I'm Back!

Hello blogspot.
It's been a long time.
I abandoned my blog due to stressing about the ex reading it and facebook.
Facebook killed the blogspot star.
What has happened to me in the past 4 years?
So much!
I promise to come back but I just wanted to share my thought for today.

Just because someone talks a lot doesn't mean they actually have anything to say.
Words are wind.
The thoughts inside an introvert are like a hurricane.
We see more, we hear more, we know more because we are always silently watching, listening in stillness.

Jackson

Well, one more month and I can apply for my visa for Jackson.  At long last.  It was a shit road getting there but I am finally going to Jackson....
So... since last post...I met some bloke and went out with him for a month and a half... a month and a half I will never get back... but on the upside of that I realise I am in no hurry for some bland man for the sake of being with a man.  I know it's a long shot and it may never happen but I am going to wait for someone special. And just because someone likes the Ramones or Iggy Pop doesn't mean he is the man for me... tho I do have something to be grateful for in having gone out with this guy... on my second date with him... I bumped into my brother from another mother...my dearest friend from my teenage years that I had lost contact with 24 years ago...

Instantly we recognised each other and with looks of shock and disbelief we called each others name to be sure we were seeing the right person, and not just a ghost or some look-a-like...but sure enough, it was Wolfie... and I was me...so I am delighted to be re-united with my Brother Wolf....he always cracks me up and makes me laugh.  Life takes us on strange journeys, sometimes we get lost and never find our way again and sometimes we manage to get back to where we started so we can start anew. So now I am back down the rabbit hole where I am meant to be and not trapped in suburbia under lock and key having the life screamed out of me.
And then of course, there was the 30th Year Anniversary of the Hard Ons concert at Punkfest at the Prince of Wales Hotel with Keish (original singer/drummer) on the mike and only playing requests from their early days when Keish was with them. True gold! Such an awesome night... I am one happy girl!

Then 2 months later Blackie was back in Brisbane for an unofficial Blackie in Brisbane Day.. lol... he was playing solo, playing support for King Buzzo at the Black Bear Lodge. (funnily enough the Black Bear Lodge used to be called "The Troubadour"... where I first saw the Hard Ons for the first time on the 7th of August 2010) He also played a free gig on the same day at Tym's Guitars. The day before that, I had gone to see the Nick Cave documentary, 20 000 Days On Earth, I went by myself. Dark cinema...Nick Cave...naturally I blubbed all the way through the show...not that it is sad or anything... but they played the start of the song "Higgs Boson Blues" and I just lost it...
Not sure if that just set the scene of emotion or what... but when Blackie played at Tym's Guitars, I almost blubbed through that performance as well, tho it was broad daylight so I had to tell myself to reel it in...no darkened cinema there to hide the sookie tear stained face. Probably just the beautiful heart felt music by a lovely man that is Blackie's solo work.

                                                               At Tym's Guitars

                                                              At Black Bear Lounge
Also, of late, I have been teaching myself to roller skate... I never learnt as a child, so it is going a bit slow for my liking but I am getting there... don't tend to fall over so much anymore... Wolfgang, my friend is an expert roller skater and skates everywhere... it is his main form of transport. And he brings joy to everyone who sees him. He carries a boom box with him as he rolls around town... We are both Birthday Party fans from way back but he has veered towards disco and funk in his old age, lol....(as teenagers we used to go to a night club together called Flares, where they played all '70s disco...we both dressed the part and boogied the night away.... ahh....good times)... anyway.. yes, he brings smiles and happiness to all that see him dressed in his 1970's rollerskate dude clothes and boom box on his shoulder... it is a joy to trot along beside him and see people get out their cameras and smart phones, taking photos and videos of him and smiling and shouting out to him that they love him and how he has made their day. I told him he brings joy to the streets of Brisbane and he just said..."well, that's the way I roll"  Classic!

                                                         Wolfgang and me at the Kurilpa Derby, he was on his skates, I'm not ready to hit the streets on wheels yet.

And this month I turned 44. Forty-four years on Planet Earth...(one day I shall return to Planet Purple)

My lovely daughter-in-law-to-be spoilt me with presents, I was surprised at work with a gift from a lovely work friend...and my Mum came to visit, so I had a very lovely birthday. Then the week after, I went to another work friend's 40th fancy dress party, I wore my go-go boots....I was supposed to make a shiny go-go type dress but I was not impressed with the lack of psychedelic purple material, My heart wasn't in the sewing of the intended dress, so I ended up just wearing a dress I had hanging in my closet... I did have a bee hive and false eye lashes, not that you can notice them much in the photo...

 and that brings me up to date with my life as I know it...next up is seeing the Hard Ons at The Blurst Of Times Festival... again, I will be going alone...my sister is no longer able to join me on my "girls music nights out"  I can understand, I knew it would all come to an end when she married her lovely new husband ..... so it's either go alone or lay back down in the living coffin I lay down in years ago when I married a man I had nothing in common with... a coffin I fought tooth and nail to get out of...
anyway.. I look forward to going to see the Hard Ons... they have a new album coming out, so I assume we will be blessed with some new songs on the play list ... very exciting! (I hope my CD that I ordered comes before then!!) Cheers and rock on!  :)

The New Adventures of Old Chrystina

I am determined to do things differently this time 'round... I am determined to try new things.
Being a creature of habit, I'm not sure how well this will go but one can only try.
Two bad things have happened since my last post. My beautiful, loving and lovable Aunty passed away. She had emphysema and had battled it for 20 years... she got ill and it finished off her lungs. She went so quick it was a terrible shock and a terrible loss for our family as she was central to all our lives on my Mum's side of the family. When I went up to the hospital to see her, she held my hand so tight and told me she loved me. I know she loved me. It is a comfort but it is still hard to believe she is gone. When I went to see her, I did my usual and tried to cheer everyone up and make everyone laugh and feel happy and positive. I refused to believe she was in any real danger. I told her I had a date that night. She was happy for me. I never did go on that date. I was too drained from the hospital visit. Stupidly, I went on a date the day after her funeral. I thought if I just had something nice to look forward to, it would ease the pain of losing her, but I am really not ready for dating. Not that I have remaining feelings or issues with the ended marriage, I'm so over that... and I had been lonely in the marriage for decades... but I need to be by myself for awhile, to know how to assert myself and just be myself. For so many years I was way too submissive for the sake of a peaceful life and I don't want to retain the habit of deferring to some man. My sister happily met her new husband via internet dating and encouraged me to give it a try, making out it was all butterflies and rainbows. But I take a long time to relax and feel at ease enough to be myself around anyone... and especially around men. I turn into a zombie, my mind goes blank and I can barely make a peep. I know this about myself, so I have no idea what I was thinking when I went on this date. Oh well, it won't be happening again. If ever I am to meet anyone, it will have to be the old fashioned way. It needs to be someone I have known for some small amount of time at least. Good luck with that!  *sigh*  So that's the end to the New Adventures of Old Chrystina....romantically anyway...
Anyway... since the last post my sis and I have seen Nunchukka Superfly at the Prince of Wales Punkfest in January and then this Easter Saturday we saw Hard-Ons at Tym's Guitars for the re-issue of their classic 7" "Girl in the Sweater" that Tym's Guitars released especially for Record Store Day.

Such a great night and fun atmosphere. It is a bit of a lead up to the Hard-Ons 30th year anniversary tour with original drummer/lead singer Keish coming up in June this year!! I've already bought tickets...I'd just wanna slit my throat if I missed out on this... (I was already bummed out by missing out on tickets to see The Stems at the Tivoli last month!) If you are in Australia and wanna go see this legendary Aussie band and have a hankering to hear a particular song of old ... just go to the Hard-Ons forums here and leave a song request. I really can't wait!! It is Very Exciting!! Another awesome thing to look forward to, is next month, Nunchukka Superfly are returning to Punkfest again! Twice in one year... blessed!
In other news, my neighbour and I, with her son and my youngest daughter, went away for the week end to Twin Waters. We had such a wonderful time, lots of swimming, sailing, kayaking, eating and laughing. I especially enjoyed doing laps of the lake, so relaxing.

I also loved the kayaking so much, that when I came home and saw a coupon deal in my inbox for kayaking down the Brisbane River, I bought it... so sometime soon I will be paddling down the Brisbane River on twilight with a group of people. I have since been told the Brisbane River is teeming with bull sharks... oh happy day! But I am not deterred... I am looking forward to doing something different to my usual activities. I think it will be fun. Another fun thing I did recently was go to a Vegan Festival.  

It was at a nightclub.. unbeknowns to me... I assumed it would be a cafe type setting. I took my 73 year old Mother... when we got there and I saw that it was a nightclub and that it was nestled between two gentlemen's clubs, I knew I was going to hell.... but Mum took it in her stride and enjoyed the night with me anyway... tho I did get a few harsh words later on, lol....

Here's my Mum, in a nightclub...

and Mum watching the Vegan Black Metal Chef... it was a really good night actually and really inspired me to at least ditch the dairy. I got Isa Chandra Moskawitz's recipe book "Isa Does It" (I ordered it through work, we had to fly like the clock struck midnight after the show) she is so funny and talented, I really liked her, but they were all inspiring and great to hear each of their vegan stories.

Isa's book is a great cookbook, so glad I got it and I was desperate to try the recipe she demonstrated on the night... a vegan mac and cheese.... and it is SOOO yummy...very "creamy".... the kids loved it, which is what I was hoping for... can't wait to try out more of these recipes on them!

And that's my life up till now... hoping it gets better and better xx

Free

Well, life has changed a great deal since I last blogged.
Change is always scary but sometimes it is essential. Can't say too much... for legal reasons... but I am now free from the shackles of a rotting, suffocating, volatile marriage.
...and to pick up from where I left off from my last post...
went to see The Ape a few days before my birthday... they were awesome... Picked up their debut album... love it. Their songs are exciting and my sis and I loved every minute, a great night out.  (all my photos are blurry and crappy, so can not share :( )
Much like my life for the last couple of months... after my birthday, things deteriorated to close on unlivable... for all concerned...
For the past three and a half years, I guess you can say I was having a typical mid life crisis... where you question every decision you ever made and try to analyse what the hell lead you to the path you are on...
I had been miserable for years....the marriage should have ended and had a natural ending soon after our eldest child was born... but I was raised to believe that marriage is forever and I had to do what I had to do, for the sake of my son to make things work....My Mothers voice echoed in my head.... "you made your bed, now you have to lie in it"  .... if I dared tell her then what I was putting up with, she would have said otherwise, I am sure. But I felt brainwashed into believing that I was to blame, and ashamed of having a failed marriage, I hid my problems and just tried to be a better wife, thinking that if I changed my behavior and went out of my way to make him happy that he would be a better husband.... it took me close to 20 years to realise that nothing would make him happy and nothing would make him change..  he is what he is and he is not for me, and I am not the right person for him either. Enough said...it's over...we made 4 beautiful children together, no regrets.... but it is time to move on.
And I have every intention of doing just that and being happy and being me, pure and simple....
So now it is 2014... I am certain it will be a good year...
Bring it on!

Spring!

Finally it is nice and warm again.  But first I will yap about a few winter activites....
Firstly, my 14 km marathon.... I did really well....enjoyed it alot, tho I am more of a lone runner...but it was fun anyway... I mentioned I was worried how I would go running without my music... well, you know how you get a song in your head and it won't budge... well my song for the day was Bottom Feeders by Hard-Ons... which worked well, kept me going the distance, thank you kindly! I had ordered a purple hydration back pack but wouldn't you just know it, it didn't come until 2 days after the race, so I had to stop along the way for water..so my times could have been better but I was happy with how I ran on the day.  I ran 14km in one hour and 17 minutes, so I think that is OK for a first go....

and here is footage of  silly me at the finish line... don't worry, you can't miss me, I'm the loon all in purple.whoo hooing..lol

Then the husband and I went to see Bill Oddie! It was a great night, he was funny and lovely. After the show (which started at 8.30 and went till 11pm!) there was a huge line up to meet Bill...we waited patiently in line and conscious of the multitude of people and knowing  the fact that my father, who is the same age as Bill, would be fast asleep snoring his head off in bed, I decided I had to be quick when I got to speak to him... my most ardent wish was to share with Bill that he was one of my key stepping stones on the way to becoming a vegetarian. So, I am all excited, racing my words to tell him this and I realise that by the look on his face that maybe I was coming across as some extremist animal activist (not that there is anything wrong with that!) ... my choice of words were probably not well thought through... I told him that I became a vegetarian because of the Goodies episode "Animals"   ... as a little girl, seeing him eating the rabbit guest, I thought, what is he doing, don't eat the bunny!"  and poor Bill says... "oh! the responsibility! I beg your pardon darling!" .... and then realising he was feeling awkward, like I was chastising him, I said "No! No! I want to thank you for helping me make that decision!"  and everyone laughed.... what a memory!! I have this photo of Bill and I on my desktop, I will treasure it always.

Then September arrived and our eldest daughter had a 13th birthday party that I am sure she will remember for some time to come. Then I had an Election Day High Tea in honour of our eldest son and his girlfriend's first time voting experience, using my new matching polka dot tablecloths. I wanted to make silly badges that said silly things like.... "vote 1 Chocolate" etc, but I didn't get around to it...  and  this week I went to see The Cult... it was 26 years ago when I saw them last! My similar music loving sister usually goes with me to these things, but as she only recently got married she decided she didn't love the Cult well enough to leave her husband alone, so I went by myself... I was a bit nervous about it but assumed there would be mobs of people there and there were, so it was OK.... and I am good company for myself anyway...I know what makes me laugh, tho the down side to that is, I was getting worried sideway glances from people as I was standing in the corner, talking to myself and laughing at all my own jokes, lol... no, not really but I did enjoy the night and glad I did push myself to go alone anyway...

Next week is my birthday and my sister is blessing me with her presence this time as we go to see the Brisbane debut of Tex Perkins new band The Ape. Yay! 

Winter Fell

Here it is...June already...
Bluesfest has happened and my oh my!
You can not believe how exciting that was, well, maybe you can but Holy Jeeezzus Joey Ramone, it was GOOOOOOD!
I was frantically looking for a suitable dress...at Tree Of Life (shop) they had a halter neck hippy type maxi-dress with pretty embroidery that I had been eyeing for awhile... but when I finally decided to try it on and buy it I discovered it was completely see through.... which may be OK if you are in your 20's but probably not so much when you are 42. But as time kept marching on and Cinderella had nothing to wear to the ball, I rethought that see through dress, deciding it might be acceptable if I wore really sensible under garments....? The husband said No and I had to agree, so I decided to stop being lazy and I scratched through my dress patterns and dug through my fabric stash and made my own halter neck dress....

Then we had our early Easter... My sis and her hubby to be and my nephew came over... and we had our Easter feast on Good Friday...

and then early the next morning, sis and I hit the road, with Beasts of Bourbon howlin' and wailin' just as we like it...then Iggy had his turn at blasting our ear drums.... as we approached the state line, I screamed the loudest YIPPEE I ever let out in my life! (I warned Miss Debbranne first of my ear shattering intent, didn't want her running off the side of the road in shock, lol) When we got to our destination, we got to work pretty quick getting the tent up and mattresses in place for our tired return later on. I was like Bear Grylls in a dress and plastic wedge flip flops, hammering in tent pegs double time....
After getting some food and coffee, we went and had a bit of a peep at RocKwiz, then watched Mark Seymore and The Undertow then went back to the car to get into some "sensible" shoes, then went and waited at the stage where Beasts Of Bourbon were to play. They did not disappoint, they were awesome!!

And, joy of joys, they played "I'm a Drop Out" I screamed so loud when they played the opening bars of the song and then when the pure gold line came along, I screamed even louder "Purple is my colour!" Actually, I screamed so loud I almost fainted, lol!

then we had to hold on for dear life when The DropKick Murphys came on....luckily we were right at the front and we could hold onto the guard rail thingie in front of us. As one of the photographers said to us before they started playing.... we were hammered! I had to dig my knees into the guard rail, and stick my butt out a bit to protect my tummy, coz it was still tender from the surgery.... but anyway, we managed to survive it. Anything for Iggy and the Stooges! And they were as fabulous as expected and it is a memory I will cherish forever. And my word, that man has the softest hands!!

The next day, we had a little trot around Byron Bay. So beautiful. 

The drive up to the light house was beautiful, breath taking views. We saw a 2 pods of dolphins in the waters below. The journey up the winding road to the lighthouse is a popular running track, which made me pine for a good jog. 

It was almost sad to have to go home. 

The very next week my lovely sister got married to her Punjabi Prince. 

She looked so beautiful and radiant in her traditional Sikh wedding dress and her stunning henna mehndi on her arms, hands and feet. Makes me want the same paisley patterns on my feet in purple tattooed ink!

Debbranne wanted me and my niece, as Brides Maids, to wear the same dress, so she was stuck with purple... I couldn't wear anything but...which was fine with my sister but I did not make anyone else wear purple, it is honestly what they each chose and I think our stunning purple looked brilliant with the bride's eye catching red. My eldest daughter read out a poem her Aunty had chosen for the wedding. She took it very seriously and enjoyed her part of the celebrations, as did my youngest daughter who was the flower girl. It was such a beautiful day.

I think a few weeks after this, I returned to my running, after about 4 months break due to my tummy tuck. I do so love to run!

In May, the next highlight was seeing the Hard Ons again at Punkfest. Always awesome. Their music has motivated me to live my life for me, to be who I am and to do whatever the hell I frikin well like, coz you only get one life and I'm sick of being scared and sick of trying to please unpleasable people.

the following week, Blackie (Hard ons lead singer/guitarist) had a solo gig supporting Isaiah Mitchell. A very groovy night of awesome guitars. Sadly, my sister and I were unable to stay for the entire show as in her rush to get there in time, she parked in a car park that shut at midnight. It was a terrible feeling leaving before Isaiah Mitchell had finished his set but it was unavoidable.

My camera did not capture the creative lighting well at all...

I enjoy Blackie's solo stuff very much... he is like a quirky Cat Stevens... hee hee.. and he has some beautiful ballads too. Tickle, for example.

Mothers Day was in between these two events.

We went to the movies to see Oz The Great and Powerful. All of us being great fans of the original movie, we really enjoyed it. Even tho' Keenan was not impressed to be kicked out of bed quite so early on a Sunday morning, he needed some convincing that it would be worth his while.

and my lovely presents...

I can't begin to explain how excited I am about those there bikinis! They are SO adorable! I wanted them a year and a half ago when they first hit the shelves at Myer but I hesitated and ummed and ahhed about it, not confident about exposing my tummy back then. I bought the matching thongs (flip flops) as a reminder to myself that I wanted to buy them, that I deserved them for all my hard work, losing weight, but just couldn't....and leading up to the surgery I agonised over those bikinis.... thinking I could have worn them once the operation was done... but they were the last seasons design and were now unavailable in stores.... I searched for them everywhere...then finally... after the operation, I decided to do a very thorough search of the internet, looking for them, and I found them..... along with the Ramones books (that I really desperately wanted too!) So it was a very happy Mothers Day for me this year. Sadly I will have to wait until Summer returns to wear the bikini... which is inspiration to keep hard at exercise to stay in shape until I can wear them to the beach, I can't wait!!!  :)

So, in light of that, and just the plain fact that I love to run and have been interested in the idea of a marathon of some sort for awhile... I have entered a 14 km fun run City2South...I am SO excited about that!

It's on Sunday the 16th of June, starts at 7am. Only bad news is they don't want us using any music devices.... waaaah! With music I am unstoppable. Pooh! I will just have to sing... sorry Brisbane! Trouble is, I only know the first 2 opening lines of my favourite running song and then I just bang my head and pump my arms as I run along to the music..... oh well.... I know all the lyrics of another good running song .... "Two Laps In Serbia"... but if I sing that out loud I'm at risk of having the ambos (ambulance officers) tackle me to the ground and carting me off on a stretcher.... omg, I'm so excited.... I AM Forrest Gump.... I'm a running fool! :)

Goodbye Summer

Goodbye to Summer, much as it was... here in Queensland we have had more rain than we need. We personally  haven't had any damage, other than loss of power, so nothing to complain about really, other than the inconvenience of damp clothes hanging around the house, mud tracked floors from outdoors and depressed and stir crazed feelings from being cooped up indoors for weeks on end. Other significant news is...I have been recovering from an operation. An operation that I decided that I needed, wanted and was determined to have.... After 2 years of constant hard slog and exercise to lose the 40 kilos I had gained 10 years ago, I felt I needed, wanted and was determined to have a tummy tuck. Maybe this is pure vanity, maybe it is some childish attempt to reclaim my lost youth but frankly I don't care and I am good with it.... I was tormented by my reflection in the mirror. After working so hard to lose the weight, it upset me that my tummy didn't look as good as I felt I did on the inside. No amount of sit ups, incline bench ab crunches, planks and side planks were going to reduce the excess skin that I had around my tummy. It cost alot of money, money that should have gone to more important things but I also felt like I really deserved it too. The husband could waste money on his own selfish, childish whims, so why couldn't I? When I first decided that I was wanted to lose weight, I felt I had to look deep inside myself and figure out why I had put the weight on to begin with. Chubbiness is one thing, but obesity is another. I was obese, lets just get that straight. I began thinking about the necessity of losing weight. I didn't want to face up to it but I realised I was not just simply chubby. I was obese. Obviously there are health issues that go along with that. I didn't have any health issues at that time but I knew if I let myself be that big for any longer that they would eventually arise. Type 2 diabetes for one. Back problems, cholesterol, blood pressure, heart problems. I didn't want any of them. Plus I also knew I needed to get back into the work force and I knew it would be easier if I was slim. I also knew that fat people were depressed people. I had to explore why I was depressed... why was I willing to punish myself with food. Food is the fat persons source of comfort, sometimes the only source of comfort. I looked at this and wondered why I relied on Tim Tams and ice-cream to cheer me up. My husband never called me fat. Never comlained about my weight, so I never thought of it as an issue. But I was unhappy about being overweight. If I was going to lose weight, I had to do it for myself. Then something happened to open my eyes as to why I had allowed myself to gain weight. My husband is an intensely jealous man. When he was a teenager, his first girlfriend cheated on him with his best friend. That little girl's mistake, made many years before I met him, affected the way my husband treated me. I learnt very early not to talk to other men, no matter how innocent it may have been. He would never be violent in word or action to another man but I would cop a verbal bashing if some poor bloke accidentally happened to look in my direction. This did not affect my weight directly but when I had half my thyroid taken out due to a tumor, the weight crept on and, probably only subconciously, I felt it made my life easier in that regard. I truely don't think men looked at me, it was just his imagination, but the fatter I got, the less I got in trouble for men apparently looking at me. Then, when I felt that that was no longer a problem, he had another hissy fit. Ridiculas, I told him. I'm 97 kilos, there is no way anyone would be looking at me! But he went on and on. It was then and there that I realised I was only allowing myself to be fat to make my life with him easier and it was now no longer working, so I aught to lose weight to make myself happy and be done with it. I am not responsible for the way he thinks. I am a good person, I have never cheated and have never given him reason to think that I would. I will not remain overweight so as to keep his insecurities at bay any longer. And so the hard work of losing all that weight started. I started small, and slowly increased my excersise over time and the weight came off. Not all of it, I am a big sookie girl and still think my legs are fat, but whatcha gonna do? So anyway.... I've had a tummy tuck. I am at week 8 and I feel wonderful and don't regret it for a second and am so happy and grateful that I was able to afford it. The husband sold his first motorbike after he got his Harley and I demanded the money he got for it for my tummy tuck. I get my way sometimes, lol. I have only recently returned to riding my bicycle to work and other than that and walking, I haven't returned to my beloved running or gym as yet, but I am determined to get back to that level of fitness, coz I get off on that adreneline buzz and recognise that excersise is the best depression buster there is..... it ain't just the rain that has made me a sookie blubber guts lately, it's the lack of hard core excersise. I miss it! All in good time.... So in the last 8 weeks post op. I have been trying to keep myself amused. The first 2 weeks I was off work. The doctor said I aught to have 3 weeks off, but I couldn't ask my boss for that long off. Not to mention we couldn't afford for me to have that long off anyway. In that time I read. Lots of reading. I read "Les Miserables"  I read "And the Ass Saw The Angel" by Nick Cave. Well, I had started that before the operation, but I had lay that aside so I could read "Les Miserables" before I went to see the movie. Then, as those 2 books were depressing, I felt I needed something light and fun, so I read Gretel Killeen's book "Visible Panty Line" ... very much like stand up comedy in book form. Then I read "Gridlocked" by Ben Elton. Extremely funny, tho also an intelligent read plus the hero dies, so now I am reading "Babylon's Burning: From Punk to Grunge" by Clinton Heylin. I also started reading this ages ago but had a hard time getting into it as I am not so fussed on his style of writing but I hate starting a book and not finishing it, plus the genre interests me, of course.
On the 8th of this month, my sister and I went to see Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds at the Brisbane Riverstage in the Botanical Gardens. (Same place we saw Blondie) I had sewn myself a lovely purple halter neck dress. Tho I was worried that it was a pointless waste of time, as it had been raining quite heavily for days leading up to the concert and assumed I would have to go sporting a purple long raincoat over the top of it but happily, the rain decided to take a hike for the night and we were not harrassed by it's constantant wetness for the evening. A truly wonderful night. Everything you would expect and more. Queensland Symphony Orchestra and a childrens choir from Annerley State School were also included, adding their talent to a stage full of it. Last time I saw Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds was 19th July 1990. I even have a set list from that time.... From Her To Eternity,The Mercy Seat, The Witness Song, I'm Gonna Kill That Woman, The Weeping Song, Foi Na Cruz, City Of Refuge, Deanna, The Carny, The Ship Song, The Good Son, The Carnival Is Over, Black Betty, Tupelo, Cindy, Long Time Man, Knocking On Joe,  All Tomorrow's Parties, Shivers, Lament, Streets Of Laredo      (I got this set list from this website... )
and they are right...Nick did call the song Shivers "juvenile" ..... obvioulsy at that time, Shivers was an old song for Nick... and not even a "Bad Seeds" song.... but it was still fresh in everyone's mind due to the movie "Dog's In Space" and the audience was shouting out and requesting "Shivers"  and Nick said.... "that song is a little juvenile, isn't it?"  (I did not call out to request it.... just sayin'..... I never call out asking for songs at gigs.... the band will play what they wish to play and I am content with that.... I will call out for an encore tho of course.... the only time I called out for a song to be sung at a gig was at my first Rat Cat gig... I asked for their song "Car Crash" to be played, but they did not play it.... lol... that was their first song I heard of theirs via Rage.... ) anyway... back to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds...I was supposed to see Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds at the Livid Festival on the 12th of December 1992.... but this was actually the first time I took my husband to a music concert when we were first going out.... I have mentioned it on this blog before. I had nervously got myself drunk, as I was concerned with seeing an old flame whilst with the husband... (he was only my boyfriend at the time) and he had insisted on taking me home before Nick came on, so I missed out that night. But I am very happy I saw them this time round. A wonderful night.

Opening with a collection of songs from the new album "Push The Sky Away" During "Wide Lovely Eyes" I so wanted to wave my arms in the air....it's unlike me not to... my only regret... 

Nick seated for a bit during "The Ship Song"  Beautiful.

Support act, Mark Lanegan, came on towards the end of the show to sing the 'father' role in the very beautiful "The Weeping Song"......amazing!

A truely wonderful night. I so enjoyed every minute.
Next wonderful thing to look forward to, in 2 tiny weeks time..... My sister and I are going to Bluesfest!! I could only afford to pay for one day... and of course that day is Saturday when the wonderful Iggy and The Stooges are playing. And as brilliant luck would have it.... Beasts of Bourbon are playing that day also!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (the name sake of this blog!!!) ..... (Beasts of Bourbon's song 'I'm A Drop Out' has the line....."Purple is my colour" in it.....god, if they play that song.... guess who will be screaming that line out????? LOL!! (somebody stop me!...channelling Jim Carey from The Mask!)  The sad thing is, the wonderful Wanda Jackson is playing at Bluesfest on the Thusday and Friday, so I will miss her there. Originally, she was to do a gig in Brisbane before Bluesfest and I was going to catch her there, but that gig has been cancelled. So devastated about that!! I would dearly have loved to see her :(    
Last week end I finally bought us a tent to sleep in on the Saturday night. My sister would have rathered we book a motel room somewhere but I would have none of that. I want the whole music festival experience. As my sister nor I have ever gone camping before (save school camps, a million years ago) I decided I needed to do a trial "tent erectus" to see if it is within my big girlie abilities. Happily.... I am capable of erecting a tent....and disassembling one. I was so proud of myself, I felt like Bear Grylls! Not so good at getting the rotten thing neatly back into it's carry bag, however. But we won't let that dampen our camping/music festivities. One of the guys that sold us the tent goes to Bluesfest every year, it was good to talk to him about what to expect... lots of good food on sale apparently, so no need to pack any... sniffer dogs... so no naughty treats stuffed down side pockets of hand bags..... by this I mean Easter eggs of course, lol! Yes, sadly, it falls on the Easter week end. No matter, I have decided that the family will have our Easter feast on Good Friday and the "Easter Bunny" will come on Friday night, so Mummy can see the kids faces before she choofs off and leaves them sugar rushing with their Father, lol....really all but the youngest is too old for "the Easter Bunny" and she is getting a little too old for it too, but it is hard to let go of these traditions. I will be more worried about the Easter traffic. Must burn a CD with good driving music for the road.... otherwise, God love her, my sister will make me listen to her Punjabi music all the way there. She is getting married in April to a lovely guy. I can't imagine going back for a second go, but each to their own. I wish her all the best and this will be a good week end to get away, just us two girls, being girlie and having fun. She has been to Byron Bay a few times, so is eager to show me the sights on Sunday after we leave the festival. I've got my bikini packed already.... she wants to take me swimming, just hope it isn't in shark infested waters! Hoping to do a spot of shopping too. I'm sure there are all kinds of purple things I might expect to find available to buy. Now I just need to find a suitable dress to wear. Yes, I have to wear a dress...my sister points out that a dress is not music festival attire, but too bad. I can't wear jeans at the moment due to my tummy being still a little tender, so a dress it shall be. Suppose I aught to hurry up, time is running out. So excited about this. I love having something to look forward to!