Stories End

And so ends the musical week. Leonard Cohen at the Centennial Vineyard last night was, again, sublime... the outdoor amphitheatre was quite a sight & the Triffids (& Friends) played first support. The 'friends' included Steve Kilbey on a few songs & Mick Harvey joining his Bad Seed bandmate Martyn Casey throughout the set. No appearance from Nick Cave though. Paul & Dan Kelly were inoffensive, pleasant enough but not really memorable ~ kind of how I feel about Paul Kelly in general. Leonard played much the same set as Thursday, with the addition of 'Democracy', which got a cheer from the audience for its obvious reference to the recent regime change in the U.S. He also recalled the Triffids had done one of his songs ('Don't Go Home With Your Hard-On') on the tribute album 'I'm Your Fan' in 1991 "... when I was kind of dying", so he remembers his friends... & fans.

Downside was trying to get out of the parking area following the show. Seeing how there were three or four snaking lines of cars all trying to get out one gate, I locked OBluV8's doors, pulled down the visor to block headlight glare & nodded off for about forty five minutes while everyone else did the 'move five feet, wait five minutes' shuffle. At half past twelve, I drove straight out & burned rubber up the Hume homeward.

For something completely different, I saw David Byrne at the Opera House tonight. The concert was billed as 'Songs of David Byrne & Brian Eno' & apart from one ('Burning Down The House'), they all were ~ either Eno-produced/co-written Talking Heads songs, or songs from DB & BE's new album. I'd hoped for some tracks from 'My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts' & he played one. A good one, but only one. That's my only quibble, because the rest of the show was brilliantly done with band, backing singers & dancers all choreographed to illustrate & highlight the songs infectious grooves & melodies... & there were lots of them!!

Back to work tomorrow... today for a week or so of sweeping instead of selling. Praying for a cool change... might help if I believed in gods...

Hanging's Too Good For 'Em

So, a first-time graffitist gets a three month gaol term...

If I was the Magistrate & the defendant came in to court dressed like this, I'd whack on another three months for contempt... then another three months for the apparent lack of contrition... & finally another three months for thinking that scrawling '2Shie' on a wall is even remotely a cool thing to do.

I'm ready for my medication now, nurse... Can I get that with my Senior's Card?

Dear Old Times Square's Favourite Bard

Snaffled from aquandrian... 'When you see this, post your favourite poem'

One of many favourites from a current visitor to these shores...

I came so far for beauty, I left so much behind
My patience & my family. My masterpiece unsigned
I thought I'd be rewarded, for such a lonely choice
And surely she would answer such a very hopeless voice

I practiced on my sainthood, I gave to one and all
But the rumours of my virtue, they moved her not at all
I changed my style to silver. I changed my clothes to black
And where I would surrender, now I would attack

I stormed the old casino for the money and the flesh
And I myself decided what was rotten & what was fresh
And men to do my bidding. And broken bones to teach
The value of my pardon, the shadow of my reach

But no, I could not touch her with such a heavy hand
Her star beyond my order. Her nakedness unmanned
I came so far for beauty, I left so much behind
My patience & my family. My masterpiece unsigned