city, we were confronted by a strange mix of black shirts and flannelette.

In Australia, AC/DC attracts a strange combination of fans. From the dedicated lovers of hard rock, to the fans of rock and roll music and through to their most famous type of Australian fans.... the bogans.

Every country has bogans. In the UK, they're called "chavs". In the US, they're called "trash". In Singapore, I remember they were called "Ah Bengs".

Regardless, it would be a good atmosphere. The sheer crush of people attending would ensure that.

Josh had wrangled us good tickets. We were up in the members stand, with a clear view of the stage, comfortable seats and a private lounge behind us.
Before the main act, the newly constituted Wolfmother came out to entertain.

Sadly, they were far from capable of achieving this goal.

In fact, we found the "music" of Wolfmother to be so loud, out of synch and screetchy, that we decided that it would be best to retreat to the comfort of the lounge for some drinks and quiet.

Thankfully, we would have to wait long though.
The main act quickly came on!

And they did not disappoint.

From the very start, they did not disappoint.

The concert started out with a bang as Angus Young came charging out onto the stage in his famous schoolboy uniform. This alone made it worth attending the concert.
More was to come though. AC/DC were up to their usual antics and were a well oiled performance machine. There was a clear understanding between the band members of what was happening and when it was to happen.
Seeing AC/DC perform was definitely a "box ticker". It's one of those things that I'm glad to say I've been able to do, one of those things that needs to be done before the opportunity is gone.

Who knows, one day, maybe I'll be able to sit grand children down and tell them with pride that I was lucky enough to attend an AC/DC concert.... and then listen to them look at me with questioning faces and either laugh at me or ask who they are......

An antique sound

Recently I was lucky enough to be invited to a private performance of the guqin.

The guqin is an ancient Chinese stringed instrument. It has a history that spans thousands of years and has been in its current standardised form for over 2000 years. It is an instrument that requires immense dedication and is famous for its role as a solo instrument. This instrument is heavily linked with poetry in Chinese culture and its music has been favoured for its role in personal development and thought.

My old Chinese teacher Judy's husband Jia Wei is a professional guqin player in China. He has performed to audiences around the world and was in Sydney for a short time to see his wife and perform.

Amazingly, I was given this opportunity to hear him play in this private performance.

The guqin was beautiful. An antique no less. Jia Wei gave us a brief explanation of the history of his guqin. This priceless antique was made in the Ming Dynasty. It only survived to this day due to being fortunate enough to have been kept with a mathematician in a safe compound during the Cultural Revolution.
The sound of the guqin is something that cannot be described. It is almost like a person's voice, but there's a sadness to the sound that seems to reflect the tortured years of Chinese history this instrument must have witnessed.

Wicked through and through!

I was in Melbourne a couple of weeks ago for work. I decided to change my flights afterwards and stay the weekend.

So, after all the work was done, I shifted myself out of the luxuriously comfortable digs I had been provided at the Stamford and moved myself to the less luxurious but still comfortable hostel I had been able to find online.

Growing up in Melbourne had been fun as a child. However, since adulthood, I had only been back to Melbourne once. I thought this would be a nice opportunity to see Melbourne properly as an independent adult.

I was very impressed.

Unlike Sydney, Melbourne is far easier to move around in. The combination of trains, buses and trams makes commuting a relatively easy issue. Heading to St Kilda beach from the middle of the city was an easy matter of jumping on a tram, unlike the train + walk or bus (that will likely end up in a traffic jam) option in Sydney.

The life in the city in Melbourne was also a surprise. Compared to Sydney, were many parts of the city die on the weekends, the city in Melbourne was bustling. There were cafes everywhere, people wandering around the shops and generally just using this as a place for socialising. I particularly liked the small arcades that seemed to branch out from all of the streets.

Another reason for staying the weekend in Melbourne was that I wanted to see "Wicked"!

This hit broadway musical was in Melbourne and I heard great things. I didn't want to pay the full price, so instead I lined up for the lottery and managed to score myself some $30 tickets!

The show was fantastic. I still have the songs floating around in my head. The cast even included Anthony Callea, Robert Mills and Bert Newton!

I finished off my trip visiting old friends and just enjoying the sites of Melbourne.

I wonder if I made the right choice moving to Sydney....

No One

Whoo!!!

I'm going to the Alicia Keys concert!!!
It may be like 4 months away... but who cares!? I'm going!!!!

Casual Projects!!!

A few weeks ago I was wandering through Martin Place at lunchtime.

I came across a "Canberra Tourism Fair". Now I found this to be a bit too scary considering I was still trying to escape the whole Canberran issues that I still had.

However, the brochures about the ski fields were a bit too much to pass up.....

And it was lucky that I wandered passed. Because I found myself standing in front of the stage where a increasingly famous Canberra 8-piece was playing!

The CASUAL PROJECTS!

This fantastic multi-instrumental group mixes a huge range of music to produce a very unique sound. Standing there listening to their music, I couldn't help but be drawn in by their catchy sounds and the energy they threw into the performance.

CHECK THEM OUT HERE!

Of course... my feelings about the band are probably ever so slightly influenced by the fact that I went to school with one of the MCs in the group, Patrick Lillicrap.... but hey, I still think they're good.

Vote for them if you get the chance on the Jack Daniel's Set as well!

The Duchesses!

I hadn't seen my friend Kristine in a long time.

Living in Sydney gave me the opportunity to see her and her band play.

I headed to Kings Cross one night with Phil to see her at one of her gigs.

She's the one on the bass! Her band is called "The Duchesses".

VISIT THEM HERE!!!!

They've got an interesting array of songs.

I got to meet her boyfriend for the first time which was nice.
And just generally have a nice laze about at a gig with Phil.
Sydney still seems new and foreign to me. But I'm starting to appreciate the quirks and benefits that makes this city an interesting place to live in.