Party Gravy is not, let’s be honest, the most descriptive name in the world. They are, however, a brilliant New Orleans style brass band comprised of bassist Alec Coulson, trombonists Josh Hart and Patrick Langdon, Andrew Kimber and Tye Langford on saxophone, trumpeters Eddie Bernasconi and Ax Long and an unconventional two drummers – Samuel McNair and Mark Sledgers.
Playing at Hippo Bar on Wednesday night, they brought a good part of the audience to their feet to try their legs at swing dancing. Even those sitting down sung along to a boisterous rendition of ‘When the Saints Go Marching In.’ In true New Orleans style, vocals were provided by the entire band which, perhaps surprisingly, was reasonably in tune. Equally entertaining was a funk remix of the ubiquitous ‘Thrift Shop’ complete with virtuoso trumpet and trombone solos. Their rendition of ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ also had a lot of toes jiggling.
Following up their gig at Hippo, the band played at A Bite To Eat on Sunday afternoon, bringing a more relaxed feel to a cafe which is, frankly, almost too hipster to be true. Playing two sets with a mix of originals and covers, they managed, once again, to get people to their feet and dancing on both the floor and the pavement outside. They also demonstrated why they have two drummers in a double percussion solo which, to be honest, also demonstrated that it is unwise for a musician to go wandering off, beer in hand, in the midst of a song. In fairness though, they did make the entry together and finished off in fine form.
Party Gravy are a demonstration of what Canberra needs more of. We need more spaces for good live music and more people to play it and we need a thriving jazz scene. They are also a credit to the School of Music jazz program and a reminder of just how valuable it is.
It’s something of a cliché that if you are forced to study something, you will end up hating it. Three days before my music exam for the International Baccalaureate, I was told that not only did I have to know the “entire history of classical music” and have a working knowledge of world music, I would also need identify the period and form of any jazz, rock or pop piece the sadist who wrote the exam thought appropriate. Three days later, I had put myself through a crash course in jazz and pop and hated most of what I had listened to. Seriously, you try analysing the chord structures, melodic patterns and overall form of The Sex Pistols in a library with the volume turned down … and trust me when I say that 4:00am, extreme exam stress and thrash metal are not the most mentally healthy combination in the world. As an unfortunate result, I have spent several years running, screaming “la, la, la, think happy thoughts” the whole way, to hit the skip button when about half the songs on my Ipod come up on shuffle.
I have, however, recently discovered that seeing some things performed live makes all the difference in the world. Punk music might seem pretty weird in the sterile environment of the National Library but put it in a pub at 11:00pm and it’s a totally different beast. The raw emotion in the best of it comes through and, for the first time, I get a sense of why punk was the powerful social force it was in the beginning. As someone with a bit of singing training, I’m still not entirely convinced by some of the vocals but stage presence, the ability to draw every eye in a crowd and hold them, makes an enormous difference. It’s very easy, when you listen to a recording, to notice and cringe at every single tiny deviation from the proper note but, in some cases when it’s live, it just adds to the energy and the power of the performance.
I had the same experience with metal. I listened to recordings and I was blown away by what a few guitarists can do and the ludicrous complexity of some of the drumming patterns but it still didn’t make musical sense to me. I still have serious issues hearing what some of those frontmen are doing with their voices. The rational part of me knows that the ones who retain them long enough to make it professionally know what they are doing but I still cringe a little bit. That reaction isn’t there when it’s live. You just get caught up with it and the growl seems like an intense expression of something natural rather than a weird form of yelling.
Listening to live music is a totally different experience from recorded music. If I’ve learnt anything about music lately, it’s that you shouldn’t judge anything until you’ve heard it the way it’s meant to be heard.
As my Facebook friends are probably aware, I did a lot of holiday reading to make up for the fact that, as an English, History and Law student, I read absolutely nothing during the semesters. I started reading and reviewing books and found myself getting through quite a few. Of what I read, I would recommend any or all of The Road, Foal’s Bread, Cloud Atlas, The Rook, The Hobbit, A Clockwork Orange, Pride and Prejudice, A Farewell to Arms, William Blake’s Selected Poems, Wuthering Heights and Crime and Punishment. Cloud Atlas was a particular favourite as, quite apart from anything else, it’s interesting to see an author blatantly showing off such an extraordinary mastery of form and tone. I did read some more disappointing novels, however, and I’m afraid to say that Never Let Me Go, Life of Pi and The Call of the Wild all made it onto the skip list.
Many of the books I read were interesting, engaging, heartbreaking, funny, poignant or all of the above. The books which are really worth reading, however, are the ones that change your perceptions, prejudices and maybe even the way you think about the world. Out everything I read, there are only two which fall into that category. One of them, perhaps unsurprisingly, is Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace. There are passages which read like philosophical tracts and some straight out of a history book and these can be a little tedious. I think, however, that the book is best read as a study of humanity written by an acute and empathetic observer with an extraordinary ability to record it. As I went through, I was struck again and again by his ability to express feelings and impressions I have experienced but could never describe in words. One modern critic said that War and Peace encompasses every aspect of humanity and while I don’t think I’d go that far, I would challenge anyone to read it and fail to see something of their friends, their enemies, their lovers or themselves in the characters. War and Peace, like William Boyd’s Any Human Heart and Michael Kirby’s A Private Life in past holidays, was a book I couldn’t put down and which altered the way I thought about the world.
On the suggestion of a couple of friends, I also read Watchmen. I had never even looked at a graphic novel before but I was amazed and I stayed up until 5am just to finish it. I didn’t expect it to deal with such profoundly difficult issues or be so morally challenging. It presents numerous alternative moral codes and yet withholds judgement, allowing the reader to make their own. I also found that it was a totally different experience from reading a book. Graphic novels are, obviously, far more visual but I also found it more visceral and there were a couple of plates which made me feel nauseous. Watchmen challenged a long-held prejudice against graphic novels and comics and I am glad that it did.
Reading is something I do to relax and wind down. It is an escape from everything else and, depending on the book, a good way of getting to sleep at the end of the day. If nothing else, it helps fight holiday boredom… and there are always more books out there worth reading.
As so often happens in Canberra, the composer and arranger for the Law Revue Band, Patrick Hutchings, turned about to be an unexpectedly, astonishingly good and distinguished musician.
He was generous enough to give us all a copy of his CD and I have not stopped listening to it since. The first track is absolutely gorgeous and the mix of jazz and eastern influences in some of the middle numbers is fascinating.
The Law Revue is a collection of skits, sketches and popular songs bastardised for comic effect.
Law Revue being, well, Law Revue, a lot of those skits are about law and what it is like to be a law student. Since Canberra is the capital city, there were also a considerable number of politically themed sketches including ‘Do You Hear the People Whinge?’ featuring Julia Gillard and set to the tune of ‘Do You Hear the People Sing?’ from Les Misérables. We also used Les Misérables for our closer. Ever ambitious, we decided to have a go at ‘One Day More’, changing the words and the title to ‘Finish Law’ and, to my astonishment, it actually went extremely well every night. The musicals continued with a West Side Story medley which allowed some of singers in the cast to show off. There was even a medley from Rocky Horror Picture Show which allowed our two directors, the fantastic Andy Eddey and the entertaining Alex Bell-Rowe, to bare all(most).
We may have also mocked a major law firm which, as I may apply for a clerkship there in a few years, shall remain forever nameless. Postmodern, post-textualist (etc.) English courses, our esteemed Vice-Canceller (Chancellor), Zoo Magazine and our fine High Court also received the Law Revue treatment.
We’d been working on the show for over six months, originally writing skits and songs and then moving onto actually rehearsing them a couple of weeks ago so it was absolutely fantastic to get the warm reception we did. We got a couple of standing ovations and a number of people said it was the best in years.
I can’t wait to do it again next year. I have made the best friends I have at uni and had some of the best times of my life so far.
I probably shouldn’t call these ‘hidden gems’ since I’m usually the last person to hear about anything however I found some lovely new music over the last month or two. Some of it is great to study to and some of it is absolutely useless as background music because it demands attention.
So, in no particular order:
1. O’ Children – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
I discovered this while listening to the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 soundtrack. It’s not actually included but I got it separately because I remembered it from the movie. I must admit, the first time I listened it did not really appeal but I think it’s one of those songs that rewards a second and third play.
2. The Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Soundtracks – Alexandre Desplat
I finally got these and have been listening to them incessantly ever since. They are excellent to study to (I’m one of those people who can’t stand dead silence) and some of the tracks are also amazing in their own right. I would particularly recommend the first, Obliviate, in Part 1 and Lily’s Theme in Part 2.
3. Now the Guns Have Stopped – Karl Jenkins
I performed part of the suite this is from a while ago and found it rather unpleasant. Karl Jenkins has an irritating habit of taking about four bars of lovely music and then repeating the melodic idea with the occasional varied note for over four minutes. Certainly, it is an economical way of composing and means that he can produce long cycles and suites from surprisingly little material.
I must confess, however, that I do love this particular song. It’s particularly poignant when you consider the historical context and the effect that the silence of guns had at the end of the First World War.
4. Samson – Regina Spektor
I started listening to Regina Spektor last year but have recently rediscovered her on my Ipod.
5. The Call – Regina Spektor
Carrying on in the same vein, I’ve just started listening to this one again. I sung it last year and tried to avoid it while I was working on my own version but now I get to play hers.
6. Sunset of Gold – Lynn Hilary
I’m a bit of a sucker for nice voices and ballads so this one was always going to make the list. It’s from her solo album and, while it’s not all fabulous, there are some other nice tracks.
7. The Voice – Lisa Kelly
I’ve put The Voice in (sorry about the video quality) but really anything she sings is worth listening to. The Moon’s a Harsh Mistress and Caledonia are also stunning.
8. Ceremonials – Florence and the Machine
Like O’Children, this one took a while to get into but there are some really interesting tracks and it is good to play while cooking or cleaning (a beat is a good motivation).
9. Nightflight – Kate Miller-Heidke
Heidke’s previous album, Curiouser, was also good but I think I prefer the slightly darker tone on the new album. It’s one of the few albums I listen to straight through without skipping and but are a couple of tracks which really stand out. Particularly fine are Sarah, Nightflight, Ride This Feeling, In the Dark, Fire and Iron … and now I’m just listing every track.
10. Killing Bono Original Soundtrack
I’m not usually a fan of rock music but I really did enjoy this one. There’s a nice mix of stuff and some of the acoustic versions are absolutely brilliant. The acoustic of Where We Want to Be is one of my absolute favourites, particularly if I’m feeling a bit stressed.
11. The House That Built Me – Miranda Lambert
I’ve never liked country music but this one did appeal.
12. Wild Mountain Thyme/ Will Ye Go Lassie/ Purple Heather
This one I haven’t been listening to but I have been singing it. I first heard it at the end of the series The Human Body. In the last episode, they feature a German man who, dying of cancer, agreed to be filmed in his final months. Watching it as young kid, it was an early, and invaluable, lesson in how to accept the inevitability of death and in how to die with dignity. Wild Mountain Thyme was sung to him by a friend and his young daughter a few hours before he died. It is still the most beautiful and heartbreaking rendition I have heard.
Spring has arrived at last and the weather is starting to turn. Today was warm, sunny and a welcome change from the overcast, windy or frosty days we’ve been enjoying for the last couple of months.
Unfortunately, I’ve been stuck in front of this computer for the last week doing law assignments but now that they’re finished I’m hoping I’ll be able to get outside. I have been able to look out of my window and see the camellias outside starting to flower but that is rather depressing to know that it’s a nice day on the other side of the glass.
The plum trees in the orchard are also starting to blossom. Unfortunately, they’ve probably been frosted so we don’t expect a good crop this year but it is pretty and adds some colour to the garden.
This picture reminded me of a lovely, if slightly morbid, song by Edvard Grieg. Inspired by Norwegian folk music, the melody is absolutely gorgeous.
I have read a lot of books and enjoyed many/most of them. Some, however, stand out.
I have loved The Lord of the Rings since I was about eight (I’ve probably read it on average two-three times a year since then) and adored Harry Potter. More recent favourites include William Boyd’s Any Human Heart and Elliot Pearlman’s The Street Sweeper, both of which I strongly recommend. The Justice Game would have to be in there as well, probably alongside Michael Kirby’s A Private Life (I just bought the biography by AJ Brown and can’t wait to read it).
I’ve also got a weird little crush on my Contracts text book but that’s probably early-onset Stockholm Syndrome.
I’ve recently cleaned and reorganised my room. I’ve also got a new office chair so I’ve spent the last couple of days at my desk (or at uni) working on my Contracts (law) reading and preparing submissions for mooting (mock court) this evening.
It’s good to finally have a work space away from the family and, more importantly, the television. Sound-proof headphones are not entirely effective and sometimes background noise is incredibly distracting.
Sorry I’ve been off the airwaves for quite a while. I’ve been settling back into uni and starting new courses. Law Revue is starting to get intense and I’ve started mooting (mock court). We won our first moot which was very exciting so now we’ve just got to back it up in the next couple of weeks.
Anyway, here are some thoughts on my English course.
I decided, prompted by my embarrassing ignorance of the subject, to take a course in Australian literature this semester and, while I’m only five weeks in, I have learned so much.
The most surprising thing so far has been reading authors from the late 19th century other than Banjo Paterson and Henry Lawson. Those two are regarded as being the classic authors of the period. They are also, with a certain degree of justification, regarded as being crucial in the development of stereotypes about Australians, particularly men.
We have ignored Paterson and focused on Lawson’s more serious works rather than his comic stories (such as The Loaded Dog) and I have been really struck by how bleak his portrayal of the bush can be. In The Drovers Wife, a woman is left alone in the bush while her husband goes droving and Lawson describes just how difficult life can be in those circumstances. The Bush Undertaker is both funny and confronting in the portrayal of the main character, a man who goes out one Christmas Day to dig up the grave of an Aboriginal because he feels a bit bored.
The other authors we have read, particularly Barbara Baynton and Tasma (I hadn’t heard of either of them), have an even less sentimental view of the bush. They also, refreshingly, focus on the experiences of women. Tasma’s Monsieur Calochefeatures a woman who, disfigured by small pox, dresses as a man and attempts to make a life for herself in Australia (sorry, that is a massive spoiler). Baynton’s Squeaker’s Mate(inBush Studies) is a brutal account of the fate of someone, particularly a woman, who is utterly dependent on others and The Chosen Vessel (also in Bush Studies) takes the situation in Lawson’s The Drover’s Wife but portrays a very different outcome.
As someone who finds the nostalgic, sentimental adulation of the ‘bushman’ intensely irritating, reading alternative perspectives has been incredibly refreshing and I wish they were circulated more widely.
