| Update. |
[Jul. 9th, 2009|06:40 am] |
Life is pretty swell at the moment. Not sleeping much still, but nothing like what was going on a couple of entries a go..it's more out of a necessity to get things done. Ridiculously busy at the moment, can tell someone where I'll be pretty much every day for the next 3-4 weeks as I've got something constantly going on, and in keeping with my self-imposed insanity, will soon be heaping more into my life.
Sam (housemate and guitarist) and I have often talked about buying a house together, or doing something to set ourselves up a little more in life. Over the last couple of weeks we've started talking in earnest about starting our own business with some practice rooms for bands and it's starting to look really positive. Like, looking for factories to put the business in kind of positive. We've managed to get some "investors" interested in putting up about $50,000 in funding for the project and are sourcing materials/factories on almost a daily agenda.
Defamer is heading to Melbourne in three weeks which is going to be amazing. Have been wanting to play to my home crowd for years now, and this is a great time to be doing it. We've written some new songs lately that are insanely evil, can't wait to play them live. Also have two HUGE shows to announce soon, which have got us really excited.
Really getting excited about going to Japan, especially as it looks like I can hook us up wit a show whilst over there seeming as 4/5 of Defamer will be there. Reading up a lot lately on etiquette which is making me laugh/quiver.
Shellfin launch two weeks ago was huuuuuge. One of the biggest nights we've had at Rosies in a long time and we sold a fuckton of merch. A rock writer for one of the street presses told me in confidence that he thinks its one of the best rock releases Brisbane has seen in a decade, which is a pretty big call, but great for the ego all the same. We'll be sold out of the CD very soon which is fantastic, time to start focusing on a full length album.
Women status is back to where I usually am when not in a full time relationship. Would like to make more time for those delectable creatures, but it takes more time than I've got. As usual theres confusion from the ladies as to why my silly metal pursuits are in the way, and no amount of explaining will get the message through, but the dream survives that one day I can have both...although that fire is dying to a rather cynical (almost depressing) flicker. |
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| Tonight |
[Jun. 26th, 2009|12:57 am] |
Hey all, posted this earlier on, but just a reminder about tonight, some good rock'n'roll on offer for you all!!
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| Interesting. |
[Jun. 23rd, 2009|08:24 pm] |
Been on a bit of health kick these last few weeks. I've sworn off alcohol, started eating better and exercising a little after work. Trying to do a bit more physical stuff at work to so thats adding to the fray. Been feeling great, lost a few kg's, enjoying a very clear head and a non-bloated feeling from all the beer....but with it has come a strange side effect.
Sleep deprivation. In the last 96 hours I've only had about 10 hours sleep, usually from about 2-5am when I get up for work. I'm not sure why this is. I thought i'd be sleeping better with a health kick. I often tell people who marvel at my busy schedule that if I don't work my ass off (mentally/physically) then I can't sleep because My Head Just Won't Stop Working....but I've been finding it worse lately.
I can work 9 hours at my job, come home and work my freaking guts out on the computer for my metal club or pimping my band. I'm not having microsleeps and I'm very clear in my work...but I still find it impossible to get sleep. But today I started to notice that colours were becoming a lot more, I dunno, vibrant? They seem to swirl a bit as I was driving home. I've had a couple of people ring me up to confirm questions that I don't remember asking. I've found things of mine in strange places with a post it note explaining what to do with it, but I don't know why I just didn't do it when I put it there. I've even found myself standing in rooms of my house completely unaware of why I went there...or when I went there, coming back to the computer to find conversations on MSN I don't remember starting.
Just now my head has got insanely woozy. For the first time in about 4 and a half days I feel tired. But not tired...I mean tired. My eyelids feel like they have strings attached to my kneecaps, my head (although it is rather large anyway) feels like its made of granite and my fingers seem to be moving in slow motion on this keyboard, although my ears tell me they're typing faster than normal.
But behind all this, my mind literally feels like a new wheel of a sportscar, speeding through a desert. It feels competent, sure of itsself, determined and hungry. I sit here and will a small nap to come on, but the noise and constant thought flowing in the middle of my brain Just Won't Quit.
What the hell is happening to me. |
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| This Friday night |
[Jun. 21st, 2009|07:42 am] |
Hey all, hope you can take a few seconds to check out the myspace...would appreciate some feedback!
My stoner rock band Shellfin is launching our debut EP "Stay For Tea" this Friday night at MONSTROTHIC @ Rosies Live on Edward st...we have new tracks on the myspace:
SHELLFIN MYSPACE, PLEASE HAVE A LISTEN!
Here's a sexy flyer for you:
Hope you can make it! |
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| Compulsive much? |
[Jun. 11th, 2009|09:26 am] |
Got an email from Jetstar offering really cheap "2 for 1" deals from the Gold Coast to Japan. I forwarded it to my housemate/guitarist/man-wife Sam with a semi-joking "Lets go get azn". He emailed me back almost straight away "Keen, lets talk tonight".
$400 each (return!) later we've booked a 10 day trip to Japan, and some other bandmates Tim and Krist have got their own flights as well.
So incredibly excited. |
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| New Shellfin tracks up! |
[May. 29th, 2009|07:54 am] |
zomg! new tracks up on our myspace, please check them out! Really happy with how its come out, new singer is amazing.
http://www.myspace.com/shellfinmusic
Shellfin have uploaded two new tracks to our myspace from our soon-to-be-released EP "Stay For Tea". Recorded live in the studio to catch the groovin' dirty style in its truest form, the tracks are rockier than your average quarry.
The EP will be available from us at shows, with the launch show booked for Friday June 26th @ Monstrothic (Rosies Live on Edward), where we'll be rocking out alongside Brisbane rockers Rollerball as they launch a new album.
Hope you enjoy!
http://www.myspace.com/shellfinmusic
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| Floods |
[May. 21st, 2009|11:25 pm] |
Had an sms from loch saying something like "ptc front yard is one big puddle" and didn't think much of it.
Left work at around 130pm, driving home up Kessels Rd and some warning message comes up on my dash. I pull over and wait for a bit, start her up again and same message and the engine is shaking like a son of a bitch. Luckily (for me) there was an accident just down the road from me so tow trucks are everywhere, so I get a lift to Barton City Holden to drop the still under warranty ute off.
Along the way I call Lochlan and ask him to bring my other car to the dealership for a lift home.
We turn into our street and are greeted by this sight:
So we park way up on the hill and made our way into the house, this is a picture of me surveying the damage whilst comforting myself with a friendly Old:
Where I'm standing is where my other car would've been parked. If my ute hadn't of had engine problems it would have been sitting there as the water rose and would have been fuuuuucked. But in the 30-40 mins it took Lochlan to drive to the gabba and back, it rose from a puddle to ballsdeep.
When Sam got home we did the only thing you can do, drink. We had a mate come around for an adventure who brought us another slab and we just smashed on into the night. At around 9pm we thought it would be a SWEET idea to go wading through the flood waters. We put shit clothes on and waded out into the middle of our road, which was about thigh deep. We walked down the road in the pitch black (obviously all the power was out) and got to the bottom of the road, where it was stomach deep. Down here there were signs that cars had been well and truly submerged as they had a lot of river silt on them. Deciding to go on, we headed down towards the organic markets which constantly floods and is very near to Enoggera creek. Down here at parts it was chest high and there were cars strewn all across the road, some with windows smashed and general chaos everywhere.
We started walking back up the road intending to make a full block of it and started to notice that a current was starting to build...what started as a gentle tugging at our feet soon became a very heavy river current which we had to lean into with all our body weight to move through. We had to have a break about halfway up a road which would normally take 2-3 mins to walk up, as Lochlan sat on a stranded car getting his wind back. We surged on with me dragging/supporting Loch as his non-meat eating frame struggled a little bit. The cars ahead had white water surging around them like a river bed, the current was that strong. A few cops spotted us and were yelling at us to go back, but we were having to much fun trying to kill ourselves. We eventually powered on into a dudes yard that was completely under water and escaped the torrent onto a side street.
Probably the dumbest thing I've ever been involved in, but fuck it makes for a good story. |
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| lol |
[Apr. 30th, 2009|08:15 am] |
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| update |
[Apr. 28th, 2009|05:39 am] |
Can't wait for this weekend. Going to PERTH for the first time ever! Defamer are playing two shows over that way on Fri/Sat and apparently the first one is going to be absolutely massive. Perfect time for there to be a public holiday as well when we come back, gives me a day to catch up on the emails and relax.
The following weekend my mother dearest is coming to stay in Brisbane for a few days. Think we're going to do some touristy things like go to ol'mate Steve Irwins Zoo and possibly down the coast to one of the amusement parks.
The breakup with MJ has gone fine. I think there has been minimal angst and we've maintained a decent friendship, the band and some...physical enjoyment on a very casual basis so couldn't get much more out of that. My organisation has gone through the roof with all this extra time. I'm way ahead on my shows, band promo and general extra-curricular stuff...already finding myself with spare time, something that LITERALLY did not exist when having a girlfriend at the same time.
At the same time....a certain cute girl is already grabbing my attention and is refusing to let go...
Bit of shit news is that one of the fella's that runs Obsidian Records (theres only three of us) quit this week. This is devastating news as he was simply amazing at what he did and was seemingly tireless. Alas real life has gotten in the way and some frustrations with certain aspects of the business got him in the end so we bid him sadly farewell.
Monstrothic is proving to be endlessly frustrating. The Brisbane metal scene is so damn fickle...one week we'll have nearly 300 payers for a bit of a "meh" lineup, then the next week we'll have an absolutely stellar show with some of the nations top talent and barely get over 150. Suppose I should be happy, we've only slipped below 100 on one show and thats more than what I can say for most clubs around the place at the moment.
Onwards, I struggle. |
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| That'll learn me! |
[Apr. 12th, 2009|02:57 pm] |
Having a great easter weekend.
Hurt my shoulder really bad, got rego due real soon and broke up with MJ literally 5 minutes before walking on stage last night.
Show was fun though. |
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| SO KEEN |
[Apr. 9th, 2009|06:51 am] |
Finally locked in all the details.
Coming to see you Sol! Never been to Perth, this is going to be exciting.
Friday May 1st and Saturday 2nd in PERTH
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| The eternal battle. |
[Apr. 8th, 2009|06:44 am] |
Every now and then you need to stand up, look them square in the eye and say "Enough is enough, shut the fuck up."
Christ I can't wait for this long weekend, I'm going to chillax so hard there'll be icicles hanging off my nose by the end of it. |
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| ohhaihai |
[Mar. 12th, 2009|11:11 am] |
Is anyone coming along to see Mythology on Friday night? I will be there, hope to see some of you :)
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| TODAY!! |
[Mar. 1st, 2009|08:28 am] |
Hey guys, got this benefit gig organised for today, hope to see a few people there
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| An update. |
[Feb. 26th, 2009|06:03 am] |
Life has been real good lately. Like real good.
- MJ and I are getting along great guns. About three months ago there was constant whinging/fighting which just about had me throwing my hands up in the air with despair, but I think I learned to be a bit more sensitive...and she learned not to BE so sensitive. I know I'm like a bull in a china shop, something I constantly have to remind myself of, but she was like a paper crane that had been doused in rain, ready to crumble at all times with the shortest of warning.
We booked a holiday down to a resort on the Gold Coast about three months ago without thinking about what date we did it on, imagine our embarrassment when we realised we'd booked it over the Valentines Weekend. The amount of "AWWWWWWWWWW"'s I received from people was truly rage inspiring. It rained most of the time we were down there, but that didn't stop us going surfing/swimming/shopping etc etc, a little bit of water never killed anyone.
- Obsidian went through a bit of a rough patch for a while there. The founding member just stopped seeming to care and was doing no work whatsoever, myself and the Jase were unsure how to deal with it until I just snapped and sent a really angry email to which Jase sent an even angrier/longer follow up. As can be expected from someone of Jimmy's awesomeness, he pulled his socks up and has been working his guts out on all the things (and theres a LOT) he's let slip over the past few months and is slowly getting on top of everything. We did some reorganisation within the ranks to suit the changing need of the business which is also helping a lot.
- Defamer continues to be amazing. More and more shows being booked as promoters/bands clamour to play with us is doing wonders for our ego and bank account. On top of that we've already started to write the second album which will have a theme running through it but not-so-far as to call it a concept album (cos they're gay and never work in metal) which Tim (vocals) revealed to us last week. The album will be about the Apocalypse, but from Satan's point of view...a nice spin on an overdone idea I think. We wrote what we believe will be the final epic closer of the album called "THE END IS HIS", one of the slower more doomier songs we've written. I love it.
- Shellfin, the band you guys on LJ might actually like haha, just recorded an EP that I'm pretty excited to hear. This band is also getting gig offers thrown at us left right and centre (in Brisbane) especially since we added a new singer...who can actually sing haha. Boyd Potts of 'neath stepped in after the last fuckwit got booted, and he's doing an amazing job. Good to have such a great pal in the band, making it 4 really good people instead of just 3 with one hanger-onerer.
- Day job is going fine. Doing pretty well through the economic crisis, but I think the company that own us aren't doing great due to the fact they do a lot of importing (a shit business to be in when the aussie dollar is so weak). Got a couple of staffing issues that is giving me the shits, but nothing really SoulPaverMan worthy haha.
LASTLY
I've organised a bushfire benefit show for this Sunday @ Rosies Live. I've got 8 bands playing for free, Billy Hydes has donated a drumkit for the bands to use and an acoustic guitar to auction off, a free sausage sizzle, the venue staff is working for free and so is the DJ/Soundguy. $10 entry and the whole door cost will go to the Red Cross Appeal. Hopefully should be a big one, come along if you're not doing anything around 3pm-late this sunday!
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| Album launch |
[Jan. 20th, 2009|05:38 am] |
Well the album launch couldn't have gone much better. We had over 300 people in the venue and one of the most intense mosh pits I've ever had the pleasure of playing to. Dudes were falling over the barriers onto the stage and guys were crowd surfing right over the top of everyone as well, we even managed to get some DEFAMER! chants going.
We made enough off the door to pay off our entire album thus rendering us debt free for the coming tours, which will take us to Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Geelong, Adelaide and Perth in the next 3 months.
We had four dudes there filming it with high-def camera's so hopefully in a few months we can also release a DVD. |
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| If you were ever going to come to one of my gigs.... |
[Jan. 10th, 2009|10:09 am] |
Well, this is it.
The big one.
After four tours, two demos, three bass players and three international supports....the Defamer album is finally ready to be given birth to.
I kind of feel like a proud Daddy sending his boy off to school. You hope the other kids are nice, you hope the older kids aren't to mean and you hope he grows up big and famous and does is parents proud.
One review has already scored us 7 our ot 10 and said "very impressive (if not a bit rough) debut and definitely a band to watch" which is very encouraging.
So anyways....our launch for this album is next Friday (the 16th of January) and if you guys could be able to come along it'd mean alot!
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| Shellfin!!!! |
[Nov. 19th, 2008|07:28 am] |
So a few of you got to see my stoner rock band when we were gigging earlier this year with our then singer Antz and most were pretty straight up in saying we were great except for him.
After kicking his ass to the curb we've got ourselves a new singer and will be debuting him Wednesday December 10th @ The Step Inn at a FREE show.
This guy really can wail and puts the band back on track with its groovin' fun tunes.
Hope some of you can make it!!
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| Life Update |
[Nov. 11th, 2008|07:27 am] |
So things in life are pretty cruisy, some big changes and some big things coming up soon...long overdue for an update.
What's that, a girlfriend?!?!?
Yeah, go figure eh....someone could put up with my shit long enough to want to date me?! For some months it was pretty obvious there was a mutual attraction growing between MJ (bass player in my rock band Shellfin) and after cautious beginnings it's become a full blown dating kinda thingy. Makes sense to me being that she's smart, fun, a (real) metalhead, kind, caring and not to mention gorgeous:
So yeah, all good on that front. Makes it easy having a girlfriend who not only is in a band with me but fully understands and appreciates the work I'm doing with the label.
Speaking of the label...
Very soon we Obsidian lads are applying for a $30,000 loan from the NAB to take our business to the next step. Bands from all over the country want to sign to us and we want to look after everyone as best as possible. To do that we need to organise tours, pay for promotion, buy more stock and do everything we can to push the label. Running the weekly Monstrothic gigs is proving an endless challenge with a steep learning curve, whilst providing a good source of income for us to continually push the Australian metal scene.
Defamer
The album has been finished in terms of tracking as Tim just layed down his final vocals on the weekend. Ean our engineer started mixing over the weekend and shouldn't be to far away from giving us a good mix to listen to. Once thats done, it's time for mastering, and then it's time for pressing/printing....then I gotta get my pimp on haha.
We've got a Brisbane launch gig lined up for January next year, then Melbourne in February, Sydney/Canberra in March, Perth hopefully as well in March and then Melbourne/Adelaide in April. At some stage we'd love to do Japan/NZ but that won't happen until 2010 I'd say.
Shellfin
Our little rock band continues quite healthily along after the infuriating actions of our last singer Antz. We had to put up with 2-3 months of abusive emails/myspace/sms messages from the fuckwad, but he's finally got the point and leaving us alone with famous last words 'you'll never get a better singer than me' which is gonna come back to haunt him.....our new singer is one of Brisbanes most respected vocalists who'll make his debut with us Wednesday December 10th @ The Step Inn, it's gonna roooooock.
Work
Continues to chug along just fine. This economy crisis has hurt us a little bit as sales are down from last years busy season, but we're still making money so it's ok. Will probably get a long break over christmas which will be greatly appreciated.
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