14/03/2011

Karoshi Album Launch

As a response to Adrian's repeated hinting (who says men don't nag?) I am writing this here review of our splendiforous Saturday night soiree.

I think it would be universally agreed that we had a delightful time sharing music around the fairy lights at Tone.

Some highlights of the evening were as follows:

Ellie, Cherry and I wore our matching purple paisley dresses and $4 gold swan earrings and impressed Jack Colwell. (Yes!)

The music was all good.

Jack Colwell and the Owls were wonderful - especially loved the flute and the recorder. We were greatly inspired by the very very rock 'n roll tambourine playing. Lovely people!

Scissor Lock vs Cleptoclectics were great - they sat facing each other and battled it out with dramatic soundscapes. Also very lovely people.

Andrew Maxam's DJ-ing was just what you would expect from him - catchy, irresistable with just the right amount of darkness and light... and ukulele! I particularly liked his own track "Loose Swamp Riddim". This is a must-hear-before-you-go-deaf kind of experience.

Telafonica? We had a ball! Even though our performance involved straining into the foldback abyss to hear our own individual contributions, we were all nice and cosy on stage and playing together. We may not value perfection but we do cherish togetherness and it was a whole big mess of fun! We whipped out a newbie - Blake's song "There's Something About Your Face" which is very Blake delicious, of course, so very exciting to perform. I also really enjoyed Sister Zephyr. I get to play AJE's BeepIt which is a handheld theremin. I like playing instruments that ask very little of you and give so much in return.
People seemed to enjoy it which is a big encouragement. I think the best compliment came from one of the bar tenders who was clearing a table near to Ellie and I afterwards. She said she really enjoyed hearing something different. Usually the people who run these places are fairly detached so it was very humbling to have one of them notice and respond to what we do.

Karoshi were, as always, sparklingly beautiful. Whenever I listen to them I am overwhelmed by joy. And that marimba! The skill with which Yvonne (? sorry, is that correct?) played that thing was astounding. It was fantastic.

And Tone is a really, really nice venue. For musicians, it is easy to load in, has a great space "backstage" and the people who run it treat you like you're human (very generous with drink tickets too). For everyone, the room is lovely and nooksy, the bar an almost central part of the space and not a little barricade to the side. And the toilets were clean! Most most important when your band has a girl to boy ratio of 3 to 2.

A night of bliss.

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