Untitled

Doesn't 'untitled' seem like an awfully cliche title? The feeling of nothing, being unable to describe the thoughts in your head, feeling so empty that it's a pleasurable kind of pain. That's what untitled says to me.

On a lighter note though, yesterday was Christmas guys! Where has the year gone? I don't understand at all, and I literally can't remember where March, April, May, June, July, August or September went. What was I doing, where was I even? God knows, but all the same here we are. Leaning over the edge of 2011, gradually but very sternly being shoved towards the great dark abyss that is 2012. Not an empty abyss I'm sure, I suspect 2012 is going to be a great year for many. I guess it just looks empty right now as many choices are circling over above me and it's only once I make decisions with these choices that they will float down into place. New Year's resolutions need to be made hastily even though I can't remember what last year's was. I'm sure I never succeeded at keeping it. Perhaps it will be; I will not end up in the exact same place the day after Christmas for yet another year. I will not become untitled again.

Beards

I'll just start this post by exposing my ignorant/feminine side, but I don't know a lot about beards. I can't grow one, I don't know how they grow, why they grow, or how many different shapes and sizes they come in. All I know is that they appear on ridiculously good looking men, make ridiculously un-good looking men more good looking, and there's this awesome band that's named after them. In relevance to this post, the latter of my observations on beards is the most important. Ladies and gentlemen, I SAW THE BEARDS LIVE. Not once, but twice even!

Dodgy quality picture of the bands' drum set up. THE DRUMS ARE BEARDED PEOPLE.

Super dodgy quality pic of the band arriving, Jive Bar 14 December 2011.

Yes, the Adelaide born (yay Adelaide) band returned home to perform two shows over the last week. Kicking off with 'A Very Bearded Christmas', their famously annual Christmas show, over the weekend and then filming the video clip for 'You should consider having sex with a bearded man' (link to performance of the song live at Triple J earlier this year), the shows come just in time to really make Decembeard.

The first of the shows, held on December 10th at Jive Bar, was awesomely fantastic. They were supported by two bands; The Stiffys, and The Timbers both of which had unique but truly exciting energy. (Especially The Stiffys. Check them out, they're a two piece band from Melbourne that play songs exclusively about erections. Plus the drummer made the room really quite warm.) So even by the time The Beards got up there it was a great night. If you've ever seen any of the guys' video clips on youtube or wherever, let me just say they are one hundred per cent themselves in all of them. It's not a charade (too much) put on for the laughs, they're just genuinely witty, talented, decent blokes that love beards and henceforth make music about them. They sang all the greatest hits including; Who Told You To Shave Off Your Beard, No Beard No Good, Born With A Beard, If Your Dad Doesn't Have A Beard You've Got Two Mums, (one which I believe was)Kings Of Leon Are Shit, and their new single of course, You Should Consider Having Sex With A Bearded Man. Jive Bar is honestly one of the best venues ever, so I had a front-row, birds-eye view of the entire show and these men are so talented. A few of you may think 'But they sing about beards. How good can they really be?', but I encourage you to take that thought and throw it away with every last razor/shaver you own. Beards are great. The Beards are great. The night was very chilled back and ran super smooth despite a few technical difficulties, it definitely left the crowd (and myself) wanting more!

The Beards: band profile picture from 2010, photo credit at Musicvice.com

Moving onto the video shoot I attended last night, this was a pretty crazy cool experience. I've never had anything to do with any kind of music video shoot before so it was all new and interesting. Number one on agenda of awesome; we got free beer on entrance. Number two on agenda of awesome; there was so many bearded men there. I was having trouble controlling myself honestly. It was definitely a chilled out evening with everyone simply being asked to be super energetic whenever the cameras were out of the music was being played. I'm not completely sure of how much I can or can't disclose previous to the release of the video clip (due out early 2012) but here's the gist of it that I gathered; Shown through the eyes of a young lady, it appears as if it will be the journey from a Beards gig to the bedroom of a bearded man. We can only hope? I know I'd like to experience this journey first hand.

The glorious image of 'Johann Beardraven' gyrating against the mic stand shall be forever ingrained on my brain. Just glorious.

The contraption they used to get the 'point of view' shots looked super interesting, although awkward for the wearer. Jive Bar 14 December 2011 'You Should Consider Having Sex With A Bearded Man' video shoot.

As a band, I guess they remind me of AC/DC, or early Kings Of Leon (pre-shaving off their beards), and that instantly takes their music cred to a hectic level of good for me. They're pretty big around Australia so if you haven't been to one of their gigs, you probably should. If you like music, beer, blokes and beards, then you'll love these guys. Actually you don't even have to like those things to like these guys, you might love tea and ballet and like these guys! Say NO to social cliches right! But hey, that's not what's important here. What's really important here are, well, beards.

Happy Decembeard everyone, I hope your Christmas is merry and New Years is safe. See you in Janu-hairy!
Much love, Sarah x

Feeling of Wealth

Oh my dear, learn to enjoy that feeling of wealth
When the bank looks bare and the clothes on your back
have worn thin
When the substance you're living off tastes like sin

Don't even make me explain
That it's the summertime of our souls
So come meet me at the shore
We can run as the light grows dim
I'll kiss you 'till the tide comes in

I'm in love with this daze that you've placed on me
A fog that doesn't phase me
For the haze seems to deter the Grim
'Cause our minds are old and our hearts can't win

But it's the summertime of our souls
So come meet me at the shore
We can run as the light grows dim
I'll kiss you 'till the tide comes in

Matt Corby

Over the weekend I was fortunate enough to attend a small garden show put on by Sydney-born artist Matt Corby. Now before we go too far, let me take you back to 2007. Matt would have currently just come runner-up in the 5th cycle of talent show Australian Idol and I, along with a good 80% of the female population of Australia, was completely in awe of him. Actually no, that's probably not fair to say 'female population' only, as I had many male friends who also enjoyed his talent tremendously. Matt could sing flawlessly and play a mean guitar/piano. Anyway, because of my- dare I say 'crush'- on this seventeen-year-old with a voice from another world, I was inspired to learn guitar and re-join the school choir. He was fantastically inspirational.

Matt Corby's Australian Idol finalist portrait, 2007. Photo credit gossiphat.com  

Fast-forward back to present day and he has grown some facial hair, gone on to release four EPs, play to awe-struck crowds around the UK/AUS, record/perform with some damn fine artists, and shake the somewhat dismissive (I don't think that's the word I'm looking for here, but let's roll with it) title of being an Australian Idol contestant. Listen to his music and you'll find it has some kind of profound sadness about it, while also being ethereally hopeful. Think, Bon Iver meets Jeff Buckley meets Nick Drake. 

Matt performing at a Secret Garden Show, 2011. Photo credit Taylor Luton mattcorby.com.au

Now, Matt started the Secret Garden Shows in October this year and has been snaking around Australia since, also releasing his latest EP-Into The Flame in mid-November, coming to an end in Adelaide (his last show was tonight). Bearing this in mind, you would (or at least I would) have been expecting these Adelaide performances to lack some of the vim and vigor that the recordings of earlier shows displayed. Everyone gets tired sometimes, right? But not so. In fact, from what I can find in my infinite resources (well, uh, youtube), he's never given a half-hearted performance in his life, no matter the crowd. 

Delightfully witty, with the perfect dash of awkward and emotional, he seriously knows how to entertain a crowd. He walked on stage and effortlessly moved from sound checks to song, captivating everyone from the get-go. I've seen him perform once before actually, at a Youth Alive concert for the Paradise Community Church with Fatis Valour, but all I can remember from that is screaming girls elbowing me in the ribs/face. Have a look here if you dare. 

Such a brilliant idea, these folk-inspired garden shows seem to suit Matt perfectly. He was more than happy to chat to audience members before and after his set, and in the short conversation I had with him he expressed his love for the raw nature of such intimate shows and his distaste for 'rich people'. He'd drawn a circle on his forearm ('I got bored on the plane from Melbourne to Adelaide') which he described as 'a lot like [him], [he] never really move[s] on in life, [he] just keeps going around in a circle'. It was refreshing to hear a complete stranger (let alone a super talented muso) being real with me. He also hugged my friend. I highly doubt she'll ever bathe ever again, nor remove the clothing she was wearing at the time. 

He seems like a pretty 'laid back' kinda guy. Stirling Secret Garden Show 3rd December 2011. Photo credit Sandy Hancock (via facebook)

'Matty' and myself, Blakeview Secret Garden Show, 2nd December 2011

From what I can recall, he began with 'Kings, Queens, Beggars and Thieves', then 'Big Eyes', 'Letters', then what I believe was 'Winter' which wove into 'Refuge', 'Brother' and then finished with 'Lighthome'. I may have gotten some of those confused with what I actually saw that night and what I have watched on youtube/Ustream over the last few months, but I definitely recall and know that  'Kings, Queens, Beggars and Thieves', 'Brother' and 'Winter/Refuge' will haunt me forever. And I mean that in the best way possible. For all you musos out there that know what I'm talking about, his use of loop peddles was mind-boggling. Seriously I've never seen anyone (ANYONE) use their own voice, one guitar, two microphones and two loop peddles with such a words-cannot-describe, you-can't-even-fathom-how-good-it-was outcome. 

Above three images from Blakeview Secret Garden Show 2nd December 2011. Photo credit Parisa Rowhani-Farid (via facebook)

Seriously? Totally honestly? Best $20 I've ever spent. Best hour or so of my life. Absolute, utter, complete game-changer. If seeing this man perform live isn't on your bucket list, please put it on there, for God's sake. I mean, we were given free Zooper Doopers. How are you not sold yet? I know I'll be attending many-a-future show. Hope to seeyou there lovely people, Sarah xx 

come as you are

The distant morning
It plays in my mind
Where will you be
Why did I come

Is luck on your side
I guess it's far away
Not even in sight
Caught in a web tonight

My dear just run away
Leave this place or love me
Hold your time close
To think and be free

I pray you'll go far
But in my fears
God honors my prayers
Because he should care

But I pray to the dark
So please, please, please come as you are