F...fff....fff...FRO!

I wish I was a 70's icon, but my hair only looks like this when I take my hair out. I go back to looking like a human/sheep hybrid once it's wet.

Image -- something I struggle with. 

This is a rare shot of myself, I took it the minute I finished taking my hair out [ a 5 hour process, or was it 6]. 

Normally, I hate pictures of myself but, I like this on because I look like a 70's pop culture print, and also, because I am trying to open up as a new years resolution.

So, cheese!

Head Bangin'

On the plane back from Sydney - some of struggling more than others....

So it has been a while. It feels like I have finally got my breathe back from last month - which was epic. It has felt like we could no longer function when we were heading back to Melbourne after supporting six60, and i guess it didn't help that all the guys were hung over from the nights festivities....I on the other hand went straight to bed like the rock star I am...(not). 

Can this be true?

I think Bluesfest have got it right.

Eagle and the Worm APRA Stage - Byron Bay Bluefest 2012

Not being their first festival, the treatment the musicians receive at this place is nothing short of incredible. Every band not matter how famous or, what stage they are performing on are treated with the utmost respect, kindness and down to earth-ness they need. In turn, it is like the bands and musicians feel that, at the least, they should give the best performances to the Bluesfest punters as a way of saying thanks to the entire festival itself.

As a tag along to my boyfriend's band I was lucky to indulge in the artist perks of Bluesfest. To be honest it felt as if we had entered a musicians day spa with staff on hand to drive us everywhere within and out of the festival. There was also free and amazing catering and on hand massages for players...and me.

Justin Townes Earle - Byron Bay Bluesfest 2012

The performances were amazing as well. Even though they couldn't admit to it - Eagle & the Worm had one of their strongest sets for 2012 and I think some of the Bluesfest hospitality had something to do with it. I also experienced the spell binding story telling of Jason Townes Earle followed by his father Steve Earle which can only be described as Southern charm at its most magnifying.

And to top off the night,we ate dinner within sneezing distance of Ziggy Marley's crew. One of them kept saying hi to me but, in my awkwardness I didn't know how to respond. A PR moment I will eternally regret for the rest of the festival.


There is more to come as the festival unfolds.

Hanging around your door...

This week has been the biggest week of my life and it is not even over. I write this as I sit on a plane on the way to BluesFest in Queensland, in this instance traveling as a groupie - my favourite kind of traveler.

Last night, we found ourselves back at Cherry bar, our local dig, playing the classic soul night on the eve of Good Friday - one of the biggest nights of the year - for the venue. I couldn't have felt more nervous.

After playing with EW& F, the humble stage of Cherry seemed somewhat unusual. Though, in contrast, even with a new non sticky carpet, there was something homely about walking across the sticky dance floor to the stage to set up and do our sound check. As the sticky leads and ridged lights were being adjusted i felt the old school nerves I used to feel when I first started singing there with the band started to go into over drive. I don't know is if it was fear of hoping to produce a great night, or excitement of being in a familiar setting. Once again, it felt weird.

I think it was also odd because we were sound checking with less than half of the entire band with some members were stuck in the studio cutting the new tracks of the our first album, we had just recorded the week before, whilst others were away touring with their other band/projects.

When I look back to last night it felt as though we were a bit lost and out of place, when we started walking through the city to our traditional dumpling house for dinner ( which I suspect gave me food poisoning, but that's for another day). There were so many people put and about passing 18 yr old girls and guys fully decked out for the nights events. It was funny to think that when I was there age I would spend hours with my friends preparing and getting incredibly drunk and that, before I started university in the city I had no recollection of how I actually ended up at some of the venues and ever being let in.

Pushing that aside, upon returning to Cherry bar we were all shocked to see that the line in to Cherry was (not for the first time, but still a big deal) to the end of the block and 2-3 people wide. This was going to be BIG. I had forgotten the excitement of a packed out venue and crowd awaiting to here you, with such loyalty.

The place was packed. I had never felt so hot and sweaty on stage. Wearing my favourite pink dress I was drenched through and we were only half way though the set. The crowd was electric and supportive of every suggestion we gave them, from clapping along to the music to bobbing down and jumping as high as the could into the air.

In the end both we and the crowd were spent, each of us counting the steps to the door of Cherry, that would lead to the fresh air of the famous ACDC side streets as another indicator of a successful Cherry night.

I feel the Earth move under my feet.....

Words and erratic hand gestures cannot express the feeling of meeting a band you never thought was in your grasp of coming close to. Nor can any rewind button be pressed so that you can go back and act cool instead of continuously losing your mind in public. Imagine being asked by the worlds biggest and best known funk band who your idols are and telling them ( in a slight state of delirium) that you listen to Aretha, The Supremes and ELVIS, I am without a doubt the biggest dork in the world...sigh*

Undoubtably last night was a music career highlight and a dream (I didn't think possible)come true. The members of Earth, Wind & Fire were the nicest people I have ever met! The we're so kind and encouraging and willing to make us feel at home. I was hoping that they would eventually decide to adopt me. But, alas, no one took me seriously.

Saskwatch Sound-check Palais Theatre St. Kilda, April 4, 2012

Their dance moves made them age defiant and their singing was out of this world and the natural human hearing frequency (Philip Bailey, I want your vocal chords - adopt me, please!). Verdine White had the funk and the bass down pat. He was the epitome of soul and at 61 - he still had the grunt and growl of hipness. He was utterly mesmerising and BOY, could that guy bust a move!

I met Ralph Johnson in the backstage corridor of the old St. Kilda Palais Theatre when I first walked in. He was cool. I feel that that is the only way I could summarise him. He was amazed by my name which I thought was hilarious and I like a professional that I am, proceeded to dissolve into a bubble of mild hysteria....which seems to be a common theme in my blogs. He smoothly signed off with ' I'm Ralph Johnson, one of the principle vocalists in Earth, Wind & Fire.' to which I replied....'I know...(but, with more of a hysterical tremble in my delivery)'.

Earth Wind & Fire Concert, Palais Theatre St. Kilda, April 4, 2012

I think another highlight for me was not only having my mum there but, also managing to sneak her in backstage afterwards and meeting all the members of E W & F and telling them all "this is my mum". Over and over again. I think it is safe to say that both she and I had the best night ever and were running around stage like a pair of school girls high on life and vodka.

I hope that last nights experience was a big enough thank you to her for always supporting me and believing in me. Especially at times when I didn't. I am not sure if things are going to be as big as this was again?!?!?


Question: In ten years time will I remember that on April the 4th 2012 I stood on stage a supported Earth, Wind & Fire and sung, in a band I have dreamed of being in my whole life, with my mother watching on?

Answer: Fuck yes.

Philip Bailey & I, Catering Room - Palais Theatre St. Kilda, April 4, 2012

Do you remember ...?

Tonight we're playing with Earth, Wind & Fire. I am so excited I can't believe it is actually happening.
I woke up this morning with the pain of stage nerves that were so intense I though I was going to throw up!
What a great start to the day.
All that is left now is to wait and wait and wait and wait for the hours to pass by until, finally, it is time to jump into my car and tear through Melbourne's streets to the Palais in St. Kilda.
I think my biggest fear for tonight is that I will be soo excited that I will yell our entire set instead of sing it. Or that I will sing out of tune, or worse ... Vomit over my mic on to the seated crowd who are undoubtedly waiting for Earth, Wind & Fire - instead of Heat, Steam & Spew! 7 more hour to go!

The Circle of Life

Yesterday I dropped my phone.

In the horror of what was to come I shut my eyes and chanted (almost religiously) the words" No, no, no. Please, please,please." In the hope that by some miracle my phone had softly drifted to the concrete below AND that the cracking noise I heard was just in my imagination.

Unfortunately, the reality was that my much beloved iPhone was smashed. So much so, that any effort to touch the touch-screen of my phone would be at the risk of cutting up my own finger. It was in that moment I had to come to terms with the fact that I had broken my very first iPhone and my connection to living!( a bit OTT but, that's how it felt).

So for me, today is a day of morning the first iPhone I have ever owned, in the same week in which I received my first iPad. And they looked so good together!

Maybe my iPhone couldn't take the attention that he was no longer getting? Maybe I pushed my iPhone to far a side?

R.I.P My first iPhone -  a day.08.12 -29.03.12