One of the plus's of my new situation, apart from all that, is the location, and the fact that about a 4 minute walk away is the Tivoli, and another 10 minute walk is most other venues that bands I am interested in are usually playing. Prime blog fodder, now that internet is activated!!
There is also the trillion bars and clubs that exist in brisbane which is a hop skip and jump away, and restaurants everywhere. I'm kind of excited to have that at my doorstep.
However, this year I've discovered that the things I loved about the valley once upon a time, have changed very much, which I knew somewhat already, but not to what extent...
Many years ago, I was younger, a little freer, and sillier, and would go out most weekends to a younger, freer, and more fun Brisbane and FV. There would be the weekly treat of Common People (an off-shoot of the Depot), a club night playing only alternative all-time music, and of course whatever was flavour of the month at the time as well. It was the only place you would find a Talking Heads song playing on a dance floor, followed by The Kinks, the Smiths, New Order, Bowie, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Blur, LCD Soundsystem, and a million other of my favourite artists. And yes they even played the William Shatner cover of their namesake song.
It was always in a pretty dodgy location but I had so much fun there, dragging along whoever I could find who was even a little bit willing to go with me. (It was hard to find friends as excited about it as I was). It became a little bit of a culture and a family, as you'd see the same people there every week, always atrociously dressed, but just there because they liked to dance to the same music you did.
If it wasn't Saturday night, then you had a limited choice, but the next on the list was Ric's Cafe. Ric's was a tiny downstairs and upstairs room, which not only put on free upandcoming bands most nights, but had a pretty good selection of songs playing on their dancefloors. Upstairs could be pretty fun- their playlist not quite as top notch as CP but not far below it. The nice thing about Rics was it's simplicity, again it was just a kind of dodgy room, but a few stools and couches and a bar and that's all you wanted. There was no pretense or expectation, and not as much 'I can look even more ridiculous than you' fashion faux pas as CP had.
It was disgustingly difficult to find anywhere else that wasn't full of doof doof or repetitive r&b or predictable popular pub songs, and really those were the only two options I knew of. Soon, Common People closed its' operation, only to spring up in different locations every now and again, but without getting enough of a crowd aware of them to stick around.
Then, Ric's got sold, and sold out. Upstairs turned from a fun alternative music night to a doof doof club, and in doing so, pushed the people who would have danced upstairs, to downstairs, where there just isn't enough room to enjoy oneself. They've turned the lot behind it into a 'backyard' area, for smokers and people wanting fresh air to enjoy- and no dancefloor there either (though, nothing stopping one from making their own!)
Other than downstairs Rics, there is Alhambra Lounge on a Thursday nights for some alternative dance tunes, but being a full time employee means I'm most likely in bed by the time things get good.
Since moving, I've ventured out on various escapades, and tried to adjust to this change of options. Now I'm older and less exciting, I really just want a nice place to have a meaningful conversation, so outside of Ric's has een useful. However, my last visit disappointed me while hearing the same sequence of songs played as the previous visit. Still, better than any other venue I've visited in dance mode. None of my dancing friends share my dance music taste, so I've had a few oddly painful moments of walking down from the upstairs ear-splitting frenzy, to hear familiar enticing hints of songs wafting up to greet my ears. The first time this happened, it was none other than “All My Friends” by LCD Soundsystem, one of my favourite songs of the last few years. My stomach twisted and my heart raced, feeling torn and cheated. What was I doing upstairs, when my favourite music, the things that really make my feet move, were just a few steps away? But I'd be selfish to make others endure it, right? I'm to take it upon myself to endure theirs, right? Because the music that moves me, is not typical, and no one else finds it danceable, apparently. Clubs cater to a majority, not the weird minority of people whose ears curse them when entering these majority ruled venues. I know this, and I've accepted it, but I never feel true to myself doing shoulder dips to fitty cent or usher or whatever is blasting out at me. I do however, love spending time dancing with my girlfriends, and that makes it all worth it.
I wanted to talk more about the dying off of Brisbane music venues in the same manner, but I feel i have waffled enough and any more waffles would be a breakfast with the Humphries/Van der Woodsens. Another time. I have also a little backlog of gig reviews to get posted! I'm sure the decreased revelance of them won't disappoint you half as much as it disappoints me. But I may prevent you from making bad future gig decisions, so who knows. Stay tuned!
The DVD display behind the band had small acronyms along the bottom which sneakily told us how many songs to expect, while singer/guitarist Nick Zammuto flicked through them with a remote to cue each video. The band introduced Gene, their new guitarist/violinist/synthist, whom meant they could play a few of the more difficult tracks from their earlier albums. 
