Perth.

Perth is packing heat – literally – glare and skin piercing warmth but it’s awesome.  I haven’t been back here for almost a year and it’s comforting to find that not much has changed.  Unfortunately, my return was due to some less than desirable reasons but fingers crossed and hopes up (i.e. irie).  

VIR: Schumann & the Art of Piano Destruction

Melbourne Fringe Festival Reviews (DVD extras)

I’ve always imagined piano recitals to be filled with an audience ‘rah-rah’ to the brim and a pianist decked out in a tux, waving like the queen to the crowd (See: irrelevant information).

Between the audience and the stage is a fenced-up barrier.  Within the fence, two pianos – an upright, weathered one and a stunning black baby grand. Surrounding the instruments are sledge-hammers, saws, bolt-cutters and other weapons of mini destruction, which stick out like barb-wire in a field of roses.  Cue Rowan Vince, an unlikely looking concert pianist,  more regular bloke you’d bum into at your local – skinny, boyishly-charming, awkward, and seemingly down-to-earth.  In 2005 and 2008, he won the Melbourne Fringe Festival Music Award for his quintessential piano concerts called, “Vince in Recital” (VIR).  

Handsome Furs: Gig Review

The first leg of the Handsome Furs’ debut Australian Tour began at the Corner Hotel in Melbourne. Support acts include local bands, Rat vs. Possum and Ouch My Face. Hailing from Montreal, Canada, husband and wife dynamic duo, Alexei Perry and Dan Boeckner make up this indie dance-rock band, and are unlike many of the other spousal groups that preceded them. For one, there’s no indication of foul play circa Ike and Tina Turner Revue, nor any sickeningly sweet love songs that include the words, ‘I’ve got you’ and ‘babe’. They also travel light, with just a keyboard, guitar, and a suspiciously small drum machine.

Whitney Houston: I Look To You

The good news is, she’s back. Even better than the good news is, she’s back, and there appears to be no visible signs of Botox misuse or collagen-induced lips. Often it’s a bit of an awkward thing to see how legends/divas of the past will reinvent their images to make themselves more insync with the times. They go on hiatus for decades and return looking 50 years younger than were before they left.

Tibet

I recently read an article on Onya Magazine that got me thinking about Tibet again. It is about the injustice that occurred in East Timor and the part Australia played in influencing the death of so many. Though lives were lost in the hands of the Indonesian government, there’s a strong argument in support of Australia’s integral role in the invasion.

Remembering Cassettes and Whitney Houston

The first album I ever bought was Whitney Houston. To be clear, it was on cassette.  Shit, it’s weird thinking about cassette tapes.  What a pain in the ass it was rewinding the bloody thing - stop – play – forward – rewind a little more, until you get to the right track.  HA.  And all this before ‘auto reverse’ – dang!  I remember later on (early 90s), having a bright yellow Sony Walkman that had a latch on it – supposedly ‘waterproof’, which is weird because I don’t recall having waterproof headphones.

Get Rich or Try Dancin’

When I was younger, I hated two words: “school” and “moist”. Then, during my smells-like-teen-spirit, pseudo-beatnik phase, I hated the words, “money” and “responsibility” – especially when uttered in the same sentence. Now that I’m older, and barely wiser, not to mention in much need for some minute form of cash flow, I’ve come to hate the more ubiquitous words, “economic” and “recession”. (Side note: “credit”, “crunch”, and “crisis” all fall under those categories).

Sorry, John Mayer, but

Staceyann Chin, “Nails”

Staceyann Chin, of Jamaican and Chinese descent, moved to New York to become a lesbian.

Swoon. Or not.

‘Mythbusters’ part II.

I’m Asian, and though this may be a hard concept to grasp, English is my first language. Having traveled a bit throughout my life, I’ve learned that living in a foreign country can sometimes be a daunting experience, which is why being hit on by a guy who acknowledges you’re out-of-towner feels great! – Or not.

The Girl Next Door

This is my episode of ‘Mythbusters’.

The likes of Drew Barrymore and Sandra Bullock have been described as the ‘girl next door’, i.e. a member of the female species to which ideals – sweet, cute, completely untouched by erotic dispositions – have been projected onto. The kind of lady you introduce to your mother. She’s pretty, in a non-intimidating way. You’ve fantasised about her while desperately wishing she were your girlfriend. Sometimes, you stalk her, from afar, via Google and Facebook.