On the weekend I spent some time at a local Folk Festival joining my fellow ukulele players in belting out some tunes. It was quite hot and there was a north wind so it was dusty and there were flies. These were the conditions we played under when playing this song (see below).

We played two sets, one around lunch time and one in the early evening by which time the wind had dropped and it was a beautiful balmy evening.

It’s great fun to have a sing and a play on the uke and the beauty of playing in a big group is that if you don’t know the chords or the words there’s bound to be enough who do.

This song, however, was a bit different as there were six of us so we all needed to know what we were doing and I think we pulled it off quite well.

This morning we finally arrived at the farmer’s market and did our shopping. We were just about to leave when I heard some live music coming from inside the shed so we went to investigate.

I’d completely forgotten that Paprika Balkanicus were playing there this morning. They’re here as part of the Cabaret Festival. They did remind the audience that they’re normally asleep at that time of the morning but considering that they put on a good performance.

JJ sat down in one spot without moving for the whole set - about half an hour - and he even bought the CD afterwards with his own money. I told him that when anybody asks him what the first CD he ever bought was he’ll be able to say that it was this one.

They were really good fun and I’d recommend seeing them. It was certainly a good start to the day.

While doing my washing I noticed this t-shirt had survived yet another wash. Even though it’s obviously disintegrating I can’t bring myself to throw it away because of the memories it brings back. One day it probably will literally disintegrate, so I’ve documented it.

Back in the early 1990s I spent two years living in England. One of the things I really wanted to do during this time was go to the Reading or Glastonbury festival. I managed to get my two flatmates to come to the Reading Festival with me in 1993 and this is the t-shirt I bought there.

Let me turn it over and show you some of the fantastic bands that played there. We have the Big Day Out here which get some pretty good acts, but nothing like festivals in Europe attract.

Can you read any of these names?

Or these?

Or is your eyesight exceptional enough to make all of these out?

No, probably not, so here’s my attempt at listing them all (some of the names might be wrong because the font used is fairly illegible so please let me know). An asterisk next to ones I saw, or think I saw, or indeed wish I saw.

• Jim Rose Circus Sideshow (I don’t think this went ahead)
• Oilseed Rape
• Magnapop
• Shampoo
• Truman’s Water
• The Posies
• Masters of Reality
• The Pastels
• Jesus Lizard
• Bettie Serveert
• Primus*
• The Juliana Hatfield Three
• Alice Donut
• Paul Westerberg
• Goats
• Big Star
• The Bob Broleys
• The Breeders
• Mother Earth
• The Cherry
• Fishbone*
• Die Cheerleader
• FMB
• Lemonheads*
• Biduac
• Dinosaur Jr*
• Credit to the Nation
• New Order*
• Swervedriver*
• Gigolo Aunts
• Mighty Mighy Bosstones
• Madder Rose
• Drop Nineteens
• Eat
• Family Cat
• Ringmaster
• Blur*
• Radiohead*
• Senseless Things
• Fenn
• Gary Clail’s On U Sound System*
• Ozric Tentacles
• Voodoo Queens
• Therapy? (the question mark is part of the band’s name)
• The Flaming Lips*
• Siouxsie and the Bansehees*
• The The*
• Green Apple Quick Step
• Tool*
• The Doughboys
• Gallon Drunk
• Leatherface
• Bad Brains*
• Senser
• Adorable
• Stone Temple Pilots*
• Babes in Toyland
• Back to the Planet
• Butthole Surfers*
• Chumbawamba
• Neds Atomic Dustbin*
• Rage Against the Machine*(this band was at this year’s Big Day Out)
• The Franks and Walters
• Porno for Pyros*

It’s a pity I don’t remember more of it but sneaking of the bottle of vodka in was probably not a good idea for the memory. I did share the vodka with my two flatmates.

I do remember sleeping three people in a two-man tent amongst hundreds of other tents. I do remember lying in the tent one night and someone pissed on the outside of our tent. I do remember between acts people would light up those disposable foam type containers to make little fires and the awful chemical stench they made. It really wasn’t cold enough to even warrant a fire but the smell of the chemical smoke was really awful.

Despite this, the bands were awesome and I’m so glad I went.

Here’s a taste of New Order’s Round and Round live at Reading Festival 93.

From late February to mid March the Adelaide Fringe was on. I paid to see one Fringe show - Die Roten Punkte which was a really enjoyable show. It had humour and music - both really well done. They’re playing at the Melbourne Comedy Festival which is on now so if you’re in Melbourne I’d recommend seeing them.

So what was I doing for the rest of the Fringe? Well, I was actually participating myself as part of other shows in our local ukulele squad. I kept it pretty quiet in these parts.

Let me say it was a hoot to do and I look forward to doing more as time goes on. See more pics of us here.

The Ultimate Blog Party is being hosted by 5 minutes for mom. I’m being fashionably late as this party started on 7 March and it’s now 13 March. Normally I like to be on time but other events sometimes get in the way.

The truth is I’ve been too damn busy partying to host a party of my own. And it’s too hot to organise and host a party anyway.

My party this week, which I didn’t organise or host, was on Sunday at Womadelaide. Womadelaide has been a staple of mine for the last 13 years or so. Back in 1995 and maybe for the next two Womad’s after that I bought a weekend pass, but back then I was a bit younger and I was childfree so it was a lot easier and a lot different. This time, I bought a day/night ticket for about the same amount as I paid those 13 years ago for a weekend pass. Finances aside, I love Womad. The atmosphere is really embracing and friendly and it’s perfect for a family outing.

This year it was really hot and oh so dusty. It’s the dustiest it’s ever been and the dust really affects me. It affected others too because I saw a lot of people using dust masks and others had scarves around their face. I had a hayfever tablet which did nothing and went through a lot of tissues.

The setting for Womadelaide is perfect though, in Botanic Park which is inundated with huge trees creating plenty of shade. We had a good shady spot near one of the smaller stages but close enough to Stage 1 to hear the main acts. This year was a case of hearing a lot more music rather than seeing it. You could argue that I could just buy the best of CD but CDs don’t come with an atmosphere plugin.

JJ loved it. He wasn’t too keen to go initially because of the heat but after we’d seen Black Grace (a fabulous NZ dance act) and were walking back to base camp he announced that he was having the best fun EVER. And I must say that he was amazing. The worst thing he did was nag me to go to the mist tents and could he please have an icecream now? I am used to tuning out a lot of these requests so it didn’t bother me too much.

Another thing I love about Womad that takes place outside of the music on the stages is the roving performances and the art that’s created at the workshops.

You can see my other Womadelaide photos.

You can also read what I’ve written about Womadelaide 2007, Womadelaide 2005 part 1 and Womadelaide 2005 part 2.

So this Womadelaide thing was only one day since 7 March, but I had Monday to recover (thank goodness for long weekends) and I’ve been at work ever since. But I think Womadelaide is enough of a party and feast for the senses for you all.

Ooh, I know my headline is a bold statement but I think it’s so true. Of course others may not agree with me but I dare you to listen to or read these lyrics and not be moved.

The below is part of the song. Who is this?

….
And she floats upon the breeze
She moves among the flowers
She moves something deep inside of me.

I was walking around the flower show like a leper
Coming down with some kind of nervous hysteria
When I saw you standing there, green eyes, black hair
Up against the pink and purple wisteria
You said, hey, nature boy, are you looking at me
With some unrighteous intention?
My knees went weak, I couldn’t speak, I was having thoughts
That were not in my best interests to mention…

…And we moved through the days and through the years
Years passed by, we were walking by the sea
Half delirious
You smiled at me and said, Babe
I think this thing is getting kind of serious
You pointed at something and said
Have you ever seen such a beautiful thing?
It was then that I broke down
It was then that you lifted me up again…

Every time I hear this song I just want someone to sing it to me and mean it. It doesn’t even have to be singing, it can be saying and it doesn’t even have to be these words, it could be something similar said with the same passion with which these words are sung.

Who is it? Have you guessed yet? That’s right, it’s Nick Cave’s ‘Nature Boy’ from the fantastic double album Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus.

Go on, go and get a copy and listen to it, read the lyrics and don’t tell me you weren’t moved.

I’m not normally a love song kind of girl but with words and music like this I can’t resist.

What’s your favourite love song and why?

This is priceless. It was first sent to my via my email and then I happened upon the 7.30 Report the other night where a story was done about these dancers.

They are the Chooky dancers, a group of young Aboriginals from northern Australia.

Because of the video being posted to YouTube and their fairly instant notoriety they may be going to Greece next year and they sure know how to dance. They are also working up dances from other cultures which I can’t wait to see.

Direct link to Zorba the Greek Yolngu style.