I had a horrible dream about a grey tabby kitten who was incredibly small, small enough to fit inside one of those resealable sandwich bags. The kitten was in the sandwich bag (which had holes punched in it) in a shoulder bag placed beside me on the floor. I was watching some kind of performance below from a balcony or mezzanine position as I played with a rat.
I decided to forego the rat and took the kitten out of the resealable sandwich bag. I let it play on the rails that separated the mezzanine from the performance pit below. As the kitten jumped from the rails into my hands, its (obviously fragile) neck broke and it died. I put it back in the sandwich bag, felt kind of guilty but didn't seem too concerned about it.
Then Mae Mae drew me a pencil sketch of Snape in a cobblestone square hunched over a cauldron. I thought this was impossible as she had never read or seen the Harry Potter series and woke up.
31 July, 2007
22 July, 2007
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (book)
by JK Rowling (Bloomsbury, 2007)
*** Review of 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' (HP7) - NO SPOILERS ***
It would be hard to separate a review of HP7 without launching into at least an overview of the whole series so I hope that you will forgive me that indulgence. In the main I wish to express my opinion on various aspects of the book (and series) to mark the occasion of its existence, at long last, in the literary realm. It is a powerful thing to note that Rowling is one of the most successful authors of all time in the whole world and that millions of readers began reading HP7 on the day it was released.
As a combination of the mystery, coming-of-age and fantasy genre, the Harry Potter series has succeeded admirably in all three. Rowling uses foreshadowing and careful placement of clues to satisfy mystery, the school setting and Harry's adolescence to address coming-of-age and the world of magic for fantasy. I have always believed that mystery provided the narrative drive, coming-of-age the character development and fantasy the means to achieve both creatively.
In HP7, readers of the previous novels will appreciate the resolution of the overarching mystery that has driven the whole series - what will it take to destroy Voldemort? In piecing together the fragments of this mystery, Rowling uses clues from previous books well, some of which may have been guessed in many readers' theories on how the series will end. Along the way, she reveals much about Harry and the people around him that we may have suspected but can't have known, which illuminates the novel's themes and characters to a greater degree than before.
HP7 exercises all of these themes - death, love and loyalty - with amplitude. Death and the acceptance of death is a major part of Harry's quest. We see it in his maturing attitude towards the death of his parents and mentors. That Voldemort is afraid of death and wants to conquer death is important to note. The clash between Harry and Voldemort's attitudes to death form the most dramatic elements of the book and give Harry, as a character, greater depth than we have seen before.
Love is an interesting concept explored in a number of ways. While family, friendship and other relationships remain important, it is Harry's commitment to humanity, his love of the world and his understanding of the concept of the 'greater good', that gives him the most power. All along his mother's love - and her blood in Aunt Petunia - has been protective and it follows that Harry's love can also be protective.
Love also begets a certain kind of loyalty, unseen by Voldemort because he has never known how to love. Voldemort, it must be said, is loyal to no one. However, this remains his greatest weakness as he cannot see how the bonds of loyalty are formed outside of his reign of fear. Readers glimpse several types of loyalty, foremost in Harry's quest as he is accompanied by Hermione and Ron, to whom he has entrusted the secret of the horcruxes, but also in Snape's double-crossing, whose allegiance is satisfactorily resolved by the end of the novel. In the Death Eater camp, Bellatrix's unrequited love for serving Voldemort shows a strange kind of loyalty while the Malfoys choose the bond of family over Voldemort as master. Lastly, Harry proves himself to be 'Dumbledore's man through and through' and it is this loyatly and trust that leads him to the right places at the right time.
Character development is unusually stunted in this book. We certainly gain a better understanding of Harry's maturation but there's nothing new to his personality as much of what happens is expected because of previous indications. Similarly, other well-developed characters don't change much at all. It is up to a few of the main but not major characters to tackle the burden of character development in HP7. Thankfully, I can say that the gradual build up of the importance of Snape over the entire series pays off well for Rowling, as does the ascent of Neville and the role of Kreacher.
Most of the main characters get to have their moment in the spotlight - often a tear-wrenching scene that I would tend to describe with words such as 'redeeming', 'heartbreaking' or 'touching'. The most significant aspect of character to observe throughout the book - and indeed, the series - is the loyalty that any one character has or does not have to another. This is played out to great effect in HP7, causing readers to understand the power of past relationships.
Much of the plot revolves around the capture and escape of the trio (Harry, Ron, Hermione) and it is this method that maintains the necessary tension throughout the book. However, the use of episodes like this gets rather boring, mostly because readers learn to expect their heroes to survive (although there are, admittedly, quite a number of casualties in their escapades). The important thing to note here is not whether they will survive but how? and for what gain? which pushes the sometimes clumsy coincidences out of the way and lets the reader focus on the mystery element of the series.
Some of the exposition is lazy and, well, too exposition-y. The discovery of the meaning of the deathly hallows is handled awkwardly but sufficiently, while episodes involving Snape and Dumbledore are just downright insulting to intelligent readers who would have picked up the same amount of information with either different or more scattered clues and less chunky explanations. The better part of these expositions is the emotional poignancy of them and I can only hope that that was Rowling's main intention over plot development.
Speaking of which, Rowling's decisions, with regard to her writing, haven't changed. It is not a flowery turn of phrase that attracts readers to the Potter series, but the narrative strength that pulls the series along. This is not to say that Rowling writes badly - in fact, her prose is clean and easy to understand, making the world she creates clearer in the reader's mind. But it does means that Rowling has (rightfully, I personally admit) sacrificed more sophisticated use of language for a more compelling plot. This does not change for HP7, which makes the book as accessible to younger readers as each of its predecessors despite the increasing complexity of the themes.
Despite Rowling's linguistic sacrifices, her command of her own fantasy language is undoubtedly excellent, from the sly use of meaningful names to spells with varying origins - plenty of Latin, a dose of Aramaic (Avada Kedavra) and a fleck of French. Linguistic examination of names and spells assist the lost reader in understanding Rowling's world a lot better.
Rowling uses plenty of easy descriptions using a combination of stock adverbs and adjectives but the best part is that she retains her sense of humour throughout the increasingly dark series. In HP7, I spent two minutes laughing out loud at the departure from Privet Drive in Chapter Four (despite a personal quest to devour the book as soon as possible) and some of the little things - such as a well-placed comment by a character (Fred, George, Ron and Luna in particular) - allowed a laugh to escape even when Harry was in the thick of things. This is a mark of excellent pace and timing, but also displays how an intimate understanding of the characters can reward readers, relationships we have forged over the ten years since the first book was published.
Personally, I applaud mystery writers (as I've always admired their cleverness), bow to young adult fiction authors (as they are the most important guardians of literature) and pay my respect to fantasy novelists (as to create a world where there was none echoes divinity itself). The fact that Rowling achieves the status of all three with barely a stumble is a remarkable achievement. I'm sad to see the end of the Harry Potter series but the end was compulsory for the series to remain healthy and I can't pretend that I'm not relieved to know Harry's fate.
Well, we've come to the end of the story of the Boy Who Lived or The Chosen One or whatever he's called now and I must compliment Rowling on quite a tidy resolution to a series known for its many loose ends. Most readers, I believe, will be satisfied with how things end and the journey Rowling takes us on to get there, so cheers JK and thanks for the ride!
Book rating: 7/10 - need to invest readership in the series, some clumsiness
Enjoyment rating: 10/10 - a gamut of emotions but most tellingly relief, satisfaction and the desire to read it over and over again
It would be hard to separate a review of HP7 without launching into at least an overview of the whole series so I hope that you will forgive me that indulgence. In the main I wish to express my opinion on various aspects of the book (and series) to mark the occasion of its existence, at long last, in the literary realm. It is a powerful thing to note that Rowling is one of the most successful authors of all time in the whole world and that millions of readers began reading HP7 on the day it was released.
As a combination of the mystery, coming-of-age and fantasy genre, the Harry Potter series has succeeded admirably in all three. Rowling uses foreshadowing and careful placement of clues to satisfy mystery, the school setting and Harry's adolescence to address coming-of-age and the world of magic for fantasy. I have always believed that mystery provided the narrative drive, coming-of-age the character development and fantasy the means to achieve both creatively.
In HP7, readers of the previous novels will appreciate the resolution of the overarching mystery that has driven the whole series - what will it take to destroy Voldemort? In piecing together the fragments of this mystery, Rowling uses clues from previous books well, some of which may have been guessed in many readers' theories on how the series will end. Along the way, she reveals much about Harry and the people around him that we may have suspected but can't have known, which illuminates the novel's themes and characters to a greater degree than before.
HP7 exercises all of these themes - death, love and loyalty - with amplitude. Death and the acceptance of death is a major part of Harry's quest. We see it in his maturing attitude towards the death of his parents and mentors. That Voldemort is afraid of death and wants to conquer death is important to note. The clash between Harry and Voldemort's attitudes to death form the most dramatic elements of the book and give Harry, as a character, greater depth than we have seen before.
Love is an interesting concept explored in a number of ways. While family, friendship and other relationships remain important, it is Harry's commitment to humanity, his love of the world and his understanding of the concept of the 'greater good', that gives him the most power. All along his mother's love - and her blood in Aunt Petunia - has been protective and it follows that Harry's love can also be protective.
Love also begets a certain kind of loyalty, unseen by Voldemort because he has never known how to love. Voldemort, it must be said, is loyal to no one. However, this remains his greatest weakness as he cannot see how the bonds of loyalty are formed outside of his reign of fear. Readers glimpse several types of loyalty, foremost in Harry's quest as he is accompanied by Hermione and Ron, to whom he has entrusted the secret of the horcruxes, but also in Snape's double-crossing, whose allegiance is satisfactorily resolved by the end of the novel. In the Death Eater camp, Bellatrix's unrequited love for serving Voldemort shows a strange kind of loyalty while the Malfoys choose the bond of family over Voldemort as master. Lastly, Harry proves himself to be 'Dumbledore's man through and through' and it is this loyatly and trust that leads him to the right places at the right time.
Character development is unusually stunted in this book. We certainly gain a better understanding of Harry's maturation but there's nothing new to his personality as much of what happens is expected because of previous indications. Similarly, other well-developed characters don't change much at all. It is up to a few of the main but not major characters to tackle the burden of character development in HP7. Thankfully, I can say that the gradual build up of the importance of Snape over the entire series pays off well for Rowling, as does the ascent of Neville and the role of Kreacher.
Most of the main characters get to have their moment in the spotlight - often a tear-wrenching scene that I would tend to describe with words such as 'redeeming', 'heartbreaking' or 'touching'. The most significant aspect of character to observe throughout the book - and indeed, the series - is the loyalty that any one character has or does not have to another. This is played out to great effect in HP7, causing readers to understand the power of past relationships.
Much of the plot revolves around the capture and escape of the trio (Harry, Ron, Hermione) and it is this method that maintains the necessary tension throughout the book. However, the use of episodes like this gets rather boring, mostly because readers learn to expect their heroes to survive (although there are, admittedly, quite a number of casualties in their escapades). The important thing to note here is not whether they will survive but how? and for what gain? which pushes the sometimes clumsy coincidences out of the way and lets the reader focus on the mystery element of the series.
Some of the exposition is lazy and, well, too exposition-y. The discovery of the meaning of the deathly hallows is handled awkwardly but sufficiently, while episodes involving Snape and Dumbledore are just downright insulting to intelligent readers who would have picked up the same amount of information with either different or more scattered clues and less chunky explanations. The better part of these expositions is the emotional poignancy of them and I can only hope that that was Rowling's main intention over plot development.
Speaking of which, Rowling's decisions, with regard to her writing, haven't changed. It is not a flowery turn of phrase that attracts readers to the Potter series, but the narrative strength that pulls the series along. This is not to say that Rowling writes badly - in fact, her prose is clean and easy to understand, making the world she creates clearer in the reader's mind. But it does means that Rowling has (rightfully, I personally admit) sacrificed more sophisticated use of language for a more compelling plot. This does not change for HP7, which makes the book as accessible to younger readers as each of its predecessors despite the increasing complexity of the themes.
Despite Rowling's linguistic sacrifices, her command of her own fantasy language is undoubtedly excellent, from the sly use of meaningful names to spells with varying origins - plenty of Latin, a dose of Aramaic (Avada Kedavra) and a fleck of French. Linguistic examination of names and spells assist the lost reader in understanding Rowling's world a lot better.
Rowling uses plenty of easy descriptions using a combination of stock adverbs and adjectives but the best part is that she retains her sense of humour throughout the increasingly dark series. In HP7, I spent two minutes laughing out loud at the departure from Privet Drive in Chapter Four (despite a personal quest to devour the book as soon as possible) and some of the little things - such as a well-placed comment by a character (Fred, George, Ron and Luna in particular) - allowed a laugh to escape even when Harry was in the thick of things. This is a mark of excellent pace and timing, but also displays how an intimate understanding of the characters can reward readers, relationships we have forged over the ten years since the first book was published.
Personally, I applaud mystery writers (as I've always admired their cleverness), bow to young adult fiction authors (as they are the most important guardians of literature) and pay my respect to fantasy novelists (as to create a world where there was none echoes divinity itself). The fact that Rowling achieves the status of all three with barely a stumble is a remarkable achievement. I'm sad to see the end of the Harry Potter series but the end was compulsory for the series to remain healthy and I can't pretend that I'm not relieved to know Harry's fate.
Well, we've come to the end of the story of the Boy Who Lived or The Chosen One or whatever he's called now and I must compliment Rowling on quite a tidy resolution to a series known for its many loose ends. Most readers, I believe, will be satisfied with how things end and the journey Rowling takes us on to get there, so cheers JK and thanks for the ride!
Book rating: 7/10 - need to invest readership in the series, some clumsiness
Enjoyment rating: 10/10 - a gamut of emotions but most tellingly relief, satisfaction and the desire to read it over and over again
20 July, 2007
One sleep to go...
... until 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' comes out.
This is more exciting than all Christmases, all New Years and the release of the Lord of the Rings: Return of the King movie put together. I spent all last night going over various plot points with my flatmate (who has great retention of the books, unlike me as I need to read them over and over to pick up various things that I may have missed the first time around). Then I read the wiki on HP7 and started shouting out little bits from the "Unresolved plot elements" and "Hints from Rowling" to her. (These will probably disappear once the book has been released and the wiki changes but what the hey).
Tomorrow morning at 4am I will be waiting under the big clock at Central Station dressed as a witch with a chopstick as a wand - waiting for hundreds of witches and wizards to flood the station with an unstoppable buzz of excitement. Just one more sleep...
This is more exciting than all Christmases, all New Years and the release of the Lord of the Rings: Return of the King movie put together. I spent all last night going over various plot points with my flatmate (who has great retention of the books, unlike me as I need to read them over and over to pick up various things that I may have missed the first time around). Then I read the wiki on HP7 and started shouting out little bits from the "Unresolved plot elements" and "Hints from Rowling" to her. (These will probably disappear once the book has been released and the wiki changes but what the hey).
Tomorrow morning at 4am I will be waiting under the big clock at Central Station dressed as a witch with a chopstick as a wand - waiting for hundreds of witches and wizards to flood the station with an unstoppable buzz of excitement. Just one more sleep...
18 July, 2007
Faceless
Some time ago I had a rant about selling my soul to Myspace. Well, I've decided to delete my Myspace account because it is useless to me. On top of that, disregarding the incredible pressure from many of my peers, I've also decided not to bother with Facebook. This blog is as public as I get. Anyone who knows me will recognise my pic in the corner and my textual fingerprints.
P.S: Thought this was kind of funny:
P.S: Thought this was kind of funny:
11 July, 2007
Come again?
I asked my ex-MD if they were willing to pay for my counselling sessions in light of being the cause of my recent mindfuck (though not in those words). This is part of what I received in return:
"Unfortunately, as you point out, business does interfere and I regret to inform you that the current circumstances of the company will not enable [RA] to make any appropriations that do not relate directly to the long-term viability of the organisation."
My friends, this is why business is fucked - the language of business is inefficient and prolix. If they spent less time trying to hide what they mean to say under piles of managerspeak and weak platitudes and just said what they actually meant, then maybe I'd still have a job. (Or maybe not - I might have left...). Let's try that one again:
"Unfortunately we cannot reimburse your requested expense as it does not directly relate to the functioning of the company."
Simple, polite and to the point.
"Unfortunately, as you point out, business does interfere and I regret to inform you that the current circumstances of the company will not enable [RA] to make any appropriations that do not relate directly to the long-term viability of the organisation."
My friends, this is why business is fucked - the language of business is inefficient and prolix. If they spent less time trying to hide what they mean to say under piles of managerspeak and weak platitudes and just said what they actually meant, then maybe I'd still have a job. (Or maybe not - I might have left...). Let's try that one again:
"Unfortunately we cannot reimburse your requested expense as it does not directly relate to the functioning of the company."
Simple, polite and to the point.
08 July, 2007
Live Earth Sydney (gig)
Live Earth
Aussie Stadium, Moore Park (7th July, 2007)
People were already in throngs at the front gate to Aussie Stadium when I rocked up at 11am. I'd walked from Central Station, eschewing the complimentary bus because I needed the exercise, having guessed that sitting for hours needed some form of pre-emptive antidote. My ticket was for a seat in F row, fairly near the fence that divided the rear mosh from the grandstand. The front mosh was already packed with an audience who had embraced the unseasonably warm day (complete with clear blue sky), denying winter by dressing in skimpy tops and t-shirts and already spilling beer over the revellers in front in an attempt to dance to low level filler music pumping from the speakers.
Blue King Brown kicked things off not long afterwards with their perfect blend of groovy blues with an indigenous touch. This is a band that you really need to see live to appreciate. I saw them at the Newtown Festival last year, where they added some punch to a mellow afternoon in the park. The indigenous politic bookending the set was a little heavy-handed, though not wholly unwelcome. Still, I thought they could have been a bit more explicit about how recognising Aboriginal land rights complemented the 'saving the earth' philosophy behind the gig. (I knew but I doubt many others would have - but we'll get to that a little later).
Toni Collette and The Finish came up next but, I think, suffered a bit from lack of enthusiasm. Having not established themselves in the music scene, they could only muster half-hearted jostling. I, and many others, were content to observe the crowd and converse. My companion, who had managed to arrive in one piece, had finally appeared beside me. Toni possessed quite a distinctive voice but I didn't find it powerful enough to command the crowd, who were content to chatter over the alt-country songs offered by the set.
Sneaky Sound System were another story altogether. I knew this band had gained a footing in the public conscience over the past year or so (they were 'cult' about two years ago) but nothing prepared me for the energy that surged through the audience when their megawatt beats began to electrify the crowd. Everyone, it seemed, felt instantly compelled to get up and dance. Kudos to addictive hooks in the DJing and Connie Mason's big voice, reminiscent of the kind of reverence Shirley Bassey once received. On this set alone I went and purchased their album (I don't usually listen to dance) and floated the idea that they would have served the crowd better nearer to the top of the billing.
Ghostwriters is a band principally made up of Rob Hirst (ex Midnight Oil) and Rick Grossman (ex Hoodoo Gurus) with a pastiche of other musicians joining them over the years. They still fly under the radar considering their rock pedigree, which would account for most of the stadium bobbing mildly to songs that hit the mark environmentally but didn't quite inspire us as they had hoped. Nothing spectacular or notable sprang from their set so I'll leave them their rock dreams without my opinion.
Paul Kelly, stalwart of the folk rock scene, fared much better. More punters recognised his songs, some singing along to 'From little things big things grow' (one of my favourite Paul Kelly songs) with guest vocalists such as Missy Higgins and John Butler who were to appear later in the show. By this time most of us were getting into the swing of things. It was no longer a picnic in the park kind of festival but an event of global proportions - literally and environmentally.
Eskimo Joe have slipped on the billing recently, surprising considering their successful 2006 album 'Black Fingernails, Red Wine', but the Fremantle band still delivered a nicely composed set, vocalist Kavyen Temperly's voice seducing the stadium, who had built excitement to feverish levels. Whether this was brought on by the dusky light or music that the crowd was more familiar with (or perhaps a combination of the two) I do not know. The crowd were well and truly warm, even as the air became chilly, such that Eskimo Joe received the first truly rapturous acclamation of the day.
Missy Higgins is an artist who has grown into a performer over the years. No longer the shy, self-effacing singer-songwriter she once was, Missy has since embraced the idea that people love her and want to see her play live. Here, she was confident and playful yet still the down-to-earth artist she has always been. Although her new album 'On a Clear Night' has been received well since its release in April, it was the songs from her debut album 'The Sound of White' that roused the audience the most, inevitably spawning a singalong to the favourites. Missy took this all in good spirit, smiling and enjoying the set. As a high profile vegetarian and environmentalist, her reception was fitting for the event.
The John Butler Trio, a band that most love and admire, continued the good work that Missy Higgins inspired by concreting the environmental message with good music. John Butler has always been an advocate of the environmental movement and probably the closest political musician since Midnight Oil. His straightforward but charismatic approach to climate change (and acknowledgment of indigenous Australians) went over well with the crowd and it was because of the enthusiastic response to his words that I then believed Live Earth to be a worthwhile environmental statement. The crowd paid their respect to both him and the music as he conducted a stadium-wide Mexican wave, which pretty much symbolised how well he commanded the audience.
Wolfmother were another story altogether. I'm not familiar with Wolfmother or their music due to my music listening habits 'in absentia' so all I knew of them was that they are pretty big here and in the USA, they are a rock band and a friend of mine once went out with Myles (the drummer). They received a typical rock band response from the audience, lots of shouting and mosh-worthy moves but not quite up to the same pull as JBT. This was embarrassingly evident with frontman Andrew's posturing and throwbacks to the audience, which were met with little more than a lukewarm reaction. Sorry boys, you haven't yet embedded yourselves into the psyche of Australian culture to earn that kind of adulation. A competent set, though, and the right arena for the rock atmosphere.
Jack Johnson was the only truly international guest on the bill and lived up to expectations admirably, not expecting too much from the crowd but congenially greeting us and getting on with the music. His blend of laidback rootsy pop/rock mellowed a crowd who had spent the day drinking and dancing and was a pleasant way to spend the penultimate set of the festival. I particularly liked 'Gone Going' (which is a Black Eyed Peas song for which he provided guest vocals) and 'Fall Line', which put everyone in a feelgood mood. His contribution on an environmental level didn't seem tokenistic, either, given his well-publicised love of surfing and therefore vested interest in looking after the environment. He seems like a lovely bloke, that Jack.
Crowded House broke up more than a decade ago but in a very public reformation, returned to form at the top of the Live Earth bill. Neil and Tim Finn played as a duet at 2005's Wave Aid and brought tears to many audience members' eyes and here it was no different. Australasian cultural anthems aren't usually delivered more poignantly than this headline set, which saw all voices raised in chorus with Neil's and an accidental blackout near the end marking the moment more dramatically. The crowd listened to the lyrics as they sung, the global message hitting home with poetry like:
There is freedom within, there is freedom without
Trying to catch the deluge in a paper cup
There's a battle ahead, many battles are lost
But you'll never see the end of the road
While you're travelling with me
- 'Don't Dream it's Over'
Solidarity in emotion. Bands can't buy that kind of respect, they have to earn it and for a long time Crowded House have been our touchstone, the little band that could capture a nation. There were a few patient pauses as the band played some of their new material but they knew what would get us going, so the hits rolled out one by one, uniting the thousands who has stayed until the end. Beautifully done.
All right, so that was the music part of the review, which was all in all a pleasant experience, well worth the $99 ticket price (and free transport, mind). I was more than a little disappointed in the so-called environmental side, though, and I'm not sure whether it's to do with the fact that I'm ahead of the enviro game or my impatience in finding out that so many people are so far behind.
To explain - so much of the paraphenalia at the gig was related to the very basic tenets of conservation. I'm talking about CFL light bulbs, water-saving showerheads and reusable shopping bags. Which is all great and helpful and educative. Except that most people should have 'made the switch' about two years ago. What about the next step? Where was the info for those people who were already past stage one? Shame, Live Earth, shame.
To add to that, I heard that the event was supposed to be carbon neutral. Which is, theoretically, terrific. But I do hope it wasn't a tokenistic type of 'carbon neutral' like vowing to plant trees or something, because those in the know understand that that's not necessarily the most effective way to reduce carbon consumption. I wanted to see all sorts of initiatives - reusable cups, for example, less packaging, perhaps, and delicious vegetarian food. All absent. I just can't take an event seriously on an environmental level when these little things were ignored while the other basic things, which have been drilled into us ad nauseum, were peddled endlessly.
The three golden rules of conservation are reduce, reuse and recycle, in that order. At Live Earth, only recycle (in the form of coloured bins) had a presence. Organisers should have made a concerted effort to reduce the amount of waste generated with food packaging and pamphlets (though 'reduce' was partially addressed with the free public transport). 'Reuse' didn't even score a mention beyond reusable shopping bags (which, ironically, most people have too many of nowadays). Okay, rant over, here are the scores:
Gig rating: 7/10
Enjoyment rating: 7/10
Would have benefitted from The Cat Empire on the billing. After all, Felix is one of Al Gore's eco ambassadors. Sadly, the Melbourne band were on tour overseas at the time...
Aussie Stadium, Moore Park (7th July, 2007)
People were already in throngs at the front gate to Aussie Stadium when I rocked up at 11am. I'd walked from Central Station, eschewing the complimentary bus because I needed the exercise, having guessed that sitting for hours needed some form of pre-emptive antidote. My ticket was for a seat in F row, fairly near the fence that divided the rear mosh from the grandstand. The front mosh was already packed with an audience who had embraced the unseasonably warm day (complete with clear blue sky), denying winter by dressing in skimpy tops and t-shirts and already spilling beer over the revellers in front in an attempt to dance to low level filler music pumping from the speakers.
Blue King Brown kicked things off not long afterwards with their perfect blend of groovy blues with an indigenous touch. This is a band that you really need to see live to appreciate. I saw them at the Newtown Festival last year, where they added some punch to a mellow afternoon in the park. The indigenous politic bookending the set was a little heavy-handed, though not wholly unwelcome. Still, I thought they could have been a bit more explicit about how recognising Aboriginal land rights complemented the 'saving the earth' philosophy behind the gig. (I knew but I doubt many others would have - but we'll get to that a little later).
Toni Collette and The Finish came up next but, I think, suffered a bit from lack of enthusiasm. Having not established themselves in the music scene, they could only muster half-hearted jostling. I, and many others, were content to observe the crowd and converse. My companion, who had managed to arrive in one piece, had finally appeared beside me. Toni possessed quite a distinctive voice but I didn't find it powerful enough to command the crowd, who were content to chatter over the alt-country songs offered by the set.
Sneaky Sound System were another story altogether. I knew this band had gained a footing in the public conscience over the past year or so (they were 'cult' about two years ago) but nothing prepared me for the energy that surged through the audience when their megawatt beats began to electrify the crowd. Everyone, it seemed, felt instantly compelled to get up and dance. Kudos to addictive hooks in the DJing and Connie Mason's big voice, reminiscent of the kind of reverence Shirley Bassey once received. On this set alone I went and purchased their album (I don't usually listen to dance) and floated the idea that they would have served the crowd better nearer to the top of the billing.
Ghostwriters is a band principally made up of Rob Hirst (ex Midnight Oil) and Rick Grossman (ex Hoodoo Gurus) with a pastiche of other musicians joining them over the years. They still fly under the radar considering their rock pedigree, which would account for most of the stadium bobbing mildly to songs that hit the mark environmentally but didn't quite inspire us as they had hoped. Nothing spectacular or notable sprang from their set so I'll leave them their rock dreams without my opinion.
Paul Kelly, stalwart of the folk rock scene, fared much better. More punters recognised his songs, some singing along to 'From little things big things grow' (one of my favourite Paul Kelly songs) with guest vocalists such as Missy Higgins and John Butler who were to appear later in the show. By this time most of us were getting into the swing of things. It was no longer a picnic in the park kind of festival but an event of global proportions - literally and environmentally.
Eskimo Joe have slipped on the billing recently, surprising considering their successful 2006 album 'Black Fingernails, Red Wine', but the Fremantle band still delivered a nicely composed set, vocalist Kavyen Temperly's voice seducing the stadium, who had built excitement to feverish levels. Whether this was brought on by the dusky light or music that the crowd was more familiar with (or perhaps a combination of the two) I do not know. The crowd were well and truly warm, even as the air became chilly, such that Eskimo Joe received the first truly rapturous acclamation of the day.
Missy Higgins is an artist who has grown into a performer over the years. No longer the shy, self-effacing singer-songwriter she once was, Missy has since embraced the idea that people love her and want to see her play live. Here, she was confident and playful yet still the down-to-earth artist she has always been. Although her new album 'On a Clear Night' has been received well since its release in April, it was the songs from her debut album 'The Sound of White' that roused the audience the most, inevitably spawning a singalong to the favourites. Missy took this all in good spirit, smiling and enjoying the set. As a high profile vegetarian and environmentalist, her reception was fitting for the event.
The John Butler Trio, a band that most love and admire, continued the good work that Missy Higgins inspired by concreting the environmental message with good music. John Butler has always been an advocate of the environmental movement and probably the closest political musician since Midnight Oil. His straightforward but charismatic approach to climate change (and acknowledgment of indigenous Australians) went over well with the crowd and it was because of the enthusiastic response to his words that I then believed Live Earth to be a worthwhile environmental statement. The crowd paid their respect to both him and the music as he conducted a stadium-wide Mexican wave, which pretty much symbolised how well he commanded the audience.
Wolfmother were another story altogether. I'm not familiar with Wolfmother or their music due to my music listening habits 'in absentia' so all I knew of them was that they are pretty big here and in the USA, they are a rock band and a friend of mine once went out with Myles (the drummer). They received a typical rock band response from the audience, lots of shouting and mosh-worthy moves but not quite up to the same pull as JBT. This was embarrassingly evident with frontman Andrew's posturing and throwbacks to the audience, which were met with little more than a lukewarm reaction. Sorry boys, you haven't yet embedded yourselves into the psyche of Australian culture to earn that kind of adulation. A competent set, though, and the right arena for the rock atmosphere.
Jack Johnson was the only truly international guest on the bill and lived up to expectations admirably, not expecting too much from the crowd but congenially greeting us and getting on with the music. His blend of laidback rootsy pop/rock mellowed a crowd who had spent the day drinking and dancing and was a pleasant way to spend the penultimate set of the festival. I particularly liked 'Gone Going' (which is a Black Eyed Peas song for which he provided guest vocals) and 'Fall Line', which put everyone in a feelgood mood. His contribution on an environmental level didn't seem tokenistic, either, given his well-publicised love of surfing and therefore vested interest in looking after the environment. He seems like a lovely bloke, that Jack.
Crowded House broke up more than a decade ago but in a very public reformation, returned to form at the top of the Live Earth bill. Neil and Tim Finn played as a duet at 2005's Wave Aid and brought tears to many audience members' eyes and here it was no different. Australasian cultural anthems aren't usually delivered more poignantly than this headline set, which saw all voices raised in chorus with Neil's and an accidental blackout near the end marking the moment more dramatically. The crowd listened to the lyrics as they sung, the global message hitting home with poetry like:
Trying to catch the deluge in a paper cup
There's a battle ahead, many battles are lost
But you'll never see the end of the road
While you're travelling with me
- 'Don't Dream it's Over'
Solidarity in emotion. Bands can't buy that kind of respect, they have to earn it and for a long time Crowded House have been our touchstone, the little band that could capture a nation. There were a few patient pauses as the band played some of their new material but they knew what would get us going, so the hits rolled out one by one, uniting the thousands who has stayed until the end. Beautifully done.
All right, so that was the music part of the review, which was all in all a pleasant experience, well worth the $99 ticket price (and free transport, mind). I was more than a little disappointed in the so-called environmental side, though, and I'm not sure whether it's to do with the fact that I'm ahead of the enviro game or my impatience in finding out that so many people are so far behind.
To explain - so much of the paraphenalia at the gig was related to the very basic tenets of conservation. I'm talking about CFL light bulbs, water-saving showerheads and reusable shopping bags. Which is all great and helpful and educative. Except that most people should have 'made the switch' about two years ago. What about the next step? Where was the info for those people who were already past stage one? Shame, Live Earth, shame.
To add to that, I heard that the event was supposed to be carbon neutral. Which is, theoretically, terrific. But I do hope it wasn't a tokenistic type of 'carbon neutral' like vowing to plant trees or something, because those in the know understand that that's not necessarily the most effective way to reduce carbon consumption. I wanted to see all sorts of initiatives - reusable cups, for example, less packaging, perhaps, and delicious vegetarian food. All absent. I just can't take an event seriously on an environmental level when these little things were ignored while the other basic things, which have been drilled into us ad nauseum, were peddled endlessly.
The three golden rules of conservation are reduce, reuse and recycle, in that order. At Live Earth, only recycle (in the form of coloured bins) had a presence. Organisers should have made a concerted effort to reduce the amount of waste generated with food packaging and pamphlets (though 'reduce' was partially addressed with the free public transport). 'Reuse' didn't even score a mention beyond reusable shopping bags (which, ironically, most people have too many of nowadays). Okay, rant over, here are the scores:
Gig rating: 7/10
Enjoyment rating: 7/10
Would have benefitted from The Cat Empire on the billing. After all, Felix is one of Al Gore's eco ambassadors. Sadly, the Melbourne band were on tour overseas at the time...
Firewish granted!
My friends, I have been honoured. I have a six-week payout and, it seems, all the time in the world to contemplate my burgeoning future. Even better, a chance to talk to my (former) MD about the worst of RA without personal reprisal.
I'm seeing a counsellor tomorrow (I made the appointment prior to retrenchment) so will ask how to handle things without stepping on toes. After all, I'll still need a good reference.
So... I think I will spend a couple of weeks tidying myself up, updating my CV and generally sorting out all my loose ends before returning to the employment fold. I predict I'll be ready to start again in early September (I want to go to Melbourne at the end of August/beginning of September). In the meantime I'll be feeding off the payout and freelance work.
I'm free!
(Thanks firewish fairy!)
I'm seeing a counsellor tomorrow (I made the appointment prior to retrenchment) so will ask how to handle things without stepping on toes. After all, I'll still need a good reference.
So... I think I will spend a couple of weeks tidying myself up, updating my CV and generally sorting out all my loose ends before returning to the employment fold. I predict I'll be ready to start again in early September (I want to go to Melbourne at the end of August/beginning of September). In the meantime I'll be feeding off the payout and freelance work.
I'm free!
(Thanks firewish fairy!)
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