Cider House Rules

It's not every day that you attend a festival or gig. Each genre of music is a specific taste and so drink of choice is just as personal. What choice of bevvie you choose for the day truly reflects the kind of person you are and as a result can often lead to others knowing what music makes you move.


Vodka
There are two forms of vodka drinkers at festivals. There's the Vodka Red Bull kids who will be sufficiently 'buzzed' by midday and will also be ready front and centre for My Chemical Romance or Rihanna. Commonly aged between 17 and 20, the Vodka Red Bull drinkers’ favourite catchphrase is “Oh Em Gee I LOVE this song!” followed by hyperactive and enthusiastic squeals.
The other form of vodka drinker is the subtly boozed hip flask carrying drinker. These guys are festival professionals. The amount of different ways one flask can be transported into the festival could be an entire blog itself… don’t even get me started! This second kind of vodka drinker is stealth. You will never know they are even having a cheeky beverage as there is generally a simple lemonade or coke bottle in their hand.

Beer
The beer drinkers! You can smell them from the other end of the festivities. It takes a small 2.4 steps from exiting the line for a beer spillage to happen. I don’t know why this is. Perhaps it has something to do with the carbonate found in beer? Perhaps it’s the type of drinker the beverage draws in? Beer drinkers spend the day light hours of the festival in casual circles of fellow beer drinkers, avoiding dancing and moving. It is simply when the sun is officially behind the hill that these guys come out of their shells. Already sticky from a solid few hours of drinking, beer drinkers will become overly generous once dark, shouting ‘beer’ for all around and substituting dancing with shouting. It’s as if speaking at louder decibels is their creative way of expressing the beats their enjoying.

Whisky
“I’ll have a Jim Beam and coke thanks… make that 4” – yup! The whisky drinkers are the ones who are casually holding 4 cans in one hit. They don’t like doing things in halves and if it’s a ‘4 drinks per person capacity’ then its 4 drinkers they’ll be getting. The biggest spenders at a festival, whisky drinker are also quite commonly the ones who will go MIA early in the evening. No one ever knows where they disappear to… not even the nomads themselves.

Cider
Personally? I'm a cider drinker. You just can't beat cider fun in the sun. Large, refreshing and oozing with summer deliciousness. You just can’t pass up a drink that tantalizes the taste buds like a cider… and it has apples in it! Can I claim healthy option here? Not only is cider oozing with incredible flavour, the ways you can use a cider cup for entertainment purposes are endless and always a crowd pleaser.

*This blog in no way condones binge drinking. Drink responsibly guys!

Glastonbury Memories

Dizzee & Florence

With acts being announced by organisers Michael and Emily Eva left right and centre, it's hard not to reflect on the experience that was the 2010 Glastonbury Bonanza.

Travelling a mere 22 hours by air and a further 4 hours by the Planet Rock van, some say "extreme!" I say "worrrrth it".

To say I was overwhelmed on arrival is an understatement. Yes I admit it here and now - trekking to where we decided to set up camp and once my tiny one man tent was erected, I did indeed have a little cry to myself. Not because I didn't want to be there, but purely due to the mere size of the event. I was definitely going to get lost; it was just a matter of when. To add to the matter that I met my fellow campers only a week before didn't help.

Sunset

Day one was soon eased by a more than ostentatious sunset and the amusing sounds of Two Door Cinema Club. I couldn't have asked for a better musical start to the festival. The evening was spent bonding with my Glastonbury Family at Stone Circle while watching sky lanterns float through the night sky and drinking perhaps a little too much rum.

I was sad to see the first day already over while walking back to the tent with the sun rising. But it was time for bigger and better adventures.

To go through the entire festival bit by bit although exciting for me to rekindle the memories would be a bore for you so let's just look at my favourite moments:

Kylie Minogue & Jake Shears

• Dizzee Rascal and Florence Welsh busting it out on stage together.
• Miss Kylie Minogue representing us Aussies - shaking her hot pants on stage with Scissor Sisters.
• Cider from the Cider Bus - which I got a discount on purely for being an Aussie ;)
• Watching England qualify for the next round in the World Cup along with every other Glasto Goer (cider shower anyone?)
• LCD Soundsystem
• The amazing smoothie I had daily from this tiny stall I can't even remember. 
• Men walking around with pasties over their nipples - only the English could be so brazen.
• Secret gigs in Shangri-La



Tagged who now?

• The police officer after having a snap with me responded to my "I'll tag you on facebook" with a simple "I tagged his Mum on facebook"
• The Pyjama Party I stumbled upon.
• Eating dinner while watching Jack Johnson performed on Pyramid Stage.
• Dancing in a Silent Disco without headphones on... whoops.
• Seeing Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons playing the drums in a tiny tent at 3am a mere 2 metres away from me.
• Fire! So much fire at the Arcade!
• Seeing Toy Story 3D on the Sunday in a tiny tent.
• Everyone from the Glastonbury Family getting together under the CJJ flag for Stevie Wonder

Unexpected highlight which I must point out to you all. Shakira. Believe it or not she was ridiculous. Not only does she have the stamina to shake her thing on stage for an entire set and sound off the chain, the Brits absolutely LOVE her!

All I have to conclude with is - bring on 2011

Playground Weekender

Rarely in Australia is there a festival that delivers top notch artists, an unreal atmosphere, the greatest of fancy dress costumes and the best of festival goers. Playground Weekender is the exception.

Kate Nash

With the ever beautiful Kate Nash headlining the event, an array of artists made it down the gorge to the tiny resort at Wisemans Ferry known as Del Rio. Although the ferry's were crowded and the queues were hours long, all those waiting with anticipation were sharing some ice cold stubbies before they were confiscated by security. Beach balls were being thrown, laughter was coming from all ends and the tech savvy iGens were eagerly texting a weekends worth of info to friends and family before boarding the shit to the party island.

Setting up camp was made that much easier with the fun loving crew we managed to set up near. Delicious tanned bodies wandering the riverside and portaloos that naturally would never be smelling of roses filled the campsite. To celebrate the set up of camp, we immediately headed towards the Synth pop rockers Cut Copy who delivered their new tracks from album Zonoscope.

Cut Copy

Tricky was next on stage and he was ridunkulous with his off the hook 1990s hits. Tricky knows what he's doing, mixing hip hop with rock in a way to move pop culture. Highlight of the Friday night interestingly enough was heading to a side bar with mist spraying its sweaty patrons and the ultimate in music tracks playing. One word - Madonna. Need I say anything else?

Most of Saturday was consumed in the pool area to chill out and hear up and coming DJs with the occasional stop off at the Slushy stand for some raspberry whirls strategically mixed with sneaky vodka.
Then the dress ups began. As one friend kindly pointed out to me... this was the only time of year you wouldn't be saying "I wonder who I'll hook up with tonight" but rather "I wonder WHAT I'll be hooking up with tonight".

Best group costume I believe were the deck of cards. No exaggeration - 52 of them. Honorable mentions go to the old school dudes and the Chilean Minors.
Saturday evening was kicked off with Midnight Juggernauts (always a great dance!) then Kool & the Gang, Architecture in Helsinki and De La Soul. I personally decided to skip out on De La Soul and headed to Norman Jay. Best.Decision.Ever. I am slightly upset I didn't get to see "Ring Ring Ring" performed live however Norman Jay was so incredibly dynamic and made the beat of my soul burst through my chest.

Although the night ended early, we kicked on around the tents and jumped into the muddy river.

Sunday was a very chilled day. Most patron's pyking in the morning to get back their brains and be ready for work. I on the other hand stuck around drinking ciders. First up on the list was American all girl group The Like. Small and intimate crowd meant a very personal set. They rocked it out in the heat and chatted away to those brave enough to stand in the scorcher of a day.

The Beautiful Girls

After a snooze in the afternoon (and multiple slushies...again), it was time for The Beautiful Girls. We danced, we sung, they delivered the cruisey surfer tunes they're best known for and prepared us for Kate Nash.

Miss Nash came on and showed us exactly why she is the headlining act. Smashing it out on the piano, strumming away on her guitar and delivering her sweet melodies with her renown vocals, Kate Nash couldn't have gone wrong.

Although only a few years old, Playground Weekender is hands down the greatest music festival Australia has to offer. And that my friend is a massive call.

Cut Copy - Zonoscope

The third album from Australian synth-pop sensations Cut Copy has once again got the emotions flying from tension to relaxation in audiences worldwide.

Listening to Zonoscope while trapped in a black and white office immediately pulls your mind to the weekend – road tripping along the coast with beauty, colours, relaxation, short shorts and your hair down. Perfectly sequencing the first half of the album, you begin your journey with the increasing tensions of “Need to Know” until you reach a purifying climax all within the fun loving beat of the track. Naturally you then progress to “Take Me Over” which is so easy to sing along to with your feet up and sun in your eyes. This track literally takes over your senses and the Bee Gees style guitar licks making you want to find the closest dance floor. The reverberating of “Where I’m Going” easily puts a smile on your face and is followed by the incredibly colourful mid-80s feel of “Pharaoh’s & Pyramids” which prepares you for “Blink and You’ll Miss a Revolution”. This song is hands down the highlight of the album. The highs, the lows, the catchy ostinato in the chorus and then you’re back to the mystic feel of the bridge. This is best 4 minutes you must have on any playlist of the summer.

The dramatic change in rhythm beginning with “Strange Nostalgia for the Future” begins a downward spiral for the album. It’s a very different feel and pace to the first half however I have no doubt in my mind tracks such as “Corner of the Sky” will be dynamite in a live situation, ramping the crowd up with the incredibly clever various speeds of the vamp riff.

Ending the album with the 15 minute long Sun God starts out interesting and spiritual however eventually plateaus into repetitive nothingness with your brain truly wandering to chores of the day. Could simply be our generation and our lack of concentration, or could be a sign that the track is just too long?

To Tap Or Not To Tap

Are you a tapper, A hummer, Or a drummer? With all the easy access to music in this day and age, the young and old have one thing in common... portable music devises. Whether it’s an ipod, mp3 player or the radio, everyone can listen to their favourite tunes wherever and whenever they wish. Being a train catcher for a solid hour each way to work Monday-Friday, I witness multitudes of behaviour that shows just one thing – we love our music! Here’s a breakdown of behaviours commonly used to express your emotions while letting your mind escape to the safety of your collection. Most likely you don’t even realise you are doing any of these yourself so take a look around you and see what the rest of the world is doing.  

The Hummer: These guys are few and far between. The most obvious form of music listener. You can catch them with a sour look on their face glaring always in the direction of the sun. Oblivious to everyone around them, they would most likely get away with the humming but unfortunately there is always a head bop that accompanies the hum.  

The Mimer: These guys look the happiest and most passionate of all music listeners. One minute they are staring into space and the next they are opening and closing their mouth. No, it’s not gum and it certainly isn’t food being chewed. It’s the listener simply whispering sweet nothing to whoever is running through their thoughts at the time. 

The Foot Tapper: Ahhh the foot tapper. One of the more common in the arts, the foot tapper can be either exceptionally loud or bumpy. Be warned - if you have a foot tapper behind your seat, you will certainly feel the beat of their music run up your spine. These are the sort to avoid if you are on the edge after a long hard day in the office. 

The Finger Tapper: I have to admit... I am often subject to finger tappers. My mum is one, my sister is one and my old housemate was one. These guys are also common in the workplace as pencil tappers when no music is in earshot. Finger Tappers make up to approx 75% of tappers and in approx 3% you will find a double whammy. When a foot tapper meets a finger tapper, they can become contagious of one another and then you basically have an entire performance in front of you.  

The Tiny Piano Player: I’m not going to lie to you; this is straight out my category. Majority have been subjected to learning piano at an early age and as a result can be spotted pulling out the octaves with pinkie and thumb. Hard to differentiate from finger tappers at times, these guys have an ear for underlying beats and melodies.  

The Spontaneous Drummer: Most common amongst angry teenage boys, the spontaneous drummer can start off as a winder starrer and then out of nowhere BANG! They are semi standing, double handed air hitting and always follow by the tap of the seat in front for the final beat of the ballad. Passionate and larger than life, these guys are by far the most entertaining of the lot.

The Chin Waggler: ‘is he nodding hello at me?’ No... You don’t know him. Behind those dark sunglasses he probably doesn’t even know you exist. The Chin Waggler permanently has his chin high. At first it may be still and exceptionally subtle, but if you watch closely you will start to see the transformation. Slight bopping up and down creates a movement as if on the phone and agreeing with something someone has said silently.  

The Blaster: Unfortunately some are cursed with being a Blaster. These guys have been listening to loud music for so long they are beginning to go deaf. Turns out those little hairs in your ears that help you hear sounds don’t grow back once damaged. Look after your ears!  

Happy Listening :)

Singe Can Sing

School student by day, singing YouTube sensation by night. I introduce to you the ever amazing William Singe .

This 17 year old from the Northern Beaches in Sydney is just ridunkulous! When I first heard about him I thought to myself “yea right! This kid knows how to lipsync to a mic. Well done hero” but then I kept looking. How many kids have you heard at a school recital with a voice like this

Studying for his HSC this year, William has achieved an abundance of awards outside of school. His achievements are through the roof proving he is one dedicated and talented man.

*Australian Idol (2009) Backing vocalist
*Ja Rule Australian Tour- Opening Act
*ACMF Songwriting Competition (RnB category) - (2nd Place)
*Warringah Mall Star Search - (2nd Place)
*Cocacola Talent Search Winner - (1st Place)
*UrbanStar 2007 Winner - (1st Place)

With influences such as Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, India Arie, Alicia Keys & Usher, William has a voice that is smooth, sexy and incredibly addictive.

I’d love you all to go check him out! You better not forget this face because he is going places.

I Was On The Radio Once

Here is my sensational interview with the lovely Ashlyn for 92.9 FM Tamworth.

I was in a competition and this was me getting Tamworths support!! YIPPEEEEEE.