Ready? OK!

Ok, ready to blog again.

Whoops, many slips and mistakes in the past two months or so.

People ask why I sometimes disappear for unusually long periods of time. Or tell them stuff only when they’re well and truly over and solved.

Uh…. ’cause that’s how I like it. That’s how I deal. Ha.

Aaaanyway, funny story. Being the concertandmusicnerd I am, I woke up at 7am five days before the official release (hence, pre-sale) date for the Maroon 5 concert (just to catch Brandi Carlile in action again of course)… and scored 5th row tickets in front of the stage.

….. and let them go. I stared at the screen for a bit, and let them go. Sure, there were tears involved, but Mum’s right – your heart can only be devoted to one thing at a time.

No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money

Matthew 6:24

 

And in that verse, ‘money’ can be replaced by anything. Boo. I know my idol is music. I stopped being music-obsessed for a certain period, but I know I’ve devoted a good amount of time to finding good music and checking out unsigned artistes in the past month or so. As usual, Mum had to sit me down and tell me it’s really up to me to choose who and what I give my heart to. In short, what you spend your time doing, little by little you give your heart over to.

So, I’m consciously trying to pull back on my gig-going and music- and vinyl-hunting. It’s hard. And it sounds silly. But it’s not. Silly, I mean. But thank goodness I didn’t chuck out my vinyls like Mum suggested. Haha, otherwise Fred(die Mercury) would be very sad, lonely and hungry.

Oh, Fred has a new sister! (GRIN). And she has friends! S, M, and A.

Pause.

Haha, I laugh to myself. And I realise I am quite strange.

Sigh, anyway, glad to be back in Singapore, even if the humidity makes me sticky all day which makes me feel like I have to wash my hands all the time.

Uhm, whoa, got a crazy number of hits on the previous post. Guess everyone was looking for a review of BrandiCarlile’s melbourne gig (: Sorry, don’t think I’ll be posting my video recordings from the gig to YouTube ’cause I think almost every ‘Hallelujah’ video has been removed, with this disclaimer in its place: “no longer available due to a copyright claim by Sony BMG”. Plus, there are enough ‘The Story’ videos going around. That said, I think she brings something different to the song, and each song for that matter, every time she performs, so… go watch her live! (:

And hahaha, no, I don’t really know how to make a bootleg record.

Brandi Carlile in Melbourne

at the Northcote Social Club 12.11.07

Whoo!
The gorgeous Brandi Carlile definitely didn’t – and can’t ever, I think – disappoint in her first Aussie gig! Her energy was amazing, even if she was (like we were) already familiar with her gigidiosyncrasies.

I think I exemplified the perfect gig idiot, bubbling over with excitement and missing her twice when she walked one foot away from me before and after the gig. Heh. One row from the stage, I was hoping to catch one of her green guitar picks, haha but to no avail. IDs were checked, we stood for the whole hour or more, beer was spilt on me, I illegally recorded parts of the gig (hey that’s how bootleg records come about ok!), she bantered with the crowd, we sang along… It was the perfect intimate gig.

The setlist:
My Song
Wasted
Late Morning Lullaby
Until I Die
Have You Ever
Josephine
Unplugged: How These Days Grow Long
(Bohemian Rhapsody)
Love Songs
Creep
Turpentine
Downpour
Fakelastsong: The Story!
Folsom Prison Blues
Pride and Joy
Hallelujah

Well well well, she treated us to her famouslyamazinglybeautiful renditions of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ and Radiohead’s ‘Creep’. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone belt out those classic tunes so brilliantly. Her voice is incredibly rich and… honest. I would rave about and review each song but you’d have to experience her live to catch a glimpse of her true musicality. Happysigh (:

Tim Hanseroth and Brandi Carlile

Her bandmates were talented (and cute) as ever. We did that funny splitupandsinglikeachoir thing and I got Phil’s part! HAHA, it was hilarious! He can reach notes unimaginable. JoshNeuman’s instrumental opening to ‘Creep’ was goosebump-inducing

Josh Neuman on the cello

Phil Hanseroth on bass

The lovely BCarlile stayed behind to chat to everyone after, something I think she won’t be able to do once she starts selling out venues here (she’d get mobbed, hahaha)! Of course I started babbling nonsensically like an absolute fool in front of her. But weirdly geeky as I was, she promised to sign my vinyl (which arrived ONE DAY too late) anyway the next time she comes in autumn (GRIN).

Best gig EVER (yet)!

Edit: previous post here