The Radiohead Experience (at last.)

If you're not a Radiohead fan or a Radiohead Fan fan, then this post is not for you! Be warned as I am deeply both of these things and the amount of fangirl harping will be greater than you can handle. 

Last November (freaking 6 months ago, thanks to being a Procrastinating Polly) was the time that Radiohead finally made their way to Australia after 8 years since their last Australian tour. The last time they were in Brisbane prior to this was 1998, when I had first began to take notice of them, thanks to the hype around 1997's 'OK Computer' and Triple J Hottest 100 Volume 5 Compilation. So, this tour has been a long time coming. I was so excited that I agreed to go down to Sydney to see their Monday (12th Nov) night show  after seeing their Brisbane gig on the 9th. One of my more expensive but better decisions. 


The Brisbane Entertainment Centre wasn't going to be pleasant, but I arranged to get there as soon as humanly possible, and with brother, sister, and friends in tow, had one of the
most exciting waits of my gigging life.
Support act Connan Mockasin was pretty decent for someone having to support Radiohead, and I ended up quite enjoying their set. Then again, I was in a pretty fucking good mood.

oh my fucking god its radiohead

So the actual show. I don't want to harp on, but fuck. Radiohead live up to their cult status and expectation as a live band worth seeing. This isn't blind fandom talking, this is legitimate and honest critique; they did everything perfectly. To the point that I weirdly felt like I was just listening to their recording and Thomas Yorkus and co weren't actually in the same room as me, which in a lucky way, prevented me from screaming like a little girl. Once I got over that I relished in watching each band member do their amazing thing, from serious Phil Selway's drumming (with Portisehead's drummer Clive Deamer lending a hand) to nonchalant Johnny Greenwood with his mop top bent down low. 

The Johnny  Mop

I got the same feeling at the Sydney show, although in some ways I enjoyed it more as an opportunity to just sit back and take it all in mindfully, rather than agonise over what they were going to play next. And there was a surprising shift between playlists, making a double viewing all the more worth it.

Ed O'Brien in perfect pose

They started off both sets with a different song from the new album 'King of Limbs', and there was quite a bit of the new one in the set; songs like "Feral" and "Bloom" taking on their own new vibe as each layer of melody and rhythm built up to its full execution. Each night had a different set of favourites (e.g. "Airbag", "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" and "The National Anthem" in Brisbane; "Lucky", "Planet Telex" and "Weird Fishes (Arpeggi)" in Sydney) which were a joy to hear live. It's impossible to pick a single highlight, but one overarching positive was how much better less preferred songs became in live form, helped also by the intense accompanying light show. The epileptic chaos of "The Gloaming "was spectacular in a way not conveyed on 'Hail to the Thief', as well as explosive "Myxamatosis", with Thom spitting out the words and throwing himself around the room like a punk. And I really hadn't comprehended the power of "You And Whose Army?" until the band, with Thom on piano, trickled it out into its dramatic climax. 

Lights and music and also Thom Yorke

The bit that gave me a bit of a tear was the signature segue between encores, where Thom sidled up to a keyboard to play a small solo excerpt of Unravel, a gorgeous song by Björk (and you all know how I feel about Björk). As a fellow fan-friend exclaimed/squealed/screamed in recognition, the song slowly became "Everything In It's Right Place", with "Idioteque" finalizing the encore. This was the same both nights (except the improvised Björk) but was just as powerful a second time. Other highlights were the huge bass drums played on each side of stage by Johnny and Ed for "There There", Thom's solo vocal looping in the haunting "Give Up the Ghost", my latest favourite "The Daily Mail", and also a new song "Ful Stop", a special treat in the Sydney set.  

An upside down dancefloor for 15 Step

Each time I left on an indescribable high. Little did I know, the night after the Sydney show, that my high was about to increase. It was at a geekvention that I caught wind that Thom Yorke was djing at Good God Small Club, a short walk from our hotel. Thus our wee group of crazy fans got to experience the tail end of the man in his little rat tail and black jacket, spinning some tracks, looking like he was having a ball. We got close enough to take a few sneaky pics, and notice celebs such as Toni Collette having a dance in the VIP section. On his exit, he surprisingly walked directly past all of us. I touched his back and said something dumb, probably "good job Thom", and my brother looked paralyzed at the proximity of his long time musical idol. We couldn't believe it had happened and didn't get to sleep for a while that night.

SNEAKY PIC!

Since November, Thom has released the Atoms For Peace album 'Amok', which I have listened to quite a bit since its release. It is a meticulously put together album with a lot of repeated listening value; like Radiohead, each listen uncovers something new. While it's quite a hauntingly cold and crisp world of music within this album, there are lyrics of warmth and emotional questioning, and the clip for "Ingenue" is a playful, enjoyable watch. By the way, Thom danced up a goddamn storm on that stage, true to his performances on that Atoms For Peace clip as well as that for Radiohead's "Lotus Flower". It must also be noted how pleasant Thom appeared onstage and how much he appeared to be enjoying himself at the dj set, something I'm sure he would have shied away from 10 years ago. This wonderful interview with Alec Baldwin, along with this pleasantly puzzling 'Ask a Grown Man' video with Nigel Godrich, is further proof of how Thom is enjoying himself at the moment, not quite as afraid of being seen around town as he once may have been. Usually when artists get happy they get stagnant, but Thom is able to be in a good place and still make amazing, sensually challenging music. I am only speculating all this and have no place to make these claims of Thom's wellbeing, but my respect for this man is pretty deep. 

RADIOHEAD AMIRITE? Rating? All the minotaurs in the world out of 10! The end!

Oh my Blog! 2012 is Over!

Well, this is awkward.

It's been a ridiculously busy year of lots of things happening, since August 2012 at least when I last spoke to the internets world. I thought I'd have a few spare moments to blog while on the christmas holiday break, but   it was over in a flash and I've only just had the chance to sit down now, after I've been back at work for 3 days already. And so much has happened! Which means I've had some re-assessing to do as to the future of this blog, for if I'm going to let it go for 4 months then I need to find some way to do better. It may just turn into a blog for lots of general stuff... I may blog about gigs, albums, movies, books, things that are on my mind grapes, TV shows, dinner and drinking destinations, sports (ahahahah oh god no, that's not going to happen), politics (watch out Campby), health, psychology. Or it may stay the way it is! Who knows! It's like a kinder surprise!

Nonetheless, I do want to do a round up of all the gigs I went to after my Campbell rant, and also pay very special attention to Radiohead's two (2) shows I went to on their australia tour, because they could literally be the best live show in the universe and best band in the history of the universe. I am kidding, but only half. 

For now though, I thought I'd let you know what my favourite albums and songs were of 2012. 2012 was a pretty shit year for music if you ask me, with not many real standouts that wowed everyone, and lots of established bands having to attempt to top their last awesome release. Not a lot grabbed me and as a result, this is a rather mediocre list. I don't even know if I'm going to vote for the Triple J Hottest 100 yet!! Considering I've managed to vote every year since I was like, 12, this is significant stuff in the life of Steph. 

Ok so here goes. In no particular order 'cause I can't pick a number 1:

Tame Impala's "Lonerism" was a hit for pretty much everyone- Triple J, 4ZZZ, Nova, Pitchfork, my family, every man and his bloomin' dog. For great reason: it's a flowing tapestry of awesome, and very quickly addictive. Their sophomore release does not change up much from their debut, their 70's psychadelic summery sound is all over the thing, but it really seems to work for them. Tame Impala just know how to create continuous catch, even while everything sounds a bit the same. A perfectly timed summer album, solidifying Tame Impala as one of Australia's internationally respected wonder-bands (and one I like a lot to boot). Also if I were to get high, I would get high to "Feels Like We Only Go Backwards", immediately.

Grizzly Bear's "Shields" had a lot to live up to, as 2009's "Veckatimest" was made love to over and over again by critics and music fans alike. Luckily, it's pretty amazing. It took a bit to grow on me, as it's lush instrumentation ebbing and flowing requires attention to process, but once I had the focus, it stood out as an exquisite album. I got to see them at Harvest Festival this year (my 3rd time seeing them omg glooooat) and the songs were beautifully translated live onstage, making me appreciate this album a little more. I'm glad this album could show they weren't just a hipster flavour of the month and actually have so much more to offer the music world.

Oh look, speaking of hipster flavour of the.... lifetime of Pitchfork, here comes Animal Collective, with "Centipede Hz". Universally recognised as perhaps the worst album cover of the year, the album inside it is a rollercoaster of colour and texture, highs, lows and awkward messes, like most AC albums are... It doesn't have quite the pop value (and new-fan-creating abilities) of 2009's "Merriweather Post Pavillion", and does have a few slightly-almost-skippable moments bordering on annoying. However, there is some fantastic stuff on the album, and a couple of new favourite songs that sound a bit more like band member Panda Bear's solo stuff (and one of which: "New Town Burnout", was written for his last solo album, so go figure), as well as their leading single "Today's Supernatural". 

Actually not called "Huh?", but "Sweet Heart, Sweet Light"... This album by Spiritualized is only the second I own as a relatively newer fan, and so I only have "Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space" to compare it to (which is close to a perfect album). This album does have a very similar feel to that one however, and I found it very easy to love for that reason. Opening single "Hey Jane" is a killer, and hooked me in completely, one of my favourite songs of the year. Similar to "Ladies and Gentleman" the album hovers between grinding, lazy rock anthems, and sweet, loving melancholic ballads, culminating in bittersweet "So Long You Pretty Thing". Frontman Jason Pierce/Spaceman's voice seems lazier and with less effort on each song, but it's kind of the singing that works for the album, and as a result, I have come back to it a lot this year.

Grimes' "Visions" is also another very well played album for me. It was very difficult to ignore the melodically pleasurable singles "Oblivion" and "Genesis" from this album, which is the third in Grimes' catalogue, but the first to make such an impact on the music world. Particularly teenage girls who have suddenly developed blunt fringes, pony-tailed hair and bindies on their foreheads, coincidentally similar to Grimes' 24 year old mastermind Claire Boucher. The album is full of dark, dirty electropop with Claire's pixie-mated-with-a-chipmunk voice spilling over the top of it, and caused me to launch into impromptu dance in the kitchen many times. 

I really like Spoon, a lot... but here's a secret, I never got the whole Wolf Parade obsession quite as much as everyone else. Luckily, both bands collaborated, and created Divine Fits, made an album called "A Thing Called Divine Fits", and I like it a lot. It combines the passionate, catchy pop of Spoon with the darker, complex indie rock dimensions of Wolf Parade, to create a very nice selection of songs, highlights being the radio friendly "What Gets You Alone" and "My Love is Real". The only downside is a completely unnecessary cover of one of my favourite songs ever written, Rowland S. Howard's "Shivers". Nothing is added to it and I don't understand why they needed a cover song in there at all, they were doing quite fine without it! But nonetheless, you should hear this album anyway. 

I've only been a casual fan of Santigold (or The Artist Formerly Known As Santogold), and recently downloaded this album, "Master of My Make Believe" after being very impressed by her performance at Harvest Festival this year. Santigold has that kind of gruff, in your face yell-voice that Nicki Minaj is even worse at, and for that reason I kind of need breaks in between Santigold listens, and have to be in THAT kind of mood. This album seemed to get me at the right times as I found it quite refreshingly appealing in it's upbeat, heaving progression from beginning (Karen O howls in "Go!") to end (tribal mayhem with "Big Mouth"). I think what I was looking for this year was music with a great hook, and a lot of songs fit that description here. 

Well that's all! Just 7 albums! Notable mentions (i.e. Albums I've heard a few times and enjoyed but not enough to rate yet), include: 

Frank Ocean - Channel Orange, 

Alt J- An Awesome Wave 

M. Ward - A Wasteland Companion, and 

David Byrne & St Vincent - Love This Giant. 

On that last one, I just love the album cover, and must show you for this reason.. It's just so WEIRD and bizarre like they are. Look at it! The chins! The cheekbones! The expressions! David! Sigh. 

And finally, my top 10 songs of this year. With youtube video!

1. Frank Ocean - Super Rich Kidz

It sounds like Benny and the Jets and it won't get out of my head. 

2. Spiritualized- Hey Jane

So good while driving. Try it! (p.s. this film clip is messed uuuuuuuuup.)

3. Grimes - Genesis and/or Oblivion

They're both interchangeable in their similar awesomeness, I can't pick which I like best.

4. Alt J- Breezeblocks

I'm confident this is an opinion shared by many others and it will be in the top 10 of the hottest 100. If not there is no justice and I give up on everything. 

5. Grizzly Bear- Sun In Your Eyes

Epic, beautiful, explosive, and the perfect closer of their album.

6. Beach House - Lazuli

Very "Beach House" and very pretty and addictive. 

7. Tame Impala - Apocalypse Dreams

Also good while driving! I dare you.

8. Dirty Projectors - Gun Has No Trigger 

A band I should listen to more of. A subtle, foreboding song that has snuck in and haunted my subconcious

9. Santigold - Disparate Youth 

Just listening to it now makes me want to dance with a deadpan expression on my face

10. Animal Collective - New Town Burnout

I love the passion in Panda Bear's voice, even though he's not really singing about anything. 

Special mention to Ben Folds Five- Michael Praytor, Five Years Later, for not being shit.

Well that's all for now bitches! I am so glad to have done this finally and I hope to do more soon. I can count on you guys to prod me if I slack off again. THANKYOU FOR READING! SLACKER OUT!

Lanie Lane @ the Hi Fi, 31st May 2012 VS Kirin J Callinan, Black Bear Lodge, 21st May 2012

VS 

BLOGFIGHT!

I've decided that part of the reason why I am so terrible at posting reviews on time is that I take far too many words to review them. Less is more, as they always say, and I don't necessarily have to take 1000 words to say something that can be better said in 500. So, concise.tight.reviews. is my plan. With that in mind, I'm going to review Lanie Lane and Kirin J Callinan in the same review, and I will decide which I liked better, and the winner gets more song plays from me! AND I'm going to be as brief as I can about both of them. 


Lanie (pronounced "Lannie", somehow) Lane, has won over Rockwiz viewers and general Australians, bad teeth and all, with her 1950's rockabilly country pop style, and all the fashion and hairstyle trimmings to accompany it. It's a selective genre, one I've not been very familiar with or really found an interest in. 
But for one parental birthday or another, I went along to the Hi Fi, Dad's favourite venue of choice (see 'Damned' review), to see her perform. Upon our arrival, the Rubens were already deep into their set, a band who is gaining a lot of momentum on Triple J at the moment. I really liked their effortlessly bluesy rock style, with a heartfelt croon which particularly stands out in their current single "Lay It Down". I even, almost, bought an EP.
Lanie was a happy, excitable young lady backed with a very exceptional band who accompanied her soulful voice well. She belted out her songs with emotion and thrill, playing guitar along with them. Throughout the tunes she threw in a couple of words about the songs, stories of love and loss, gentlemen and country livin', culminating in that one song I'd heard, "Oh Well, That's What You Get For Falling In Love With A Cowboy". Throughout the set I was very impressed with her talent and skill, and the way she and the band complemented each other so well. But I was sadly, and sorry to admit, a bit bored. The fact is, as I said, hers is not the type of music I'm that fond of, and it was really the style I was bored of. The only time it was changed up at all was during a duet with Lanie and her guitarist (Aidan Roberts), who sang a song about drugs that he had written. My parents thought it was a bit wanky, and as Lanie listed off a bunch of substances while backing Aidan's chorus, it kind of was. But it was also a very beautiful, stripped back song, that put the spotlight on Lanie's voice as well as showcasing Aidan's nicely. 
Despite my waning interest, there was a full crowd tonight, and her popularity is for good reason. The girl has talent in spades and is obviously beloved for bringing old fashioned country music to a mainstream(ish) audience. She's even supporting Jack White on his Australian Tour. So, great job Lanie, and I'm sorry I don't like you more.

Lanie: No fucks to give.

Then, a few weeks later on a Thursday night after a lovely dinner with a good friend, I accompanied my gig buddy/boyf to see Kirin J Callinan at Black Bear Lodge. I knew nothing about his old band the Mercy Arms, or himself, or what kind of music he performed (Triffids meets My Bloody Valentine was my reference point), but was happy to see something new... as I usually am!
After two support bands, one averagely ambient (DCM), and another much more entertaining and indie-licious (Nite Fields), we were both ridiculously tired. But thankfully, Kirin arrived with his super unique haircut: perfectly shaped black fringe with shaved head and very short straight mullet at the back of his neck. 
Already fans were urging him to take off his shirt, to which he replied smoothly "In time, in time". I'm not sure if it was necessary, but he kept to his word upon reminder. 
Anyway, to the music. I'm at a weird stage in my taste where I've discovered Rowland S. Howard, and now any angsty weird guy who sings with a deep voice sounds like him. I can't be objective enough to tell you if Kirin actually does, but he reminded me of Rowland anyway. Kirin had a band with him, all decked out in hospital masks, which he proudly told us he paid $2 each for. However, I'm not convinced they were necessary, as Kirin, his amazing, powerful, vibratoing voice, and his guitar that went from whispering to howling in seconds with hardly a strum, would have been enough. 
After a couple of songs (I can't tell you what they were called, and I doubt setlist.com will be able to help me), in which all ears and eyes were glued to the stage, Kirin took to a different form of entertainment: spruiking autographed framed pictures of himself. It was pretty amusing and if they weren't a bit creepy, and I had the money, I would have bought one for the heck of it. His stage presence was pretty incredible and he had a really professional, and comfortably natural way with the crowd, despite having an appearance about him that would suggest a more timid, troubled genius. 
His songs were confronting, heartbreaking, jarring, and shoegazey, and he conveyed so much with his voice, and accompanying facial expressions, it was easy to forget how tired I was and just watch the magic unfold. I was pretty well won over. They didn't have time to do a couple more as they had to drive back to Sydney, so it felt a lot shorter than it should have been, but very satisfying. 

"When I told her, I didn't love her anymore, she cried."

While his recorded stuff is good, he's really best to see live, so if he's ever around your way, do yourself a Steve Brule and CHECK IT OUT. 


Lanie gets 7 out of 10 Peggy Olson 1960 Fringes, and Kirin gets 8.5 out of 10 Kirin J Callinan 2012 Fringes. KIRIN WINS! A toast.


p.s. Ah Blogger, you were doing so well, and now you're doing weird random highlighting that I can't turn off. I apologise on behalf of blogger, readers.

Prince, Friday 18th May, Brisbane Entertainment Centre

above: probable reason why i didn't really get into prince when i was a teenager.

Prince is someone I only ever dabbled briefly in until last year, partly thanks to Dropbox (always thanks to Dropbox) and a very cheap Purple Rain cd at JB. It hasn't taken long for me to become a fan, the fan I never knew I could be. It would have been sooner had my parents ever played Prince when I was growing up, and mum could have also ended up with a ticket as well. But they DIDN'T, so I'm now one up on my parents... suckers!


Prince's tour was announced about a month before the show, leading to frantic ticket buying and yet another artist making me poor for a week, and I ended up with gold seated tickets (thx gig buddy!). The good part about a big ego musician annoyingly announcing a tour at the very last minute is that there is very little waiting to occur prior to the gig, and also meant I had 4 weeks to get familiar with as much Prince as possible. I think I did pretty well though, and in fact 'Purple Rain' has become not only a favourite so-bad-it's-good film but favorite all time album. Anyway, to the show! It was always going to be shit at the Entertainment Centre (BEC for short) but this nights show was really no exception. The parking was of course horrendous (and I still don't understand why they charge for crappy parking which isn't used at any other time) and we just made it in time for the show to start.


To start with, we were greeted with a man playing an amazingly intricate composition on classical guitar in the centre of the stage. At this point the huge video screens that were set up above the love symbol stage displayed him in pristine clarity. Then, as the guitarist switched his tune to an acoustic "Purple Rain", we noticed a hooded figure stand up at the end of the love symbol arrow and walk toward the guitarist, kneeling before him as he played, his hood leaving a long train behind him. Before our eyes, they both miraculously and gracefully disappeared underneath the stage. Where they go!? 

Not long after, the band appeared and began to play an energetic song I'd not heard (Thunderstorms??), and the music finally hit the audience with excitement racing. Prince was nowhere to be seen, until suddenly, we heard him singing and there he was, just out of nowhere, no fancy entry or anything. After such an elaborate introduction, this was not very Princey! They put on an excellent opener and then moved on from number to explosive number, not before Prince announced to the crowd.... "Hi Brisbane. I am here. Where are you." Yes, sir, you have achieved god-like status and it is well earned and accepted. Aaaaaand you know it. 


The songs were thick fast and absolutely brilliant, Prince sounding as good as he ever did, with back up singers supporting him with warmth, energy, and all sorts of interesting haircuts. I wasn't recognising much to start with, but as soon as soon as the words "Dearly Beloved.." were spoken, the audience went, well, crazy, along with me, masking his half said intro. Halfway through this superb live translation of "Lets Go Crazy", the band went brilliantly into "Delirious" and then effortlessly came back to finish off the initial song. "1999" soon followed, sadly concluding all of his songs off the title album. At this point one of my gig buddies said "THIS RIGHT HERE IS MY DREAM!", and it really was that kind of moment- hearing such a phenomenal signature song played and sang in the flesh by Prince himself in all it's ecstatic glory; it couldn't get much better than that. 

above: a medley of shitty instagram photos because prince wouldn't let me bring my camera. I 4give U tho P

After a couple more with the band, Prince went over to his piano, which had been set up with prerecorded backing tracks. He sat down and commenced a medley of bits and pieces of some of his best and most popular songs. "When Doves Cry", "Sign O the Times", "Hot Thing" and "Housequake" were included in this quick mix, as well as about five seconds of "Darling Nikki" until he stopped to say "I can't play thayat!". While it was nice to have just Prince playing around with us (hehehe), I couldn't help but feel cheated that we didn't get a big band rendition of some of my favourite songs. I also don't particularly like when artists get lazy and allow the audience to sing the chorus for them. Which he did. A fair bit. Some audience participation harmonies are fun, but I don't really pay stacks of money to hear a bunch of my neighbours yelling out a favorite line, to be honest.  


Luckily, Prince reintroduced the band for more full length songs, including the exceptional "Take Me With U", "Raspberry Beret", "Cream" (hey that's right! that song exists!), and even a Michael Jackson cover ("Don't Stop Til You Get Enough"). 

I couldn't wait any longer to use this bathroom and unfortunately left just as he took to the piano again and used its real keys to play some solo versions of songs. I missed "The Beautiful Ones", which I could hear from the bathroom stall and sounded lovely, but stopped short.  As promised, Prince finished on an extra long version of "Purple Rain" which lasted 16 minutes (not the predicted 19, how sad). He introduced it by getting the audience to start singing the 'oohs', which was difficult and high and I felt like a dickhead even trying. This didn't matter, as everyone else tried, and after a fair few minutes of broken audience voices, he lead us into the actual song. It was everything I wanted it to be, epic, tear jerking, harmonies crossing and Prince howling, huge bass drums, and a wonderfully drawn out finale. I just wish he did that one awesome riff towards the end of the song but you really just can't please me completely.

A couple of short encores followed, one involving a cover of "Everyday People" by Sly and the Family Stone, and the final encore being "Kiss". During his final moment, Prince let it all out, getting his super groove on. "Kiss" was the sexiest song of the mix he would allow, and he let himself be taken over with the song's sexiness. He was even lit up in a single spotlight ala his "rival" Michael Jackson, but instead of moonwalking, he finished on this ridiculously awesome (and, I'm going to say, better) butt thrusting dance, which momentarily made you forget he's probably well over 50. 
I have a feeling our encores were cut short, as that was that. True to BEC style, after the lights faded up we were snapped back to reality, reminding we weren't in 1984 glam city, we were in a poorly maintained, 90's built stadium building. 
I have to mention some criticisms here (other than those I've already mentioned). Firstly, the electronics were shocking. The lightshow was fun, but the spotlight was rarely on Prince and the video display (which had so much promise when the intro guitarist was playing), would either not be displaying Prince at all or have him half in shot. Sometimes it wasn't showing ANYTHING, just total darkness. I'm not sure if this was Prince's decision to avoid being photographed (I had to ditch my camera for this reason, and hence had to go back on Sunday to retrieve it, forgetting I'd done so) or BEC requiring some better cameramen (if that was the case, I could recommend about 10 right now). What a waste of technology. Secondly, as per normal BEC events, the sound could have been way, way better, and naturally was not. I need to just have a disclaimer before every BEC show to prevent the usual whinge..  oh GOD I really hope something changes for Radiohead in November. 



Despite its flaws, Prince was a lot of money well spent, and I regret snapping up a ticket for the next weekend, as well as being too tired /lazy/ movingoutthenextday to catch his magnificent after party shows at the HiFi and also at... um... Eaton's Hill. Someone better have shown Prince where the better parties are at while he was here.


A lot of whingeing, but a solid, memorable show, helping to escalate my newfound fandom. 8 phallic guitars out of 10. 

A short and sweet Elbow Review: Saturday, 24th March 2012, The Tivoli.

I want to just briefly post about my last Elbow gig in March, as I've already reviewed them, and this performance was essentially song-for-song identical as the Enmore gig I first reviewed. Regardless, there are things to be said about this performance, and while I'm in danger of sounding like an obsessed and crazed band groupie, I have to tell you how good they were. 
I only caught the tail end of Bombay Bicycle Club, as gig buddy and I decided that the jazz band at Black Bear Lodge were good enough to sit through most of during pre-drinks. A little bit of research tells me they were the Low Down Jazz Quintet. They were really quite entertaining and their smooth sounds, coupled with the rustic feel of Black Bear, with corner tables and real candles, overlooking a bustling city, made me feel like I was in some 1950's lounge bar in New York. I also now want to be the singer of a jazz band. 

Anyway, Elbow. Oh Elbow. I was really excited to see them for the third time, and despite not trailing off the same setlist as last year's, they did not disappoint in the slightest. Frontman Guy Garvey was all charm as usual, perhaps telling the same stories as usual but with fresh spark and excitement to be there, and keeping us all amused. He also gave annoying hecklers (we heard you yell 'MANCHESTERRRR!' the first time) what for, not being afraid to tell them to shut the hell up. 
The weird thing about me and Elbow is I actually dearly love their earlier albums (especially 'Asleep In the Back', one of my favourite albums of all time), over their newer ones, while I do love them also. Over the past few years, none of these songs are touched on in favour of Mercury prize winning 'Seldom Seen Kid', and latest 'Build a Rocket Boys'. Remember, I love these albums as well, both are stunning pieces of work, they just lack the darker, more mysteriously complex and brooding side of Elbow that their first ones contain. Basically, Elbow are much happier lads these days and it shows. But what really helped me have the  ultimate best time at this concert, was that I am a much happier lady these days, and I can actually relate to the jovial, schmaltzier stuff that they are all about in their live show. It's of course not all love stories and 'today is grand!' moments, and those sweetly melancholic songs they go back to e.g. "The Night Will Always Win", and "Puncture Repair", are enough to bring a little moisture to the eyes. So ending on the uplifting "One Day Like This", is a necessary move, because it ensures their audience leaves with an ultimate high and smile on their face, and that they reflect on the night as a performance to remember.
I haven't even mentioned how GOOD the band is, how precise and delicate and moving their musical performance is, and how fucking emotive and delighting Guy's voice is. It's this, combined with their obvious love of performing, which completely gets me, and even if I'd probably die of joy if they played "Newborn" or "Asleep in the Back" from their debut, I'm still enamoured by their performance every damn time. They're not hip hop or indie rock or ambient-electronic aficionados go-to band by any means, but dammit they're probably the best live band I've ever seen and should be rewarded as such.
Anyway, here are some piccies!

'Mirrorball'. Schmaltz.

oh heavens.

'Weather to Fly'. Still much better than on record.

probably some audience participation bizo or whatev

If you love Australia so much why don't you marry it.

9... and a half... armpits out of 10. 

Bon Iver (with Sally Seltmann), The Tivoli, Friday 16th of March

Riding well off the back of his recent grammy win, in which even One Direction fans want to know who Bonny Bear is, Bon Iver came to Brisbane for a rare three (3) shows, to appease all the new and old fans that have multiplied tenfold in the last year. The shows were announced way back in December last year, at which time I was pretty excited, until Justin Vernon and co.'s 'flavour of the month' status overshadowed everything else.
It was easy to get back into excitement mode when a Thursday night concert goer friend raved about how great he was, and also went and met him not a kilometer from where I was doing nothing in my house. DAMMIT!

Old Sal

My gig buddy tonight was my dear brother who had joined in on the Bonny bandwagon around the same time I had. We rocked up in time to see New Buff... I mean Sally Seltmann. I could be biased, but Sally didn't have quite the same stage presence that she did a fair few years ago under the moniker of New Buffalo. Now that she is riding off the back of female supergroup Seeker Lover Keeper, I guess the audience wasn't as excited as they would have been had SLK been onstage, and hence she played a lot of their songs. She also gave us a few new songs from her self-titled solo album, as well as a couple I recognized from her later New Buffalo repertoire. Despite the disconnect, she sounded lovely and I very much enjoyed it- her angelic voice still comes across well onstage. Sally's also definitely migrated from her days of pressing play on a backing track while singing into a microphone, as she did the first time i saw her in 2005 supporting Bright Eyes. Somehow I just remember more people being a little more transfixed by her back then.

The stage for Bon Iver was made up quite ruggedly with hessian draped around as if we were in a cabin in the woods. He's come a long way since those 'For Emma, Forever Ago' days, as he came on amid huge cheers. Everyone wants a piece of Bon Iver now, and I guess three sold out shows are testimony to that. As predicted by my brother (with a very accurate imitation of the opening chords), Justin and the band started off with the first song, "Perth" from the latest album 'Bon Iver, Bon Iver'. Live, it was a spot on, moving interpretation of the record, which is what I imagined it to be. From the quiet, building opening notes, to it's crashing crescendo, every sound filled the theatre, leading into the second song "Minnesota, WI". It was quite magnificent, and when Justin started to sing, I didn't expect it to sound quite so hauntingly beautiful. He sounded so true to recording, strong and echoey, I wondered if there were any effects going on. And even if there was it was still impressive.
The excellence went on from there and he played a wonderful selection of all the fan favourites, including "Blood Bank" off his title EP, and even "Brackett, WI" which he did for the brilliantly compiled 'Dark is the Night' compilation. 

The musicians were fantastic, and you really couldn't fault them for a second. As they left and Justin took the stage solo for "Re: Stacks", it was a delicate, gorgeous and sniffle-inducing moment. The only thing you could fault was that I realized just how similar their songs sounded and how much of a style Bon Iver have created. It is a style that is is not to everyone's taste, and can at times be in danger of getting old. In fact, there were a couple of moments where i did find my mind wandering... but to be honest that does happen at gigs, and it's not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes I can think through an entire problem situation at a gig; it can be a nice place to reflect. (Unfortunately I cannot count gigs toward psychological professional development).

Old mate

Coupled with the brilliant music was the band's, and particularly Justin's, laid back manner. Despite the opportunity to be high and mighty, there is no pretension with this man, and he engaged the crowd as a genuine, down to earth fellow who could be your mate, just doing what he loves and having a good time. 


I have to mention the worst part of the show however. I became so mad about a group of metrosexual-appearing guys behind me that I wonder if i am actually getting quite senile, bitter and twisted. In addition to one of them doing the '*tap shoulder*, *look the other way*' routine to me before the performance, these guys nattered and laughed through the whole performance (because obviously Bon Iver is also a comedy group???). It reached breaking annoyance point when one of them said 'Where are we going afterwards?' and another asked 'Who is this guy again? He's good.' This happened while "Skinny Love" was being played. I was looking forward to hearing the ultimate sad times/break up/depression song transcending onstage and letting it wash over me, but I COULDN'T thanks to their giggling and chatting. I detest that feeling of someone laughing behind you; you wonder if they are laughing at you, know it's probably ridiculous, but continue to be unsettled anyway, and want to punch them all in their collective face. Instead of doing this however, I looked around and glared at them evilly. It did nothing, but I felt slightly more satisfied than if I had just stewed in my spot.


I just DON'T UNDERSTAND, if you don't know who a band is and you'd rather go pick up chixx at the Met, then why are you paying $65 to see a musician at a venue full of his fans? If you're not a fan, and are going to talk the entire time, then go away. I know this may sound hypocritical, because I did do this at Gareth Liddiard's show a year ago, but I was at the window rather than in the crowd, and he was a complete dickhead and sounded like shit. Sorry Drones fans, but not really. Bon Iver on the other hand were amazing, and I felt they were disrespecting the band by doing this. Support acts can suffer from the audience talking through their set, but that is kind of expected since people aren't there to see them, but during the main act... there is an exit. 
Now that rant is over, I feel dirty and like I should be writing to mX or A Current Affair. I just think there should be some mosh pit etiquette to follow. Why don't we list some etiquette rules now since we're in this mind funk?? No? Too bad. 


1. Don't fart. Hold it in. Go to the toilet. Don't fart. For the love of god. 
2. Keep your laughter and loud chats and stupid opinions to yourself. If you want to say a lot of things, use the text on your phone.
3. Don't lean on me, I'm not a pole, or a chair.
4. Do be expected to have your personal space ratio go out the window, and expect it to be somewhat smaller. Don't get too bothered when people accidentally touch you. Having said that, you are entitled to a bit of breathing space..
5. If you want to jump/dance/go mad, please be respectful of people who don't want elbows in their chins and their face on the floor.
5. If you want to drink, buy a couple beforehand. Don't try to go to the bar and get back to the exact same spot you were before, unless you're happy to be cursed by a lot of people. 
6. Putting your arm up in the air and pointing throughout the entire song is not only bad for your arm health but I don't want to watch/ take a photo of your arm. Feel free to point it up and down though, I can kind of work with that.
7. If you have diabetes, take your insulin. If you don't have your insulin shot, and you're about to faint, get the fuck out of the mosh pit. Don't eat my lollies out of my hand with your slimy tongue. I don't care how big of a Björk fan you are. 


I'm sure there are many rules that you, reader, could come up with and share with me. So maybe you should!!


Bonny Bear gets 8.5 "wanna be combovers and Minanite beards" out of 10.

Real Estate (with Feathers), The Zoo, Tuesday 13th March, 2012

New Jersey formed five piece, Real Estate, turned up for me kind of out of the blue for me about a year ago. They were shared to me on Dropbox, and after sitting there for a few months, became my latest new find. Soon Pitchfork were all over them like an electric blanket and they must have gained enough popularity to justify an Australian tour. So, investing wisely in a ticket (invest, real estate, geddit???!) I went to the Zoo on this Tuesday night with some rare-to-find fellow fans and got my property development happening. (this is the last bad joke.)

Supporting the band were a couple of indie-sounding-bands, and we got there early enough to catch some of Feathers. A couple of girls who look like they just discovered Warpaint and want to be their bffs, came onstage and began to commence a set of very obvious indie girl pop tunes. They were inoffensive and pleasant enough, but there was nothing really driving the music that stood out from the Tegan and Sara’s of the rest of the music world. They had similar musical stylings to that of Real Estate- summery, jangly pop vibes, but again, none of it really gelled to me- I was a wee bit bored.

They didn’t play for too long however and soon it was Real Estate time. I immediately recognised lead singer Martin Courtney’s very indie haircut (hello Dan Humphrey, the wavy dark mop may become trendy yet) which matched a lot of the audience's indie haircuts. This was a very pitchforkian occasion, but that’s the beauty of hipster gigs- everyone is one, so the wank factor goes into 'so bad it's good' territory, and you don’t notice it as much. It was clear though that everyone was here for the music, which, as they opened with "Fake Blues" from their first self titled album, was outstanding from the very beginning.

my one not shit photo.

In fact, I don’t remember a time when the Zoo sounded quite so good. The airy twang of the guitars and spacious drums were replicated perfectly, if not better than on record, and the sound enveloped the venue with such crispness. "Fake Blues" was followed by "Easy", the opener of their latest well loved album 'Days', and I found myself extremely delighted when hearing the opening chords. Martin Courtney had the quiet sensual frontman thing down with little fuss or fanfare, just pouring his soul into the words and chords. His voice was lovely and heartfelt, with that slight echoey effect which is covered all over the album tracks.

The songs churned out and each one had me bopping along even more than the one before it. Popular new ones "It's Real" and "Out of Tune" oozed sweet breezy goodness and every pulse was on the mark. 


Prior to the performance, a part of me had wondered how good this show was going to be, and if it may be one of the more boring shows of the year. WHY you ask? Well while Real Estate’s low-fi shoegazey pop is a celebrated thing right now, their music does have a very distinctive style that rarely crosses the boundary- and their second album is no great departure from their first. However, i realised just how much I enjoyed their songs as they played them, and their pristine production meant I was thoroughly, exceptionally entertained all the way through. It also says a lot about a band who can completely engage the audience not only with a catchy chorus accompanying pleasing music, but even while during their instrumental tracks, such as both incredibly melodic tracks "Kinder Blumen" and "Atlantic City" in which I found myself not even realising that there wasn't lyrics. That's what I think makes Real Estate a standout act, and why they have so much love at the moment; every instrument of their songs are tuned in perfectly with each other to collectively portray an outpour of emotion, encapsulated in every note, beat and chord. As a live band, they continue to do this effortlessly, and fed off each other like it was child's play. 


Time went relatively quickly, and before we knew it it was encore time already. At this point, the song that got me completely hooked on the band, the debut opener "Beachcomber", had not been performed, and I was not the only one waiting for it. I completely expected it to start up when they (very quickly) came back onstage, but I was sadly disappointed, and instead, the slow burning "Suburban Dogs" was chosen from the same album. I couldn't help but miss "Beachcomber", but their chosen song still left us in a quietly content, contemplative mood, as we slowly emptied from the Zoo. 
The greatest part of this gig was how much it made me appreciate their music more. I now have to stop myself from listening too much to both albums , as I have finally found a replacement for 'Watch The Throne' which is in now danger of being burnt out. I'm happy Real Estate exist and look to be not one of those 'so hot right now' indie darlings that burst onto the scene and then disappear, but a brilliant established band, that deserves its praise and a long progressive career. Well done indie kids!

9 tenancy agreements out of 10. (Sorry, I mean to say that was the second last bad joke.)

The Damned, The Hi Fi, Thursday 19th January, 2012

Back in "the day", Triple J ran a Hottest 100 songs of all time. This was in 1998 when I was in primary school and living in Caboolture and the Hilltop Hoods didn't exist. I remember voting for "Joga" by Björk and also "Happiness" by Regurgitator, because, you know, they were the best songs of all time. Dad voted for "Smash it Up" by the Damned, the English goth punks from the 70's. I remember he wrote as his 25-words-or-less rationale: “because in my youth I often wanted to smash things up and I'd be damned if the Damned got there first”. My dad probably doesn't remember this, but I do. Years later, I discovered the Damned for myself, after finding a CD copy of 'Machine Gun Etiquette' and buying it for him, and have since forever associated Dad as being a big fan of that band. And no amount of mum saying 'But he HATES the Hi Fi!' could stop me from buying him a ticket to their show for Christmas. What followed was a lovely daddy-daughter evening, where I ate a leek tart at a restaurant that served possum, and had 2 glasses of very nice wine (Dad = still able to drive; me = wheeeeeeeee!)

The Damned were scheduled to start at 9.30, a welcome early start for the Hi Fi – I still remember walking out of there after 1am one night while Tim Rogers was continuing to prance about. We still had a half hour wait ahead of us, so grabbed a drink as Dad lamented on how much he hated the Hi Fi: Me- "Well the Tivoli has a name behind it where as the Hi Fi is still gaining one." Dad- "The Hi Fi has a name. It's “crap”." 
Granted, it is a pretty terrible sounding venue, not quite as bad as Woodland, but one of those place where it is better to be situated in the middle back area than anywhere else. And when you're at a "rock show", you naturally want to experience it as close as possible, am I right?

Which is exactly what happened. Expecting myself to lead the way into the surprisingly large, goth-dressed crowd of all ages, Dad actually took the initiative to force us through people with gusto, pushing us through without a thought for some of the annoyed comments they gave. Slightly embarrassed from being "those people", I also couldn't help but be proud of my Dad the middle aged pusher-inner-er. How very rock & roll. 

The band kicked off with cheers from the crowd, with an immediately gritty tune I didn't recognise; "Neat Neat Neat". The band wasn't overly 'dressed up' as what must have been the case in their heyday, but they were definitely in signature style. Captain Sensible looked like he had stepped out of a french cartoon with his trademark beret and sunnies, and a brightly striped shirt with "FREAK" written on it. Lead singer Dave Vanian was only subtly vampirish with suit, sunnies and a slightly pasty appearance. Together they looked like a motley crew of ageing dudes still kind of stuck in the 70's but with absolutely no shame.

Together they played a tight, energetic set, which sounded pretty decent despite the aforementioned limitations of the Hi Fi. Avian and Sensible's voices sounded slightly matured but still strong and sporting that Brit-punk accent. To me, their style and sound has always felt similar to that of the Stranglers, and I couldn't help thinking that throughout their show. Luckily for me they played a nice helping of 'Machine Gun Etiquette' songs, including "I Just Can't Be Happy Today", and "Love Song", as well as their other big hit, "New Rose", and many other songs that held true to their raw style. There was a lot I didn't know, but all of it was pleasing to my ears and bopping feet, and reminded me of how much I love this era's music. Even though I'm too young to ever really fully appreciate what it was all about, the punk rock and new wave of the 1970's-1980's somehow makes me feel at home, safe and happy. Maybe, or likely, it's just my parents' constant churning out of its music in my younger years that has done that for me; combined with the fact that its songs will always be there, untainted, permanent and still fresh, while new music continues to deteriorate with re-hashing, mass production and autotune.

bassist Stu West, Dave, and Sideshow Bob (aka Monty Oxy Moron)

Anyway, the show continued with the band not losing an atom of energy, and sharing their joy at playing their catalogue to an old and new audience. Capt. Sensible and at times Dave addressed the crowd between songs with reminiscence, such as Sensible's musings about Malcom McLaren, and his acknowledgement of the Saints: "Everyone thought the Sex Pistols started punk. But I think it was the band right here that did it!" Cue cheers and claps. After slogging through a fair amount of typically short punk tunes, they exited for a few minutes in preparation for their encore. I have to say, waits for encores have been very short lately, which has been both pleasing and efficient. Good job bands!
They came out with their 1985 hit cover "Eloise". During the show I had been looking over at my dad from time to time to ensure he was enjoying himself, which he appeared to, but I knew that it would have all been given a sub-par rating if they didn't play "Smash It Up" (parts 1 AND 2). At this point I suddenly worried they weren't going to play it. But luckily, as "Eloise" finished, the moment came when Dave announced the next song. The opening chords of "Smash It Up parts 1 and 2" began and the already energetic vibe was increased 3 fold. As part 1 kicked into part 2, I couldn't help but jump at the awesomeness. It was a wall of raw, explosive, joyous sound (always *good for a Hi Fi gig*). Dad looked a bit more smiley. As the song finally subsided in it's lazy final lyrics, it was an awesome ending to the show. We battled the crowd out with ringing ears and I finally felt comforted in my choice of birthday present for Dad; we were both glad we came. The Damned has proven that despite it being 2012, they can still draw a crowd and replicate the feel of 1979, showing there is a reason they still stand out as one of the first successful punk bands of all time.

Then, while youtubing for this post, I found this cover of Love's "Alone Again Or". Every punk band that doesn't die with the genre inevitably ends up making musical mistakes. But why did they do this? It just sounds the same but with 80's tackiness splashed all over it. WHY? WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY???? Why.


8 red berets out of 10. 

tUnE- yArDs (with Wintercoats and Fox & Sui), Corner Hotel, Richmond VIC, Sunday 14th January 2012

8am Sunday morning I travelled to Melbourne for essentially one purpose: To see the lady who has restored my faith in modern music of today and in the future. It has come to mine and others attention that I have become a bit obsessed with Merril Garbus, the brain behind tUnE-yArDs. I was still exhausted from the hours of supporting myself at the Arctic Monkeys gig that night before, and was travelling on about 4 and a half hours sleep, but I spent the day around the city resisting all ideas of napping. Pepped up to the point of jitters on 2 mochas and a berocca, I found my way to the Corner Hotel in Richmond, with a half hour to explore before the support acts began. 

I was surprised by the lack of people as support act Wintercoats began- an act I had discovered a few weeks earlier with interest, and is getting a decent amount of 4ZZZ airplay of late. I must admit, I'm stupid when it comes to appreciating something for what it is, and instead end up comparing stuff to the experiences I've already had. And while doing this, in my experience, a Brisbane show usually has ten times the huddle of people for the first support act than the Corner did. (Is the Melbourne music scene so thriving that people don't care much for their local music? Sorry no, I'll stop judging..) 
Anyway, Wintercoats was an engaging, awe inspiring show, in which James Wallace carried his performance with merely a violent, loop pedal, and his voice. He did everything imaginable to that violin to create the sounds of his latest creations: strummed, plucked, played, tapped, even sang into it, and the result was quite ethereal and magnificent. While I applauded his ingenuity and creativity (and ability to plow through his songs without a beat), it also made me inspired that if one guy with a violin can do all that, I wouldn't need much to make my own live musical project. Except maybe.. talent... commitment... lessons... and money...

Anyway, James trotted off and not much of a wait later the young looking pair Fox & Sui replaced the stage with an array of synths, a bass and some greenery. My immediate reaction was "Indie! Oh god the indie!". But as the music began it went to show that first impressions can be deceiving and I should keep my snobbery to myself. While very style driving (maybe Little Dragon meets Beach House) the music was catchy, breezy, and danceably enjoyable, even enticing a couple of hipsters to dance at the front as the rest of us sat comfortably. They expressed their happiness that so many came to support them and mentioned already having seen tUnE-yArDs at Sugar Mountain festival already (rub it in yeah?). The only thing that fit my original judgment was their insistence upon using a watery rainforest noise effect in between every single song. 


So moving along, the thing that I don't really have experience with at the Corner was the curtain, drawn before each act. It prolonged the mystery of what we'd expect when tthey opened, however distanced us a bit from the artists themselves. It also prevented me from acting on my decision to grab a setlist after the show. Disappoint. As I waited for it's final parting I overheard one audience member say perhaps too loudly "At least there aren't many lesbians here tonight! Last time there were only lesbians!"... 
Anyway the curtain finally were drawn to slap past my eager face and see Merril right up to the microphone with her two drums either side of her- all distance gone as she was so damn close to me. Hence, photo GOLD. 

VIEW= A+!!!

bassist Nate Brenner

She kicked off with a few minutes of improvised howling, growling and vocal sretching which in one way was a bit alienating but in another, fixating. Her vocals then began to be looped as her bassist and sax duo turned up, and together they presented us with "You Yes You". Oh.. words escape me. I'd seen Youtube videos of the band in live action, Merril prepping herself with her loop pedal, drums and ukelele, and playing her heart out with her signature screech; but nothing could compare to the real thing. Seamlessly she began her harmonies and lead the band in, each song keeping to absolutely faultless timing without a whisper of a prompt.  

Merril and Sex I mean Sax Crew

I can't emphasise the timing enough; in the next explosive selection, "Gangsta", the bridge with its schizophrenic timing was executed like magic... I was gobsmacked. It would have been more awe inspiring had I NOT seen the videos but they had got me excited for the gig (and probably initiated me to actually travel for it), so I REGRET NOTHING. For all I know it was all extremely rehearsed to perfection, but it sounded so fresh and beautiful, and it'd be nice to see such dedication in all live music performances.

The songs continued, Merril expressing everything she sang through her eyes and mouth, wide eyed in some moments and closed in enjoyment in others. As a performer she connected subtly well with the audience as if sharing a fond memory or joke, especially with a coy smile in a few rare occasions when a loop didn't kick in or a strum failed. She explained her strumming issue as due to a nail she had specially designed for her ukelele having come a little loose, bringing a human side to her genius (and an "aww" from the audience). She also appeared extremely pleased that such a large group of people had turned up to see her, and remarked upon the fact she was used to being relatively unknown during tours in new countries. Thanks for making us feel cool, Merril!


Her setlist was made up of most of 'W H O K I L L', the only glaring exception from that album being "Riot Riot". She also introduced "Hatari" from her previous album 'Bird Brains' and also the only other non-'W H O K I L L' track I knew, "Real Live Flesh". All the songs she and the band performaed were replicated with all the precision, energy and passion as on record, enhanced further by being able to watch it all unfold layer by layer. The magnificent sax section went nuts with their crazy solos and peppered contributions toward each song. Amongst it all was Merril's enormous, all-encompassing voice, which did not falter an inch, and threatened to make my eardrums explode with it's sheer volume. 
She came back for just one encore song, being "Party Can (Do You Want to Live)", a most appropriate choice thanks to the back and forth: Merril "Do you want to live!?" Audience "YES!". It left me with such an inspired buzz, which tUnE-yArDs' music really seems to be trying to do; to push the envelope and the people in it to go out and be alive, say something, do something, scream and howl and dance and make sense of this crazy world of sex, drugs and politics. 
tUnE-yArDs Brisbane show is tomorrow night at the Powerhouse, at which time I will be tied up with singing "everybody knows I'm a mahfuckin' monstaah" at the Big Day Out. Tickets are still available which means if you're not joining me at BDO, you have no excuse not to go check her out. You really, really, really should. Unless, you know, you hate lesbians. :/

BANGBANGBANG

Nine and a half bangs/ukes/tribalfacepaintings out of 10.