Seeing as I’ve put up a few photos of the views from the Eureka Skydeck, here’s a photo of the Eureka Skydeck from a distance.
I think that this photo might be a bit too dark, but it does give a bit of an idea of some of the Melbourn skyline.
I hope you enjoy.
This review has been published on Cool Try.
If you do read it here, please also check it out there as there are some photos of the gig and you’d be supporting Cool Try.
—–
The Stress of Leisure opened up Regurgitator’s gig. They played a fun set of songs. The songs were enjoyable, light and punchy. The band’s set was smooth and clear. Whilst The Stress of Leisure did well as an opener, it would be nice to see them as a headliner.
Glitoris were up next. Their set was energetic. The songs sat mostly around punk and metal. What they played was deft and nimble. Some of the songs hit harder than than others, but the set was quite consistent. Much like The Stress of Leisure, their set had a good flow. It was tight, furious and fun. Glirotirs easily showed that they were worth seeing.
There was a surprise third support that came out and danced to Regurgitator’s “Head Roxx”. Once they had finished dancing, the surprise support played for about two minutes before disappearing. This was a nice way to have a little bit more warmup before Regurgitator came out to play. They were new aces on the scene. It’s hard to tell as to whether they will do well from here, but they seemed like a nice bunch. Hopefully they get to play again soon.
Regurgitator came on to the stage and after some banter, kicked into their set with “Roxx for Brains”. From there a set that did not feel its length unfurled. There was a nice mix of old and new due to the recent release of HEADROXX. Most of the album was covered. However, it didn’t feel like the album was the main focus. In this instance it was a good thing. The new songs were interspersed well throughout the set and didn’t feel out of place.
Despite a couple of smoothly brushed-off mistakes the whole set sounded effortless. Regurgitator went through each song with ease whilst sounding as energetic as they always have. It’s not often a band of their length puts in as much energy and enthusiasm into a set as Regurgitator does. They’re a band that both feed and feed off of their audience. It really helps the songs come to the forefront in the live setting. Regurgitator’s energy and enthusiasm give the songs a bit more depth and character. Rather than sound like a retread of what was recorded, there’s strong presence.
Ending the main set was “No Point”, another new song. Starting and ending the set with new material allowed for nice bookends. The nature of the song also allowed for the main set to come to a natural conclusion without the trappings of drama or grandiosity. It was simple and brief which, considering the rest of the set, all that it needed to be.
Kicking off the encore was “Weird Kind of Hard” which featured Peter Kostic in ballad mode. Despite its briefness it was a most wonderful performance. The song also had the best audience participation section of the night. It was good to see Peter come out from behind the drums, even if it was for such a brief time.
Two more songs were played with that; the last one of the night being “! (The Song Formerly Known as)”. It, as many other songs are a staple of Regurgitator’s shows. The crowd, whilst fairly engaged prior to the song really kicked it up a notch as Regurgitator worked their magic. Perhaps not all-too-soon, a satisfying set came to an end.
Regurgitator are a band that can sound good regardless of where they play. They know how to put in a good performance, always giving 100%. Whilst some of the set should be mixed up a bit more, they always have a consistently strong selection of songs to perform. Their supports are often as strong as they are. Seeing Regurgitator perform live is a real treat that’s worth the experience.
Very soon I need to do an assessment of sorts, followed by another assessment for a course that I will be dropping as there is no longer a feasibility for me to do the course, as it were.
I think that that’s enough serious writing for one day, so the rest of the writing will be a series of words strung together to have the illusion of sentences, but I don’t know when that will begin so we’ll have to waste some time before that begins in order to have the illusion of preparation floating about.
I think that that is the case, but the case is not here and therefore it must be in the hands of some other individual who is floating about out there, as opposed to here where the wall drilling is the soundtrack of the day and also the greatest hits classic rock radio station.
This must be how all great musicians are born.
Perhaps there will be some soft of sustenance on the noodle that carries us through the wind, known as a boson but not of the Higgs variety.
There is not telling as to where the ship will land but so long as the shop is shot, then shit.
This is not a soul solution toward the simmering sounds of Sunday’s servitude solemnly slinking south.
This is not a solution at all.
There will be some sort of thin, however, that will indeed allow and enable the able to enable the unable to always apply audible apples to altitude.
I don’t know where I’m going with this.
There is enough alliteration for one day, I think, so once more I must jump through the hops in order to impress my masters somehow, for they are watching from a distance, therefore they are not watching at all.
There is no sense in this nonsense. Or there is, but it must be read in another way in order to find the clay that saves the day and rhymes with hay and I’m running out of the things that I can think of, so very soon the steam will be gone and I’ll be faced with whatever lies behind the veil that sits in front of all of us.
I think that that is an appropriate thing to say, but then again I thought the last thing was an appropriate thing to say.
So long as I keep stretching and contorting the use of the language and coming up with the gibberish, then there will be things that cannot be reached upon without the upon-reaching that must be met in order to meet the meeting of all meetings…
You know, fishing is a peaceful process sometimes, but that does not mean that everyone should want to do it, for there are always other things that need to be considered when doing things that allow one to find peace.
Maybe I should just go and get some orange juice and head to class before it begins.
The time it took to write five-hundred words: 06:15:06
Hmm.
Written at UNSW.
Another shot from the Eureka Skydeck.
I’m not too sure if it is effective, but I do like the way the windows reflect this part of Melbourne. The reflection almost blends smoothly.
The colours are neither vivid nor flat and the details are strong.
There are “patterns” to be found in the windows, the clouds, the sprawl of the buildings and the vegetation in this shot.
I guess that means that there’s a fair bit going on. The photo is a bit on the busier side of things, but it is not overwhelming, I think.
This is my submission into the first Lens-Artists Photo Challenge.
This challenge is hosted by four people and cycles weekly:
Week 1 – Patti of https://pilotfishblog.com/
Week 2 – Ann-Christine aka Leya of https://lagottocattleya.wordpress.com/
Week 3 – Amy of https://shareandconnect.wordpress.com/
Week 4 – Tina of https://travelsandtrifles.wordpress.com/
This week was hosted by Leya and next week’s will be hosted by Amy.
I suggest following and considering participating, but also seeing how other people have responded to the photo challenge from The Daily Post ending.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy.
This review can be read on Cool Try.
If you read this here, then please also go to Cool Try and check out more music-related articles.
Anyway, here’s the review.
—–
Late last year Kurushimi began a series of E.P.s. The main focus was to reinterpret prior material. I was going to wait until the series was complete in an attempt to review them all as one thing. As Kurushimi have announced the release of a new album and it’s been a short while since the last E.P. was released, I’ve decided to proceed, as evidenced by this review existing, therefore making this lengthy and somewhat-unwieldy sentence superfluous.
Return 1: Kimon features the song “Return 1: Kimon” and two live tracks; “Movement 1” and “Movement 2”.
“Return 1: Kimon” is a mostly quiet, ambient track. There is a sense of unease throughout the song’s length with occasional appearances of percussion-heavy sounds. The percussion fits as it doesn’t break the unease. There’s also minor saxophone use. It is as sparse as everything outside the percussion. “Return 1: Kimon” flows well. It has a great deal of cohesion. The song is an appropriate introduction to the Return series .
“Movement 1” and “Movement 2” show how chaotic in sound Kurushimi sound in a live setting. There’s a sense of freedom and wideness in the songs. They’re much tighter than they are loose which a. Like “Return 1: Kimon”, they too have a good flow.
Return 2: The Grove has the aptly-named “Return 2: The Grove”, “An Overwhelming Sense of Dread” and Kurushimi’s live performance at the Wasteland. The live performance is named “Live at the Wasteland (20/11/2016)”, which is likely when said performance was performed.
“Return 2: The Grove” partially follows in the footsteps of “Return 1: Kimon”. Whilst the ambience is prominent, it is more of an underlying part of the song. Kurushimi show less restraint on “Return 2…” than on “Return 1…” and so the song is more chaotic. However, the sense of unease remains in the ambient sections.
“An Overwhelming Sense of Dread” is more in the vein of the live performances. There’s a push and pull between the softer, more tense sections and the louder, more chaotic sections. The song builds and crashes without cycling through minimums and maximums. Had it done so and the song would have been tiring. “An Overwhelming Sense of Dread” is an appropriate choice for inclusion as it bridges the gap between the “Return…” and the live songs. It doesn’t swing too hard to either side and thus has a good balance.
“Live at the Wasteland (20/11/2016)” does well to capture Kurushimi as a live unit. The song more brass-heavy than the other songs of the Return series. This gives the song a different kind of shade, so to speak. “Live…” mostly focuses on Kurushimi’s progression through a song. In this regard it is less chaotic. “Live…” works well as a counterpoint to Return 1: Kimon’s live songs.
A continuation can be found across both releases. “Return 1…” being followed by “Return 2…” makes sense. The live songs compliment each other. “An Overwhelming Sense of Dread” kind of sits on its own but fits well.
“Return 2…” is in a sense a more proficient song than “Return 1…” due to the lesser restraint. However, it is slightly weaker. “Return 1…” is a more minimal, sparse track that shows a lot of restraint. Everything it does it doesn’t do more than it needs to and as such the song doesn’t overstep. The result is a really smooth, cohesive piece.
“Return 2…” gives more opportunity for Kurushimi to be more open and freewheeling. Despite some restraint, there is significantly more happening throughout which sees more frequent shifts. The individual sections are god but there’s a disjoint throughout the song. This ends up harming the flow. As such “Return 2…” is not as cohesive or smooth as “Return 1…”.
With that being said, it needs to be stressed that this issue is minor. Conversely it does prevent “Return 2…” from being a retread of “Return 1…”. Had “Return 2…” followed too closely, the experience would have suffered. Furthermore neither song ventures into showoff territory. Both have a sense of balance and sound like a group working together. Both are strong pieces.
The Return series thus far does well to highlight the strengths of the group without their strengths being the focus. The songs compliment each other well. Kurushimi remain tight without compromising on their free, improvisational nature. They songs are lively and inspired. More importantly the songs make for a satisfying listen. It’s hard to tell if the series will continue. So long as Kurushimi keep putting out high quality music, then anything more will be just as appreciated. Hopefully it does as the Return series so far shows that it’s worthwhile.
You can hear Return 1: Kimon here.
You can hear Return 2: The Grove here.
As with the prior photo and a few of the other ones I’ll be putting up, this was taken from the Eureka Skydeck.
I have a fear of heights but going up into the Eureka Skydeck is something that I wanted to do as I wanted to see Melbourne in a different way. It was not a pleasant experience but still one that I feel was worth the (admittedly little) effort on my part.
With that out of the way, here’s a shot of Flinders Street Station.
I think that you get a good idea of its size in this photo. On the ground it’s easy to tell that the train station is big, but it can be difficult to truly appreciate its size.
This seems like a busy photo, what with the varying styles of architecture but I don’t feel as though the shot is cluttered.
The station itself almost feels like a model and the tracks almost feel as though they are moving toward a singular direction at the edge.
I hope you enjoy.
I started this about fourteen days after the gig and I’m not sure as to why I didn’t finish it then.
It’s been sitting around but now I’m finishing this review so it’s no longer sitting here waiting. I believe that I remember the performance pretty well, but considering the length I probably don’t remember it as well as I think.
Oh well.
—
The first band of the night was The Crooked Fiddle Band.
I saw them once before and didn’t think much of them.
They have improved a fair bit since then.
Their sound is much tighter and more powerful.
Personally, I don’t feel that they are a good band yet, but I do think they will get there if they keep on going.
Still, I recommend seeing them.
Shellac were in fine form.
They played songs throughout their whole career.
A number of songs from Dude Incredible were included and fit well with the flow of the set.
Their sound was clear and strong and their presence was wholeheartedly felt.
During the story section of “Wingwalker” someone said something that interrupted the show. Steve Albini addressed the person politely and respectfully, inviting the person to discuss the implications of the comment after the show, then the story section of “Wingwalker” resumed.
A Shellac gig is one that provides an enjoyable experience. Despite any issues with support acts, Shellac always has ones that are a good fit and work well for the gig.
Shellac themselves put on a show that is nothing less than excellent. Their songs aren’t the most complex but the members perform really well together which give the songs a great deal more strength. There’s a bond between the members that, with anyone else in the band wouldn’t allow their music to work as well on anything other than a surface level.
That is to say the performance was good. Nothing came off as phoned in and Shellac treated their audience to an enthusiastic, strong set.
A photo of some of the Melbourne C.B.D.
I like how the buildings nearby are framed by the urban sprawl that lies beyond.
I also like that the clouds sit mostly over the city. There’s a break in them off in the distance, but it’s hard to tell if it will reach the city or be something that remains out of reach.
Otherwise I like the different architectural designs.
I hope you enjoy.
A satisfying feeling of feeling as though I’ve emptied myself in a most satisfying manner is a most satisfying satisfaction, indeed.
Well, I guess that that’s not something to talk about. It’s a bit too toilet for this hour of the morning, possibly.
Or is it?
Well, here we are once more, sitting on the inside of an office with windows and walls and many other things that are in an office, or so it is said. Perhaps the office is actually in me. I don’t know. Or do I?
I think that I may just be rambling instead of actually saying something that is worth the time and effort and eye strain that you would incur in order to read, but… something.
I know that I feel warm.
I also know that today will involve a bit of rushing about as there is work and then there is a rather long jump all the way to a beach in order to do research, then there will be another long jump to another location.
I think that I need to work on my jumping skills.
If I do that, then perhaps I will be able to get to a point where I can jump a little bit farther than I can now.
This is something that I can do, but I need to make sure that I train myself on a regular basis so that I can actually do these things that I would like to believe that I can do, or something.
Then I can make sure that I always land on a soft part of the earth that I would be landing on in order to make sure that there is as little impact as possible when I land. I would need to make sure that the earth is as soft as pillows, so this is something I would have to calculate whilst I am moving through the air whilst detached from the ground. it would probably prove to be difficult at first, but I’m sure that with a lot of learning and practise and hard work I could get it down and therefore make sure that I could do this every time without fail.
The question that comes to mind is: Will this be something that I can fit in with all the other things that I do?
The answer is yes. Of course it is something else that I would be able to fit in with all the other stuff that I do, for a busy person has time for one more thing.
Well, not always, but sometimes a busy person has time for one more thing.
Besides which, jumping around everywhere would help reduce commute times so long as I make sure that I do it correctly. I would have more money in my pocket at the end of the week and I would be getting some impressive views every time I would jump, so long as the jump got me high enough above ground.
The time it took to write five-hundred words: 06:03:49
I think that I need more sleep.
Written at work.
Some words seen in St Kilda where (I’m assuming) where Brookes Jetty used once be located.
The words written seem to match the gloominess of the sky and the city, blah blah blah.
Some nice textures, I think.
I do like that the city seems to be supported by the railing of what remains of the jetty.
This is my submission into Leanne Cole‘s Monochrome Madness for this week.
Monochrome Madness is predominantly-driven by its community. Please consider taking part, or at the very least checking out what other people are submitting.
You should also check out what Leanne Cole does outside of Monochrome Madness.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy.
Stupidity Hole 