I went to bed with a headache. The humid sultry summer night. Another sleepless night. My head was so stuffy that my mind was so empty. My mind was so awakened that my heart was so confused. Disturbed by vague plans, fragments of memories, noise in my head, semi-imagination, semi-nightmares. A sick stomach, a sick head, trapped in the darkness, trapped in the heat, trapped in a city.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Monday, May 13, 2013
Run with the boys
Carl Barat, Gary Powell, Anthony Rossomando and Callum Ryan @ Hang Out, Hong Kong 10.05.2013
indie boys strip club (again)
Our arcadian love and passion last year was strong enough to bring the boys back to the town. Not an impromptu gig anymore, most of us the die-hard fans got the early-bird tickets in March and since then we anticipated the excitement that they would give us one more time. Carl and the boys were as energetic as before, always tried to dedicate his whole heart and soul to the crowd. However, it was my heart that was missing. Maybe I was too tired for a Friday night, or maybe much of the excitement last year was due to the surprise and impromptuness of the gig that I had to follow the news on facebook all the time, but I knew to a very large extend was that my heart was still under the spellbound of Blur which has cast on me since Monday (6 May 2013) that I could not immediately shift my attention to another event and band. See, I was always unfair to Mr Barat whom I have much respect and liking. I still enjoyed the gig (so Mr Barat don't be mad). There were some surprises in the setlist such as Blood Thirsty Bastards and Horrorshow and I wish I could be more familiar with some of his new songs like War of the Roses and Victory Gin beforehand that I could be more responsive. Of course I still jumped and shouted like crazy for the libertines songs, there is something that I will never give up.
I forgot to bring camera (how could I!!!!) so I got to rely on my phone, all the photos seem a bit weird.
indie boys strip club (again)
Our arcadian love and passion last year was strong enough to bring the boys back to the town. Not an impromptu gig anymore, most of us the die-hard fans got the early-bird tickets in March and since then we anticipated the excitement that they would give us one more time. Carl and the boys were as energetic as before, always tried to dedicate his whole heart and soul to the crowd. However, it was my heart that was missing. Maybe I was too tired for a Friday night, or maybe much of the excitement last year was due to the surprise and impromptuness of the gig that I had to follow the news on facebook all the time, but I knew to a very large extend was that my heart was still under the spellbound of Blur which has cast on me since Monday (6 May 2013) that I could not immediately shift my attention to another event and band. See, I was always unfair to Mr Barat whom I have much respect and liking. I still enjoyed the gig (so Mr Barat don't be mad). There were some surprises in the setlist such as Blood Thirsty Bastards and Horrorshow and I wish I could be more familiar with some of his new songs like War of the Roses and Victory Gin beforehand that I could be more responsive. Of course I still jumped and shouted like crazy for the libertines songs, there is something that I will never give up.
I forgot to bring camera (how could I!!!!) so I got to rely on my phone, all the photos seem a bit weird.
Tuesday, May 07, 2013
well, it really really really could happen
Oh this blog is turning to be my gig journal, seems like I will only update it after seeing a gig.
Blur @ AsiaWorld Expo, Hong Kong 6 May 2013
But I still can't find the right words to express my excitement, happiness and gratitude for Blur. Yes, I feel so grateful that they're back together again and more importantly, they came to my little melancholic hometown, a town that is full of frowns. Oh but today is different (maybe it's just for today). Even the long-disappearing sun turns up again, I feel so energetic, refreshing but also nostalgic. I miss that feeling, and know what exactly that feeling is. It was the time when I was still a student, time was abundant and passing very slow, when radio would play lovely britpop or grunge (or at least radio would play music, not talk-show) and when my hometown was still living under the union jack. Gibberish of an anglophile, sorry, but Blur is clearly the very quintessence of British band, and that is why they're lovely, you know what I mean.
The night was opened by Girls & Boys. The crowd was lifted instantly and you could tell that it must be an exciting night. Series of hits, of course. I lost my voice by screaming and singing all night long (how we like to sing along, although the words are wrong). Amongst the hyperness, I was struck by the sudden sadness of For Tomorrow and The Universal. (well, hyper and sad, if I was a bit bipolar?) The lyrics made me think of the powerlessness of my hometown and myself, some unlikely dreams, and how we lull ourselves. Well, but that night was my lucky night, sad no more, it's not "and it really, really, really could happen", it did really happen, Blur was in front of me! The finale, Song 2, my most favourite, was it too perfect to squeeze out my last drop of energy to jump and sing at the end?
Milkbox gift!
Blur @ AsiaWorld Expo, Hong Kong 6 May 2013
But I still can't find the right words to express my excitement, happiness and gratitude for Blur. Yes, I feel so grateful that they're back together again and more importantly, they came to my little melancholic hometown, a town that is full of frowns. Oh but today is different (maybe it's just for today). Even the long-disappearing sun turns up again, I feel so energetic, refreshing but also nostalgic. I miss that feeling, and know what exactly that feeling is. It was the time when I was still a student, time was abundant and passing very slow, when radio would play lovely britpop or grunge (or at least radio would play music, not talk-show) and when my hometown was still living under the union jack. Gibberish of an anglophile, sorry, but Blur is clearly the very quintessence of British band, and that is why they're lovely, you know what I mean.
The night was opened by Girls & Boys. The crowd was lifted instantly and you could tell that it must be an exciting night. Series of hits, of course. I lost my voice by screaming and singing all night long (how we like to sing along, although the words are wrong). Amongst the hyperness, I was struck by the sudden sadness of For Tomorrow and The Universal. (well, hyper and sad, if I was a bit bipolar?) The lyrics made me think of the powerlessness of my hometown and myself, some unlikely dreams, and how we lull ourselves. Well, but that night was my lucky night, sad no more, it's not "and it really, really, really could happen", it did really happen, Blur was in front of me! The finale, Song 2, my most favourite, was it too perfect to squeeze out my last drop of energy to jump and sing at the end?
Milkbox gift!
Monday, February 25, 2013
How are you my friend?
My silence here means I'm pretty busy in work, that I can't daydream in office or write the useless self-indulgent blog. But I suddenly want to be lazy for a while, so I am here again to say hello to myself.
Last Friday I had a little meeting with VV, Dada and TMC, the ex-colleagues from my first job. They are now my friends, and actually we were already friends when we were working together as colleagues. Yes, I always make a clear division between colleagues and friends and it is something about feeling, I can't really tell the criteria of becoming friends. Sadly after I left my first job, I could hardly make any friend with colleague anymore. I think it is my problem, like my heart is closed. Maybe I become more and more a misanthrope and I feel quite comfortable to be the quiet unnoticed one in work, of course so long as my boss remember to pay me every month.
About that last Friday meeting, we no longer talked about the favourite pastime, the future travelling plan or the troubles in work. We now talked of the marriage life, the consideration of having baby or not and the life of a mummy and her child..... all the talks that I could not contribute much, though I listened hard, inserted some useless comments or enquiries and my friends also tolerated my ignorance and tried to treat me as equal as them (like asked me if I would be a mother or not (huh?!) and were careful not to mention the fact that I was that "politically-incorrect but everybody including male and female like talking and laughing about" the vulgarly and criminally typical aged "leftover" female). All my friends progress with the progress of time, while I still live in the time 10+ years ago. Strange, I feel quite comfortable about my out-of-time out-of-space. Very unplanned, unproductive, unambitious, unsuccessful. Clearly this is the one too poisoned by Bukowski.
Last Friday I had a little meeting with VV, Dada and TMC, the ex-colleagues from my first job. They are now my friends, and actually we were already friends when we were working together as colleagues. Yes, I always make a clear division between colleagues and friends and it is something about feeling, I can't really tell the criteria of becoming friends. Sadly after I left my first job, I could hardly make any friend with colleague anymore. I think it is my problem, like my heart is closed. Maybe I become more and more a misanthrope and I feel quite comfortable to be the quiet unnoticed one in work, of course so long as my boss remember to pay me every month.
Corny photo style, yeah cheers~
About that last Friday meeting, we no longer talked about the favourite pastime, the future travelling plan or the troubles in work. We now talked of the marriage life, the consideration of having baby or not and the life of a mummy and her child..... all the talks that I could not contribute much, though I listened hard, inserted some useless comments or enquiries and my friends also tolerated my ignorance and tried to treat me as equal as them (like asked me if I would be a mother or not (huh?!) and were careful not to mention the fact that I was that "politically-incorrect but everybody including male and female like talking and laughing about" the vulgarly and criminally typical aged "leftover" female). All my friends progress with the progress of time, while I still live in the time 10+ years ago. Strange, I feel quite comfortable about my out-of-time out-of-space. Very unplanned, unproductive, unambitious, unsuccessful. Clearly this is the one too poisoned by Bukowski.
Wednesday, January 02, 2013
You know I'll take just a little bit more
A very late record for my nth time visit to Taiwan in December last year. Let me finish it on the first working day of the new year (so I can procrastinate again).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This time I made a little breakthrough that my visit was no longer confined to Taipei. I stayed a few days in the Yilan County and it was quite an interesting experience. It's nice to ride through acres of rice fields, hearing old-fashioned local folk songs on the bus with DJs speaking their local dialect. Actually I quite like their local folk songs, sound like the old style Japanese songs.
train going through acres of rice fields
I lived in Luodong town as I planned to "sweep through" its night market every night. I soon regretted my choice. Obviously a porn business also operated within my hotel ....
Luodong town, with casinos and barber shops
National Center for Tradition Arts - It's a place specially designed for tourists (so it made me think of Ngong Ping 360 in my hometown) with shops selling traditional handicrafts or food. Having said that, as I was indeed a tourist, I think it is still worth-visiting.
interesting shops for tourists
Plum Blossom Lake - I guess the name was due to the shape of the lake that it looks like a plum blossom. I visited it on a rainy day (in fact, it's so rainy for my whole staying in Yilan), there were not many tourists and it made me the sour misanthrope very happy. I like its transquillity, misty air and of course the cute bear bear cafe.
atmospheric in the rain
Below is a beautiful red-bricked cafe in Yilan town opened by 黃春明老師. I got this information from the shop manager and of course as a philistine, I did not know much about Mr. Wong so I kept a dump look and only took interest in the book 大便老師 on the bookshelf . It was only when I went back to the hotel and did a google search that I realized Mr. Wong was the author of 看海的日子and 兒子的大玩偶. Oh I've seen those movies! What a uncultured person I am! The deco, the menu and the food were said to be designed by Mr. Wong, and it is quite a comfortable place.
red-bricked cafe
Memorial Hall of Founding of Yilan Administration - beautiful Japanese architecture and garden.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As usual my purpose to go to Taiwan was to see a concert and that was no exception for my trip in the last December. I think my longing to see a Spiritualized gig must be dated back to the time of Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space and I like their early stuff very much. Jason Pierce didn't disappoint me. That was exactly what I was looking for. It was amazing how the music and the visuals together would transcend you to, well, yes, the space. I had a few moments of doubt and reveries if I had taken something to feel the way I felt. Of course that's only the magic of sounds and visions.
Spiritualized @ Neo Studio, Taipei, 9 December 2012
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This time I made a little breakthrough that my visit was no longer confined to Taipei. I stayed a few days in the Yilan County and it was quite an interesting experience. It's nice to ride through acres of rice fields, hearing old-fashioned local folk songs on the bus with DJs speaking their local dialect. Actually I quite like their local folk songs, sound like the old style Japanese songs.
train going through acres of rice fields
I lived in Luodong town as I planned to "sweep through" its night market every night. I soon regretted my choice. Obviously a porn business also operated within my hotel ....
Luodong town, with casinos and barber shops
National Center for Tradition Arts - It's a place specially designed for tourists (so it made me think of Ngong Ping 360 in my hometown) with shops selling traditional handicrafts or food. Having said that, as I was indeed a tourist, I think it is still worth-visiting.
interesting shops for tourists
Plum Blossom Lake - I guess the name was due to the shape of the lake that it looks like a plum blossom. I visited it on a rainy day (in fact, it's so rainy for my whole staying in Yilan), there were not many tourists and it made me the sour misanthrope very happy. I like its transquillity, misty air and of course the cute bear bear cafe.
atmospheric in the rain
Below is a beautiful red-bricked cafe in Yilan town opened by 黃春明老師. I got this information from the shop manager and of course as a philistine, I did not know much about Mr. Wong so I kept a dump look and only took interest in the book 大便老師 on the bookshelf . It was only when I went back to the hotel and did a google search that I realized Mr. Wong was the author of 看海的日子and 兒子的大玩偶. Oh I've seen those movies! What a uncultured person I am! The deco, the menu and the food were said to be designed by Mr. Wong, and it is quite a comfortable place.
red-bricked cafe
Memorial Hall of Founding of Yilan Administration - beautiful Japanese architecture and garden.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As usual my purpose to go to Taiwan was to see a concert and that was no exception for my trip in the last December. I think my longing to see a Spiritualized gig must be dated back to the time of Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space and I like their early stuff very much. Jason Pierce didn't disappoint me. That was exactly what I was looking for. It was amazing how the music and the visuals together would transcend you to, well, yes, the space. I had a few moments of doubt and reveries if I had taken something to feel the way I felt. Of course that's only the magic of sounds and visions.
Spiritualized @ Neo Studio, Taipei, 9 December 2012
Monday, December 31, 2012
This year sums up
I always like to sum up my favourite albums at the year end but this year, I don't have many that I really love (maybe only the Toy one). It doesn't mean that I do not enjoy the music scene this year, on the contrary, I have some EPs and singles that I like very much. Thanks to the smartphone, I also spent more time on radio, so maybe I should list out my favourite tracks instead. Because, I know if I don't jot them down, I will probably forget some the names next year.
1. Husbands/I Am Here - Savages
2. 1998 - Peace
3. Stranger - Dead Mellotron
4. If Only We Remain - Two Wounded Birds
5. Dead & Gone - Toy
6. Aching Bone - Nadine Shah
7. Who Is The Hunter - Liars
8. Bubblegum Trash - Crocodiles
9. Sweet Jesus - White Manna
10. I Follow You - Melody's Echo Chamber
1. Husbands/I Am Here - Savages
2. 1998 - Peace
3. Stranger - Dead Mellotron
4. If Only We Remain - Two Wounded Birds
5. Dead & Gone - Toy
6. Aching Bone - Nadine Shah
7. Who Is The Hunter - Liars
8. Bubblegum Trash - Crocodiles
9. Sweet Jesus - White Manna
10. I Follow You - Melody's Echo Chamber
Wednesday, December 05, 2012
It's not over yet
Clockenflap @ West Kowloon Cultural District, 1-2 December 2012
For the wee bit chilly weather and the drizzling, puddles everywhere, I could imagine it was a music festival in UK, but hey it was held in my hometown, the place notorious for its hideous music scene. So let's say a big Thank You to Clockenflap, it did consistently accomplish some kind of mission impossible.
This year my festival began with Lucy Rose in Time Out Stage. Although I feel grateful for the organizer, here I must urge it to rearrange the location of different stages . The acoustic stage was too close to other stages that I could hardly hear any music from Lucy. I felt sorry for Lucy as it was so embarrassing and also unfair (while she also said she felt sorry for us the audience and invited us to her hotel rooms instead).
Lucy considered if she should continue or not because of the lousy sound system
My discontent was soon disappeared when it was time for Primal Scream, as I then became higher than the sun. Primal Scream was in fact the reason I was there. They nearly played whole of the Screamadelica (yeah! but without Higher Than the Sun, oh no! And not enough songs of Xtrmntr!!!!). Bobby was supercool, always love his tender voice and dream-like demeanour.
Bobby this charming man
On Day Two I only wanted to watch Alt-J and Klaxon but I arrived a bit earlier so I watched a bit Jun Kung. I don't know much about his music and this was the first time I saw his live. He seemed to be a good vibe-lifter, the crowd loved him and guys even waved roses to him (but he was scared and demanded a bottle of vodka instead).
Jun Kung
I don't know why there are so many Alt-J haters. Because of their arrogant comparison to Radiohead? No, I don't think it's the real reason. Actually I think their music is alright and they deserve to win the Mercury Music Prize. After seeing their live set, I think I know why. The vocal (very often the focal point of a band) Joe Newman looks so criminally normal, it's not the usual normal such as the "next-to-your-door guy" look, it's the vulgarly mediocre, un-rock n' roll look.
Alt-J, the office worker look
The last act was the Klaxon. I admit I was a big fan of their debut album. This was the second time I saw them, and like the first time in Reading, I expected I would enjoy their set and I was so willing to immerse myself to their music. But the fact was, I JUST COULDN'T. For the Reading, I blamed that I stood too far away from the stage so I couldn't feel the vibe. But this time, I was standing in the front row, but people around me was just standing still, at the front row(!) They seemed they didn't know their song while me like a mad woman singing aloud and jumping hard among them, humm, very exhausted but not high. The best part was the last song, It's Not Over Yet as it summed up my feeling for the Clockenflap. Yes, albeit my series of nagging, I still love Clockenflap and of course it's not over yet. Next year, I will be back!
the girls standing behind me kept shouting sexy boys to the Klaxon, really?
For the wee bit chilly weather and the drizzling, puddles everywhere, I could imagine it was a music festival in UK, but hey it was held in my hometown, the place notorious for its hideous music scene. So let's say a big Thank You to Clockenflap, it did consistently accomplish some kind of mission impossible.
This year my festival began with Lucy Rose in Time Out Stage. Although I feel grateful for the organizer, here I must urge it to rearrange the location of different stages . The acoustic stage was too close to other stages that I could hardly hear any music from Lucy. I felt sorry for Lucy as it was so embarrassing and also unfair (while she also said she felt sorry for us the audience and invited us to her hotel rooms instead).
Lucy considered if she should continue or not because of the lousy sound system
My discontent was soon disappeared when it was time for Primal Scream, as I then became higher than the sun. Primal Scream was in fact the reason I was there. They nearly played whole of the Screamadelica (yeah! but without Higher Than the Sun, oh no! And not enough songs of Xtrmntr!!!!). Bobby was supercool, always love his tender voice and dream-like demeanour.
Bobby this charming man
On Day Two I only wanted to watch Alt-J and Klaxon but I arrived a bit earlier so I watched a bit Jun Kung. I don't know much about his music and this was the first time I saw his live. He seemed to be a good vibe-lifter, the crowd loved him and guys even waved roses to him (but he was scared and demanded a bottle of vodka instead).
Jun Kung
I don't know why there are so many Alt-J haters. Because of their arrogant comparison to Radiohead? No, I don't think it's the real reason. Actually I think their music is alright and they deserve to win the Mercury Music Prize. After seeing their live set, I think I know why. The vocal (very often the focal point of a band) Joe Newman looks so criminally normal, it's not the usual normal such as the "next-to-your-door guy" look, it's the vulgarly mediocre, un-rock n' roll look.
Alt-J, the office worker look
The last act was the Klaxon. I admit I was a big fan of their debut album. This was the second time I saw them, and like the first time in Reading, I expected I would enjoy their set and I was so willing to immerse myself to their music. But the fact was, I JUST COULDN'T. For the Reading, I blamed that I stood too far away from the stage so I couldn't feel the vibe. But this time, I was standing in the front row, but people around me was just standing still, at the front row(!) They seemed they didn't know their song while me like a mad woman singing aloud and jumping hard among them, humm, very exhausted but not high. The best part was the last song, It's Not Over Yet as it summed up my feeling for the Clockenflap. Yes, albeit my series of nagging, I still love Clockenflap and of course it's not over yet. Next year, I will be back!
the girls standing behind me kept shouting sexy boys to the Klaxon, really?
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