Dancer In The Dark
Posted: October 28, 2003 Filed under: BLOG | Tags: Bjork, Dancer In The Dark, film Comments OffI have never bawled my eyes out the way I did watching Dancer In The Dark on SBS, Sunday night. And I don’t just mean that “silent cry” you do when tears just stream down your face – I was alone and full on bawled for a good last half an hour of the movie. Lars Von Trier is almost sadistic in the way he takes such an exquisite character (played by Bjork) so beautifully determined, hopeful, childlike in purity and tortures her relentlessly with misfortune.
And yet it is not a film in which you feel drained with the hopelessness and hardship. Mainly because Bjork plays her character with such utter joy you are happy with her. And during the sad parts the pain you feel is this intense, physical outpouring, sadness as pure as this character that it later felt great to just feel something so uncomplicated.
The style is documentary style, Von Trier coming from the Dogma family, with no soundtrack except of course the dance numbers interspersed throughout! I personally liked the numbers, Bjork of course is a singer with extraordinary presence, but may not be for everyone’s taste.
Crossing roads
Posted: October 24, 2003 Filed under: BLOG | Tags: City life, Manners Comments OffThe biggest sign that you’re a true city rat is knowing how to cross the city roads. As in you know if you should bother to wait at this or that traffic light or which lane you have to watch out for when crossing. And there’s some etiquette involved when crossing.
For example, I have a friend who refuses to cross a road unless the little green man goes off. But I feel like a sucker if I wait there while there is so obviously no cars and other people are crossing and you’re left waiting. But not as much of a sucker if you cross and then a car comes racing out of nowhere beeping away at you – very embarrassing. Especially if the people who sensibly waited manage to catchup with you at the next crossing.
Seeing as I live in the city and walk everywhere, I have a high chance of one day being run over and really shouldn’t take a risk. I mean who can’t wait two minutes? Dum de dum, hmmm…fuck it I’m crossing!
Kid Kenobi & Others
Posted: October 24, 2003 Filed under: BLOG | Tags: James Taylor, Kid Kenobi, music, Sydney, sydney music scene Comments Off@ Globe: Tonight was the launch of The Ministry of Sound’s 3rd Breaks album mixed by Kid Kenobi. By the time we arrived at 11:30 the place was packed to mosh-pit proportions. Not quite the thing if you were hoping to be able to break out the dance moves – which you inevitably do when it comes to good breaks. Downstairs James Taylor ripped out an eclectic set of breaks while upstairs Frenzie pulled out a heap of party numbers to prepare the crowd for our number 1 DJ (two years running).
Now I will always have a special corner in my heart for Mr Desenberg (he introduced my friends and I to real dance music during an inconspicuous UTS party in which I asked him who he was and made him have to repeatedly point to his name on the nearby lineup sheet during his set – “Q45?” “No! Kid Kenobi!” “What?” “Kid Kenobi!”) That was almost two years ago, and KK has been getting bigger and bigger, as was evidenced by how tight the floor was when he followed behind a beefy security dude carrying his records for him to get to the DJ box.
Perhaps it was hopes too high, perhaps it was a memory clouded in nostalgia, but KK seemed to bring out a lot used and ordinary breaks tracks with little inspiration. Well here’s hoping to next time!
Aspirations
Posted: October 21, 2003 Filed under: BLOG | Tags: Aspirations, little bro Comments OffMy little brother is 6 (verging 7) and you know what he would most like to be when he grows up? Well not so much be but do – work in Target or Franklins (preferably the latter because its closer to home). If only everybody had the same kind of free thinking he does!
Festivals festivals festivals
Posted: October 20, 2003 Filed under: BLOG | Tags: festivals, music, Sydney, sydney music scene Comments OffI’ve made mention of Livid, Homebake and Big Day Out but there are other festivals which are happening which I probably won’t be able to make (seeing as they’re in other states) such as the Falls Festival and the Meredith Music Festival. But there are some notable internationals coming for each which are worth a mention and that will hopefully hopefully do some sideshows in Sydney: Turin Brakes doing the former and Buck 65 and The Shins in the latter.
The Meredith Music Festival also features RADIO BIRDMAN, DEXTER, MAGIC DIRT, TIM ROGERS AND THE TEMPERANCE UNION, THE CAT EMPIRE, MCLUSKY, THE SLEEPY JACKSON, BUCK 65, THE MESS HALL, WARPED, BOB LOG III, XAVIER RUDD, COMBO LA REVELACION, MODEY LEMON, THE BRUNETTES, MASTER KHALIL GUDAZ, THE SHINS, AUGIE MARCH, CURSE OV DIALECT, ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI, THE MORNING AFTER GIRLS and GROUND COMPONENTS.
Ooh, that’s yummy. Now where could I find some extra cash and time off work?
