rainbowtatt

Actually, it was Steve Clisby, the man with a voice like melted butter.

He was a guest vocalist at that Haiti fundraiser I went to at The Basement a few weeks ago.

And an OH HAI at keyboardist Darryl Beaton (on the far left), who delivered a major flashback to my toe-tapping heydeys of Riva and Umbrella Red and the Riverside Brasserie. Zomg I’m so ollllllllllld.

Gawd, do I feel like the odd one out right now.

I can see why the clip is getting so much attention, but… yeah… you won’t hear the same raving from me.

Although I give props for the cigarette-laden sunnies.

But now I’m scared that I’m going to get the song stuck in my head.

George Michael.

George Michael.

George Michael.

Amen.

The man lived up to all my expectations. And exceeded them.

Yes, George is getting old, but it didn’t matter when he was singing or swinging his hips. Nicky and I spent the night swooning and trying to spot the paunch he’s attempting to hide by wearing a jacket.

No words will do last night justice. But it was worth re-injuring my sore foot, injuring my other one and the sheer exhaustion.

Awe. Some.

(and yes, I cried happy tears while he was on stage)

X5DTREHMUG8S

Zomg!!!!!!11!!!!!11111one!!1

*happy dance*

Apparently he’s already been spotted out at Catalina’s at Rose Bay and a hot tip for the upcoming Mardis Gras.

His first concert is done and dusted and there weren’t complaints a-la Britney Spears when she toured here last year. So now  I can really get excited.

I’ve lost my long-distance glasses; I went to the optom and ordered a new pair today that’ll be ready in time for Friday night.

All I have to do now is wait:

It took me a LONG time to get into Ben Folds’ music. I really only picked up in the last year or so.

Rockin’ the Suburbs is my favourite Ben Folds album.

Ben is one of the few artists that Dan and I both like enough to see in concert together. So when we found out he was coming to the Sydney Opera House we were like giggling school girls. We bought tickets for the first two concerts.

I also love the Way To Normal fake leak album.

The first gig was on Monday night and we had brilliant seats on the side of the stage:

I spent the entire gig wide-eyed and open-mouthed at how amazingly talented he is.

Just, wow.

I have the opening of ‘Zak and Sara’ as my ringtone.

Last night our seats weren’t quite as good, but we enjoyed the front-on perspective:

The setlist was varied enough for us to be just as wide-eyed and open-jawed for the second night in a row.

He told stories about his new album, with lyrics written by Nick Hornby; he sang two songs, Picture Window and Levi Johnston’s Blues, a song about the father of Bristol Palin’s baby.

He was funny, intelligent, humble, thankful, thoughtful AND TOTALLY KICKASS.

We got home last night and bought tickets for his final Sydney show on Sunday night. We have front row in the choir section, meaning we’ll have some of the best seats for a gig featuring a man and a piano.

I. CAN’T. WAIT.

Last Thursday I popped along to Notes Live Newtown to see Rai Thistlethwayte (a.k.a Mr Thirsty Merc).

Manda very bravely came along with me and managed to put up with me while we had dinner at Italian Bowl on King Street then wandered back down Enmore Road to “Sydney’s newest live venue”. Nice venue, but reminds me a bit of a wedding function centre.

Needless to say, Rai is a very clever boy; he owned the piano and keyboards and his voice is just… wow. I found it easier to get into the funkier stuff, though – not surprising for a girl like me who loves rhythm guitar.

Best part about the venue is that it’s very intimate and Rai was amongst the crowd before and after the show. Noice!

This is what I spent most of the night looking at… Rai’s bum!

I don’t know what’s worse, deciding to download Don’t Cha by the Pussycat Dolls, or discovering I already had it.

BUT! Did you know the song was actually written by Sir Mix-a-Lot? Yeah, that guy.

Since I was in high school, I told myself that if anyone from My List toured Australia I would have to find a way to go. By hook or by crook. No matter what.

Those people?

• James Brown
• Stevie Wonder
• George Michael

James Brown toured Australia about a year before he died. And I still regret not going, even though his gig was only 2 suburbs from where I was living at the time.

So then I heard that Stevie’s touring this October, and I knew I had to do better this time.

So I’ve bought myself a Diamond (ie $200) ticket to see Stevie at Acer Arena October 22nd. Own my own. Yes, I’m taking a leaf from Gus’ book and taking myself. I don’t know anyone else who’d want to go with me and spend that amount of money, so it was easier to just nerd it up on my own.

So now I have 3 months to listen to the albums and get myself psyched up. Bring it on!

Postscript: Turns out this pic of Stevie is from a rally where he showed his support for Barack Obama and his presidential campaign. The very same Obama who this week scored a basket from the 3pt line in front of a shitload of media during is Middle East tour. I want to move to America just so I can vote for him. Especially when you consider we finally voted this prick out last year:

Tonight I’m off to another musical event with Gus – Altar Boyz at the Seymour Centre.

I would like to clarify that I had no intention of going, considering my religious employ and the upcoming Popey events rendering me religiously overloaded. But then Gus facebooked me last month with “I totally think we have to go see this. I saw them doing a song called “God Put The Rhythm In Me” (very N Sync), and one of them kept screaming “Put It In Me” and pointing at his butt”.

HOW COULD WE NOT GO AND SEE THIS MASTERPIECE.

About 2 months ago Gus and I went with Jan to see Jon Stevens and Tania Doko and Jack Jones/Irwin Thomas at Burwood RSL, which can be best described with this pic:

In the email conversation we’re having about the final arrangements before tonight, I added “hope you’re bringing 4 mobile devices with you this time, just to make it interesting”. And he’s replied with “Does a laptop with built-in Next G count?”.

Um, yes, I think it does. I may even get to Plurk while I’m at Altar Boyz, score!

*There is a poster outside the Seymour Centre saying Altar Boyz is a “Holy hit!” It is begging for me to spraypaint an extra “s” in the middle there

New music I’ve downloaded today:

Carole King – How can I not love someone who is willing to appear on The Colbert Report? Her voice is still awesome even though it’s 30 years since her heyday. Stupid me didn’t realise she’s the “Natural Woman” chick, a song that I sang a gazillion times back in the days when I had singing lessons. So I got her best of album from 1978, I figured it’s the safest buy, although Tapestry seems to be her ultimate album.

Axle Whitehead - Yes, he’s the guy who was on Idol, then hosted Video (s)Hits, then dropped his pants on TV and was promptly ditched by Channel 10. Funny to see him on Video Hits in the form of a video clip and “dial 1900 suckit to win a signed single”. But I love this song of his “I Don’t Do Surprises” and can even deal with the fact that he sounds like the Coldplay guy in parts of the song. Not a bad video clip either.

Newton Faulkner - He was on Video Hits this morning too, and played Teardrop (the Massive Attack song) on his acoustic. Very cool, although he sounds like a character from The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe. I grabbed his album “Hand Built by Robots” and have already done the washing up to half of the album. I liked it. I think I have soft spot for him because of the dreads.

Gabriella Cimli - Never heard of her, but discovered she’s an Aussie (a Melbournite, but I won’t hold that against her) who’s been living in the UK for a few years and is only bloody 16 (way to make me feel old, kid). She’s hot in her video clip and her voice is what I would say is typical of what I like in a female vocal. I read somewhere that she might be compared to Amy W(h)inehouse – please god, no. I found a clip of her singing her single “Sweet About Me” on Later… With Jools Holland and turned it into an mp3.

Right-click > save as Gabriella Cilmi – Sweet About Me (Live on Jools Holland) | MP3 | 3.43