Fradam

The month of June has been filled with much matrimony it would seem. At the start of the month, a group of us road-tripped to Victoria, to celebrate Graham and Kristina’s wedding (yes, the one that happened back in January). Now, anyone that knows me, knows that Victoria (well, Melbourne specifically) do not rank highly on my “great places to be” list. Shocking, I know. Yet, I viewed this trip with much interest and excitement.

The Gippsland Lakes, where the reception was held, was definitely an experience. Whilst there wasn’t broad sunny weather as one often hopes for when on the water, there was a lovely atmosphere; a very peaceful easy feeling, that made the celebration quite calming.

There were a few simple speeches, all echoing the sentiments of love and adoration that were held by the couple (see right - I think this was the official guy)

We watched a DVD of some of the memories from the wedding ceremony itself. Some highly poignant moments.. some to laugh at. The best man, Roberto, had some writing scrawled on his hand, intended to be read by Graham when he reached for the ring. The words “Don’t do it!”.

Images from the couple’s childhood were strewn together to some emotive music… I found that powerful, watching these two individuals growing up, halfway around the world, and yet, so so so many small possibilities conspired together, to bring them together.

Leaving Victoria, I had two things on my mind: Black and Gold, and just what the future might bring.

So, later in the month, wedding bells would again draw me interstate, this time to Queensland, for the wedding of Kylie and Luke. Gorgeous couple (thanks to Kim for the pic!). The ceremony was held far far away from the loud noises, and in the midst of a rainforest, in these beautiful gardens. It brought back good memories of Megan and Josh’s ceremony in the Chinese Gardens in Sydney. I was awed simply by the serenity to be beheld in these environs.. truly impressive.

The actual ceremony was breathtaking. The bridal party, entering the scene so stately, so beautiful. The kids were dressed so adorably.. I think it’s impossible to look at them and think otherwise. There were some stirring orations during the service. The father of the bride, began by speaking about the beauty of young love, and what an amazing thing to witness it was, two young people wholly and utterly in love with each other. He finished on the only thing that could be seen to be greater than young love: old love, the image of two older people, reflecting upon their life together, a life full of love. The father of the groom led an incredible prayer, touching upon many things that are a part of married life that they ought to be grateful for - including Monday mornings, and tomatoes. Yes, that was the single most memorable aspect for many people at the end of the prayer.

The couple wrote their own vows… I wish I had recorded it all, but only got the tail end.. silly, not thinking ahead, too overwhelmed by the sheer joy of the moment. The rest of the day feels like a blur in retrospect. I had an awesome time, and experienced any number of amazing things - including seeing a 25 kilogram chocalata cake! Yes, its true. Guess what my next birthday cake will be… hehe. So many cameras, going off at the same time. Ashlee even caught me with my mouth not totally open:

… apparently, Ky wanted me to close my mouth for the photo. Dumdedummm.. haha.

Sigh. It’s hard to describe all the different emotions that the day inspired in me.. but overall, I came away feeling happy.. so very happy - both for Kylie and Luke, and just in general about life. I can’t wait till the day till I’m walking down an aisle somewhere

So, summer has finally drawn to a close: I refused to wear more than a t-shirt yesterday as my own little element of defiance against the elements. Apparently La Nina is to blame for:

- the wettest summer in over 5 years
- the coolest summer on average in over 10 years
- the least amount of daily sunshine in over 15 years
- not a single day over 31 degrees (first time in over 50 years)

Well… and the destruction of many a roof in many parts of Sydney. On the plus side, the dams are up over 65%, which is incredible too, and we’re finally off El Nino’s back.

Somehow in the midst of all this rain, I went to 3 big concerts. Rather than come on here and gush after each concert “THIS WAS THE BEST CONCERT EVER!!”, I decided to wait till I had seen them all, and then at least I could compare between them.

So, first up was Lionel Richie - 7th December 2007 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.

Charlotte and I got to the Entertainment Centre in time to catch half of Marcia Hines opening for him. She was incredible; I’d not heard her sing before, and I’m a big believer that judges of talent reality shows should still be able to do what they judge… she certainly did. It mostly consisted of covers, but her voice did not disappoint. She was an appropriate opening act, being a contemporary who sang in the same style and passion - acknowledged by the crowd of 7146 with much support.

There was a roar when Lionel took the stage. He’s not quite 60, but could easily pass for 30. I mean, he really did look good. Stylish, slick, and moved so well too!

His rapport with the crowd was amazing - I think he was surprised that there were this many fans here in Sydney! But he gave us all quite the show. He received an ovation after nearly every song, and welcomed it with what I’ve now discovered is a signature hand flourish (ask me to demonstrate the next time you see me). I sometimes forget just how… smooth he is. In singing Endless Love (a song traditionally done with Diana Ross.. I secretly hoped he’d bring Marcia back on for it), he serenaded the mostly female audience and had most of the crowd swooning. Afterwards, he consolidated his position with the male minority - “Guys… you know.. I’m not fighting with you guys - I’m just warming them up for you. You’re the one taking them home!”, which naturally elicited much mirth.

Of special note was a Commodores medley he performed in the middle Three Times a Lady, Easy and a few others - and as a special treat, it turned out that one of the other original Commodores was in the stadium! So Lionel got him up on stage - I think it was Ronald La Pread - and they played a few songs together. So unexpected!

Most of the songs were cast in the same style as their album counterparts - so on a pure sound level, the songs were mostly the same. Having said that, feeling his passion exude from the stage definitely made a difference in the songs - the emotion of some of the particularly stirring songs like Hello for example, was quite moving.

The concert closed with his biggest hit, All Night Long, and it was on that note did we leave the Entertainment Centre, heading to Manly for a birthday night out and proceeded to party all night long, wearing our Lionel shirts, and proudly basking in the afterglow of the experience that was Lionel.

Wednesday morning began quietly, as most tense films begin. After an excellent Moroccan lamb (thanks Adrian) the night before, I was exceedingly keen about both lunch and a visit to the bank later that day (oh, and work ofcourse.. *cough*).
In hindsight, much like the films, the innocuous nature of a certain chain of events in the morning did not illuminate their disastrous nature until they were crystallised in an untimely demise later on.

It started with some paperwork for the bank - I have a file folder, and had the option of placing my notes inside the plastic sleeve. Decided not to, as I figured between the tight nature of the file folder and my work bag, there wasn’t much worry. Then there was transporting my lunch using my usual plastic takeway style containers. No different to normal, except I had neglected to cook any rice to go with it, so was carrying a full container of Moroccan lamb in to work. I was feeling particularly environmentally conscious, and figured it wouldn’t be neccessary to double bag the container, especially as I’d be wrapping the bag tightly around the container and wedging it in my bag against the file folder and a few other things in there.

The pieces were now in place.

Upon arrival at work, the transportation process of lunch from bag to fridge began. Icky. The inside of my bag was covered in the gravy from the Moroccan lamb. The top of the plastic had snapped, and pierced right through the tight-fitting plastic bag, allowing it to seep out whilst I was getting to work. Due to the tightly packed nature of the bag, nothing really escaped attention. The file folder in particular, was inundated with it… and somewhat more worrying were the files within which had gained some new framing. Excavating the container from the bag resulted in the bag tipping - from chair to ground, and spilling contents on the floor too.

Concluding that the microwave was destined to explode if I heated the remaining contents up later… I had a yoghurt for lunch. Tasty, healthy, and less chance of disaster.

The eagerly anticipated wedding of Megan & Josh took place a short while back (yes, this is the Josh of paintball fame) in the beautiful Chinese Gardens of Friendship in Darling Harbour.

The weather of the past week reminded me of the weather in the days leading up the wedding: it was quite wet. Not quite as wet as losing-parts-of-the-road, but it was pretty wet. Amazingly, the Saturday turned out spectacular:

This is the first Western wedding I’ve been at where I’ve been rather conscious of what was going on around me, and details were being soaked up at every turn. From the first step to the first dance, it seemed like the entire day was just one event to the next.

The bridal party looked gorgeous with Megan leading the way. Josh betrayed none of the warfare from the previous week in his tuxedo, looking very smart. Apparently he had spent the morning preparing for the wedding by watching Terminator 2 (!)… However, he was a figure of calm repose there that afternoon. Along with the others in the party, it was quite the good looking group of people.

The ceremony was beautiful. Ted Paull of Macquarie led, and chose some very relevant verses to speak upon. What was perhaps even more compelling was what Megan and Josh had to say — both in terms of the verses they had selected which they personally found touched their wedding, and the vows they had written. Quite the teary affair :’(

Josephine had tied ribbons to go around little bottles of bubbly champagne bottles, and as the ceremony was sealed with a kiss (although when that was meant to occur, appeared to be a cause for some confusion), the air was littered with bubbles floating everywhere! Definitely added to the somewhat magical atmosphere, and was complemented nicely by the three-piece string trio who had been working the crowd earlier in the afternoon.

All in all, it was quite the splendid wedding — and this was only added to by the experience of being able to serve as an usher too! Woohoo for some responsibility.

It didn’t stop there either, as I was given the privilege of serving in the reception as the MC (!). Whoa It was a little overwhelming at first, but such an awesome honour to have — to be the second person in the world (after Ted), to officially announce them as Mr and Mrs Josh and Megan Storer.

The reception seemed to vanish in a blur; between the meal and speeches and dancing… I don’t know where it all went! I know I was talking at one point, and that I heard some touching speeches at others. Dave, the best man, possibly had one of the funniest stories to share — which could make you question whether Josh should be marrying Megan or Dave Josh made the right choice though, and I couldn’t be happier for either of them!

Congratulations to you both

So, the day of reckoning finally arrived, and the third, but possibly not final installment of Pirates. In case it wasn’t clear, these tickets were obtained as a result of winning a Mix106.5 competition, and resulted in Kellie and I seeing Pirates 3 quite early! Seeing the movie before most people saw it has its advantages — nobody else can ruin the story for you. But, writing about it becomes problematic as nobody else has seen it! ;o

For that reason, I have opted for a no spoilers policy. Except ofcourse, to say that Neo died. The general premise of the film is established by the cliffhanger finish of the second film — apparently Jack Sparrow, sorry, Captain Jack Sparrow, is retrievable from whence he lies. A great deal of the film is simply following through on that plot line, whilst attempting to develop, or undevelop, the myriad of other interwoven plot lines. In fact, at one point, it was decidely unclear just who was on what side, and for what purpose. With nearly 3 hours to play with, they certainly kept it in the air

Needless to say, a question asked in the film - “Is it planned or does he make it up as he goes along?”, seems well applied to the film itself, so convuluted it can be at times. Eventually, many threads do get resolved (well, more than a season of Lost anyways), albeit, in a generally good humoured way. On that note, the comedy at times did seem a bit belaboured, almost contrived, not dissimilar to the way it was in the second film, but still elicited many laughs from the audience… I know I was laughing a lot! With all the plot and comedy, there was certainly less action in this film, but to be honest, I did not even realise until now and I’m reflecting upon what I witnessed.

The casting was well-received, with familliar faces returning in old roles. Keith Richards, a cameo appearance as Sparrow’s father, was a natural. Watching him move, it was clear where Johnny Depp had drawn some inspiration for his portrayal of Jack Sparrow. Oh! Another major pro for this film: there is an excessive amount of Johnny Depp in some scenes — more than you can normally believe. Perhaps that is a noteworthy observation: in a similar vein to the second film, the concept of ‘excess’ is void. There is no boundary that cannot be crossed, no limitation that cannot be ignored. The indulgence in this practice is perhaps what garners some of the ‘wonder’ of Pirates… this belief that almost anything is possible.

What allowed this was at times the technology. The CGI in this film was top-notch - the effects were almost surreal, and drew the audience right into it. I know I was believing what I was seeing! Some of the scenery that was generated (or even, some of the on-location shots), were just magnificent, and set a vividly rich backdrop for the film to proceed with.

So, is it worth it? I definitely believe so. Anyone who enjoyed what the second film had to offer, and want answers, will agree. Be warned, with quite a lengthy, plot-driven film as this, you’ll need your wits about you — this is not a movie to watch when you’re half-asleep. Having said that, Pirates 3 delivers plenty of laughs, intensely life-like effects, heart-throbbing romance and ofcourse, some swordplay and explosions.

Recently, Kellie and I visited the latest venue to be graced by Guy Sebastian’s musical talents, one of the places where all performers can be humbled: the Sydney Opera House. It was very much a case of ‘returning to the scene of the crime’, as this was where it all started, where Guy was crowned the first Australian Idol. Being at the Opera House demanded a bit of fancyness, and upon arrival, it was clear that the audience at this concert was far older than the usual Guy fanfare, almost on par with the Elton crowd!

The seats we had were awesome (hats off to Kellie! ). Dead set centre and one level up; it afforded a view of the entire stage, and the choir behind. I couldn’t have asked for anything better. To top it off, it was quite a way through the concert that people even sat in front of us, so the view was mostly uninterrupted. Looking around, there really wasn’t a position in the entire hall that I’d have preferred… except maybe right on stage

The first half of the concert was Guy’s music, ‘remixed orchestral style’… I mean, the tunes were largely untouched, but hearing these tunes created by about 15 violins was pretty amazing! Song selection basically consisted of most of his singles, and a few of his personal favourites that were suited towards his backing. Hearing “Climb Every Mountain” was always going to be a powerful one to experience, this time with a full orchestra behind him… whilst he’s never been able to hit that final note the way he did in Idol, it was still intense and elicited a standing ovation.

What really impressed me during this entire section was the control of the conductor. I’ve honestly never seen much orchestral music, save for school bands, but keeping a tight rein on 30 or so people spread across that area can never be easy. Keeping in mind that Guy’s usual band is a group of like-minded individuals who are very flexible and can work around his constant adlibbing of lyrics and trills, and therein lies the potential for chaos; or at least, a restriction on how much leeway Guy really had. Or so I thought. It didn’t stop Guy from being his usual self with his music, and the power the conductor wielded as he kept the entire orchestra in time with Guy with his song changes was amazing! It was almost like improv classical as all the music paused with an instant’s notice, and then quickly rejoining the fray as Guy returned back to song. Just amazing.

Following the intermission, Guy took up a few of the Beatles’ classics - throwing the gauntlet across time and space at Shannon, he performed a wonderful rendition of Hey Jude that garnered much praise from the audience. He moved onto Elvis and whilst I don’t know Elvis’ music that well, he definitely had some good choices there that suited both his voice and the orchestra behind him. Guy then made a tribute to his dad, and belted out some genuine classics - old blue eyes with ‘The way you look tonight’ (possibly my favourite Sinatra song ever!), and Nat King Cole too!

In a strong move, he also chose to perform a few gospel songs — all quite strong ones, and even a few that I knew! :p So quickly however, it seemed to come to an end, an exhilirating ride that brought an amazing evening to a close. All in all, an awesome concert To witness such talent, in such an inspiring locale… well, you kinda wonder if you can ever get there too!

I discovered that the experience had renewed the vigor for my Australian Idol campaign (remember, vote 1 Fradam!)… somewhat sadly, it appears I’m not the only one.

Idol 2007 has already seen 30,000 singers try out for the show, the same as last year, and thousands tried their luck at Sydney’s Australian Technology Park over the weekend.

Australian Idol began in 2003 and sifted through 20,000 hopefuls in capital cities to find its first winner, Guy Sebastian.

Doh… not as much chance, but we can always hope!

A recent visit to glitzy Star City to see Guy Sebastian on tour with Kellie netted quite an amazing evening. First of all, it was a very different concert to previous ones. There appeared to be less flash and bang… definitely less dancing, yet, an overall richer experience.

It began with, as many people immediately labelled, “a kid”, by the name of Tom Jordan. I kid you not however, the guy had an immense talent for a 13 year old. Given the opportunity of a lifetime in being able to tour with a star like Guy didn’t appear to perturb his lyrical waxing, as he sang a few covers and also a few tunes he had written by himself completely! I especially loved the “I’m too young to have a girlfriend, but too old to cry about it!” song

As for Guy… Quirky humour and silly anecdotes filled the gaps between songs — and as always, preceeded by the inevitable “Can I have the houselights up..?”. Kinda funny in a way, at other concerts, the lead singer often tries to talk to the audience, but it is only after a concert like Guy’s do you realise that the people on stage can rarely even see those who aren’t on stage!

I guess that kind of honesty/taking-the-mickey-out-himself is part of what made it a great concert. At one point, he had his guitar swapped for another one, and quipped with something along the lines of, “apparently, all big rock stars just get their guitars swapped for no particular reason…”. Crazy!

A truly amazing thing to witness, was one dedicated fan and her boyfriend being called onto stage. Turned out the boyfriend had a question for her, and soon, he wasn’t just a boyfriend anymore. I think that is the first actual proposal I’ve ever witnessed… which in hindsight doesn’t actually seem that surprising — I mean, how many people follow other lovers and listen to them as one proposes to the other!? So, that was quite a magical moment, and certainly a night neither of them will ever forget. Especially amazing to consider, it all came from the boyfriend-turned-fiancee emailing Guy, earnestly seeking this chance to show how much he cared for the one he loved… How many artists would reply to a person’s email and allow such an opportunity to unravel on stage? I’m sure it’s not unheard of, but wow.

Another truly special part of the evening was a tribute to Australian music. It seemed like something else… almost intimate, hearing classics like Burn for you (Farnsy) coming from Guy and his band. Certainly rewarding however!

Other interesting parts of the night included sitting a few metres behind the “celebrity table”, i.e. Guy’s girlfriend, her friends, and the other names that support Guy — e.g. Mark Furze from Home & Away and Jennifer Hawkins from.. somewhere, not quite sure I remember where She was sneaky though, and didn’t stay too long in the open. Interestingly enough, given the option of kissing her, Guy declined. What a Guy!
So, I think the conclusion of this post is clear: I will need to grow a fro, enter Australian Idol and win. Malaysian Christians have a good chance I hear!

P.S. If you’re reading this, I expect you to vote for me!

Well, first of all, Happy New Year everyone, hope you had a safe fun time A small BBQ gathering was held at Casa de Frads, with a few games of Articulate until the fireworks rolled around, none of which my team won.. but there is always next time! The Sydney fireworks, as always was a good show, with some 5-6 different set of fireworks visible from our balcony. All in all, it was a good evening, which it seemed everyone enjoyed, and provided some opportunity for contemplation concerning the year to come.

The ushering in of a new year is often fraught with desires for change, changing, changes, etc. I like it just for that breath of fresh air, that coolness in the wind. It is akin to those drops of water just after rain, which funnily enough was exactly how New Years Day was looking in 2007: a day just after rain.

I’m not entirely sure what this year will hold as so much looks like it will change at the drop of a hat… like that drop of water, just ready to fall. Perhaps it is more like Dr Ian Malcolm’s speech on Chaos Theory (Jurassic Park, 1993), where he describes how a single drop of water can go in different directions:

It changed. Why? … Because and here is the principle of tiny variations - the orientations of the hairs on your hand, the amount of blood distending in your vessels, imperfections in the skin — microscopic — never repeat, and vastly affect the outcome.

It appears life itself mirrors the drop: so many tiny variations can occur in the next day, the next week, the next month, leading to very much different lives. Only time can tell which way the drop goes, but I remain ever hopeful that it will be for the best — happiness often only comes when you want it to come, after all.

Photo courtesy of Kellie - thanks

2006 has been a year marked with many big name celebrities visiting Sydney, touting their audio wares in large celebrations of light and sound. U2, delayed by a number of months, Kylie, delayed by a bit longer. Billy Joel and Elton John rounded out the oldies group, and Robbie Williams represented for today’s pop. That’s not even mentioning Coldplay and Live either. For an area that is often musically entrenched in a drought, we’ve done rather well… but have we enjoyed it?

One friend remarked to me that one concert they went to a few months ago had the lead singer high, and lasted a brief 40 minutes. The Sydney Morning Herald recently ran an article on Robbie Williams’ recent sojurn, describing it as “indulgent and selfish”. That seems a pretty harsh criticism, but it does raise a question — what does it take for an artist to be satisfied with their performance? Is it the money? Is it the splendour of the concert? Is it the adoration of the fans?

If my friends are considered a microcosm of society, it seems fans are beginning to respond when their favourite artists aren’t performing for them, and that difference of happiness is resulting in some unhappy people.

I think myself quite lucky. Kellie took me to the Elton John concert a few weeks back for my birthday (thankyou!), and I was amazed by the performance…. sometimes you forget just how many hits someone has. Some of his more poignant ballads were ever more powerful when listening to just him and his piano, watching his aged fingers stroll across a plateau they knew all too well. He finished with ‘Your Song’, dedicating it to Sydney, to a throng of joyous fans. Whilst I know you can’t please everyone, I think he would have come as close as he possibly could have to it. He truly demonstrated what a showman he is, with all the style and flair we expected, and none of the uglyness that the media often portrays him in.

At one point, in the middle of the concert, he stopped to sign every single thing that anyone brought to him. It was clear that some people were disappointed as they were at the stage with nothing to sign — until one clever individual handed his ticket to Elton to sign. And sign it he did. Suddenly, the mass surged forward, tickets extended out to him. He signed them all; every single one of them. This is the same person who has had much publicised scuffles with the media, often reacting quite rudely and harshly to those who take up his time. But for his fans, he had all the time in the world.

Perhaps that is the difference between the old school artists; those who made a melody with a voice and a piano, and today’s pop-driven frenzy: people who made time for their fans, and people who sell to their fans.

Out of curiousity, what have your concert experiences been like? Have they changed over the years?