HarbourLife

I went to a one-day festival on the harbour on Saturday, appropriately enough called HarbourLife. (I took that picture, click on it for the big version.)

A mate of a mate won two tickets, couldn't go, so flogged them to my mate for fifty bucks, so off we went. It's quite a small one, and it weren't sold out, so it was nice and cosy, in a stunning location right on the harbour opposite the Opera House. The beer tents and toilets and that were in the trees of the park and stage was down some steps right on the harbour.

The Temper Trap were headlining, but I hadn't heard of any of the other acts on the bill, which wasn't surprising as they turned out to be dance acts and DJs (I'd vaguely heard of Metronomy, who are from the UK). I didn't know until I got there that it's normally headlined by a big dance act and the whole thing is more of a dance festival than anything rock-based. Which would also explain the heavy police presence with sniffer dogs at the gates on the way in. Which would also explain everyone being off their tits on pills by the time we moseyed on down there at about half four.

The first band/DJ came on at two and the thing finished at ten, and I'm guessing the Essex-Police-circa-1995 style heavy-handed tactics meant that people who were indulging in naughties necked them just before they rocked up to the gates, so that by the time we got there they were all having a rare old time. Rather than me, who just felt very old! Most of the punters were kids, which was fair enough, but there were quite a few folk our age and older, and looking at them mushed off their chops and giving it the large gave me the right fear. This remember, is all in blazing sunshine and 80 degree heat.

The 'Trap were very good, though they've only got one album so it was over fairly sharp. Then we walked into the Cross and went to the Darlo Bar, and then the Green Park Hotel as the Darlo shuts at midnight but the Green Park's open until two. By that time we were in quite an advanced state of refreshment so it was only natural I then got myself home. And sat up until four watching Birmingham beat Chelsea, about which I can remember very little.

A Sproston Green Design For Life

The last week was a big one in terms of entertainment, especially for 30-something expat Brits in Australia.

Last Thursday it was The Charlatans, and on Monday just there it was The Manic Street Preachers, both playing the same venue, The Metro.

There's a lad who must have similar taste in music and be a youtube buff as, like with Ashcroft in August, he's bunged up videos of various songs from the gigs, which is nice of him. He must have been standing near me at The Charlies as the view on this video is pretty much the same one I had:



It wasn't sold out and like Ashcroft, there were tickets going for less than half price outside, but the upside was that you could easily get a decent standing position down the front. By the time they played Sproston Green I was seven beers in and not in a mood to mess about - the intro built everyone into a frenzy and when it kicked in me and the lad I was with leaped forward and joined the melee of about fifty mid-30s lads going properly potty, jumping about and shouting our heads off like it was the mid-90s. Much like Dan and Danny at Rage Against The Machine, it's been a few years since I emerged from a gig soaked in sweat and buzzing, so it was only natural that we went straight from venue to pub for another four beers. I eventually got in about half one, properly gattered. Work the next day was bliss.


The Manics was sold out, all the tickets went in double quick time. I didn't exactly know why until about two songs in when James Dean bradfield told the crowd it'd been over ten years since they were last here, meaning the last time they played Sydney, Mick was there! Madness.



It was on a Monday, which is the seventh best day of the week for going to see a gig, but it was a cracker nonetheless and I was once again able to stand down the front and off to the side without too much hassle. I like the new album (thank you DD) and they played the greatest hits to a crowd who were well up for it. They're also one of the tightest live bands I've seen.

The setlist for the Charlatans is here, and for The Manics here. If you put "Charlatans/Manic Street Preachers Sydney Metro" into Youtube you'll get a few more videos an'all.

Going to gigs is brilliant innit? I had a proper good time as these two and none of you lot were even there!