Southern Land

NOTE: Photos in near-reverse order.

So on Sunday, after playing 3 shows in 2 days (not a massive burden, really), we relaxed into a sunny Christchurch sabbath at T'Nealle's and played some high stakes four-square.

I've since decided that few activities, when photographed, make you look as uncoordinated as four-square.


We also got to witness Zach's handy panel-beating...


Oh yeah, and I sat in T'Nealle's garden for a while, wondering what I was doing with my life (turns out, I'm having a good time, mostly). Brad said I looked like the loneliest man in Christchurch (we'd met some REAL sad lonely people, so this was saying something).


Also, Brad reinvented the muumuu.



On our way between Dunedin and Christchurch we stopped in Palmerston to refresh, stretch our legs and take a look in 'Trash Converters'. Not only did they have a life-size statue of the Star Wars Galaxy's most bigotry-based character (see above), but they also had a whole room of mint condition Power Of The Force action figures.



In Christchurch we played an All Ages show (our first) with the same line-up as the other tour gigs (Tiger Tones, Bang Bang Eche!, Brand New Math). The gig was in the Otautahi Social Centre, an Anarchist collective place just outside the city centre. There were spills of purple paint everywhere that led Calum and Jordy to deduce this was where The Grimace had finally ended up, killed after a long time on the run from the McDonald's authorities. Also, I'd recommend playing this place. We got a nice crowd (who seemed to know LOTS of the lyrics to our songs), and they have a kitchen where Mark cooked up a vege curry and rice for the TTones.


BBE! at the Dux.
Charlie, what a handsome man.



The party we played in Dunedin was relocated before we got to play. The three bands before us had collected up 2 warnings from Noise Control, so we had to try and move all the gear to a new flat. It was, in many ways, a disaster. Can you spot Jarvis Cocker??

It was a fun tour. I wouldn't change anything about it next time... except maybe some of the venues.

Return of the Blog Boy

Hey kids, hey YOU... we're back:Winter is keeping me company. But I'm also trying to walk places more often:
I'm carrying my camera with me now. You'll see more real soon:

panthers and so on

my man graham p. went on hannah's show on 95bfm. he sung three songs, and I took videos of the first two - 'the wedding song' and 'sleep with you'. I think he sung his 'i <3 ladies' set purely to look like a heartbreak kid... who'll 'sleep with you just to see you in the morning'. actually, who wouldn't love to hear that?

'the wedding song'


i've actually managed to make this week not too busy so I can start wondering, just a little, what i'm doing with my life right now.

'sleep with you'

family snapshots

...so last weekend 'Phony Bone' played their last ever shows, I promise. When we decided on it, I didn't actually want to tell people at all that they would be the last because, frankly, I kind of hate bands that 'break up'. I do. Unless you're breaking up because one of you shot the other, or one of you gave the other an unsolvable STI issue, there's really no excuse. Look at Velvet Revolver, The Doors (*shudder*), The Who... you can lose any number of band members to The Reaper, and still go on.

But we were still coming to an end and some people, really, did kind of deserve to know.

The shows in Auckland and Hamilton were good, particularly the Auckland one. After that - meaning last weekend - it was time to get in the Volvo and make another run to Wellington. A last 19 hour return trip of some truly foul-mouthed individuals, packed in a car, playing Mario Kart on the Nintendo DS and generally, truthfully, amassing a collective smell.

We arrived in Wellington of Friday and met up with some of Graham's friends before going to Sweet Mother's Kitchen:

Rhythm section. Amazing Facials. Always.

Then later we decided to head off in the wind and rain (did I mention the WIND?! how about the RAIN?! how about the freezing coldness (oh yes, I did actually forget to say on the way down we passed Tatum Park and I waved to it and said, loudly, "that's where camp was. it was amazing. you ALL missed out.")) to go to a Cowboy Party being put on by Kim. Frank and Jony said they'd "see you guys there later" which - because they had no idea where the party was - meant they were staying where they were, drinking and playing Guitar Hero on the world's largest HD TV. The Cowboys at the Cowboy party were more Venga Boys than John Wayne. There was wrestling though, which I may have helped begin... I don't remember. I remember wrestling Emily, and maybe someone I didn't actually know.

Soundcheck.

A blank sign outside Bodega.

Tommy and Buck.



The show went really well. First up were a band who were so keen to play they said they would go on at 9:30 if we wanted, and we wouldn't have to pay them: The Sing Songs (a Tilly & The Wall reference?). About a third of the night's crowd turned out to be there mainly for them, and they were very cool. When youtube lets me, I'll upload a video. The song in the video says 'don't write songs about your friends' which, as I know, is sage advice.

It was a nice farewell. At the end Frank hugged me from behind onstage and just about broke my ribs. I was tempted to drum dive Jony as the crowd shouted for us to do an encore (we didn't), but I've done that before.

Anyway.
He knows how I feel.

popularised stereotypes concerning gender roles

can someone tell me what this is about, please... or write a hilarious caption.

let's get smarter spidey

i have placed a spiderman with 14 points of articulation on my shared work computer. since putting him there he has been found to 1) have his hand in the disk drive, as though stealing mail from pensioner flats 2) bend over and touch his toes, directly in front of the usb drive 3) break dance in many different ways, including the head-spin 4) straddle the computer screen, arms akimbo and seemingly boozed as a bastard on father's day.

i may have to keep a photojournal.

warcraft curses

I'm listening to 'Water Curses', 'cos i just gotta. Today a friend told me that there is a synchronisation effect between 'Alice In Wonderland' and 'Strawberry Jam'... I can't quite imagine how this would work, but i think it may be a project for the Super Flat to investigate.

According to Georgie we will also inaugurate the First Avenue Principal Players (or F.A.P.P.), a theatrical society dedicated to bringing extremely localised (read: in our living room) performances of the classics, often re-imagined into other evocative circumstances and time periods.

Hamlet in Space, 2237 A.D., springs to mind. Or in a chicken farm... the by-line could be 'murder most fowl'.

You might need a moment to cringe over that one.