steph: hey amelia

amelia: were you at Peats Ridge Festival?

steph:

amelia: ?

steph: amelia i saw you there. we hung out. lots.

amelia: ok, ok, i was just trying to make this thing more natural-sounding.

steph: we were definitely both there. we both camped there for three full nights and we didn’t even die and it was sort of the best….

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In Which We Tried New Things

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amelia: it was pretty much a terrific festival. remember that time you did laughter yoga?

steph: i wasn’t going to admit that yet but okay well yes, i tried some new things. like the laughter yoga thing. it was weird – basically just turning misguided racial stereotypes into laughter. so kind of like seth macfarlane, but with yoga.
steph: there was a chinese laughter where you had to do some kind of oriental bow and laugh like the asian guy in the karate kid. and then a hawaiian laughter where we had to go “aloha-ha-ha-” with the actions and i’m not even kidding, this is what laughter yoga is.
steph: anyway, you did meditation. i bet you wore cheesecloth.
steph: i bet you wore a full bodysuit made of cheesecloth.
steph: that was amelia, everyone. in the cheesecloth bodysuit.

amelia: but! i was peaceful. cleansed. and then i did yoga. normal, non-racist yoga. and i was also stretched, and a little sore.
amelia: and i went to some sustainable living talks and learnt how to feel guilty about recycling.
amelia: i hula hooped.

steph: i hula hooped also.

amelia: you kind of hula hooped. as in, not really at all.

steph: i hula hoped. ZING.
steph: then we went to the petting zoo across the path. remember that?

amelia: that piglet was freaking awesome. it just sat there at the bowl of milk with its chicken friend.
amelia: and then was like, hey, chicken, have some milk.
amelia: and the chicken would walk away, and the piglet would follow it. hey man, try it, it’s awesome, milk is so great
amelia: and then it would give up and go back to the milk.
amelia: and the chicken would supervise.
amelia: and this went on for HOURS.

steph:

amelia: also some bands played?

steph: she stood there watching the piglet, everyone. for hours.

–

In Which We Made Peace With Poop

–
amelia: hey wait
amelia: on the topic of poop

steph: oh god.

amelia: there was a lot of poop in those toilets. the composting ones with the woodchips. do you know what is great? what is better than woodchips? flushing. flushing is better than woodchips.

steph: flushing is so great.

amelia: and the subtle sound of poop dropping in to water.
amelia: “plop”

steph: it definitely beats the PATTT-FFTHHHHH of poop dropping onto poop.

amelia: it’s like a little love letter.
amelia: from the toilet water to you.
amelia: dear amelia. “plop”. love, toilet. xoxo

–

In Which We Saw Some Bands

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steph: hey so did you see any bands?

amelia: yes. actually.
amelia: i came out of We Say Bamboulee covered in a thin, sensual layer of sweat-encrusted dust and happiness.

steph: they were definitely a highlight. but i missed half their set to check out the Bird.

amelia: doof doof doof doof?

steph: well, there was more to it than that – but there was no thin layer of sweat-encrusted dust and happiness; it was no Bamboulee. every single other person who saw them thought they were incredible… it’s just not a type of music i really get. but you know what? i tried.

amelia: your heart is good.

steph: i do what i can.

amelia: the Snowdroppers had some sweet suspenders and some awesome bluesy rockabilly vibes. that lead guy is all charisma.

steph: by charisma, you mean sex.
steph: and hey, here, play a game. guess this: dual-member band-o-cousins from Melbourne, debut album was on my in-hindsight-top-five, played a great show recently at the Annandale with Sherlock’s Daughter, but accidentally forgot their capo and also their drummer at Peats.

amelia:

steph: Kid Sam. if you haven’t heard that album yet, you should. it got nominated for a j Award and should have beaten the Middle East. that’s how much i liked that album.
steph: Sherlock’s Daughter were a Peats highlight for me – it feels like their sound is getting deeper and swirlier or something. music journalism. and tanya’s costume? silver sparkley onesie? sure i’ll turn gay for you.

amelia: yes, Sherlock’s are great, but that tent was VERY LOUD. it hurt my little lady ears.

steph: yeah, the Lions At Your Door set was tight but a little piercing where i was sitting. actually, the sound in general was pretty shonky. at the Chai Temple in particular – you have this entire ridge here, Peat. all this space. you don’t have to put your weird chill-out-rave-pants-trance-dub tent next to the folk stage.
steph: regards, Professor Festival

amelia: Brian Campeau and Elana Stone played in there, they continue to slay me – their chemistry and banter is always so engaging. ahhhhh to be in love, and also extremely talented…

steph: and hey, also, I was pleasantly surprised by Bertie Blackman. i never really got into her recorded stuff, but the dark-dancey thing with the PJ Harvey voice and the WHOOPS SURPRISE DISCO! she had going on was pretty ridiculously good.

amelia: Dappled? Your thoughts?

steph: i think you could put six of ANYTHING on stage in shiny slick gold bodysuits from japan and i would have given it 10/10.

amelia: Dappled full body skin tight gold body suits > Sherlock’s silver spangled leotard i think

steph: > cheesecloth bodysuit

amelia: but i’d be happy to battle them. just to settle it.

steph: any bands particularly surprise you?

amelia: all the obvious ones were obviously great: Seekae, Fergus Brown, Deep Sea Arcade

steph: Deep Sea Arcade! Yes! One of the best times I’ve seen them! Alps was excellent, I’d been hanging out to see them for ages – got to bliss out for a while.

amelia: also Lanie Lane, Megastick Fanfare, bands we always talk about etc – but don’t hurt me, i actually really liked Liam Finn.

steph: me too!

amelia: like, heaps.
amelia: like, wow, play those drums, sir.
amelia: and then play another thing.

steph: EVERYONE, SHE’S TALKING ABOUT SEX

amelia: and then maybe a radical theremin solo.

steph: post-coital radical theremin solo? it’s different, i’ll give you that.
steph: you saw Tin Pan Orange, yeah? what were they like?

amelia: lovely! i had no idea who they were. but it’s folky pop with pretty girl vocals. similar to Emma Davis, not as delicate maybe, but still very listenable. perfect for Peats.
amelia: also Fuji Collective, another band i for some reason hadn’t seen yet. it was quite Zappa-ish, funky and funny and crazy and schizophrenic and with lots of synchronised dance moves. which always appeal.
amelia: i love synchronised dance moves. they just really make a band.
amelia: but wait, there’s an elephant in the room.

steph: there is?

amelia: LAMB.

steph: there’s a lamb in the room?

amelia: it keeps licking my ear.

steph: i saw a bit of their set. i heard them play that one song from that chillout album everyone had back when we didn’t know about music. i knew way more of their tracks than i thought i would – they were pretty good!

amelia: i used to listen to them years ago when i enjoyed ministry of sound compilations and falling drastically in love with boys who couldn’t grow facial hair. i thought they were great.

steph: i left them to watch Dead Letter Chorus - a small crowd, but the funnest set i’ve seen them play. could have been the happy high herbs though.

amelia: nah, they were on FIRE.

steph: they weren’t on fire, everyone.

amelia: you have no appreciation for metaphor.
amelia: you’re cold inside.

steph: (not literally, everyone)

–

In Which We Go Inside Some Tents

–

amelia: speaking of disco, did you go to Stu’s Disco Tent?

steph: i don’t do drugs, amelia.
steph: and also, that was a pretty sub-par segue.

amelia: you’re a sub-par segue.

amelia: they remixed Madonna’s ‘Hung Up’ with New Order’s ‘Blue Monday’. the dust didn’t even stick to me i was sweating so much.

steph: i went to the Bohemian Love Theatre for the Recipes of the R/Evolution show. i was a bit wary after that interview with Goldie Feather I did a while ago. as in, wow who is this guy, what on earth is he talking about and how do I turn a hotpants cannon into a feature article. but we got in to the tent!

amelia: when that guy with a megaphone randomly asked six people to carry you in through two rows of clapping vaudevillians, put you on the pole-dancer’s stage and announced to the entire crowd that you had finally arrived and they could begin the show?

steph: this is true. this happened. this was terrifying and confusing. also, i counted 25 entirely naked people on stage at one point. i saw so many wangs. it was all love and acid and costumes and music and dancing and cabaret. i danced with a bumblebee and taught a four year old to high five while a naked obese woman was jiggling her Most Impressive Accomplishments in my face.

amelia: i missed that. i left after a fawn propositioned me to take my clothes off.

steph: again?

amelia: it was like sexy narnia.
amelia: like narnia fan fiction.

steph: and then they brought out the hotpants cannon and we weren’t in narnia anymore.

–

In Which We Camped, Saw Used Condoms, Got Alcohol Confiscated But Still Had Fun?

–

steph: hey! you know what else is too sexy for our blog? all of the used condoms and undies strewn around the site.
steph: who has sex at a camping festival?
steph: who has sex at a camping festival with the kind of guy who’ll fling a used condom out of his tent?

amelia: FLINGGGG
amelia: FWAP! (condom landing in mud)

steph: SHLOCK (amelia picking said condom out of mud, adding it carefully to collection)

amelia: WITH TONGS. I USE TONGS OK.

steph: they upped the ante on alcohol this year – they were doing those surprise searches on site.

amelia: i had some cider taken by some security men
amelia: i bet that all the security guards had a giant festival like, one valley over, full of all of our booze.
amelia: naked, triumphant and swimming in wine.

steph: and cider.

amelia: MY cider. in a giant security-guard-orgy of alcoholic bliss. with working toilets and hot, hot showers.

steph: we heard they confiscated $36000 worth of booze. i have no idea how they would have arrived at that figure. but it is a large, shapely figure.

amelia: they probably had wifi in their utopic valley
amelia: and perfect phone coverage and sunlight and no rain
amelia: i can see in my mind a big burly security guard with animals flocking around him as if he were snow white.

steph: i can see in my mind big, burly security guards getting drunk on free booze and punching each other.
steph: hey so the leeches in the river were interesting, and peculiarly discerning. it was like a lucky dip.

amelia: mm… the river. i didn’t put my head in it. if in doubt, don’t put your head in it.
amelia: is the general rule i like to live by.

steph: “what do you think about that thing?” “i’m not sure.” “better not put your head in it.”

amelia: it’s surprisingly applicable.
amelia: ovens. fire. mirages.

steph: philosophy.

amelia: suspicious goo.
amelia: socialism.

steph: horses.

–

In Which We Eat Food, Watch Trapeze And Enter The New Year

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steph: can we talk about the incredible food yet?

amelia: i kind of expected there to be more organic stuff. i got one organic bacon and egg roll

steph: oh my god, so did i. oh my god. the opposite of vomiting. that’s what i did with that roll. oh my god.

amelia: which was nice. but there were some other great things. since Jonathan Safran Foer ruined meat for me forever, i was all vegies. but thank god for zucchini fritters with tomato relish and sour cream and baby spinach.

steph: food from yemen! i ate food from yemen!

amelia: oh, how was that?

steph: who cares! yemen!!

amelia: good, good. you’re on your way to food-reviewing success. SMH will be head hunting you for sure. hello, Walkely.

steph: this from Amelia ’synchronised dancemoves really make a band’ Schmidt. WE’RE GONNA NEED A BIGGER ROLLING STONE.

amelia: Don’t forget me, John Marsden!
amelia: anyway also, trapeze

steph: “anyway also, trapeze” – amelia

amelia: i saw some trapeze, from Aerialise, with three girls in vintage bathers and hula hoops and sunglasses. which made me want to trapeze. maybe.
amelia: maybe run away to a circus. i mean, i know i have a future here but, circus!

steph: well, you know, i wouldn’t go that far?

amelia:

steph: i mean, you’re okay

amelia:

steph: you have a back-up plan, yeah?

Amelia Has Logged Off Chat.

steph: just don’t close any doors is all i’m saying
steph: wow. i can’t believe you guys actually read all that. sorry.

Everyone who came was supportive, attractive, witty, polite and dancefloor-friendly. At one stage we even saw a baby there and what she lacked in dancefloor-friendliness she totally made up for in being A REAL BABY.

And the art! Watch This Space had put together a huge group of talent, and a ridiculously high-tech sensory system. While it’s possible that the two didn’t work together exactly the way they were supposed to, we got treated to the best of both worlds in two different rooms. Win! The team also delighted Amelia right off the bat with conversation about how to turn a projector on (“Sweet talk it? Stroke it gently?”) Double win! The awesome interactive projection performance by Luke Tipene kept way more people upstairs for way longer than we anticipated, credit for which also goes to the fantastic DJ skillz of Greedy Hen and We Buy Your Kids. They kept everyone happily distracted while one of our projectors kind of exploded, and didn’t play a small amount of Paul Simon in the meantime.

And then came the bands. Steph’s totally amazing at booking bands. (Steph wrote that.) We were actually a little bit dorky and overwhelmed by Danimals, standing at the front and doing that look-around-at-everyone-like-”Woah-Are-These-Guys-For-Realz” kind of thing. Then we found out it was one of their first ever shows as a full band, and we almost started a label.

Megastick Fanfare were next. These guys are basically a consistent wow, but are actually somehow getting better and better every time we see them. So they’re playing tonight again, after midnight at a late night party called “Witching Hour” at OAF. We’ll be the ones right up the front with the happy dancey shoes on.

And unfortunately for him, Spod knows how to make a party that we don’t ever want to end. We secretly dragged the stage manager into a locked vault while Spod played, which (whoops!) trapped him in front of the decks for way longer than we agreed on. We wanted to keep dancing, and we’re sorry. (Not really sorry. It was worth it.)

Thanks so SO much to everyone who came, played, arted and danced. Thanks so much to the Wall and to the World Bar too. We love all of you. And your baby as well.

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