h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

My nickname has never seemed more apt, sorry it took three days to reply, I can’t remember what made me stay away for three days, but whatever it was I can be sure it was exciting.

You mention that you’re a musician, what do you play?

Bass, guitar and vox to though that is a bit of a new thing for me, I mean I have always done it but just now working out how to do it well. We have lately added a female vocalist to the band and it has really helped me to find a reference point.I would say Rikki has a contralto to my tenor, singing in a choir has given her great harmonic skills.
We have been having trouble hanging onto our drummer, a familiar story, now that he's a small time movie Director, and we must break in another in three weeks for our next gig on the solstice.

Tell mme please about your music and I'd love to hear about Glastonbury.
And oh yeah, there is more stuff about my music at the MuG

I am but a humble (or c**p) guitar player; I’ve been playing for about five years, but still have not learnt any musical theory/how to read music etc. It is a hobby I really enjoy, and I can’t see it going any further than that.
My only attack on the eardrums of this world was with the terrible, terrible, really bad band ‘serabell’. We lasted about four months – then split up when we had to pay the owner of a bar (the ‘Boardwalk’ in Sheffield) because so many of our mates came in without paying. We stormed out, taking our friends with us, and left the main band without an audience. The only reason I mention this is because it’s as close as I ever got to a rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle.

Glasto?

I’ve just been looking at the full line up for this year, and keep on catching myself taking a deep breath, opening my eyes a little too much, and gasping the bands name (I don’t like this sentence). However, the music’s just a part of it, the real experience comes from the very weird and very nice people you meet there. This year the tickets sold out in about four hours, and touts are selling them at very high prices, so there could be an interesting mix of the dedicated and the rich .

It's heaven with portiloos I suppose.

I’ll check out that MuG page. Shift has almost ended, the peace of cramped accommodation awaits… What do you think about the state of the contemporary music scene? Pop never got round to eating itself did it…
The Solstice you mentioned? What kind of celebration do you guys have?

Some very dear friends of mine, including the aforementioned Rikki, manage a community based permaculture project on 5 acres of crown land in the heart of Brisbane.

Solstices and Equinoxes are celebrated regularly and are a great excuse for a nosh & booze up and a talk/ dance/party thing. Winter Solstice is always the biggest as we welcome back the lengthening of days and things start growing with more vigour .

This year should be our best so far with acts starting at 5pm and going late ,Escape From Toytown (yours truly) will finish off the night. I am looking forward to catching some fantastic players ,refugees from Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq, who are stuck on Temporary Protection Visas and unable to legally have any income. I have seen some of these fellas play before at an exhibition of paintings by artists on TPVs to help raise funds to survive in this heartless, wealthy country. They are extremely talented and make me as green as the grass.

eggs
rosi

CORPORATE MUSIC STILL SUCKS!

That sounds really really cool. Would seem you guys know how to party (or is that par-tay ).

There are some seriously talented people out there eh? My sister brought back a DVD called One Giant Leap – she knows the photographer who worked on it – he’d travelled the world filming and interviewing some really fascinating people and musicians. (There was a point to this but I’ve lost it now, gutted).

I’m twitching from too much caffeine. Must sleep.

P.S. Agreement regarding the corporate music. One of my nephews CD’s has a page of the sleeve dedicated to what brands they wear, apparently this is common, but still gets me in a flap.

We had a great night at Cityfarm , about 600 guests by one account, how was Glastonbury?

Oh yeah, you can see photos of our last but one gig at http://anarchism.sinfree.net/anarcon03/index.htm

eggs rosi

Wow, Glastonbury. Here’s what happened.

Turned up on Thursday morning and wandered around in a complete blur. Prior to this I had considered but never really thought what a small town of people intent on being happy, polite and peaceful have. You could sense the love!! I’m disappearing into ‘hippy-ness’ but that’s the way Glastonbury made me feel! Spent quite a while enjoying the ambience in the Green Fields and the Glade, talking to all the cheery folk that hang around there.

My Music Summary

Radiohead = Brilliant
Rem = Disappearing up their own backsides
Flaming Lips = Best band I saw, lots of people in animal costumes, a singing puppet nun… He also got 80,000 people to sing happy birthday to a four-year old girl named ‘Marley’ – whilst covered in fake blood “Because being born is probably the most bloody thing you’ll ever go through”.
Yes = Kind of spoiled my image of them, performance wasn’t up to scratch.
Supergrass = Bopping
Asian Dub Foundation = Interesting.
Macy Gray = Really good performer, but I still wouldn’t buy any of her CD’s
Seventh Son = Caught them at the new bands tent, and they were really nice and chilled.
EZ Rollers = I was in the right state of mind
(These were just the most memorable ones)

My weirdest experience was catching glances of a Buddhist Monk most places I went. My girlfriend maintains this was because of the Mushroom Stroganoff and tainted sugar cubes…



P.S. Apologies for the the delay, haven't been at work for a while; and couldn't view those pictures due to restricted access

G,day Snail

Wow , that sounds like a hoot.




We have a few big festivals a year here in Brizzy. The big hippy fest is Woodford Folk, held an a valley in the hills a little to the north over the week of New Years .. There are 1000's of acts , local and OS, to be seen at the dozens of stages, cafe's, bars and even open fields. Just about all styles of music are presnted, though I haven't managed to get my punk band a gig there yet. Classical doesn't seem to get a go either.There are also open jam sessions, but these always get taken over by all the people with drums.

There is also art and dancing ,craft, comedy, drama, social forums and you can join in on any of this.

Highlights for me are the sunrise ragas on top of the hill overlooking the site, the Tibetan monks' chants,and another Tibetan regular ( a refugee) who sings, dances, plays trad. flute and some other stringed banjo-ish thing, his voice must be heard to be believed, even then it is difficult . There is a magnificent fire show on NYE.

The pop festivals are "Livid" and "Big Day Out" and community radio 4zzz's Market Day . They are all day & night, multistage events. Market day is only $10 and showcases local and other Aussie acts and sometimes some international performers too (like from NZ or SE Asia). They have a small budget and it staffed by volunteers, including many of the acts. As a fundraiser fr the station it has had varying success over the last 20 years, last year was good, 15,000 in attendance.My bands have played a few MD's

Livid and BDO are much larger corporate affairs and attract the big acts, big crowds, and cost big money. They annoy me a bit because all the top acts sign excusive contracts with the festivals for a tour around the country and you cant see them anywhere else , ( not in Briz anyhow), and so often you would only like to see 1 or 2 of the bands and it's not worth paying fo 40 when the 2 you want to see will probably be playing simultaneously.

Take it easy Snail

eggs rosi