The 'Gurg

Sunday night. An ideal time to venture into Richmond with no crazy drivers, footy traffic or trams banked up. It resembled a ghost town at 9.30 with small groups of people making it to the bars near the train station end. Whilst waiting outside, I was surprised to see Quan and Ben casually making their way into the venue, fumbling for the relevant pass to get in.

I remember picking up Regurgitator's Unit in my high school days thinking it was like buying a dirty magazine, the 18+ restriction made it all the more attractive. Their music won't appeal to everyone, but based off the effort last night, people should go just for the entertainment value. They appeared to be having a blast playing, and it is amazing just how talented they are. Complex synthetic beats are mixed with some great guitar, drums and cheeky lyrics. The opener of 'My Friend Robot' certainly got the crowd going after a somewhat dodgy support act. It's hard to believe that they've been around since '94 and their early songs haven't lost any appeal. Their site is brilliantly original, developed by Quan and an interesting view of their history.

It was a sight to see the half the Corner jumping in unison and singing along. Due to poor form, I couldn't recognise one rocking song till the crowd chimed in with the unmissable catchphrase: I will lick your ....... At one point Quan playfully tackled the drummer for continuing beats too long, while also passing the mic into the crowd for some impromptu lines. Old classics that I'd been hanging for got a run: '! (The song formerly known as)', 'Everyday Formula', 'Black Bugs', '1234' as well as more recent offerings 'The Drop', 'Superstraight', 'Hullabaloo' and 'C'mon' (that I can remember...)

They punched through a long playlist and I can't remember half the songs played, but the rocking sounds and vibe of the night made it a memorable gig. March is a busy month for live music and then it's closely followed by the Comedy Festival and Easter. Too bad there's work in between...

Currently listening to:
The Killers - Sam's Town
The Grates - Gravity Won't Get You High
Augie March - Moo, You Bloody Choir

Gig no.1 2007

The first gig of the year and its February. That's a little disappointing, but there are a few more coming up shortly to make up the numbers. It was Sarah Blasko so I won't start gushing, mainly because I don't want to appear like an obsessed fan, but it was another great set and it was interesting to hear in a small venue with a stripped back band. We ventured out to Ruby's in Belgrave and the atmosphere of a sold out venue was electrifying. Unlike any other, she had to weave her way through the crowd to get to the stage, and I had to restrain myself from getting all excited as she brushed passed in front of me.

With a tuck shop type blackboard adorning the wall listing upcoming gigs, she paid homage to Augie March on making it to number 1 on Triple J's hottest 100 list. Finally, I recognised quite a few songs on the list, usually its a matter of 'who that?'. It was the first time I've tried to take pictures at a show, and the results were less than impressive. It was probably the first time I noticed just how many were taken by the audience on the night, which carried on after the end, as she was more than accommodating to pose with fans and head to the merchandise stand straight after the final encore.

An update on the West Wing: My obsession is waning, almost to a standstill as I'm still half way through the 5th season. The current episodes showing on free to air have more appeal, and not unlike what' s happening currently in the US. It's the behind the scenes process that's intriguing, rather than the policies and it will be interesting to see how the real world mimics the fictional.

I've been struggling to find new music to listen to lately, but recently picked up The Grates based off a few articles I'd read. I must say it's a fun album and well done. Like Spiderbait's Grand Slam, short punchy songs fill the album with catchy sing-a-long lyrics. The question I have to anyone reading out there is how you find new music? We share music amongst mates for sampling, and will buy the albums if we like them, but more recently I've used gut feel to buy albums. Charts are useless and reviews can be hit and miss depending on who's written them.