That's Not How You Treat A National Treasure

Like many, many, many Australians and people world wide, I was shocked and saddened to hear that Blackie, lead singer/guitarist of legendary punk rock Aussie band Hard-Ons was bashed whilst driving his taxi on Thursday night by 2 teenagers.... evil little turds.
When I was a teenager, I listened to a friend's 'Surfin' On My Face' 7" EP, Busted/Suck And Swallow 7", my sister's Girl In the Sweater 7" and I bought the cassette of Where The Wild Things Are a split EP release with The Celebrate Rifles. I missed a whole heap between and afterwards but about 2 years ago I stumbled upon their MySpace page and decided to catch up with what they were up to after reading their Bio (click on "more" under General Info) I thought it was damn impressive. Then I found their forum online and read this "about" section and was suitably impressed even more...
especially these lines...

Naturally, the fact that the band took deliberate steps not to take the conventional music industry highway didn't help in their lack of mass appeal. They recorded themselves for themselves, promoted themselves and generally held the reins for the entire Hard-Ons machine through right down to cover art, choosing supports acts and pioneering the concept of all ages shows. It was an unswerving creed that virtually ensured their ostracism from the outset.
Nonetheless the Hard-Ons achieved all they possibly could and more within those self imposed confines.

I think, no matter what kind of music you like, you have to respect that. 

And clearly a good many people do, as benefit gigs and fund raising events are popping up all over the country to assist Blackie while he heals and recuperates. 

So, if you have ever enjoyed a Hard-Ons song, please try to donate some money, or get along to one of the benefit gigs (I would kill to be able to get to the Sydney gigs next week end at the Annandale Hotel on Friday the 1st of June and Newcastle's Great Northern Hotel on Saturday the 2nd) every little bit will help and it is a nice gesture of appreciation for a very lovely and talented man.

Happy Mothers Day

Mothers Day tomorrow. Happy Mothers Day to all the Mum's out there.
I shan't be getting chocolate... I'll be getting jewellery, no calories there ;) Some large Amethyst round earrings and a matching necklace, yeah, nothing better for Mothers Day than jewels...
The eldest son has to work in the morning, so after I get home from my run and he is done his shift, we are all going on a picnic together. And the weather is and has been for the past week, beautiful. Very nice.
Last Sunday, of course, was Punkfest, fabulous night. My sis and I got there early (she was told not to be late on pain of death!) I was wearing my lovely purple Hard-Ons t-shirt. I had to take it in as it was too big for me and the sleeves also needed altering but I was happy with how it fit me. All done 15 minutes before I left the house, of course... Was thrilled to get my copy of the re-issue of "Smell My Finger" There were 4 bands playing before the Hard-Ons came on. The first band, called Main Street Brats played a song called "Indooroopilly Girl"  or something like that, which  thought was great, lol. 
The second last band were  6Ft Hick. I had never heard of them before, so had no idea what to expect. Before they came on, many people moved down the front (where we already were) so I gathered they had a pretty big following. They started playing and one of the singers started pulling his hair. I thought, "oh dear, he has tourette's"  Then a bit later he throws himself on the floor, I thought "oops, he's a worry" Then I realised, that was his stage thing, lol. But we were quite impressed with what we heard, so on Thursday I trotted into Rocking Horse Records and ordered one of their CDs. It's good to get turned onto new music. The crowd clearly loved them too. I noticed the guys in particular seemed to be getting their freak on to the music. A whole sea of gyrating men, I didn't know whether to be scared or turned on, lol.
And of course the Hard-Ons were wonderful. I didn't get many photos because the crowd was pretty rough, how unusual, lol... Funnily enough, I saw an old flame while 6Ft Hick were playing, tall slim giraffe, was hard to miss him really. I wasn't sure if it was him at first. I hadn't seen him since he broke my heart 22 years ago. Time heals all wounds and cropping your wild and woolly, thick wavy brown shoulder length hair off works too. So you have grey hair now, nothing wrong with that, just means you are a man now, not a boy....
anyway... unsurprising seeing him there really, he used to run about wearing a Hard-Ons t-shirt back in the day. Besides my sister going to Sydney for a holiday to meet a pen pal and coming home with "Girl In The Sweater" 7",  he was the reason I got into the Hard-Ons in the first place. Although another friend, who was also a Hard-Ons fan, discouraged me from going to see them live. He said... "you can't go to a Hard-Ons gig, you're a girl, you'll get killed!"  By that stage, I had been to a fair few rough gigs, at The Damned I had been knocked to the ground twice and probably would have been trampled to death if some random guy hadn't picked me up, I remember the Painters and Dockers gig was pretty scary too. I thought that if the Hard-Ons were rougher than those gigs, then maybe I might get killed, so I chicken out from going.... I am still kicking myself from listening to him. Anyway... here are some photos from the night....

Goodnight.

I am, You Are, We are...Multiculturalism

Here is my beautiful little multicultural pin up girl...she is half Aussie, half Yugoslav/Hungarian, with a little bit Pom, little bit Scottish, largish bit German(on both her Father's side and mine), dressed up in a Chinese dress. She was off to her friend's oriental themed birthday party. They decorated Chinese lanterns, ate rice and played pass the parcel, in which she won a pretty little purse made of oriental fabric. Mummy (me) was up to 2am sewing that dress of hers. And up again this morning finishing it off. Just like me to leave things to the last minute *sigh* Couldn't go for my run in the morning coz I was sewing... then we had to go grocery shopping before we dropped Ailani off at the party. So I got to go for my run after that.... by the time I was half way done my run, it was dark.... I won't be doing that again... not wise...down by the river...where the wild roses grow...but my name is Elisa Day.... oh... just singing a Nick Cave/Kylie Minogue song, lol.... actually, I was listening to the Hard-Ons song "Strangers" while I was running. (can't find it on youtube :( ) where one of the lines  goes... "shadows of the night"  Luckily tho I only had my own shadow to contend with... disapproving b!$@* she is too.... saying... "run faster" in my head.... so I did.... take that shadow girl ... lol... I aught to be a skinny arsed bitch by now, but sadly I have been comfort eating where I aught to be starving myself... well... I need to watch what I eat, I have lost all my weight by working out like a mofo but now I only want to drop 6 kilos at most but it ain't happening... so now I have to try and watch what I eat.  The bread has to stop, thank god the cheese has stopped, glad Valentine's Day, Easter and my 2nd son's 15th birthday is over, so I can stop the chocolate... Chocolate, you are a bad friend, it's over between us! 

 Now I just have to stop the sugar intake...              

 

.....pffft..... like that's ever gonna happen...                       

   

Hello month of May!! What's not to love about May?! Why am I all het up about May? because I am off to Punkfest and I will be Punkerella with a pumpkin on my head and I'll chop of a leg.... umm, no, that was Tim Brooke-Taylor from The Goodies... (damn, do you think I can find a photo of Tim dressed up as Punkerella on-line?)
Yep, this is where I'm going baby!!!! Sunday 6th of May!!!
oooooooooh weeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!
I can not wait to get my grubby little mitts on that there double CD re-issue of "Smell My Finger"  And of course to see the band play again and to hear the new songs from the EP "Shit Pants, Shit Pants"
yeah!