Dear Windows,

I think our relationship is over. I think I need to see other computers. It hurts me to say this, it really does.But you can’t say you didn’t see this coming.

I’ve been flirting with other machines for quite a while now, and I think it’s time for me to move on.

I know we’ve had our good times,you were my first and we’ve been through a lot together. We used to have so much fun, the chemistry was there.

Finding my way around you is abreeze from the very first day I met you. You have organizational skills thatbetter anyone I could ever meet.

But you lost something along theway. You lost your sense of fun and adventure. You lost your creativity andyour spark. I need that, Windows.

These computers I’ve been flirting with, they still have that. They are daring and creative. And beautiful,Windows. You should see their beauty. I admit they aren’t perfect, but nobody is. They aren’t as reliable as you’d sometimes like, particularly the smaller ones. And sometimes they are a little bit possessive and controlling. But they have a sense of creativity and adventure you lost years ago. And take me places that you can’t any more.

I know you said you can change, and you tried your best. But with the changes your lost your heart and soul. You lost what I loved about you. You used to be so simple and easy to navigate. You were so reliable. Do you remember? We hardly ever fought. But when you changed,you tried to compete with the others on their level. Don’t you see you had something they could never have? You were so simple; I always knew where my things were. But I feel like I hardly even know you any more.

It hurts me to say these things; we used to be so close. But I think it’s time for me to move on.

I think we should start seeing other computers.

Another damn blog for you all*

Holidays are at and end and production week is about to begin. Whoopy!

The holidays are too short me thinks, and should be extended until I feel like it

Production is looking good, and am looking forward to performing it. Although I am tired already. It’s been a busy week. I haven’t had much time to relax. And that’s what I wanted to do these holidays, not all this stuff. I demand more nothing!

On another note, I had a jam with Porcelain Horse on Monday. It was really good. Sounded really good and am looking forward to playing with them for the battle, they are a really awesome band.

Kool Skools is soon too, haven’t auditioned yet. Hopefully we get on, hopefully I can find a band to play for it… I don’t know if Ben will be ready, and I don’t know who to ask**. And whoever plays isn’t gonna have long to practice with us. Damn, that’s stressing me out.

Um, to compete with Darvo I am thinking I should post another Lyrics blog. I have been fighting the temptation to write a political blog, knowing that it was probably them that ultimately led to the death of the blog last time. But I can feel one coming on, so I think I’m gonna have to post one of them soon. Maybe another blog about an album I love. I dunno. Damn, this is a pointless blog. Just filling in the gap I suppose!***

*This is obviously addressed to you, Darvo and Bowie
**I may even have to resort to playing drums myself, but most likely not. There are better drummers.
***Although I’m starting to think that it would have been better if I had just left the silence

Just a short blog to let people know that, thanks to a few coments from some people, I think there may be life in Fairyfloss yet...

 

So don't kiss them goodbye!

...

Just yet

I know this happens at least once every couple of months these days, but Fairyfloss is pissing me off.

Have we really gotten that shit? How could we go from the bright young sparks that we were to the boring, predictable, over the hill band that we have become? We still make the cut but apparently we are the worst of the bands that make the cut.

I know I don’t really have a band, I know that we have maybe tow or three rehearsals before gigs now, but surly we haven’t gotten that bad. Have we? The songs are still good and we aren’t all over the place as a band or anything.

Fairyfloss, as a concept, is a creative outlet that I am still very interested in. I still think there is a lot that I think it has to offer, but it’s just never working. I can’t find the right people to play with me that fill the three requirements. 1) Be good and dedicated to their instrument and the band. 2) Share the musical vision of Fairyfloss. 3) Not be a knob.

Why is it so hard to find people like this? If I could find these people Fairyfloss would work. But because Fairyfloss isn’t working I am thinking I need to find a completely different creative outlet, something to put my energies to that is worth it. Something that is completely different to Fairyfloss.

There’s Man-Bat, which is great fun but never going anywhere. And the Gigabytes with Ben might work, but we haven’t really tried that yet, so don’t know how that will turn out.

But whatever I do, I think it’s clear. I need to find something else and put Fairyfloss on the back burners for a while.

So treat this like an ad:

James Clark is looking for musicians to form a band with… Not really fussed on style, or what role he plays in the band. He just needs a new outlet.

Anyone interested should let him know.

Long time no blog!

Well, joining Bowie in her quest to bring back the MSN blog is I!

Last night was the Push Start Shepparton Heat. Fairyfloss and Man-Bat played along with The Shadow Puppets, Krank, Born in Silence, This Dying Sun and A Trip Past Eternity.

It was a good night, Fairyfloss was the first band up and I thought we did a pretty good job for the first band. I thought we played well, Hangin’ On was a bit flat last night and But The Boy Knew Nothing still wasn’t as good as I think it can be. But it was way better last night then it has been in the past.

A Trip Past Eternity really surprised me. I thought they sucked at Shine but last night they were really good, showed a lot of potential. They are gonna be a really good band. They have a really good sense of pop and what they do and are gonna be really good. So look out for them.

Shadow Puppets were as good as I have come to expect. Although I think I’m so Excited is a much better closer then opener. But Pack Up And Go worked well too. Would have loved some Slap! though.

Krank were great. And deserving winners. They are a really tight band and their songs are very good. Not really my thing, but they are damn good at what they do.

The other bands weren’t my thing, Born in Silence were alright, but not really my thing.

After the gig Beksy came back to my place and we watched the Nirvana DVD and slept.

Good night.

And I will post this on MySpace too, just because it will get read there. But bring back the MSN space!

Well, for those of you who cared about parts I and II, here is part III of my series of lyrics that I like. For those who weren’t a big fan of parts I or II then, well, I don’t care because I’m writing it anyway.
This time the theme of the lyrics is a little broader, while I still have lyrics in here that are about those moments between moments that I have written about in parts I&II, the subjects are a little boarder; some lines talk about insecurities, girls, and just general angst while some lines talk about life and identity.
Music has this amazing ability to describe complex feelings in just one or two short lines. It also has this amazing ability to describe your own feelings better then you can. It can capture your own emotions and plays them right back at you, and it’s moments like this where music is at its greatest. When you are listening to a song and it just hits you; you know exactly what they are trying to say because it’s what you have been trying to say. It’s hard to describe what these moments are, let alone the feeling they create within you. It transcends words; they are moments of absolute joy when a true connection is made with the music. A simple pop song turns into a prayer. Reminds me of something that I recently read that Bono said, and I’m paraphrasing here because I can’t remember exactly said, but there is no such thing as any old pop song, because when heard by the right person, going through the same things it becomes far more then a pop song, its an affirmation in yourself. A simple pop song can be a magnum opus when heard by the right person.

I have spent many nights, in the wee small hours of the morning, listening to music, and it was during these moments when many of these lyrics were first noticed. These almost spiritual moments when a lyric seems to come alive in your head and wrap itself around your thoughts so completely that you would swear the songwriter can read your mind. These moments are what make them more then just any old pop song; they are complex emotions encapsulated in only a few words.

Anyhoo, here are some of the lyrics that to me, are more then just simple lyrics from any old pop song. I’ll spare you the details of why each one means so much to me, but if you would like to know just ask and I will try and explain.

So rock and roll so corporate suit
So damn ugly, so damn cute
So well trained, so animal
So need your love, so fuck you all
I'm not scared of dying I just don't want to
If I stop lying I'd just disappoint you
Come Undone – Robbie Williams

And on Valentine's Day
What was I to do
She got a ninety verse sonnet
I struggled with a haiku
Yes There Is a Slight Chance He Might Actually Fail – Darren Hanlon

Those three words, are said too much, they're not enough
Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol

Take all your reasons and take them away
To the middle of nowhere, and on your way home
Throw from your window your record collection
They all run together and never make sense
But that's how we like it, and that's all we want
Something to cry for, and something to hunt
Looking for Astronauts – The National

Cornered, the boy kicked out at the world
The world kicked back
A lot fuckin' harder…
Can’t Stand Me Now – The Libertines

Oh what became of the Likely Lads?
What became of the dreams we had?
What Became of the Likely Lads – The Libertines

What you don't have you don't need it now
What you don't know you can feel it somehow
What you don't have you don't need it now
Don't need it now
It was a beautiful day
Beautiful Day – U2

Where can I go that your pictures won't haunt me?
What makes it so easy for you to be walking by?
Walking By – Something Corporate

As if I'd never noticed
The way she brushed her hair from her forehead
And she said losing love
Is like a window in your heart
Graceland – Paul Simon

It's no secret that a conscience can sometimes be a pest
It's no secret ambition bites the nails of success
Every artist is a cannibal, every poet is a thief
All kill their inspiration and sing about their grief
The Fly – U2

I like the peace
in the backseat,
I don't have to drive,
I don't have to speak,
I can watch the country side,
and I can fall asleep
The Backseat – Arcade Fire

How come you never want to dance with me anymore?
Hold On Me – Grinspoon

Where are you now?
As I’m swimming through the stereo
I conduct a symphony of sound
Where are you now?
As I'm cutting through you track by track
I swear to god this mix could sink the sun
But it was you I was thinking of
The Mixed Tape - Jacks Mannequin

Tell those girls with rifles for minds
That their jokes don't make me laugh
An Unguarded Moment – The Church

Excuse me, too busy
You're writing your tragedy
Let Go – Frou Frou

Am I in love with this?
My constant broken ship
Don't go, I'll shoot you down
I'm starting to like this town
We Have Forgotten – Sixpence None The Richer

This is nothing like it was in my room
In my best clothes
Trying to think of you
Mr. November – The National

Oh girl when I'm in love with you
Keep fishin' If you feel it's true
There's nothing much that we can do
To save you from yourself
Keep Fishin’ – Weezer

Defence is paper-thin
Just one touch and
I'll be in too deep now
To ever swim against the current
Vindicate – Dashboard Confessional

Tonight make me unstoppable
And I will charm, I will slice
I will dazzle them with my wit
Tonight make me unstoppable
And I will charm, I will slice
I will dazzle, I will outshine them all
The Prayer – Bloc Party

Sail on silvergirl,
Sail on by
Your time has come to shine
All your dreams are on their way
Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon & Garfunkel

Life goes on within you and without you
Within You, Without You – The Beatles

I guess I’ve always needed
To be needed by someone
Be Gentle With Me – Boy Least Likely To

Are you lost, or incomplete
Talk – Coldpay

Well.. It has been a long time since I have written anything here hasn't it? And I would love to write something here of some importance or substance. But I actually don't have much to say.

School has been going as you'd expect. Not very exiting, yet keeping me busy enough to stop me from doing a lot of things that do (like lazy days on the couch watching poor day time TV and Seinfeld DVDs).

Fairyfloss is sounding good again, and we have our fans back. Makes me very happy, because my fragile ego was starting to feel quite unwanted and useless. Shine is coming up soon, so I can't wait for that. Should be awesome.

Um... I dunno... I'm sure there is more news... But I can't think of any now...

Anyhoo
Peace

Well, the holidays are almost over. One more day. And so with a heavy heart, I wish goodbye to the wonderful 8 weeks that have just passed. While it may not always have been great, it did have its down moments, the general mood of the 8 weeks was damn good.
I had heaps of time to just relax, see friends, watch cricket, Seinfeld, play guitar and just do whatever my mood took me. But now it ends, I have to be at places at places I don’t want to be when I don’t want to be there, I have to do work I don’t want to do, and when I do things I actually want to do I will be constantly feeling guilty because I know that I should be doing work that I haven’t done.
But, surly it’s not all down from here. Surly there are positive things to look forward to this year. In fact, according to my pattern this year should be a good year. So what are these good things? What do I have to look forward to this year? Those are very interesting questions, and as it just so happens, I prepared a list!

Kool Skool – This is always a highlight, for 3 years now I have been involved and it just keeps getting better (except for the stupid awards night last year where Notre got royally screwed). So hopefully this year I will be as involved as I was last year (anyone that wants me to play for them, I will be happy to).

Production – Again, always a highlight. Guaranteed to create unnaturally high levels of stress, but always gives you many fantastic memories. A great way to just get together with people and have really fun days in the middle of winter. This year should be even better as we have suddenly become senior students. It only feels like yesterday that I was the really young guitarist way out of my depth in my first production. I didn’t know anyone involved, they were all older than me and I didn’t understand anything going on. But now we are the ones with parts, we are the ones who know what’s going on and can recite word for word Murphy’s post dress rehearsal speech. I can feel it being a good year for production too.

Sports Days – While I don’t really like sport that much, these days are always good; Particually swimming. Remember the past couple of swimming carnivals where we were just sitting around, in the shade, playing guitars, listening to iPods, talking shit. These were great days. And this year I hope is no different.

Change – Normally change is my mortal enemy, but this year I can feel us getting along.

Weekends – While after eight weeks of non-stop holidays you may scoff at the idea of a pitiful 2 day break ( I know I do), once we get back to school these days seem to become more and more valuable. Much can be done on these beautiful two days, and I am looking forward to what can be achieved on these wonderful days.

Gigs – And there are some good ones coming up! Live at the pool, Shine festival, Push Start finals and there are bound to be more!

Everyday – While there are bound to be very, very, very shit days. And there are bound to be a lot of them, there is also a chance that everyday could turn out not to be one of those days, in fact they might be really, really good. So why not look forward to everyday, it may just be one of the good ones.

Federal Election – So, I may be the only one who really cares about this, but I have a good feeling about this one! Rudd definitely inspires a certain sense of optimism. Something I think our country needs. But who knows, but whatever happens it will be interesting.

Parties – Yes, I can feel quite a lot of them happening this year! And who knows, I may actually have a good time at one.

New Music – A new year, a new soundtrack. What music will be the soundtrack to my 2007? Who knows, we will just have to wait and see.

Summer Holidays – And if all else fails, they are only 10 months away.

Happy New Year! It’s been quite a while since I have written a blog like this, so I figured I should update all who are interested now that it the 2007.

It has been holidays for quite a while now, as I’m sure most of you have doubtlessly noticed. I haven’t really done anything these Holidays, which is quite disappointing considering how I had many a plan.

First thing of interest to happen to me was I Can’t Believe It’s Not Man-Bat’s first rehearsal/jam. Vito, Beksy, Simon and I got together to have a jam and created some very cool noises. There was actually one jam that ended up creating a very cool and not at all funny riff/song. Beksy’s had was actually bleeding all over the drum kit at the end of the song. Aren’t we so hardcore?

Things were very quiet after that, there were mutterings of an old Fairyfloss (As in Beksy and Rohan) jam, but that looks highly unlikely because from what I can tell, not much has changed between us in a year.

Christmas day was spent at my Nan’s house in Mooroopna. All of mum’s family was there. Quite a good day, spent most of the day shooting pool and talking shit with my cousin who just got back from his 3 month pub crawl across Europe. It was great to catch up with him again.

And now for the past week I have been in Canberra with my dad’s family. It wasn’t a bad week, not as bad as it could have been. They allowed me to just float at my own holiday rhythm while I was there, so that was good.

I got back to Shepparton yesterday, just in time for Pete’s New Years gathering. Which was a great night, so thanks heaps for that one Pete. Stayed the night, and hung around most of today there as well. It was really good.

As for the rest of the holidays; I would like to have the Rider reunion that we have been talking up for a while, so let’s hope that it happens. I would also like to have some more jams with Man-Bat.

Apparently the Kiwi’s are having a party, so I will probably be going to that.

I am also having a joint B’Day party with Josh. So that should be awesome. The date has finally been set for the 27^th of January, it is the day after Darvo is having his party apparently, so I’m not to happy about the timing, but it’s all we had. If all the members are available (which they damn well better be!) The Shadow Puppets, Fairyfloss, Man-Bat (Maybe) and Fluro (Maybe!) will be playing at the party too. There will be no alcohol (the only way we can have it), but we can make up for that with a pool and bands.

Not much else to report here, enjoy the rest of your holidays.

Peace Out

There has been much talk recently on the ‘Make Poverty History’ campaign. And I thought I should share some thoughts I have been having on this issue recently.

First, what is happening in many parts of the world is a gross injustice, and I doubt that anyone would argue that something needs to be done to stop it. In fact I think most people want to do something to bring justice to the world and lift these people who are living in extreme poverty out of it. The same could have been said 20 years ago when Live Aid was held though, and 20 years later we are still beating out the same message, why?

Despite all of the talk and effort nothing has really changed. Still a child dies every 3 seconds of causes that are entirely preventable. We all agree that this is wrong yet nothing drastic happens. We hold mass protest concerts, yet it still doesn’t kick start a Government into action.

My answer is that we are perhaps all too relaxed and comfortable, perhaps we all do want this to change but not as much as we want a new phone, a bigger home, a bigger TV, a faster computer. Maybe this is something we all want, but maybe it’s just not on the top of our priority list.

I think governments know this, I think that they work to this. They know that your vote (if you can vote) is more likely to be swayed by interest rates then what they are promising to give to making poverty history. I think that we need to make this more of a mainstream issue, it needs to become a political issue; something that politicians know will change people’s votes. As John Lennon once said: “If everyone demanded peace instead of a new television, then there’d be peace”.

How can we do this? I don’t know… We could hold protests, we could write letters, but these have been done. What could we do to force action on this issue more then what we have already done? This is a question that we need to answer somehow if we want this issue to be treated as seriously as it should be.

Hello again … I have decided to post a blog of song lines again because I’m just in the mood to post a thoughtful blog, and there are a lot of lyrics that I like to get through.
This, Part II of my lyrics series has the lyrics that just missed out or were (I don’t know how) forgotten about in Part I. Again they focus on the moments between the moments, those tiny moments in time that just capture exactly how you felt right then, in that fleeting second, like photos that capture an image of a fleeting moment, lyrics can do just the same.
Lyrics never cease to amaze me in the way that they are so universal, they touch everyone in so many ways. The same line or even entire song can mean so many different things to so many people. It is this power that I think gives lyrics so much importance. Lyrics make music, which is generally such a distant and big thing, so personal. And that is what makes it so wonderful, so elegant and so inclusive; it is such a personal thing. No one can take what lyrics give you away from you. It is your own thing to hold close, it is no one else’s, yet at the same time it belongs to everyone. What else can do that?
Music is a wonderful thing, nothing is so universal but so personal as music. It brings people together even when they don’t realize it.
When writing out this list, I found it very hard not to comment on each lyric; justify why I liked it so much, what it means to me and why it touched me. There is still part of me that wants to put a comment next to every lyric, but I feel it’s best I don’t. You will probably get something different from these lyrics then I do, in fact I’m sure you will. You can read each lyric and take from it what you want to; they are yours as much as they are mine. Most lines here will probably mean nothing to you, but there might be one here that changes your life. I hope you enjoy these little snapshots of emotional terrain that I have been in at one time or another and hope you find just a fraction of the beauty I find in them.

If I told you a secret
You won't tell a soul
Will you hold it and
Keep it alive
Love Will Come Through – Travis

I’m not saying it’s your fault
Although you could have done more
Naive – The Kooks

We shared some information
We might not recover from
Will I watch your convictions
Melt like ice cubes in an ocean?
Mine’s Not A High Horse – The Shins

Some are like water
Some are like the heat
Some are the melody
Some are the beat
Forever Young – Alphavile

Well it's not like it hurts that much anyway
Attention – The Academy Is…

You said you read me like a book
But the pages are all torn and frayed
I’m Not Okay (I Promise) – My Chemical Romance

I’m a headcase if I don’t keep moving
And my head hurts if I don’t sit still
It’s an itch that I’ll never stop scratching
It’s a hole that I’ll never quite fill
Insomnia – Electric President

We’re just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl
Year after year
Running over the same old ground
What have we found? The same old fears
How I wish you were here
Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd

It’s no secret that a friend is someone who lets you help
The Fly – U2

But you've got too much to wear on your sleeves
It has too much to do with me
And secretly I want bury in the yard
The grey remains of a friendship scarred
Kissing The Lipless – The Shins

There exists a melody that just might change your mind
I Saw It On Your Keyboard - Hellogoodbye

And the bright-eyed choke on ambition
Insomnia – Electric President

Tender is my heart you know
I'm screwing up my life
Oh Lord I need to find
Someone who can heal my mind
Tender – Blur

On my life I'll try today
There’s so much I've felt I should say, but
Even if your heart would listen
I doubt I could explain
If you don't don't know, why'd you say so?
Would you mean this, please if it happens?
If you don’t know, Why would you say so?
Won’t you get your story straight
If You Don’t, Don’t – Jimmy Eat World

And so and now I'm sorry I missed you
I had a secret meeting in the basement of my brain
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
It went the dull and wicked ordinary way
Secret Meeting – The National

You’ll change your mind come Monday
And turn your back on me
Cautioners – Jimmy Eat World

‘Cause there's beauty in the breakdown
Let Go – Frou Frou

You're hiding from me now
There's something in the way that you're talking
The words don't sound right
But I hear them all moving inside you
Fall At Your Feet – Crowded House

I was the first to have spoken
And I said just about
All of the things you shouldn't say
So maybe you loved me but now
Maybe you don't
And maybe you'll call me
Maybe you won't
You Were The Last High – The Dandy Warholes

So what's so wrong?
Why the face so long?
Are you changing?
And where you been to that you no longer remember?
Luv – Travis

Just finished work... fun

Listening to Coldplay... melencholy

Typing a blog... pointless

Talking to people... depressing

Looking at Family First's website... very depressing

 

AN OPEN LETTER TO SENATOR FIELDING

 

Dear Mr. 1.8%,

Fuck off!

Regards,

Reasonable people everywhere

 

I have very little to say... Just posting because I need attention...

Peace Out!

I just realized that I haven’t posted anything on the state election yet. Quite surprising considering how much people love reading my pointless political rants.

Things that I learned from the 2006 Victorian state elections:

·          When a centre-left party (ALP) preferences a conservative right party (Fundamentalist Family First) ahead of a progressive left party (Greens) the world is now over and we may as well all pack up and go home.

·          The ALP scare campaign that dragged in Peter Garret (Who is now dead to me) against the Greens (based on complete lies and willing ignorance) worked! Kinda. The Greens vote didn’t go up, however instead of being driven back to the ALP (like they wanted) they were driven to Fundamentalist First, a fantastic result for a supposedly progressive party. Thank you ALP, you drove up the Conservative Christian Fundamentalist Party’s vote and dragged down the progressive left’s. And now the ALP drifts further to the right.

·          The Herald Sun is not worthy of your arse.

·          The Country Alliance is comedy gold. This was the add they were running that outlined why the Greens are so BAD!: The Greens will "extend the prohibition on high country cattle grazing"; "end industrial scale logging of old growth and mixed age forests"; "introduce an inheritance tax"; "end recreational hunting". Maybe I’m just a confused hippie, but how the hell are any of these things bad?

·          The ALP won, which I guess is the better result, but when you have a choice between 2 conservative parties, what’s the point? The Liberals actually had more progressive policies in many areas. Shame it would never happen even if they had won.

·          No change in Shepparton (my sincere condolences Steve, 2 horse race, you were the better choice)

·          Overall, the Greens have a long road to the Federal election and it starts now. Better get your arse into gear guys if you want to knock Family First off then. And you do because they are nut jobs!

Well, I am one happy young lad at the moment. Yesterday I saw U2!

At 8.00 yesterday Flav, Josh and I left from Shepparton and started the drive to Melbourne. We arrived at the Telstra Dome at about 10.30, we bought the newspapers, a magazine and then jumped in the line. We were in the 2nd section of the line and half way though the day we were told that we would be in the front section of the floor. So that made us very happy. After lying in the sun for 4 hours in our newspaper hats we checked our bags and started to get ready for the line to move. We could hear U2 sound checking and could even kinda see them, so we were getting more and more exited. The Edge sounded amazing, really huge guitar sounds. The band played One Tree Hill in sound check, and that sounded amazing, but unfortunately wasn’t played in the concert.

U2 finished their soundcheck at about 6 and the gates opened very soon after. It was quite hectic getting in, but we got a really great place right next to one of the B stages our in the crowd and we had a really great view of the main stage as well. When we walked in the excitement really hit just seeing the enormity of the stage. It just towered over all of us and looked amazing. We sat down and looked after our spot while we waited for the opening act, Kanye West, to come on. He eventually did, he wasn’t amazing and every song sounded the same, but we danced out of politeness, but all we really cared about was U2. I do give him credit though, he performed very well, and his string section was amazing.

But once he walked off, the crowed began to liven up waiting for the main act, the stage began to be set up for U2, The Edges effect cabinet is about the size of our car. It is huge!

Then, the big moment arrived, ‘Wake Up’ by The Arcade Fire began to play, signalling to those in the know that U2 were about to take the stage. As a point of interest, download that song, it is incredible. Anyway, the lights then went down, and the opening sequence began, The Edge was the first to hit the stage, then Larry and Adam. They were playing ‘City of Blinding Lights’, it was sounding huge, and the dim lighting and fog added to the anticipation. Then the song took off and the huge light curtain sprung into life. Bono took the stage and the crowd went quite nuts (I was already going nuts because The Edge was there). The lighting looked amazing. After COBL, Vertigo took off, more great lighting, The Edge’s guitar sounded great, and Adam Clayton looked particularly cool during this song, but he looked cool all night. ‘Elevation’ and ‘I Will Follow’ finished the opening section of newer loud songs.

They then played ‘New Years Day’ which was awesome, followed by ‘Beautiful Day’, in which Bono announced “A few months ago, at Live 8, we were standing on stage with Paul McCartney…… Paul McFuckingCartney!” Who knew that Bono still gets start struck.

After a solid version of ‘Stuck in a Moment’, the band played ‘Angel of Harlem’, this is where we got our first trip down to the B Stage by The Edge and then Bono followed him. They were so close; we could almost touch them. Bono stayed on the B Stage for a really great version of ‘Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own’, very touching. The stage looked great as well, some really nice vision on the light curtains.

Then they rocked out again with ‘Love and Peace or Else’, which was amazing… the guitar solo at the end was awesome and Bono and Larry on drums was very cool, then ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’ and ‘Bullet the Blue Sky’ completed the angry protest section. Then they played ‘Miss Sarajevo’ to bring it down to a more reflective look at war, this was amazing, but when Bono say the opera section, originally sang by Pavarotti, the thing just took off. Bono was amazing in this song.

‘Pride’ was as solid and the guitar was really cool, but the crowd took off when they played ‘Where The Streets Have No Name’, so much energy in the performance the crowd couldn’t help but to respond, so much energy in the crowd the band took it to the next level, it really was a great moment where the band and the crowd were just feeding off each other. At the end of it you could actually see Bono blown away, the crowed wouldn’t stop cheering, and he was standing right in front of us when he just jumped in the air and pumped his fist. He then stood still looked around the crowd and told us ‘Melbourne’s crazy’. They then closed the main set with ‘One’, it was a really great version and Bono got everyone to pull out their mobile phones and light up the stadium, it did look amazing.

The band walked off the stage and the crowd started singing the refrain from ‘40’ “How long must we sing this song”… The light screen then started flashing stuff from ‘Zoo TV’ which was really cool. Then the band took the stage again for the first encore where they played a couple of songs from Achtung Baby; ‘The Fly and Mysterious Ways… Oh, they were so cool! Particularly Mysterious Ways, very fun. They closed the first encore with ‘With or Without You’, it was beautiful, particularly the last section, the whole crowd was screaming and it just was amazing.

They walked of stage again, then the chant of ‘We want more’ was started (by me), and we got more. 2nd encore opened with ‘The Saints Are Coming’ and ‘Desire’, Saints was good, but Desire seemed quite weak to me, but still good obviously. They then closed with ‘Kite’, probably the best moment of the night. It was a really beautiful performance, when the guitar solo started I did get chills, then when Bono backed by the whole crowd belted out the Bridge: “I’m a man/not a child/a man who sees/the shadow behind your eyes”… Words do not describe that moment. Then as Edge soloed again Bono let a kite go and as we watched it fly off into the night they finished the song off to huge cheers as they band came to the front of the stage to take the final bow, “Goodnight Melbourne….. Now go to bed”, said Bono as they walked of the stage and the house lights came up.

It was an amazing night, and I really couldn’t have hoped for anything more (except for perhaps a version of ‘Walk On’). To make the night even better, I think it was being filmed because of the presence of a crane camera over the crowd and my thoughts were confirmed by u2tours.com. So I could have a really great souvenir of that gig.

I have also added a bunch of low quality photos I took with my phone, see how close we are!

Well… Not much to say today… Just felt that I should blog.. maybe it’s time for some more questions… maybe that random, anonymous commenter could ask a question. A good idea would we “What happened to my brain?” or “What would life be like if I could process thought?”… but these are nearly suggestions… Come up with your own… Mr/Ms “…”, if you can.

As for the rest of you… anything you want to ask me… now is the time.

I wish I had something to say, but I really don’t. Well nothing new anyway. Life’s a bitch, this is true, but I think I’ve said that a few too many times already.

Peace out