Jamie - beginnning of the show 

Jamie getting excited at the piano 

Jamie at piano...still at least half-dressed! 

Jamie at piano 

The bassist 

Jamie singing 

London Skies - Jamie on guitar1 

London Skies - Jamie on guitar2 

London Skies - Jamie on guitar3 

London Skies 

Notting Hill carnival style! 

At the piano 1 

At the piano 2 

JC on the go...through the audience! 

JC too close! :) 

Bassist - oh so close! 

The drummer - totally awesome! 

Drummer and trumpet dude....during drummer's solo..! Crazy!!! 

JC on kit 

End of concert, outside Palais Theatre - Xing, me, Elise + the poster! 

Xing + Jamie 

Jamie Cullum + Elise 

Jamie Cullum and me!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D 

What an amazing concert

As i rush to devour my noodle-lunch before heading to the airport....
I'll give a quick rview of the concert

So, Elise, Xing n i headed down to the tram stop. we think we have a fail-proof plan, after last friday's tram stresses! We figure we'll give ourselves a buffer of half and hour, which was good, because we missed the tram we thought we were going to catch. But never fear, the next one wasn't far away. Elise had her sister's digi cam, which she'd never used before. So, she's experiementing, and i'm doing some weird pose....and this random old guy comes over and puts his arm aroun dme and asks "Are you taking photos of beautiful people?"

Omg. I was so surprised. elise thougth i migth have known him, but i slowly turned my head to look at this very random guy.....friendly, but weird at the same time. we made small talk and i started to fear when he got on the same tram as us. that's ok. he came over and said "ladies, I'm sorry, i can't be your boyfriend....I'm too old". Hehe. it was really cute.So, that was my tram story. I crossed my threshold for furthest been on tram! Yay! Made it down to St Kilda!! (Finally...but not during the day, so my mentor-mentee date is still on! hehe :P )

Ok, so we get to the Palais theatre, and get our tickets.
talk about strict entry conditions...checking bags for alcohol and cameras...we were allowed small cameras. elise had this debacle concerning her supposedly professional looking camera. finally, got over it.
gosh, the theatre is soo nice! it's all old and grand and stuff....very suited to (larger) acoustic acts. So so beautiful...[see below for photos]

Mark Sholtez opened the concert. He is soo awesome! He is a brisbane jazz/pop-infused pianist/guitarist/singer/songwriter. what an act. he is seriously such a rising star. He's playign about 3 times at bennett's lane on fridays in may, so we should def. head down, becuase he's really awesome! ok, and he's hot too.... hehe :P (it's all about the suit man! hahaha). anyway, he's got a really awesome sound.....really really good. i'm gonna have to get his album, Real Street.

so then jamie cullum comes out to this amazing audience!!!
he started off pretty much how i expected from a concert....but things livened up when his band were drinking on stage...hehe. and he started talking to the audience....started taking off layers (as one should wear in melbourne).........got really excited......stomping on piano, using everything on the piano, using piano stool on piano...!

he played stuff from his entire repertoire, not just Catching tales, which was really aweomse....TwentySomething songs featured a bit! The band was soo awesome, made up of a bassist (playing electric bass as well as electirc double bass...totally aweosme!), a HOT drummer (i use the term 'hot' to denote how aweosme he is!), a trumpeter/guitarist and a saxophonist/percussionist/mixer. ALL TOTALLY AWESOME!!! they are an aweosme band...i don't think he could ask for a better band behind him! man, if i had a band like that..!

there was lots of fun during the concert....
* Jamie stepping up on the piano
* Jamie jumping from piano
* Notting Hill carnival sounds infused to the end of a song....complete with street drums, whistles and shrieks! Talk about the party atmosphere!
* Jamie on guitar
* Jamie on drums
* Cool piano things...ok, they probably hurt the piano.....stopped strings, percussive noises (banging the lid against the piano)
* Jamie percussion-ing....on the piano
* Jamie beat-boxing
*The sax solo.....amazing!!!!
* The drum solo........whifch went for a good five minutes...like, he was drumming EVERYTHIGN on stage.....including the piano...and its strings...shoulda seen jamie's face....of almost horror at the piano being treated like that hehe! :P
* the party atmosphere
* Jamie yelling out "Everybody come down the front! You pay as much for the ticket already!"
* Interactive concert....everybody singing a simple harmony thingo whikle jamie did his thing.
* jamie telling everybody to get up and on the count of 4, to jump. Yes, the whole theatre was jumping in time. like a mosh pit. totally aweomse
* all the girls yelling out "I love you jamie!!" in high pitched squeals.....then a low growl going "I love you jamie". Haha. jamie was playing piano at the time and totaly pakced it. haha.
*jamie coming down to the audience (the bassist following him). he sang this awesome version of Nature Boy.
* Jamie coming right by me. yes, he walked RIGHT BY ME. yes, i stuck out my hand to have a high-five or whatever. and yes, HE GRABBED MY HAND. now i'm sounding like an obsessive fan (you woulnd't be far..) yes, he actually grabbed it. he walked RIGHT past me a number of times. he sang so close to me. i could have hugged the bassist from my seat. (i almost did..! haha)

totally awesome.
so manyextra songs at the end...i'll find the time later to list more things, maybe...?

MY GOODNESS ME, WHAT A NIGHT!!!!! WHAT A CONCERT!!!

at the end, we were RAVING for ages!!!! xing wanted macca's, so we were like, "let's go there!" but i spotted a rather large crowd round the corner..
so we decided to join the obsessive fans to wait for him to come out. it was freezing. we waited about an hour with 60 other fans....

we were going to leave at 12 for fear of missing the tram, but soon after (we're really indecisive, so we stood there tyring to decide whether to stay or go), we heard screams and jamie had come out. yes....
and he said "I'm not leaving until i've met all you guys and you've all got your autographs and photos". he obliged to meet EVERY SINGLE person. we were last.
we got autographed tickets..(xing..programme..), a photo with him (see below) and a HUG AND A KISS! heheh :P
he is a real shorty (for a guy...) but still taller than me...pity!
haha. my camera didn't work, so it's in digital format thanks to xing's camera. as a friend fumbled for the next camera, i just kinda stood there next to jamei with his arm aroun dme. hahahaha. totally aweosme. i'm sure the grin on my face was sheer ecstasy.

so, we got to meet him. i told him i was from perth. hah.
we tol dhim he was totally awesome. we watched him get into his car, we waved to him...and blew the kisses (obsessive fans we are..!)

HECK, IT WAS DEF. ONE OF THE BEST NIGHTS FOR A LONG TIME!!
wow wow wow wow.

see below forphotos...

gotta chuck out the trash, go get ready to leave for the airport to head to perth!!!!!!!!
see u all either at home...0or back in mebourne!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(sorry so messy and crazy!)

The best week in a while....

Ok, so having sufficiently blabbed on about The Idea of North concert, I am about to embark on an amazingly long Jamie Cullum blab. Maybe tomorrow, but yeah, I will. Let's just say that it was SO AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hopefully tomorrow....I'll try post some photos....and the whole review. I've been on a high all day! Having gotten 62 of Elise's photos, I'm about to get a whole stack more from Xing...I will write a review soon, photos will go up soon.

There were many highlights, the one most people heard about the most was Jamie Cullum actually grabbing my hand as he strolled about the audience. (Don't worry, I have washed my hand since..!) Standing outside the stage door for a good hour waiting for him to appear. Then him subsequently annoucning that he wouldn't leave until everybody had gotten an autograph/photo etc. So, we did. We got autograph, photo with him......hug and a kiss. :D :D He's short for a guy. hehe. that' s ok....

now to nab those photos....!

City

Your city style match is New York City

The Big Apple. It's the city that never sleeps. And like New York City, you're a gal on the go who's got lots going on. Motivated and driven, you're not afraid to work hard and put in the long hours to reach your goals.

You have an edge that can go from uptown to downtown, 5th Avenue to the West Village, and anywhere in between. Whether you're in work attire, party clothes, or weekend wear, you make a stylish statement that's sophisticated, elegant, and all your own. As they say — if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere!


Which City Matches Your Style?

Brought to you by Tickle

Celebrity.... :P

Your celebrity soul mate is someone who's Indie

You're probably not one to take the path most traveled. In fact, an independent spirit like you would much rather carve out your own special niche. So it's only natural that your romantic match would be required to do the same.

Someone who's unique, intelligent, maybe a bit serious and brooding is right for the part. An indie actor like Johnny Depp seems best suited for that role. And it only makes sense that you'd rather have your rendezvous at places that are under the radar — just like you! So, keep making your own waves in the world. The awards and accolades are sure to follow for you and your celeb soul mate! And even if you don't live in the same reality as your celebrity soul mate, you can still meet someone who's indie close to home. So get moving!





Who's Your Celebrity Soul Mate?

Brought to you by Tickle

Movie...

If you were a movie, you'd be a Groundbreaking Documentary
If you think documentaries are boring, think again. Like your movie match, you're an intelligent individual who makes people think. Documentaries span all sorts of topics, from the trivial to the profound. Perhaps your interests do the same, but one thing's clear — you're a smarty and you like to learn.

We'd guess you're the person at the dinner table or the water cooler who stirs up lively debates about the latest news or tidbits from the Discovery Channel. Part of you probably gets a kick out of creating controversy and getting people fired up about their beliefs. Another part probably likes opening people's eyes and sharing your thoughts. And for that, you get two thumbs up for trying to get to the bottom of things and making waves!


What Kind of Movie Are You?

Brought to you by Tickle

What else did I do?

Saturday signalled my first big adventure in the big city of Melbourne. I went shopping by myself to Myer and Allan's and stuff. I unfortunately didn't find too much that I wanted to buy. That's ok...I did manage to get lost in Myer....that place is humungous! Heck, I even got lost in The Basement! I couldn't manage to find the Miss Shop section until I exited, found the shoe department, went back downstairs to find the chick's fashion and eventually found the girls bit of The Basement.

The chapel service last night was amazing. We sang everything unaccompanied...it was a very sombre service, but the music was just divine. Included were hymns that were harmonised by Bach and a couple of Tallis works.

The service at Jude's was really good. :)
We saw Tim (yay!), gave Sam our nametags and I met this guy who randomly asked me,
"Were you at The Idea of North concert on Friday night?"

Wow.
Yeah, turns out he was too, he must have recognised me (how on earth did he do that? He's either seen me before, or he's got this FANTASTIC memory! I, on the other hand, have never seen him, met him, nor remember him!) We raved on about the concert for a little while, then agreed that we'd see each other in October, at their next concert, and hopefully around before then, at church! Hehe :P

so, that was my oh-so-exciting weekend. Should be going to class soon.....!

The Review

So, having slept on it, I think I may be able to write a coherant review of last night.

We were lucky for so many reasons.
Firstly, we caught a much later tram, and as I sat there, stressing about not making the concert, I wondered whether they would start without us and whether we'd be able to get in.
Luckily, we were almost the last people there, but they let us in, right before they were to start! So lucky.
And our seats were at tables. There were about 18 small (read: 4 people each) tables and then behind that were stall seats. The venue is very intimate, about 100-150 capacity. It was just beautiful.

The vibe was very intimate, but electric. From the outset, Idea just had such class, such ensemble. They were in the zone before they came out. Songs they performed were drawn from their previous albums, as well as some from their upcoming gospel album, to be released later this year (I will definitely have to get my hands on that!). Also in the mix were some other songs (unreleased) and definitely show pieces. Nick went among the crowd to find the "new people" and serenaded a lady by the name of Donna (who incidentally was sitting very near me!). Lucky woman, I tell you! There was a song that "asks and answers all the big questions of life" (What is the meat that is really in spam? Chicken, lamb, pork, beef, dolphin...?). "An Ugly Woman Told Me No" was just amusing (poor Nick! :P )

I could go through every song and tell you that I loved every aspect of it....! There was an ABBA song that was redone as a ballad, Eleanor Rigby, a setting of some of Michael Lunig's poems. They did "Just Kidding", a number of Jobim hits, some awesome jazz tracks that other people had written for voice (including one stunner which included 'solos' in pure jazz style and oh-so-complex!), Fragile, No More Blues (so amazing to see performed after hearing it many times, especially on the Aural Studies cd!), Sister Sadie and so much more! I love all the songs, but there are a few I really love...it was great to hear the Idea version of Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely" (which Andrew dedicated to his two little girls awww..! And there was audience participation involving us singing in parts!!!! Talk about interactive concert!), We Will Find a Way (complete with those cool electronica guitar sounds from Nick) and as an encore performance, "Man In the Mirror". It was also great to hear "His Eye is on the Sparrow" which brought back the memory of my first time I ever heard this group (on the radio. Incidentally, I only got interested in them when I heard this song - it was at a time a little while after we had to sing the hymn version of this song for House Singing!)

So, we all piled to buy CDs and get them signed and have a little chat to our new-found favourite stars! It was great to talk to them, even if it was a little while! I told Trish that we'd been to the Musica Viva concert last year (that's when we first started going!), we talked to Naomi and found out that she studied Classical Piano at the Elder Conservatory (there is still hope for me!!!!), talked to Andrew and especially Nick at length about....stuff. We asked them about their touring schedules (when they're heading to Perth...!!!! And I was even talking to them about doing gigs at Busselton, and as part of the Hale Visiting Artist's Programme! We agreed to go to their Perth concert and say hi!). We talked to Nick about how they met, what kind of things make the group, their experimentation with different keys, and Naomi's perfect pitch (see? It just gets freakier and freakier!!). We got photos with them (especially a big group one with Nick) and he promised that we'd get a big group one with all of them next time (in October).

So, we are definitely on the trail of following Idea. A concert that I greatly enjoyed - I am still buzzing and telling everybody what an awesome time I had!

So, here is a photo...more to follow when I get mine developed!





Rach B, Lauren, Gowri (at the back), Nick, Sam, me, Gina (in front). Courtesy of Gina. Thank you! :)

Good music!

I just went to see The Idea of North at Chapel off Chapel tonight.
Oh My Gosh.

So, I know they're good. I keep telling all you guys that! And their music on their CDs is totally awesome!

But when it comes to live performances, these guys are the most amazing thing I've seen in a while. The visual performance is just as engaging. And the way their show runs is just classy as. I can't even begin to describe what an awesome night I had - the vibe was just electric!

So, of course I had to buy Evidence (Nat, I know you gave me a copy, but I seem to have lost it...and it's definitely one of my faves.....so I had to have it.....! *sheepish look now...* But it is signed again!)

We also got to meet Trish, Naomi, Nick and Andrew....talked to them all, got some photos (yay! Gina, you happy-snapper!) and talked heaps especially to Nick, who talked a lot! So, if they're in Perth (which they will be....check out their website at www.idea.com.au) please please please go see them. You will not regret it, I promise! Their shows are just the most amazing thing to watch. You have to trust me on this one! I think I'd take mum to go see them!

Right.....I rave on for too long.

Week involved handing in two assignments, and the realisation that my next assignment is only due after Easter. However, I will of course will be working on it very soon and over the holidays. Really looking forward to the holidays, where my agenda is as such:
Sleep, eat, piano practice, writing essay and general bumming! Definitely rest alternated with frantic fits of work!

Okay, as I listen to Evidence, I shall continue my tute work....

Stuff.

I approach my 19th Birthday. That's scary. Almost two decades. Anyway, if anybody knows any funky bars/restaurants in Melbourne that can fit a significant number of people in (especially if we can have a section...) please let me know.

Wanted: "A nice, charming boy" to take with me to help me stake out places. The rationale is that schmoozing to get a good deal requires one of each sex so that it makes the gender thing balanced. Or something like that.

I initiated my nice new white bowl last night with noodles. While I completed my Global assignment. I said I'd go to bed by midnight. Of course, I'm always out of whack, so it was a 1am bedtime for me. Why am I not surprised?

Have finished two assignments, I think...
Have not practiced for three days and feel HORRIBLE!!!

Want to go to Planetarium at ScienceWorks. Just to see those stars :)
Got invited to another 21st! Yay!!!

Anyway.....
back to my soup and global textbook... :S

Things

Push-ups.

Connect. Mentors. Brownies. Jude's. Ringing people I don't know up.
The effects of that.

Salsa class. Lunch appointments.

My 800-word limit essay (which is wayy too little...I seriously need about 2000).

My laundry - not done for two weeks.

Cool earrings. Totally cool.

QCWT!

The note on my door.

The books on my floor - the indication of getting stressed.

The Bulgarian playlist on my computer.

Safeway and its wonderful food!

My new crockery - a white plate and bowl.

Cooking (communal, of course). The communal washing of dishes. The toothbrush parties.

2hr practice sessions.

Late nights.