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1977
I bought my first music in 1975 with money of my own. That was just four 45rpm records and I don’t recall my next purchase. I just remember I bought the second Captain and Tenille album and maybe that was my first one? I’m not totally sure.
It was probably more like 1977 when I started to become a more proper music fan. By this time I was doing a bit of babysitting and earning my own money so control of my listening habits was shifting to what might be expected when one is nearly a teenager.
Another thing that may or may not have any influence is that we moved from Atlanta to Charlotte at the end of 1976. I think my understanding of the world really increased during this time period so it may be a by-product of my recognition of what was happening in the world. Or maybe it’s just a coincidence due to my age at the time.
I return to The Eagles again thanks to the song New Kid in Town, which I think must have resonated with me. Not that I was really listening closely to lyrics then but I was a new kid so it seemed an apt song. Another song that I strongly remember was Year of the Cat by Al Stewart.
Weirdly I got really attached to the song You Light up My Life by Debby Boone. It was hugely popular for many weeks so it was easy to get a bit obsessed. This was one of those songs that I liked then but I am rather indifferent to now. I wasn’t a religious person then so I guess it didn’t really have lasting power. I didn’t see it as religious at the time though, so I guess something about it reached me.
It was in 1977 I was listening to a local pop music station. That summer they sponsored a reading program where if you read a certain number of books they would give you six singles. I don’t recall the reading but I was taken to the station to get my records and I have a vague memory of standing in line with all the other teens. I got my records and I think I still have them today. I can’t recall all of them but I think one was Low Down by Boz Scaggs and Best of my Love by the Emotions. The one I remember the best was Undercover Angel by Alan O’Day. When I find my old records I will have to figure out the other three songs. Everyone got a different set of singles so it was all a random sort of thing.
I carried on doing babysitting jobs in the neighborhood and so continued to have some spending money. It was around this time I bought the first album that influenced me in any big way and it was not even a regular album but a compilation. Love Songs by the Beatles was released in late 1977 and I bought it because I liked some of the Beatles songs I heard on the radio. This was my entry point to becoming a Beatles fan. I used to listen that album all the time and it still is a sentimental favorite of mine even though it’s not one of their proper records. I think I must have the album still for that reason. Well, I think I brought it to Australia but those records are packed away in the closet at the moment. It would still be a few years before I came to know the proper albums by the group in any way.
The Bee Gees hit it big in 1977 too, with the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever, a movie I still have never seen even though it’s supposed to be a good one. I have seen a few bits here and there when it’s replayed on tv but just have never watched it. The music, on the other hand is still pretty prominent in my memory. I already liked some of the Bee Gees music at this time although their shift to disco music was a bit of a surprise as it was a quite different from songs from their early days. That said I think they had a couple records before this that were already moving into this style. I have never owned this album but I do have the songs that were popular on a compilation album somewhere. Well, I don’t think I still have the vinyl so maybe I don’t own it now.
This was also the year that Billy Joel became a big thing. The album The Stranger was everywhere and these songs were also being played constantly. Just the Way You Are was the biggest song but I latched onto She’s Always a Woman at the time instead. I think some of the songs got played so much I was a bit tired of it. These days I can appreciate it all much more than I did then, and maybe I will actually buy a copy of the album one day. It almost came to pass that I saw him in concert that year but for some reason I didn’t go. I later became a big Billy Joel fan so I do regret that I didn’t go then since it’s unlikely I will be able to afford a ticket even if I am in the right place at the right time.
Which leads me to considering my first concert, Shaun Cassidy. To be honest I don’t recall much of his music but I think the concert was that year and he was popular and my mom took me and I enjoyed it. Most of his music was cover songs and I did like the songs a lot. But Shaun Cassidy wasn’t my main teen idol. Instead it was Andy Gibb, who I loved and I would have seen a concert by him had the opportunity happened. His album Flowing Rivers was really good and I think even now it stands up a bit on the few occasions when I’ve tried to listen to it. Of course, some of the songs were written or co-written by his older brother Barry, who was able to pen a popular song himself. I will point out that the other idol from that time period was Leif Garret and I never liked his music and I didn’t care much for him either.
I should also add the album Frampton Comes Alive at this point. While I wasn’t a huge fan at the time, I did like some of the songs and I have come to appreciate how great the music was on that record. Funnily enough that’s the only record I know Frampton for and I’d guess that’s the case for many of us. This was a record that was popular with the neighbor girls I hung out with early on when we lived in NC. They were also big fans of Kiss, a band that I’ve never liked much although there are a couple of songs that are okay. I was just never a fan and most of the time these days I am as likely to change the radio station when they are on. I can’t recall if they had an album that year or not but there was a lot of fandom right then so I guess there must have been. Maybe I will look it up. Well it seem there was an album plus a live album that year so it makes sense they were so popular.
There was one other album that was really big that year which I will write about separately as it is a major album with major influence in my musical tastes.
I’m sure there’s heaps more from that year I’m forgetting right now. Until I started putting all this down, I don’t think I realised how much of the music of that year had been such a part of my life.
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Music in the early years
I was thinking about how I might write about influences on my musical tastes and I will do the album thing but it seems useful to think about the beginnings of my musical tastes.
I don’t really recall having much interest in music when I was very young. That said, I was a big fan of Glen Campbell when I was quite young. I don’t even know what songs I liked at the time as the ones that I mostly recall are some from the mid-70s or so.
I imagine a lot of my music knowledge was centered around what my parents listened to at the time. There was a lot of Charley Pride at my house. My mom was a big fan of it so we heard a lot of his records playing. Olivia Newton John was also quite popular although it was a bit later. I suppose we heard a lot more country music back then. But I did hear pop music too. When I was in third grade I remember the “song” The Streak by Ray Stevens was a thing. Of course I guess that was more from the country side of things too. That song reminds me of a girl named Paris in my class at school who used to sing that a lot for a time. Hmm…I just know there’s a lot of pop music I know when I hear it on the radio. At the very least we heard it in the car.
It wasn’t until the mid-70s I started to take a more active interest in music. I guess it was probably 1975 to be exact. That summer my cousins and grandfather came down to visit us for a week or so. This was when my aunt had the baby she gave up for adoption (even though we were all told it had died)…the one who I connected with a year ago on Ancestry.
Some where along this time I bought my first 45 rpm records. There were four of them at the time although I don’t know if I recall all of them. I still have them somewhere in the house but have nothing to play them on. The big one is Love Will Keep Us Together by Captain and Tenille. It was hugely popular during that summer and my cousin and I both loved the song a lot and sang it all the time while she visited. Even after she’d gone we started writing letters to each other and quoting lines from the song. I think sometimes before this I’d been to Pennsylvania and the big song was Donny Osmond singing Go Away Little Girl. Not sure which year but probably the year before, I guess. I didn’t have the record though. That song is still a favorite, mainly for sentimental reasons. It still reminds me of my cousin, who died many years ago from ovarian cancer.
Another of those records was Calypso by John Denver. I just liked the sound of the song and that has always been my favorite song by John Denver. But I was a fan of some of his other music too. I guess country music played a bigger role than I realized before.
The third single was Afternoon Delight by Starland Vocal Band…which upon reflection was a country group, I think. Funny, I never thought I liked country music all that much but I guess I did have some roots in that area for a while.
I can’t remember what the fourth single was right now. I will have to figure it out later.
To carry on the country theme, I used to like a lot of Eagles songs from their earlier years. I know they were more country rock but it’s still connected. I have pretty much always liked their music but it was only a few years ago that I bought a collection of their music. I guess that’s one of those groups I liked to listen to but I wasn’t compelled to have my own copy. There were lots of groups like that. I guess the reason this came to me was my parents were in a bowling league sometime in the mid-70s and these songs were playing a lot in the background there. We kids used to run around while the adults bowled. I do have ideas of getting a couple of proper albums one day in the future.
Elton John was another artist I heard a lot of back in those days. My parents had the single Daniel which got played a lot in our house. Funnily enough that’s not one that I heard very often these days but it does take me back to those years. But I also remember the era when he sang Don’t Go Breaking My Heart with Kiki Dee really well. That was a radio play thing so I guess I must have heard it in the car a lot. I don’t have any of his albums either although I do hope to get a couple of them one day. Or maybe a compilation.
Neil Young’s Heart of Gold is my favorite song by him and I know it’s almost completely a nostalgic choice. Oddly I remember hearing this played across the street at our neighbor’s house. They had a son who was a year or two older than me and a daughter who was quite a bit younger. My brothers and I were playing there one day and that song was on. I honestly don’t remember much else about that day aside from the song and the fact we were in the son’s bedroom for a time.
I was also just reminded of Helen Reddy from that era too. My parents had at least one of here albums and it was played a lot. Funny to thing we were listening to an Australian at the time (not to mentioned Olivia Newton John). I remember the song I am Woman being really big for a long time. Kind of funny also to think this feminist song got played so much back then considering how non-feminist my mom has become in more recent years.
I was just reminded of The Association as a group from my earlier years. My family had best friends from when we lived in Pennsylvania. They moved to Atlanta around the same time as a us and we lived in the same apartments. Back in PA were were neighbors in an upstairs/downstairs apartment or duplex so of thing. Anyway, we were close with their family all the years I was growing up. I spent the night there many times and I remember hearing the Association music being played. I think Never My Love was the most prominent but I am sure there were plenty of others.
I guess the last music I will mention is probably one of the earlier records I knew. My parents had a copy of the first Beatles album released in the US. It didn’t have a cover from the point I recall it and I think it was mentioned at some time that we kids destroyed it. It may well have been me, in fact. The Beatles will get a look-in at some point of sharing although I haven’t quite worked out which album. So there is definitely some pop music I remember from way back although I wouldn’t say it made me a Beatles fan at a young age.
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Parenting, food, concert, parenting
Yesterday was a pretty spectacular day. Neil Finn concert, after all!
The early part of the day was fairly ordinary. Got up and had breakfast…rather late but still it was breakfast, particularly as it was my usual bowl of rolled oats with cocoa, brown sugar and milk added. Finished some solitaire daily challenge puzzles on the Microsoft app. Exercise was not quite a usual. Started out using our Wii Fit for half an hour and moved on to an app on my iPad. It was tough but it went well enough. It’s nice having more options than when I was going to the gym regularly.
It was well into afternoon and we still hadn’t seen signs of Lego Lover stirring. I realise this is part of the teenage years but I do feel he takes this rather to extremes. Showered and dressed to go out. Wore a skirt but had no decent shoes to wear with it so stuck with cross trainers. Was reminded by the Scientist it might be good to remedy this situation. Too late on this occasion. Nearly time to go and finally we see signs of the Lego Lover being awake. Time to leave.
Arrive in Perth and park. Realise parking on streets is still free on Sundays. No $11 fee for parking in the parking lot next to the Perth Concert Hall. :) I purposely skipped lunch with expectations of a meal in the city. We walked up Barrack Street and considered a Korean place we’d eaten at before seeing Leonard Cohen a couple years ago. Decided to look further afield. Down through Murray Street and onto William Street where we found ourselves at Jamie’s Kitchen. We haven’t been back since our anniversary last May. I thought it might be rather busy but it the queue wasn’t that long. Lucky us, getting the last free table! It was tempting to go for the same meal as last time but chose a ravioli dish in the entree portion. Meanwhile. bread selection with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Cheap starter that doesn’t fail to satisfy. I could eat a meal of it alone and I’m not really that much the bread lover. My entree arrived and the Scientist’s seafood plank was landed onto the tomato cans placed on the table. Entree was rather small this time and wasn’t quite enough but was totally delicious. I savoured each bite, especially considering there weren’t so many. That’s okay, leaves room for dessert. :D The pannacotta special which I adored  last time was now on the menu but I opted to try the epic brownie this time while the Scientist went for the trifle. Desserts arrived and totally met expectations and more. A most satisfying second visit to Jamie’s Kitchen and looking forward to trying more the next time. I might add the Scientist had attempted to book a table beforehand but they weren’t accepted at that time of day. Left to it, I found my way there anyway. :D If it had been too busy, though, I would have been happy trying sushi next door or another local eatery.
It was now late enough to pick up our tickets but too early for much else. We walked back to the concert hall and collected our tickets and learned our cameras were not welcome this time. Not too unexpected since this was an indoor show but rather disappointing when we had front row and center seats. Ah well, less time looking at the camera and more watching the stage. We walked across the esplanade to the Swan River for a little while then returned my camera to the car. I’d had ideas of staying outside but the weather had cooled considerably and the warmer lobby of the concert hall became our temporary hangout. It was interesting to see the cafe there with food served in one end of the lobby and tables in a side room for dining. They also had smaller treats like Maltesers at a premium cost. More interesting were the small tubs of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream in the fridge. After the super sweetness of my brownie, that wasn’t going to happen. But still interesting to see. The merchandise table was being set up. Not a lot on offer for Neil Finn but a few items that looked decent for support act, Joshua James. Eventually sales began and I chose a tea towel to add to my collection. It’s not as nice as previous ones but it will do. Overprices water bottles purchased and I was surprised at the flimsiness of the plastic. It felt as though it would crumple in my hands despite being full but I suppose it’s a good thing to use less plastic.
Finally the doors open and we show our tickets. Front row seats, here we come! For quite a while we were alone in the front row but most seats except two to the left of the Scientist were filled shortly after the support act began. Joshua James was pretty good…played some good music but a bit limited on the chatter. Interval time. The four people to my right who arrived shortly after the show started were gone already, for drinks, I presume. A few minutes to go and seats were filled except those two at the Scientist’s left. Finally the pair arrived. I recognised the woman from other shows.
The show itself was like a dream. Sitting right there in front of stage I felt I could reach out and touch but obviously resisted the urge. Neil played seven songs from his new album. They sounded really good live. The one song I was hoping to hear was White Lies and Alibis and my wish came true. Perth was the first show to hear Animal vs. Human and it was good. The live factor almost always is a bonus with Neil’s songs. But there was more. Songs from the Split Enz days  like One Step Ahead and Message to My Girl.  Songs from the Crowded House days like Don’t Dream it’s Over on just piano with backing vocals. What a fine performance that was. He went from strength to strength and no weakness on this night or maybe this tour by accounts I’ve heard. Only Talking Sense from the Finn album with his brother Tim was sensational. Solo Finn songs like Sinner and She Will Have Her Way. Two encores and a splendid finish with solo Neil on Love this Life and then  Better Be Home Soon, which meant it was truly over.
Obviously we must be too considerate and polite because the three setlists taped to the stages were quickly extracted by other fans before we had thought of it. Usually we get these at request but we were just that close we could reach for them. Sigh. That’s okay because I have my treasured setlist from his show with Paul Kelly last year, thanks to the Scientist. Crowds left the auditorium taking us with them. We lingered behind a bit and the idea of hanging outside the stage door occurred but we didn’t go there. Maybe a shame as there aren’t many opportunities to hang out there now.
Time to go home.
Arrived home just before midnight. Lego Lover is up. Game Fanatic is up. It’s late so the Scientist is soon off to bed as today is no holiday. Game Fanatic goes to bed and it’s just younger son and me left. It’s a frustrating parenting moment because Lego Lover has now restarted his continuous talk on his favorite subject of the moment. It’s a topic revisited constantly in our house and there’s not much to add. I’m not terribly interested right now as I am still wanting to enjoy the moment. Because he doesn’t understand body language well at all, I tell him bluntly I don’t want to hear about it now. I am still feeling rather annoyed that he barely was up by the time we’d left earlier in the day. At the moment I just want to keep the night alive with the lovely buzz I was feeling. Instead, he paused briefly and carried on. This is how it is with my child with high functioning autism. He doesn’t get what I want and his need is foremost. I abandon my buzz for a bit and hear him out. Eventually he does go away and I feel guilty because this happens often enough with him. My attempts to curb him don’t really work so it is what it is. I love him anyway and decide that even though it’s not my thing he’s talking about, it is his thing and he feels such love and joy of it that I can’t help but be endeared to him. As it is, some of his older habits have fallen along the wayside and I miss them sometimes. I hate to think of the time I will miss these moments, difficult as they sometimes be.
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Two brilliant nights out
Back in November a concert tour teaming up Neil Finn and Paul Kelly was announced. One show was scheduled for Perth for March 14th and fan club members (for Neil Finn and probably Paul Kelly) got a 10% discount on the ticket price as part of a pre-sale. Of course I ordered our tickets as soon as they went on sale. About a week later, a second show was announced for the next night, which was a Friday. This suited the Scientist better as he was working on Friday and I bought a second set of tickets. My plan was to either sell the first set or go both nights. My greediness got the better of me and I eventually asked a friend to join me even though she didn’t know much of the music.
Perth has been through a bit of a dry spell/drought since early summer although we did get a brief shower one day in early March. That one wasn’t enough to have any impact locally. As the day for the concert got closer, it became apparent there was a good possibility of rain for that day. Thursday came and the rain started to come down and carried on for most of the day. It was really a nice and steady rain, just the type we needed right now. Of course now the concern was whether this would carry on into the night. Most of the forecasts said yes and it rained well into the afternoon. My friend came and we started our journey into Perth while the rain seemed to get heavier all the time. I had looked at the weather radar and it looked as though the rain would be clearing at some point although I guessed it was possible for more showers to develop. When we arrived at King’s Park, it was bucketing down and we just sat in my friend’s car for a while before making the effort to go out into the deluge. The rain let up a bit so we made our move along with many others along the road where we parked. People were getting into all sorts of rain gear and carrying all sorts of paraphernalia to keep themselves covered. One group of people from the car next to us used big black plastic bags to cover themselves and it seemed to be a good idea since the bags covered them shoulders to toes. My friend had a couple of rain jackets available and I’d brought along a light jacket as it was so cool. We took plastic grocery bags to cover our feet while we sat. Then we started the long walk to the venue from the car. As we walked along, the rain let up even more and eventually stopped altogether. I pulled off the hood of the jacket I was wearing and pulled off the billed cap that was supposed to provide a bit of shelter for my glasses. At the gate, the  bag checks were pretty cursory and there were staff at the front handing out cardboard seats and plastic bags to the concert-goes. It was looking a bit more promising at this point.
We got over to the hill closest to the stage and planted ourselves in our chairs to wait. The start of the show was a bit delayed while some staff climbed onto the roof of the stage to try to remove the water sitting up there. At the front of the stage there were VIP seats where a single person was seated at the time. The guys on top started pushing water over the edge before someone must have realised the water was falling onto those seats. Next thing we knew, the lady was on her feet and carrying her belongings away before a massive dump of the water was done and staff members were going up and down the aisles, wiping off the seats. Soon afterwards the show began and we settled in for the night. We did have a bit of excitement a while later when a large branch from a tree on the other side of the venue came crashing down with a big noise. Fortunately there were no people sitting in that area at that time but it was rather close to where people would eventually be sitting. Several people from the venue rushed over there to check it out and I guess it was deemed safe as there didn’t seem to be anything roped off later on.
The first performer was Grace Woodroofe, a local artist who was unfamiliar to me. Her set ran for about half an hour or so and was quite pleasant. Next up was Lisa Mitchell who is reasonably well known in Australia. She played at the Blues and Roots festival a few years ago when I went to see Crowded House and I saw a bit of her show then. She came out in a rain poncho with what appeared to be shorts or a skirt underneath. She said she would continue to wear it in solidarity with the crowd which had many in similar gear. It’s funny how the quality of the sound on the acts improves with each performer. The first one just had a guitar and herself while the second one had a bit more plus two microphones…then the big sound of the main act. Her set was quite enjoyable and I recognised a couple of songs. Â I think the rain poncho must have got pretty uncomfortable by the end of her set as it had warmed up outside, probably warmer than all day. I’d shed all jackets by this time and was quite comfortable for a while. Â About midway through this act, a bunch of people moved into the dance area set up to the right of the stage. Normally I would have been there but I didn’t think my body would be very happy to be standing for hours on end for two nights running. I stayed put in my chair with my friend…My friend wouldn’t have been up to the standing anyway so it made it easier to stay . I think my body was thankful for my consideration in the end…although sitting there for hours wasn’t terribly comfortable either.
The main act came out not too long after 7:30, which was good considering the delays for the earlier acts. Neil and Paul came onto the darkened stage (aside from the low-lit backdrop) carrying lanterns to the front of stage and setting them down. With that dim light, they started playing the first song and the show was on. It was a really good show with lots of banter, much of it related to the all the rain ponchos in the crowd and the day’s weather, which also had included nasty thunderstorms in some areas. The music was absolutely fantastic and it was was wonderful to hear some of the variations done with each of the singer’s songs. Mostly they sang their own songs with harmonies from the rest of the band. But for two songs, they covered the other singer’s song. Paul Kelly sang “Into Temptation” a great song already and he made it his own. Neil joked afterwards that the song was no longer his because Paul had made put his own spin on it and so well.  Neil sang “You Can Put Your Shoes Under My Bed” and it was incredibly moving. I must admit I haven’t heard Paul’s version so cannot compare it at all yet. Most of the earlier songs were love songs and then there were quite a few slow songs before they picked up the tempo with many of their most popular songs. The crowd sang along to some of the later songs but I found it wasn’t as animated as it usually is for these shows. But it was all good in the end with two encores and finishing off with the Buddy Holly song, “Words of Love”. This is a funny song for me because I’ve only heard Buddy Holly’s version a few times. I mostly know it from a compilation of  Beatles songs I had in my early teens and I think of them when I hear it rather than Holly.
That was the last we saw of the rain that night. It was as though the rain cleared out just in time for our show.
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On Friday the Scientist and I took off around mid-afternoon. The skies had cleared and it was a warm and muggy day. There was a chance of rain early in the day but we saw none of that around here. The forecast for the evening was to be clear and for this I was quite grateful since it made for a more relaxing outing all around. Â We parked outside King’s Park and walked through the park to the venue. The Scientist had to go back to the car after we’d gone part way as we’d forgotten to bring a blanket to sit on and thought it might be useful with the wet ground. He also realised we’d both forgotten about getting a parking ticket to see us through to 6pm so was able to take care of that too. I continued to walk on and then stopped to take some photos until he caught back up with me. It was about ten minutes before the gates were due to open but we went into the venue to get our bags checked and tickets scanned ahead of time, then waited with the crowd for the “gates” to open. This didn’t take very long as they opened a bit early and we made our way across the grounds to the closest spot we could find in the grassy area. There were a couple of ladies already sitting there and we situated ourselves next to them and had a great view of the stage for sitting. We’d been given the cardboard seats again and used those instead of the blanket. They were reasonably comfortable for the time we used them.
We’d brought sandwiches from Subway to eat since our last experience of the food outlets here was unimpressive aside from the pizza. I hadn’t eaten lunch so had gotten a foot-long sub with intentions of eating half early and the rest later on…This was a bad plan from the start since we had nothing to keep it cool. As it was our sandwiches were a bit warm by the time we got there so the chances of it being edible later on were pretty low. We also had some Lebanese sweets and some chocolate to enjoy…that got a bit soft by this time but we ate it anyway.
The show started pretty much on time this night and Grace Woodroofe’s set was the same or very similar to the night before. Also, she had someone else accompanying her whereas she’d been alone on stage the night before. Turns out her family were sitting almost behind us and she came out after she was finished to sit with them for a awhile. We noticed people starting to head over to the dance area fairly early on in Lisa Mitchell’s set this time and pulled up stakes and moved over there to get a place right at the front. On Thursday people took longer to go over but it filled up quickly. This time they started earlier but it was quite a while before it looked very full there. At no point did we feel particularly crowded in either. As seems to happen as these shows, we ended up with people near us who’d already had a bit too much to drink. And they always seems to behave foolishly…talking loudly throughout the show…fortunately someone else moved between me and them and that noise was blocked to some extent later on.
I didn’t take my camera with me on Thursday night since it seemed so likely to rain and I didn’t expect to have a chance to take photos…and/or my camera was likely to get soaked. On Friday I did take my camera and this was my first chance to see how it did for concert lighting since I got it in November. Once we moved up front I took a lot more photos with expectations of many being unusable. The show began pretty much on time and what a brilliant night it was. I think having the Scientist there to share it made it so much better by itself. He knows the music and he is as much of a fan as I am of both singers. Musically I think the band was in incredibly good form. The crowd started singing along quite early and kept it up through almost the entire show. This made for more enthusiasm on stage from the band. Neil Finn later tweeted “Perth , when you get excited we get excited , when you sing we swoon.” Neil awarded us the best crowd of the tour so far and Paul seconded it. There is something about the sing-along that is so very infectious and it makes you feel so much more part of the show than just sitting passively and watching. I think the outdoor experience adds to this feeling. One fan didn’t go to this show as she’d gone to Sydney to see three shows at the Opera House. She said  the crowd sounded absolutely beautiful. For my part it made for a very magical evening. After 2.5 hours I was still wanting more and I think the band might have played on had it not been the curfews as the venue.
As the crowd dispersed at the end, we hung around at the front. Next thing I know the Scientist has gone up to one of the guys at the stage and asked about any stage set lists that we could have. After a couple checks with people further down the line, it turned out that Neil’s set list from the front of stage was available and next thing I knew it was mine. :D I am incredibly grateful that he asked for this as I am too timid to go up and ask myself. We stopped at the merchandise tent on the way out and didn’t find much aside form t-shirts and a poster and some albums for sale. The shirts were $40 and I just couldn’t justify the expense for a t-shirt….but the poster was a limited and numbered edition signed by Neil and Paul and the artist. It was $50 but I decided to get it anyway and soon had a lovely poster rolled up. I think this is our most expensive poster ever so it will require a decent frame so it can be displayed properly. It still smells of the ink used to print it and has a really cool texture to it.
Finally we started the walk back to the car. On the way we stopped at the edge of the park that overlooks the city of Perth so I could take some photos. Right about this time, a fireworks display started up and we had some extra entertainment for our night. I took heaps more photos and then a couple of the city at night before we carried on to the car. It was such a lovely night to spend with the Scientist. And for added value, my feet were feeling pretty okay this time, which is a lovely change from the agony they are usually in after standing for hours.
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Now and then
Back in December we became aware that the old Australian band Icehouse were doing a tour and Perth was lucky enough to get the one show where they were the single headline act. After a brief debate, I procured tickets for the evening on the green show being held at King’s Park in the city. About this time, I decided to listen again the the Man of Colours album that was popular during my last years of college back home. Surprisingly, I found it had really stood the test of time for me and I still like everything on that album.
This rediscovery sent me down memory lane and I soon was searching through boxes, looking for old photos and personal items. I think it was back in 1986 that I was particularly privileged to see Icehouse for the first time. It was a free concert held on our college campus grounds and the old Canadian band, Men without Hats, was first on the bill. Men without Hats were fairly forgettable with my only memory of their one hit, “Safety Dance” which was popular a few years earlier around the time I started at the university. Icehouse, on the other hand, were a very engaging band and I remember enjoying the entire show. I was there with some others from our dorm and managed to get fairly close to the stage. I even managed a handful of photos but didn’t think I’d got anything good. Another girl offered to share hers when she got them developed. Funny thing is that mine all came out better than hers in the end. They weren’t great but they were decent. And that’s exactly what I was searching through my old boxes to find. Sadly, I wasn’t successful in locating the photos but I’m sure they are here somewhere. I ran across them a year or two ago while looking for something else and there were many other photos from that period in the box.
While I didn’t go to that first concert with the Scientist, he did happen to go with another friend of ours and also enjoyed the show. So it happens that this is the only band we’ve seen in two different eras of our lives. Since I’ve lived in Australia, I’ve come to know many more Icehouse songs, and so was far more prepared for the wonderful evening of music we experienced.
When we first arrived at the show, the Scientist and I sat down amongst several other general admission ticket holders. We soon headed to the venue’s stalls to find some filling food for the evening. We somehow had the mistaken impression that the “Mexican” food would would be of some value. Sadly, our burritos were nothing like any other I’ve eaten. I think even those nasty frozen burritos heated and purchased from convenience stores in my youth were probably more authentic. The lack of value became more obvious as we watched a neighboring group munching on a rather fantastic variety of foods brought for a picnic. Note to selves: next time, bring your own food! Later on I ventured back up in search of further sustenance with the spud place in mind. Once there, I found nothing on the menu that appealed and soon found myself perusing the wood-fired pizza menu. The Scientist had suggested this initially but I wasn’t in the mood. Now it looked rather nice so I ordered one and waited and waited for it. This is the price paid for ordering so late. The pizza turned out to be far superior to anything else we’d eaten or even seen for sale at the venue.
Before we saw Icehouse, three support acts entertained the crowds. The first act was Clare Bowditch and we saw her once before as support for Leonard Cohen. I quite liked her as a performer although I wouldn’t say I’m a huge fan of her music. Second act was Josh Pyke, a singer-songwriter much acclaimed in Australia. His music was okay but he hardly spoke and just played one song after another with almost no audience interaction. I can only hope he does a better show when he has more time. Final support was Washington, led by Megan Washington, and brilliant as always.
It was during Washington’s set that we left our comfortable spot sitting in the crowd and moved to the dance area just to the right of the stage. Up there, we managed to get quite close to the stage and could see everything much better. A couple of girls who were obviously huge Washington fans, took up much of the dance area dancing and showing off. As it wasn’t crowded, it was kind of amusing, except for those times when the one girl kept whistling so loudly it hurt my ears.
Once Washington finished, they both disappeared and the area slowly started filling up with what I would call an older crowd of Icehouse fans. The crowd was rather excited and exuberant, so much that there was singing en mass to some of the popular old songs being blasted over the speakers. I’d never experienced this before, not even at the Crowded House concerts where sing–alongs have been the norm. The band finally came on stage to the familiar sounds of the song, “Icehouse”. Funnily enough I’d never heard this song until late last year while watching a video of an earlier show. Anyway, there was plenty of music and fun to be had during the show with mostly songs that I knew and only a couple that were unfamiliar to me. One of the highlights of the evening was hearing Iva Davies play his oboe during “Man of Colours”, which was sung by Michael Paynter on this occasion. There was plenty of banter and then there were the saxophone solos. Probably my favorite song was “Great Southern Land” which is their iconic Australian song. It was really something to hear it live.
There was to be one low point during the show, which involved some of the surrounding crowd. During some of the band banter, I noted there was some sort of argument taking shape just behind me. I’m not totally sure but it seemed to have started by some beer being spilled and another party being unhappy with this event. The voices became louder and louder and next thing I knew, punches were being exchanged and I found I was flung forward a couple times as the guy behind me was flung into me. The Scientist managed to pull me out of that mess and security soon came around and presumably removed those involved. I was a bit shaken for a few minutes but then was able to get back into the fun. And somehow we had moved even closer to the stage which afforded a better view of proceedings.
The music and entertainment ended soon enough and we soon found ourselves making the long trek back to our car. We had parked outside the park to avoid the heavy traffic going in when we arrived. I think this paid off as we had no troubles getting out once we got to our car. I think it was a far different story for those parked inside.
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Paul Kelly and Neil Finn
Here in Australia, Easter Monday, a public holiday here, fell on Anzac Day, another public holiday. The Scientist and I had the joy of attending Songlines Anzac Day concert with Paul Kelly and Neil Finn headlining. It was held at Red Hill in an almost brand new outdoor auditorium located in the Perth hills. It’s a bit unusual to have an outdoor concert this late in the season but Perth’s unseasonably warm and dry weather has been beneficial in this instance. The day turned out to be quite pleasant and jackets weren’t required despite being at a higher altitude in the hills.
I will start off by saying the venue has some issues to iron out, mostly with parking and food. Signs leading to the venue were confusing and many concert-goers were delayed. The organisation of traffic at the end of the show was chaotic at best. We waited half an hour before attempting a departure. Outside food wasn’t permitted but the venue didn’t have enough catering to feed the masses. They apparently had nothing left to serve before long before the main acts were due on stage. After finding other venues serving some pretty decent food at a reasonable price, we risked eating food on-site this time and found it quite disappointing. Healthy options were at a minimum and prices were at a premium. My other gripe is that people were smoking in the venue. It has been banned at every other concert I’ve been to, so I was quite surprised to find several people lighting up on this occasion. I honestly thought it had been banned in public events like this, but apparently that isn’t the case.
Not knowing exactly where we were going and also hoping to get a good seat, we left home quite early and arrived over an hour before gates were due to open. We had no trouble parking on-site (unlike some later arrivals) and soon found ourselves in line with others who had arrived even earlier. We were moved up pretty quickly in anticipation of gates opening but sound check was still in progress so all we could do is stand and listen to the sound check. Â Nevertheless, we were inside well before the official opening time of 6:30pm. We were surprised to find the bag checks weren’t particularly thorough. Despite bans on the outside food, the only thing that was really being searched for was alcohol.
We immediately found our way down to the front of the auditorium, which is set up like an amphitheatre. I was surprised to see, however, the area in front of the stage filled with cement instead of grass. I’m assuming this was a call they made to make maintenance easier but it looked rather unusual. We started out at the front row of seats but moved to just in front of the stage once a few others started to congregate there. The concrete was not the most comfortable place to sit but it was dry and it wasn’t cold there.
The first act started after 7pm with Ben Merito, a young New Zealand-born singer who now lives in Perth. I mostly enjoyed his music but we found it very hard to understand him because he spoke so quickly. One of his songs was dedicated to his mum and was all about drinking tea. Very cute!
Second act was Lior, an Australian singer songwriter who I’d heard was quite good. His music was fine but nothing to get too excited about. The highlight for me was his cover of a Radiohead tune that I do know. I felt like he had more life to him then than during any other song. He also had a string quartet accompanying him on some songs although they seemed to spend most of their time just sitting there. Overall, kind of underwhelming but not bad.
The crowd up near the stage had filled out by the time Lior finished and the crowd was quite ready for Australian icon, Paul Kelly. I think normally he has a full band in his shows but this time he was just accompanied by his nephew, Dan Kelly, on guitar. Although Paul Kelly has been around for many years, we’d never seen him. Ironically, we’ve now seen Dan three times and he’s quite talented in his own right. The set was a good mix of songs that most of the crowd would know. There were only a couple I’d never heard before, so I felt quite satisfied and able to sing along. I was quite surprised to see Neil Finn joining them on stage at the end of the set for a song he has often covered in his shows. The Scientist apparently had spoilers of this surprise when he heard one of the roadies make mention of Neil’s microphone while setting up. So he was able to give me a bit of warning. Â I managed to get quite a few photos during the set and was happily surprised later on to find Paul Kelly photographs extremely well. At least for me, he does. :-D
During the interval before Neil Finn’s set, it suddenly became quite cramped up in front of the stage. Earlier on, the Scientist had given his space on my right to an enthusiastic fan behind him and she was forever grateful to him. Behind me and to my left a bit, a woman was pushing her way to the front. Or at least she was trying to get up to the front. She was already quite inebriated and was demanding that she be allowed to stand in the front row because she’d been waiting twenty years for this. She was quite rude and was accompanied by a partner who wasn’t much better. She was mostly trying to get in front of the Scientist and I guess squeeze in next to me. He wasn’t allowing it nor was anyone else in the vicinity. Most of us in that area were well-behaved and considerate but she wasn’t. Eventually she did settle down and accept she wasn’t getting closer than the row behind the front row. And really, it wasn’t that bad there either…
After the interval, Neil Finn returned to the stage and gave a wonderful performance on just guitar. Well, actually there were a few different guitars but no other instruments. It’s lovely to hear the full band performance with all the detail in the songs we love. But there is something quite pleasing about the simplicity of a single instrument. Neil was fairly jet-lagged, having come in from the UK a day or so beforehand. But he pulled off a crowd-pleasing performance with a mix of solo, Crowded House and Split Enz songs. At one point in the show, the enthusiastic and well-mannered fan that the Scientist had given his space to had a pretty special  experience when Neil asked for a fan to help him out on guitar and was looking for the first one over the barrier. She was over in a flash and accompanied him for one song, looking quite at ease. The Scientist and I both took some photos of her on-stage. Unfortunately I didn’t think to try the video until later. After the show, we found out she plays locally as part of a duo and she gave us her card for contact details. We were both able to share our photos with her, for which she was very grateful. Near the end of the show, Paul and Dan Kelly returned to the stage to help out singing Four Seasons in One Day. And the audience joined in too, as they did on a number of other well known songs. The sing-along was well-demonstrated here in Perth. Overall it was a very satisfying show that will live long in my memory. The show finished just after midnight, which was pretty late by local standards where venues seem to have early curfews of 10 or 11pm.
I was going to add photos but I don’t suppose I will get this finished if I need the extra time. So…
I also uploaded videos to YouTube here.
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Falling behind
I have been working on a post from my birthday for a few weeks now. It’s not so much that it’s long but I’m trying to include photos and that seems to take a lot of time. I will hopefully have that up in a day or two…maybe within a month of my birthday if I stick to it long enough.
Meanwhile, the year continues to pass by so quickly that it’s hard to imagine we’re near the end of the fourth month already. Despite the passing of the months, the seasons have been a bit more sluggish. We finally saw the beginning of autumn weather a couple weeks ago after a particularly warm start to April. The nights are definitely much cooler now but summer has not left us just yet. Tomorrow is supposed to be pretty warm and it’s going to be hot on Friday, hopefully the last gasp of summer. Then we are due for possible showers over the long weekend. I won’t hold my breath at this possibility as it only leaves room for disappointment. I think it’s quite possible we will be watering our yard well into winter this year.
That said, the Scientist and I are going to an outdoor concert venue on Monday night to see Neil Finn and Paul Kelly perform. We believe it’s more likely to rain then than at any other time. Of course, it could very well rain at the venue but not here at home. It’s located in the Perth hills, which have had considerably more precipitation than we have in recent months. This will be the first time seeing Paul Kelly and a first solo Neil Finn show for us. It’s a special Anzac Day show called Songlines and will also feature Lior And Ben Merito, singer/songwriters from Australia and New Zealand. It should be a special night of  Australian and New Zealand music in the hills overlooking Perth.
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Crowded House, November 14th
Last Sunday, the Scientist and I had the pleasure of seeing Crowded House again and it was a really great show. A major plus this time was the close proximity to home. There is a winery near us called Sandalford Estate that started doing concerts a few years ago and this is the first one we’ve attended there. We arrived shortly after the gates opened but the traffic getting in was backed up quite a bit. Still, we were inside and parked within the first fifteen minutes, I think. We had a couple problems with the cooler we took in. Firstly, we weren’t allow to take in our real forks so the Scientist returned cutlery to the car, leaving me with the cooler and other things. Then I got up to the front where I wanted to sit and was told I couldn’t keep the cooler there as it was a standing area only. It is a big cooler and it wasn’t very full. I decided to take it back to the car and move the food into a smaller cooler bag from the grocery store once I’d found the Scientist as he returned. Eventually we did get settled right up at the front. Most of the people had stayed further back so they could use picnic blankets and low chairs, etc. There were only a handful of us die-hard fans up front.
Once we were settled, we had a bit of food and waited for the first of the two opening acts to reach the stage, which was probably an hour after we had claimed our space. The first act was a local Perth band. Their music was fine but there was nothing I’d rush out to buy on cd. The second act were also good but were far more engaged with the audience. The singer chatted at length about the absolutely gorgeous sunset we were experiencing. For several days before the show we’d had strong, gusty and chilly winds all through the evening. On this night, though, we had some beautifully warm weather with an almost perfect breeze. The sunset was an attractive bonus.Â
Once the second act had finished its set, there was another break while the roadies set up for Crowded House.  The Scientist went off in search of toilet facilities while I held our spot in front of the stage. While he was gone, a guy came up to my left and started chatting. I’m a pretty die-hard Crowded House fan, but this guy makes me look like a casual fan. He did a bit of showing off of all the concerts he has attended but seemed to accept me as one of the more serious fans. The Scientist returned and joined in the conversation while we waited for the show to begin.
The show itself was quite an event with many of my favorite songs being played. The crowd was particularly responsive and the band was in fine form. Every song seemed to get special treatment. And we were at the front so had very little obstruction and a close view of the band. There was a group of people next to us who were in fine spirits, having indulged in quite a bit of wine over the evening. One of them threw a doll up to the stage with Neil Finn’s face pasted on. But it got no attention at that point so through much of the remaining show there were constant chants to him to look at the doll, which was sometimes a bit distracting. Unlike the show I saw earlier this year at the Blues and Roots festival, I never felt like I was in a crush of people. And aside from a strange woman who came up behind me and rubbed herself up against me, everyone was very respectful of personal space. The woman apparently came out of nowhere and pushed up against me but didn’t remain there. It’s a mystery what that was about.  The band dedicated an incredibly moving song to Paul Hester, the band’s original drummer who committed suicide five and half years ago. Neil Finn’s wife came on stage twice to sing on a couple of songs. Several planes flew overhead…the venue is quite near the airport and there was a steady stream of air traffic going in to land.  The crowd sang along in fine voice to many of the band’s popular songs. It was a great feeling to be part of that crowd.  At quarter to ten and after an encore, the show came to an end.
Once the crowd behind us thinned a bit, we started to find our way out, stopping at the merchandise stand to buy a programme. We reached the car and waited a bit longer for traffic to clear. There were a couple of exits available and traffic was heading to them from all directions. It looked very chaotic before we started out. But once we got going we found our way to a line of traffic and found there were parking staff directing vehicles in a very orderly way to the back exit. We were out in pretty quick order and were soon on the road home. I think we did well to exit through the back because when we passed the entrance, traffic was still quite backed up. We arrived home less than fifteen minutes after leaving the venue. It was an exceptionally satisfying evening.
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15 albums in 15 minutes
I thought I would elaborate on a meme that I was tagged for on Facebook. The idea was to list fifteen albums in fifteen minutes that will always stick with me. This isn’t a favorite album list although some are favorites. Just what came to mind during a few minutes of my day.
- Rumours by Fleetwood Mac- When the album was released back in 1977, I wasn’t a fan of it in any way. The radio stations pretty much played it to death. That summer I went to my aunt’s wedding where it was also played repeatedly. At the time I didn’t care if I ever heard it again. Years later, I went to see Fleetwood Mac with the Scientist and I became a big fan of the band, at least in that incarnation. These days I am not quite the big fan I once was but I still like the band and this album is one of my favorites.
- Abbey Road by the Beatles- I knew a Beatles album had to be included and it was really difficult to decide which one. This is probably my favorite Beatles album although I might change my mind on another day. My instinct was really to include Beatles Love Songs because that was the first album I bought by the band and in a way it has always stuck with me and pretty much propelled me into Beatles fandom. I still like the album although I’ve not listened to it in decades. I just like that collection of songs…but that seems a bit like a sacrilege with all the great albums produced by the band.
- Straight Lines by Silverchair – I never cared for Silverchair’s earlier albums. Their music just didn’t appeal to me. This album was totally different. Â When it was released, all the songs on it were played over the course of a week on a radio program I listened to at the time. And I liked just about everything I heard. The title song was played constantly and I never tired of it. Even a few years later, I am always up to hear that song. And the rest of the album is wonderful. I just love hearing it from start to finish.
- Strange Bird by Augie March-Back when Moo You Bloody Cow was released, I heard an interview with Augie March/Glenn Richard on Triple J radio. The first song I they played was a cover of a Beach Boys song (the title escapes me now) and I really liked it. I bought MYBC soon afterwards which started me into Augie March fandom. While I think that album will always stick with me, Strange Bird is an earlier one that probably fits this list far better. It’s a collection of well-crafted and beautiful music, even when the subject matter is not at all beautiful. It’s the  the Augie March album of choice when I think of them.
- Together Alone by Crowded House-I pretty much love just about all music by Crowded House but this album is my favorite. My favorite CH song is Private Universe, which evokes such a sense of escape for me. “Pineapple Head” and “Fingers of Love“ are also high on my list. Hearing “Fingers of Love” at the show I saw in March was just heavenly. I guess I’d say most of the album has something of an otherworldly feel and never fails to please.
- Stunt by Barenaked Ladies- This isn’t my favorite BNL album and doesn’t even contain my favorite songs by the band but it does stick with me, possibly because this was my introduction to this very talented band with a very good sense of humor.
- All That You Can’t Leave Behind by U2-I’ve liked u2 since I was in high school so this was kind of a hard choice. I nearly chose Unforgettable Fire, partially because it was my first U2 purchase and also because it has Pride (in the name of love), which is a favorite of mine. But the whole album hasn’t stuck with me so much as a few songs…I only have it on vinyl so haven’t listened in quite a while. Maybe I will change my mind if I hear it again though. ATYCLB, though, really does stick with me. This was a purchase made while in Canada as it was released while we were there. After the disappointment of their Pop album, this was such a pleasure to listen to. Â I absolutely adore “Beautiful Day” because it just makes me feel good every time I heard it. And the song, “Elevation” always makes me feel nostalgic because it was the first song Lego Lover ever liked. He always called it the “Beep” song when he heard it. :)
- Ghost in the Machine by the Police-I’m not quite sure why I put this one on the list because it’s another album I had on vinyl and haven’t heard in a long while. This was my first album by the band, so that probably is why it came to mind. I used to listen to this constantly when it came out and later went on to buy other albums by the band. Synchronicity probably fits this list a bit better in hindsight. It came out right about the time I graduated high school and was extremely popular by the time I started college a couple months later. And the songs do still say with me all these years later, far better than GitM…
- I’ll Be Lightning by Liam Finn- This was only released a couple of years ago so I might be wrong to include it. It’s a great debut album that is basic and raw and very appealing. I haven’t heard it for a while but I still feel connected with most of the songs.
- Belladonna by Stevie Nicks-Once I became a fan of Fleetwood Mac, I was bound to become a fan of Stevie Nicks. Back then her voice was still quite good and she really rocked out on this album.
- Glass Houses by Billy Joel- I was given this album as a very belated birthday present by my aunt while visiting one summer. She took me and my cousin to the Jamesway department store to choose a something and this was what I found. I listened to this one endlessly that year and knew all the songs by heart. This is another instance where I had this on vinyl but unlike other cases, the music is still fresh in my mind even after all this time. I might very well have chosen The Stranger except I’ve never listened to the album. I may very well know all the songs but as an album I don’t have any connection with it. I keep thinking I will buy a copy one of these days but it hasn’t happened yet.
- Everyone is Here by the Finn Brothers-I think this is one of my favorite Finn works from the last decade. It probably helps that I’d already been a fan of all things Finn for a number of years. I really liked Tim and Neil’s first collaboration, Finn, when it came out. It was a great raw and somewhat experimental album. This EIH is a finely polished work of art that I’ve enjoyed since it was released. I also associate this album with seeing my first Finn concert the year after this was released.
- Rio by Duran Duran- I used to be a big Duran Duran fan back in my early days at college and bought just about anything they released. I recently discovered several old Duran Duran records in a box while I was in the US recently. They might be worth a bit of money these days. I don’t know. I’m not quite so keen on them these days but I haven’t completely lost interest. I was given a recent concert dvd a couple years ago as a birthday present and discovered I still like a lot of their music. And I really love this album.
- Long Distance Voyager by the Moody Blues- This reminds me of my teenage years although not so much with high school itself. My strongest attachment may well be for the cover art which used to fascinate me. But my reason for buying it was nothing to do with the art work and all to do with the music. It’s not in the same class as earlier Moody Blues music but I still quite like it today.
- Double Fantasy by John Lennon and Yoko Ono- Maybe this isn’t a great choice for this list but I do have a very emotional attachment to the album. I will admit I’m not a Yoko Ono fan, but I didn’t mind her songs too much on this record. And John Lennon’s songs were mostly quite good. I still hear a few of the singles today and think of how good some of them were.
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Musical fun
It seemed for a while that I was running from one musical event to another. Last month I saw Chicago with the Scientist and his mum. We booked tickets for a matinee session, which allowed us to leave the boys at home without any worry. We really enjoyed the performance, which included Caroline O’Connor, Craig McLachlan, Sharon Millerchip and Colleen Hewett…all big names on the theater circuit in Australia. I’d been to see Phantom of the Opera a year to the day earlier and was left with the desire to see more. This production was quite different to the lavish Phantom, filled with gorgeous sets and magical scene changes. Chicago was quite minimal by comparision and consisted of a background highlighting the band with minimal props for the actors at the front of the stage. It worked quite nicely and the actors were excellent. It was fortunate that most of the action occurred at the front of the stage because we were to the far right end of the fourth row, which made it impossible to see part of the band from my seat. I again was left with a very favorable impression of the musical theater.
It just happens that the production of Cats was announced not long after Chicago. The friend who accompanied me to see Phantom last year was also interested in seeing Cats so we booked tickets. This is quite unusual around here because we get about one big production a year in Perth. Interestingly, Mama Mia will follow not long after Cats…So it’s been a busy year for Perth musical theater.
Anyway, my friend had a new job set to start on the 12th and the production started playing on the 11th. So our tickets were for the opening performance which was again a matinee session. The week before I watched the dvd of the London production so that I’d have an idea of what it was all about. I’d gotten a bit worried while watching the dvd because there really isn’t much story until well into the production and I wasn’t really quite getting what it was all about. It did improve in the latter part and I felt it should be an interesting show. I will point out the dvd was filmed without an audience, which is an extremely important factor for this show.
Anyway, we arrived early and had lunch in a nearby restaurant before going into the theater. For the two previous productions I’d seen in this theater, there was a lockout with nobody allowed in once the show had begun. I’d not heard anything for this show and it soon became apparent why this was so. The “cats” mostly entered from the back of the theater, stopping and scratching members of the audience and they made their way to the stage. I happened to be seated at the end of the row so was a lucky recipient of feline scratching with slight surprise. The stage sets were more elaborate than Chicago but far simpler than Phantom. Most of the action occurred in the same scene, though, so this wasn’t too surprising in the end. The ‘cats” returned to the audience at various points in the show and again entered the theater from the back after the intermission. The audience was still settling in and had not quieted down just yet. I was pawed this time around and we watched as another “cat” went up to a woman a few rows ahead. She was several seats in, and had her back turned to the aisle while she was talking with a companion. When the cat scratched her, she nearly jumped out of her skin and shouted out before realising what was happening. Then she joined in the laughter of all around her. I thought the show was quite good when it included the interaction with the “cats”. The Scientist had warned they would move about the audience but he was under the impression this occurred mostly near the front of the theater. We were seated fairly close to the back this time but I find it afforded us the chance to see far more of the action than if we had been near the stage. While I enjoyed the performance quite well, I don’t think my friend liked it as well as Phantom.
Reflecting on the dvd, I think it was quite flat as compared to the live performance. The lack of an audience just seemed to leave a lot out. Also, I am almost certain there was a whole sequence of scenes not included on the dvd because I had no recollection on them at the show.
There won’t be any more musicals for me in the near future as I’ve got some big plans that have required significant monetary outlay. So Mama Mia and any other shows will be missed this time around.