The artist maintains ownership of copyright has full creative control and receives 100% of the royalties through the sales of music through digital retail stores. Sounds pretty damn good to me. On Wednesday night recent additions to Major Label; Guineafowl, Made in Japan and Underlights played at Oxford Art Factory. Not only were these great bands playing for free, but there was also free alcohol and free pizza. General Pants: All is forgiven.

In between the awesome freeness of the night I caught up with Guineafowl and Made in Japan to chat about their music, Major Label…and somehow, Pokémon and Santana as well as preventing suicide with Nickelback. [Ed note. What is it with you and Nickelback? Honestly.]

++

+ Guineafowl have only been around for six months, and you have been receiving a whole lot of hype. How have you managed that?
> Guineafowl: Um… just generally. Our manly charms.
> Lachy: Haha, yeah definitely.

+ So how do you think Major Label will help if you have in a short period of time already got a lot of attention?
> Lachy: To be honest. I think in a few months it wont matter all that much but it’s helped give us a boost and for a band that’s only been around six months, for us to get the exposure is great.

+ The Botanist was in Rage’s Top Fifty Clips of 09, sandwiched between Britney Spears and Coldplay, how did you manage to get such a great film clip on a zero dollar budget?
> Lachy: Yeah, when we got told that we were in the top fifty lists for video clips of 2009, we just thought it was pretty ridiculous.
> Guineafowl: It only just snuck in at 48 but there was Britney Spears and Coldplay on either side and they have slightly larger marketing departments than we have.

+ Your recordings were essentially done in you bedroom on a computer, was it hard to turn that into a six person live show?
> Guineafowl: It was actually really, really easy – we just rehearsed. When I recorded all the parts I had a band mentality in mind. So it was just a matter of splitting up the parts, we realized we needed six people to do it. And it just spread out naturally. Each person would just have that one part so the distribution of sound was actually really even. It worked out really naturally. It was at no point ever difficult. Each person has their part, and usually they’re like ‘here’s how I can make it better’ and they do.
> Lachy: It’s like a blueprint and then just goes from there
> Guineafowl: Yeah when we first started rehearsing properly which was just before December, we only had a bout five songs and from there we just developed a real set.

+ Did you have people in mind to fill out the band from early on?
> Guineafowl: No I just recorded as usual. Lachy had just broken up from his band, he was bored, sick of delivering pizzas and wanted to start a new band. He just pushed it out of me really, he was like, “These songs are great let’s start a band.” Yarren, Matt and Doug were in a band with me a couple of years ago so we know each other from there and Ceci is the best singer in Sydney So I had herd about her.

+ Has having a band changed the way you go about writing songs?
> Guineafowl: Since having a band I am more conscious of the fact that I will have people playing a part so I feel like I can write more layers. I’m still doing the same thing in my bedroom demoing, but they are just getting bigger, more parts and harder.  Just bigger basically.

+ So what are your favourite local bands?
> Pav: [Shouts from across the room] MADE IN JAPAN!

+ No cross promotion Pav!
> Guineafowl: We played a couple of shows with a band called We Say Bamboulee and I just adore that band.
> Lachy: Dead China Doll are great.

+ Yeah, I love them.
> Guineafowl: I don’t know I’m a bit old; the bands I liked are dead now, like The Cops. I mourned The Cops and I loved Dappled Cities before they dropped the Fly.

[Pavle of Made In Japan proceeds to take my recorder and ask a few interview questions of his own]

+ Pavle: So Guineafowl, if you could have sex with any celebrity alive of dead who would it be?
> Ceci: What, we’re talking necrophilia?! Ha ha.
> Lachy: Bill Murray.
> Guineafowl: Sigrid from Sea Change.
> Ceci: No no! Diver Dan!

+ Yeah I have always had a crush on Diver Dan.
> Guineafowl: No…Young Thatcher, definitely.

++

And with the mention of having sex with Margaret Thatcher it seemed like an appropriate time to wrap up the interview and chat to seasoned Sydney rockers Made In Japan. Made in Japan have coined themselves as ‘prunge’ punk and grunge, yet having spoke to them no one in the band agrees that they really sound all that punk or all that grunge. I sat down with them before they took to the stage to find what they think of Major Label and what they do sound like if ‘prunge’ is misleading.

++

+ Technology has allowed bands to distribute their music a whole lot easier now, my space download sites ect. Do you think something like Major Label will make much of a difference when it is so easy to get a hold of music?
> James: It’s just about opening up for more exposure to a bigger audience. It’s the whole publicity campaign, we might be able to upload songs on the Internet but we don’t necessarily have the means to make people listen to it.

+ You have done some work with hip-hop band Horrorshow. Do you think that has helped to get your music out to an audience that might not have listened to you otherwise?
> Tom: It has helped but we know the guys so it was more just about helping out some mates.

+ So what other Sydney bands are you into?
> James: Parades, Deep Sea Arcade, Megastick, Seekae. Ghoul are shit! Haha. But really there are a lot of great Sydney bands going around at the moment.
>Pav: There is this Melbourne band called Otouto that I have recently gotten into. Ghoul played with them the other week and I was so impressed.

+ Your sound has changed quite a bit. The early stuff was much more Bloc Party/Strokes/Television vibe, but the newer stuff is a little more atmospheric, channelling bands like My Bloody Valentine and Ride.
> James: It was probably a bit of both really, I know I really have gotten into that kind of music lately and Pav listens to that but I know that Jono and Tom don’t listen to that music at all so I uses that’s where the balance comes in.

+ How was Come Together Festival? You got to be on the same bill as those tracky wearing Datarock guys which is pretty impressive.
> James: Yeah it was fun but in the end it’s just another gig really. It’s good at festivals because you get to meet lots of other bands and it’s a fun day…with over priced food.

+ When your next gig?
> James: We are playing with Deep Sea Arcade and Fergus Brown at the Annandale soon and supporting Betty Airs at the gallery bar at Oxford Art Factory too. I think they’re the main ones.
> Pavle: Ask us a stupid question! Like um…. What’s your favourite Nickelback song?

+ What’s your favourite Nickelback Song? What’s your Favourite Pokémon?
[Guineafowl is back in the room]
> Guineafowl: Well I used to have red version on my game boy and I always had Bulbasaur because it just had this one attack and when you did it would just wipe out everything. Razorleaf I think?
> Pavle: Snorlax hands down, Maximum sleep, MAXIMUM ATTACK. But seriously back to the Nickelback question.
> Tom: The one with the weird film clip.
> Pav: There was this film clip where this guy is about to commit suicide but then Santana makes an appearance in the Nickelback film clip and convinces him not to commit suicide by playing really fast.

+ Yeah. Thanks Pav.
> Throughout the evening so much free Pizza was consumer that I’m pretty sure I couldn’t fit into any General Pants jeans anymore (even if I wanted to).  But clothing and food aside, Major Label is a great way of helping up and coming bands get their music out there, and having witnessed three great live sets from Guineafowl, Made In Japan and Underlights, I can safely say, their music should be heard.

++

Major Label sign bands for one single for three months. Find out more on their website here.

As the premier indie band night in Sydney, Throw Shapes is proud to have Mum on board, and they’ll be running a column interviewing some of the bands Mum hosts every Friday. For now, we’re going to help celebrate Mum’s birthday by introducing you to the bands that will be celebrating with her on April 30th, where you will also find Throw Shapes DJs spinning some nice little tunes. Eliza Reilly is here to teach you about the ways of Sydney indie bands Richard in Your Mind, Megastick Fanfare, Howl, The Laurels, We Say Bamboulee, The Frowning Clouds, Guineafowl, Hancock Basement, La Mancha Negra, The Salvadors, Psychonanny and the Babyshakers, Convaire, WIM, I Like Cats, Decorated Generals, The Walk On By, The Go Roll Your Bones, Brown Bear Black Bear and The Whipped Cream Chargers- who they are, what they’re like, and why you’ll like them.

++

Richard In Your Mind
Richard In Your Mind’s Summertime EP release was the soundtrack to the 2010 indie summer, and now the 5-piece from Sydney are getting ready to share their newest LP, a collaboration with SPOD, released through record label Rice Is Nice. Their debut album The Future Prehistoric had critics wetting themselves with excitement back in 2007 when the band first won Triple J’s Unearthed and appeared at The Big Day Out, and the newest project is set to do the same.

http://www.myspace.com/richardinyourmind

++

Megastick Fanfare
When a scenester sits down with a tab of acid after a hard weeks work, they hit play on Megastick Fanfare. Their hypnotic live shows lead the new wave of psychedelic pop coming out of Sydney and Melbourne. After being exposed at the Sydney Uni Band Comp the band have just completed a tri-state tour releasing their joint 7-inch with Kyu, ‘Braintooth’ and are getting ready to finally release a full length album later this year.

http://www.myspace.com/megastickfanfare

++

Howl
Plucked from relative obscurity of a Ballarat High School, Howl won Triple J’s Unearthed High Competition in 2009. They’ve since played along side Art Vs Science, British India, Bluejuice and The Scare and graced festival stages at Stereosonic, Field Day and Queenscliff. The debut EP has created quite a stir with every track receiving favourable airplay on radio and rave reviews.

http://www.myspace.com/thehowlmusic

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The Laurels
It would be hard to describe the Laurels without the sentence “coolest upcoming band in Sydney right now” in there somewhere. Career highlights so far include taking out the 2007 Sydney Uni Band Comp, getting special attention from Parlophone Records and recording with Magnetic Recording Council (Jon Hunter, Holy Soul). On the cusp of their debut release, bands like You Am I, Tame Impala, Cloud Control, Richard In Your Mind, Belles Will Ring have been lucky enough to play along side them before they inevitably change the world and forget they ever met us in haze of psychedelic success.

http://www.myspace.com/thelaurels

++

We Say Bamboulée
Deriving from the picturesque Blue Mountains, We Say Bamboulée’s sound is most definitely influenced by the echoing landscapes of their childhood, much like mountain kid siblings, Cloud Control. First coming to our attention at the Sydney Uni Band Comp in 2008, they’ve been keeping us waiting for their debut EP which is being recorded in their home studio. They’ve promised us they’ll finally be releasing it later this year, probably as soon as they stop procrastinating with their tie-dye t-shirts…

http://www.myspace.com/wesaybamboulee

++

The Frowning Clouds
Five 19 year old mod boys from Geelong with the Rolling Stones in their hearts and screaming teenage girls at their heels have ridden all around this country, spreading 60s garage gospel. Their debut EP was put out as a 7-inch by Spanish label Monterrey Records in 2009 and the new LP Listen Closelier with its ice cream chords and scratchy rhythms has just been released though Melbourne garage label Off The Hip.

http://www.myspace.com/thefrowningclouds

++

Guineafowl
Late last year the solo artist Sam Yeldam aka Guineafowl grew from one man with a laptop into half a dozen talented musicians to create a full live experience that has seen rave reviews and a cult following develop and is on top of every Sydney hipster hit list. The video for their single ‘The Botanist’ was made by NIDA student Kip Williams and featured in the Rage top 50 clips of 2009. The new Guineafowl single, ‘In Our Circles’ is out now through Major Label.

http://www.myspace.com/guineafowl

++

Hancock Basement
2009 was a big year for Canberra natives Hancock Basement. With relentless gigging in their hometown and Sydney with the likes of Bertie Blackman, Bluejuice, The John Steel Singers and Tom Ugly, Hancock Basement also won Triple J’s Trackside Unearthed Competition and released a 7-inch, ‘Hey Kids/Don Juan’ and they show us no signs of slowing down in 2010.

http://www.myspace.com/hancockbasement

++

La Mancha Negra
La Mancha Negra formed from their original shred skating skills, but do not confuse these boys with your classic skate punk band, these guys take pride in their rockabilly quiffs and 60s surf garage rock musical influences, with raspy vocals and distorted guitars that will ravage your ears. LaMancha Negra; meaning “the black spot” have been compared to garage forerunners The Sonics and The Stooges.

http://www.myspace.com/lamanchanegra1

++

The Salvadors
The Salvadors have established themselves as a standout Adelaide indie band to keep on your radar in 2010 with Triple J loving their single ‘Atacama Disco’. Triple J expressed a bit more of their love for The Salvadors by awarding them the Adelaide Unearthed slot at Laneway Festival early this year. The breakout single recorded at BJB Studios shows flares of Hungry Kids of Hungary and Vampire Weekend. The perfect weekend BBQ Soundtrack.

http://www.myspace.com/thesalvadors1

++

Psychonanny & The Babyshakers
Forming in 2007, Psychonanny & The Babyshakers have recently released their debut EP after what seems to be ages of showcasing and gigging all around the country. Their live set is loud, frantic, harsh and will sting your ears. Imagine Johnny Cash on crack, chasing eight ether cats around a room of crash symbols and flannel shirts, but fronted by sultry songstress Sonia Z.

http://www.myspace.com/psychonanny

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Convaire
Sydney indie-pop 4-piece Convaire of John Towey on guitars, sisters Liz and Jane Slattery on keys and Dan Talbot on bass, combine male brashness tempered by the subtleties of youthful femininity. Inspired by the music of Talking Heads, Friendly Fires, Phoenix and other pop-friendly artists, Convaire’s March release Hey Say Hey of some of their older tracks on German net-label Modularfield will be followed up by the band’s official EP available later this year.

http://www.myspace.com/convaire

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WIM
Glam-folk-pop rockers WIM have been building a local buzz turning their shows at regular indie clubs into an outrageous musical/visual/theatrical experience with front man Martin Solomon in leathers and feathers, denims and glitters. WIM are recently back from LA after recording sessions and showcasing gigs all around the city of concrete strips and geared up for a big year back in Sydney, with an album release planned for later this year and a single to come out in June.

http://www.myspace.com/wimtheband

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I Like Cats
I Like Cats only formed a mere year ago and they’ve already released a stunning debut (‘Attack Me’) and headlined the Menagerie Festival in 2009. Their eerie dissonance of cellos combined with guitar chords ripping through the bone-warming atmosphere in dark little venues has been kept a nice secret in Sydney, but for how long that secret will be kept is yet to be seen…

http://www.myspace.com/ilikecatstheband

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Decorated Generals
For the last 18 months the Decorated Generals have been tucked away in a home studio recording their debut, The Colonial EP. It captures the unique energy of their live set with ambient sounding melodies and progressions sounding like all the elusive Radiohead instrumentals you love topped with infectious rhythms and some brass.

http://www.myspace.com/decoratedgenerals

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The Walk On By
Hailing from the decrepit punk depths of the Sydney, The Walk On By have been staggering around the inner west since mid 2008. With one successful tour of Spain under their belts the band have new plans to go back in 2010 with more shows and more countries. The Walk On By have a 7-inch (‘Delilah’) out now which can be found at Red Eye Records.

http://www.myspace.com/thewalkonby

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The Go Roll Your Bones
The ‘Bones consist of just two guitars and four boys yet they somehow manage to create a noise extravaganza. Since forming early in 2009 they’ve been ravaging every Sydney club and pub they can get their glory stained hands on with psychedelic garage punk riffs and sexy hair, including the MUM 2am residency in February.

http://www.myspace.com/thegorollyourbones

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Domeyko/ Gonzalez
The planned chaos of experimental duo Domeyko/ Gonzalez can only be described as pleasurable mayhem. Their intricate compositions are improvised, yet thoughtful and refined. They take you on a blissful journey twisting and curving out into space. After playing only a handful of gigs the delicate indie pop music has made a big splash into the Sydney experimental pool. Read the full Throw Shapes interview with the boys here.

http://www.myspace.com/domeykogonzalez

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Brown Bear Black Bear
MUM’s 2am residency for April hosts Sydney newbies Brown Bear Black Bear. The group is set to make waves with their debut EP later this year. Formed in March last year by Dave Novak and Zeyd Natio (ex-Bird Automatic) the band’s pure indie sound resonates deeply in the fine electric syncopation and multiple layered beats. It’s like Whitest Boy Alive, but turned up to eleven.

http://www.myspace.com/brownbearblackbear

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Whipped Cream Chargers
This self-proclaimed “post-coital punk” band takes inspiration from the likes of Olivia Tremor Control, Jesus & Mary Chain, Hawkwind and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. The six piece made up from cut aways of Atrocities and Warhorse came together to make waistcoats and turned up moustaches seem as cool at the band themselves. Now with added burlesque dancer “Whippettes”.

http://www.myspace.com/whippedcreamchargers

++

The Mum Birthday Party will happen on Friday, the 30th of April, at the World Bar.

The other cool thing is the great choice of bands, including Magnetic Heads, Ripping Dylans, Megastick Fanfare, The Maladies, and Line Drawings. It’s $10 to see the bands but FREE to just hang out in the DJ room.

We expect to hear some new stuff from the bands, especially Magnetic Heads and Megastick Fanfare. The whole shebang is courtesy of FBi Radio and is a nice initiative that encourages new bands to get their music out there – a great idea following the Hoey fail.

It happens on Thursday, the 18th of February, at the Annandale Hotel.

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….

–

In Which We Tried New Things

–

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

–
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.

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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.

I really want a good costume because the party at the Annandale is going to be awesome. Seekae, Deep Sea Arcade, Richard In Your Mind, Tokenview, Megastick Fanfare, We Say Bamboulee and Kids At Risk will make up a large amount of the aforementioned awesome but I’d wager that some prizes for best dressed, magicians, live art, a human vending machine, trick or treat bags and potion punch would up the awesome-factor quite significantly also.

The only thing that pisses me off (aside from the inappropriately small sized dinosaur costumes dominating the dinosaur costume market) is that because everyone will be at this freaking rad event there is absolutely no chance of me having people around to my house as an excuse to decorate it with jackolanterns and fake spiderwebs or force my cat to wear something stupid. Fuck you, awesome party.

Anyway: Saturday, from 7pm, at the ‘Dale, $17.