Fleetwood Mac live at Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne.

I used to do concert reviews on my blog. I haven't done one in a while. When I got home last night I wrote a short one for Facebook. I wanted to record it properly to look back on. So here it is.

Last night I experienced one of the best concerts I've ever been to. Fleetwood Mac. Wow. A concert I dreamed of going to since I watched The Dance in 1997. I feel so lucky to have been raised on their music - listening to them on record and cassette from when I was very small.

The music tonight was outstanding. The professionalism, talent, engagement with the audience, energy - amazing. Although we had seats in the nosebleed section, the band treated us like we were front row.

My highlights:

- Stevie Nicks' tambourine, and her pep talk about "reaching for the stars (stores) and following your dreams" before Gypsy. Landslide was perfect.

- Christine McVie's voice. Her golden honey voice. And her gratitude to be back playing with the band. Songbird was beautiful.

- Lindsay Buckingham's anecdotes about the band were interesting. He has so much energy. Big Love was a stand out.

- The tinkles Mick Fleetwood made on the glass. His charisma. Those red shoes. He must have a great heart to play a three hour set on the drums.

- That John McVie is in good enough health to have toured 110 shows and counting.

- The confirmation that the past is in the past and the band is together now. "The Mac is Back", Mick Fleetwood said.

My only regret is not shelling out more money for a better view.

Loved it. A million stars.

 

Travel tales: Kings of Leon in New Orleans

I bought a ticket to last night's New Orleans Kings of Leon concert at last minute. It was a resale and it meant I got a front row seat. I sat in the massive arena and it was the most at home I'd felt in New Orleans (I found it really tough in that city).

I think Kings Of Leon seemed like they enjoyed playing last night's concert more than they did when I saw them almost three years ago in Melbourne. There was some stage banter from Caleb, funny anecdotes (Caleb said that he first sang live at the Cat's Meow in New Orleans. It was karaoke with Nathan when he was 18. And when a woman flashed her boobs at them from the front row, he said to Nathan "we're onto a good thing!". Something has healed between them. They look happier.

While they didn't play my three absolute favourites (Fans, Knocked Up and Manhattan) they did play a huge amount of older material which was pleasing. I really loved Bucket, Milk, Radioactive, and their newish hit Supersoaker. Other notables were On Call, Crawl, Black Thumbnail, Charmer and My Party. I love dancing to Kings of Leon live.

The security team were fantastic - both the KOL staff and the arena staff. Friendly, polite, safety conscious and encouraging concertgoers to have a good time - unlike at many large Australian concerts I've been to. Two of the KOL staff remembered me from Melbourne and we had a chat. One called me to the VIP pit in front of the seated area, and also passed me a guitar plectrum.

The arena security staff had plenty of set lists to give to fans. The band also threw lots of plectrums and drumsticks out.

The 20 minute walk back to the city showed unity in fandom - it wasn't a rowdy or drunk crowd like I've been in during my time here. It reminded me of the walk back from Rod Laver to Flinders St Station.

The Kings Of Leon concert was a good end to an ordinary stay in New Orleans. Bring on the East Coast now - I've just arrived!

Catch up on my travels on Instagram and Facebook.

 

Getting into my comfort zone after the Problogger Event - read: seeing a band. #pbevent

There was a bit of talk about getting out of your comfort zone at the Problogger Event. Darren Rowse said “getting out of your comfort zone is when sparks fly”. He talked about the people you meet and the opportunities that arise when you push yourself into doing something you may be a little afraid of, or go somewhere you might not want to go.

I am such a social person – I can be loud, I love meeting new people and I love talking. I enjoy hearing peoples' stories. I like having dinner with people and laughing. I have a diverse range of friends.

But I do crave alone time (it’s the only child/sole dweller in me) and also familiarity. While apparently my personality type is an ENFJ - which means I am an extrovert, I think I'm equal parts extrovert and introvert. Those tests are freakishly accurate, aren't they?! (There was talk of personality types at Problogger, and I just took my test.)

"An ENFJ:

- Prefers harmony to discord

- Outgoing and warm-hearted

- Genuinely interest in the feelings of others

- Often have a diverse range of friends and acquaintances

- Great at supporting and encouraging others

- Excellent organizers

- Seek approval from other people

- Organised and enjoy structure and careful planning.

- Likes sticking to a schedule - this makes them feel in control."

In between sessions at the Problogger Event, I wanted a little time out – some quiet, but also doing the stuff I like to do in every day life. I wanted to get myself into my comfort zone - at least for a few hours. Networking is tiring!

I read books and magazines on the plane, I dabbled my feet in the pool and I hung out with Clare, a friend who I met in New York last year. Clare came to the pre-conference party and we ate and drank at the Stingray Lounge at the QT hotel (great food!), then went back to my apartment for more drinks and icecream (hello Cold Rock cake batter icecream!) and a long overdue giggly chat.

And the next night, Clare and I went to see a band. Doing this sort of thing makes me feel at home, makes me feel like myself. Maybe seeing a band is my equivalent of going to a spa? It was a coincidence that Bob Evans (Kevin Mitchell) was playing on the Gold Coast when I was there. I left the Problogger party early (standing up and drinking at a party isn't really my thing, sitting down and drinking at a band is!), and Clare drove us to the Sound Lounge at Currumbin RSL where Bob Evans was playing. I find it interesting to see how audiences view bands in other places - levels of interest vs talking, camaraderie of fans (the fans here were very friendly and polite), the amount of singing along, and sitting vs standing. The Sound Lounge was a very relaxed venue - apparently Currumbin is not the Gold Coast that most people know.

(source)

Drinks were cheap, we sat on cushions on the floor, and I absorbed the music. I only took around three pictures of him playing – which is out of the ordinary for me – and had far more drinks than I usually have a gigs (again, out of the ordinary, because in Melbourne I have to focus on getting myself home safely). It was a fun night! Kevin played a new, yet to be released song with some affirming lyrics that Clare eagerly tweeted: "don't give up on yourself, 'cause you're the reason I get out of bed", and he also played two of my absolute favourites: Hand Me Downs and In Another Time. It was a great show!

Both Kevin and I discussed that we were too dressed up to be at a pub gig! (The patrons at the Sound Lounge were just lucky that I didn't choose the Carmen Miranda style fruit hat as part of my tropical costume for the Problogger party!)

What do you do to get into your comfort zone?

What personality type are you? Take a test here.

Do you like to see bands in other locations?

(You can view my other Problogger Event wrap up posts here.)

 

Bob Evans at Spotify HQ

 

Sometimes I pinch myself about how lucky I am. I love my life. This weekend just gone, I went to Sydney for Healthivate, the health focused blogging conference (so much inspiration, and I will blog about it all soon). The weekend was packed with exciting stuff, so much so, I need a holiday after my holiday. On Friday I saw Bob Evans at Spotify. I won a little competition he ran - five words or less about why we want to see him live. "I'm in Sydney for blogging", I wrote. And then "I'll bring my mum". I'm not great at maths, but I'm good at five words or less.

It seemed like a bad weekend to fly. Due to inclement weather in Sydney and Queensland, many flights were delayed or cancelled. Including mine. On the way up and back. And my Mum's flight from Albury was delayed too (though she had further dramas, with a boom gate closing on her car at the airport parking!). It seemed Friday was a day of delays. My train to the skybus was delayed due to some signal fault, I missed Kevin doing Like a Version on Triple J because the train was stuck in the wasteland of no phone reception, and then when I arrived at the airport with minutes to spare before check in closed, I was told my flight was delayed one hour and 20 minutes! We later found out Kevin's flight was delayed and lengthy too.

When we were finally in the air, we circled a holding pattern for an hour. So I arrived in Sydney three and a half hours after I was due to depart. Sheesh! And it was raining. So much rain. Which, along with our lateness, effectively scrapped our early afternoon plans of popping into the Mama Mia office for a quick hello. So after dropping our stuff at the dodgy motel, getting changed, and waiting for a taxi then a bus in the hideous rain for half an hour, we made it to the Spotify office with enough time to wolf down a delicious pork crackling roll and a well deserved alcoholic drink - at 3.45 pm.

Spotify is a digital music service that allows listeners access to a huge range of songs. I think the music is stored in a cloud? I really want to explore the app now. As I imagined, the office (just new) was very trendy, and its workers equally as trendy. Is it a sign that I am not trendy when I use the word trendy?

The Bob Evans show was the first live Spotify office gig in Australia (Spotify has only been in Australia since May last year). And it was pretty special. There were about 25 people in the room - Spotify staff, music industry people and a few fans. There was wine and canapes and a brilliant fruit platter. What would an event be if I didn't take a food photo?!

Mum and I talked to some great people - music fans, including one girl who saw Nirvana play back in 1992 - this impressed me a lot! It was Mum's first Bob Evans experience and she loved it.

Kevin played five songs: his newest release Go (incredibly beautiful played acoustically, and catchy too), Hand Me Downs (my favourite of favourites), I Just Don't Wanna Grow Up Anymore, Someone So Much (a request from the man who was late) and Don't You Think It's Time (the song that got me into Bob Evans). Some of the audience members I spoke to were impressed with the way Kevin hit the high notes - they described his sound as pitch perfect. I don't know anything about music, other than the enjoyment it provides, so I'll just say that I am continually impressed with how his electronic sounding songs translate so well into acoustic versions. And it was a privilege to see Kevin play such an intimate show.

After the set, we stuck around to talk and drink, and caught Kevin for a quick chat. Mum edged in first - launching in to tell him she was my Mum, and then telling him about the airport boomgate on her car.

I went to say hello, and we had a chat about the plane delays and the difference a gig with lights on makes, and the upcoming conference I was speaking at. And we had photos. Mum told Kevin that I talk about him a lot. A bit embarrassed by my fandom being discussed before the star, I quickly said "No Mum, that's Darren Hayes that I talk about a lot"! Kevin was amused.

It was such a great afternoon. I feel very lucky to be a part of it, and I love being a fan. Thank you for putting on the show, Spotify, and thanks Kevin for the tickets and for being genuine, participating in your own social media and for being awesome!

 

Neil Finn and Paul Kelly live: Better be home to make gravy.

I saw two of Australia's (and New Zealand's) greatest musicians share the stage on Saturday night. It was amazing. Paul Kelly and Neil Finn are beautiful song writers and their voices complement each other. And they show so much respect to one another. I loved it and feel so lucky to have seen them play.

Lisa Mitchell opened the show - her voice and lyrics are dreamy. I really enjoyed her, but the large venue didn't quite provide the atmosphere she deserved.

Neil Finn and Paul Kelly entered the stage to a huge applause and cheering, and the appreciation for the duo continued throughout the show. As expected, it was a greatest hits show. They mixed it up a bit by singing each others songs at times, and providing harmonies throughout. It was beautiful. 

It was a family affair with Dan Kelly on guitar, Elroy Finn on drums and Zoe Hauptmann on bass. Dan Kelly did so well to play those long guitar riffs Paul Kelly's songs are famous for. Neil and Paul alternated on the guitar and piano.

Audience singalongs were encouraged - Better Be Home Soon's long chorus was cause for some friendly ribbing by Paul Kelly - "Who needs a chorus anyway?, he said, quipping that the next song features the word gravy a lot. 

Neil Finn remarked, on a number of times, how many words he had to learn - and Paul told him that at least he only had to learn four chords. The lyrics, both by Neil and Paul, were a reminder of just what great wordsmiths they are. Complicated, alliterative, rambling, poignant. 

The banter on stage was as enjoyable as the music - the pair placing bets on who would "fuck up first" - Neil apologising for leaving out a line, but adding that he sang one that shouldn't have been there. 

Both men were very rock and roll, arms swinging, heads banging, thermos sipping - clearly enjoying playing music - which is one of the reasons I've enjoyed seeing Crowded House play so many times. And finally I saw a full length Paul Kelly show. I have a book of Neil Finn's lyrics - I read it when I want to immerse myself in beautiful words and imagery - and I also have Paul Kelly's book which this show has encouraged me to read.

I took two sneaky photos, but the no photo rule meant I could really sit back and enjoy the show - watching and singing along in awe. 

Thanks for playing, Neil and Paul - it was a privilege. You are two of my wordsmith heroes.

Julia Stone - Live at the Forum, 7 September 2012

You know I've been a fan of Angus and Julia Stone for many years now - I guess about six. I've loved their solo albums too, so when I saw Julia was touring solo, I just had to see her live. Last Friday night was the concert - and though windy and cold, it was well worth going out to see her.

The opening band - The Trouble with Templeton - were lovely. They were folky, upbeat and reminded me a little of Angus and Julia in their early days. I bought their CD at the end of the show and am looking forward to listening to it. My friend Clare described them as 'Sping-y'. I think that is a good description. Read more about them here.



Julia's stage design was simple yet pretty, with lovely star lights hanging from the ceiling. She had a five piece band who were excellent. The audience was mostly young females, but there was (as usual) the occasional male yelling out "I love you Julia".









She started off a little nervous and excited to be at the Forum, admitting her voice was a bit low, and forgetting the words, but she soon warmed up.



Perhaps due to her being solo, she didn't dance around as much on stage, staying close to the mic stand for most of the show. She said she misses Angus on this tour, but she seemed very comfortable playing alone too. It was also the first time I've seen her wearing shoes on stage!

She was very funny between songs, telling long winded stories of love lost and her broken heart. Her honesty and vulnerability is just beautiful, and I felt very empathetic toward her. I do hope she finds her true love soon!

And surprisingly, after someone requested Big Jet Plane, she said "I wish I could play it but I don't know the chords"!



Most of the songs were from her two solo albums - The Memory Machine and By the Horns, but there were also some Angus and Julia favourites in there, including the amazing For You and And the Boys, plus two covers. Though her style is very distinct, the covers of Olivia Newton John's You're the One that I Want and Fleetwood Mac's Dreams showed she is versatile - she really made these songs her own. I was mesmorised through Dreams and I hope she releases it as a song to buy.



Her voice is so powerful, and the way she moves her hands and her dress on stage shows just how much her songs become her. She is an incredible lyricist. I watched from the front row amazed and emotional. Her lyrics really hit home for me, after the week I had.



Thank you so much for playing, Julia. You were a delight.

Roxette - live at Rod Laver Arena

Roxette
Rod Laver Arena Melbourne
22 February 2012
Concert and meet and greet

I was incredibly excited to win tickets to see Roxette and meet them last night. My friend Joel and I (you may remember Joel from when he rubbed nipples with Steve Poltz way back in January last year) had dinner (Mexican) and drinks (Sangria) at the night markets and then excitedly made the walk to Rod Laver Arena.

On the way we saw a bagpipe playing bird - Joel posed for photos - and this set the scene for a fun night ahead.

Before the meet and greet, I bought a program, and then we waited for the tour representative to fetch us and the other winners to enter the stadium.

One of the reasons I have been slow in posting this review is because I wasn't sure how I would write about the meet and greet without sounding resentful. I'll try my best. The chance to meet Roxette was an amazing opportunity. They're a huge band. The meet and greet was very brief, and very impersonal. I understand that there were time constraints and they were there to perform a show. But there were only 10 of us there to meet them, and some of the people seemed like HUGE fans. Two members of the Roxette crew advised us that we were only able to have one item signed, and that we weren't able to take individual photos with the band or of the meeting. When we did take photos, we weren't allowed to have flashes on. Someone volunteered their camera for the crew to take some candid shots and one group shot at the end. That person will email the pictures around the group. I have not yet received these pictures, I hope to soon.

We waited around 15 minutes to meet the band as we waited in the corridor then the green room. We were all really excited - I know I'd been counting down the days.

When they entered the greenroom, it was an exciting moment. I met Per Gessle first. Here's the only photo Joel took on his phone - I ran it through Instagram and like it this way.

 

I said hello and he signed my CD cover. That was it really. It was so quick that I don't remember what else I said to him or what he said to me, other than hello. He was very happy and smiley.

Before I met  Marie Fredrieksson I took a couple of photos, but they're not that great I am sorry. 

Marie had the nicest leather jacket on that I've ever seen. Soft white, with a Beatles tee underneath. She is tiny. I said hello, gave her the blog post I wrote about Crash Boom Bang, and she signed my program. I asked for a quick photo - looking at the camera - as Joel was there posed with my camera, but she said we'd take one at the end. 

And I managed to get this one of Joel and Marie, but very little of them on screen! 

And that was that. They were both so nice, and I am really grateful for the wonderful opportunity, but I wished it was a little longer.

Unfortunately we missed the support act 1927, but we heard them sing their biggest hit If I Could. A lot of the women at the meet and greet said they wish they could have seen 1927!

Our seats were great - all the meet and greet winners were in Row H on the floor.

The concert was amazing. Really! Roxette have bgeen a band that I've loved for a long time but thought I'd never see. They played all their hits - a very extensive catalogue - plus some new songs.

The show opened with Dressed for Success and continued with Fading Like A Flower, Spending My Time, Almost Unreal, Sleeping in My Car, Joyride (where bouncy balls were released, see my picture above!), Listen To Your Heart, Dangerous and more, ending with The Look. 

Despite the song with the sad lyrics, Per was happy all the time. At times it reminded me of a Eurovision concert, in a good way. It was fun! He danced around the stage, smiling and playing guitar. And he could sing!

Marie's voice wowed me. So very powerful. She seemed to have limited movement, perhaps due to illness in 2002, but she gave it her all.

The best bit - like the Cold Chisel concert - was that we all sang along. The audience sounded amazing.

One of the guitarists did a solo of Waltzing Matilda, which was Joel's favourite part. My favourite was Crash Boom Bang, which I recorded.

It was a really fun night. As I wrote, the opportunity to meet the band was fantastic, I only wish it was longer and more personal. Thanks so much to Mix FM for the tickets.