ANTARCTROPICS
As I write I am at an airport lounge waiting for flight to Brisbane...spent the last week in NZ which, despite being a bit soggy, was quite calm and enjoyable. Auckland is a lovely city, sun always seems to be out there...we based ourselves there and had a puddle jumper take us down to the show and back yesterday, which was in a tiny town called New Plymouth, being in the middle of nature/farmalnd, and having a lovely natural amphitheatre, to which folks make the trek from Auckland, Wellington or wherever to go
to events there. New Plymouth lives in the rain shadow of a revered mountain...so, by showtime...the mountain was representing, heavily. Despite a fairly steady downpour, we had many 1,000s punters. Oddly, there is a moat that separates the stage from the audience...it's something like 15-20 feet...weird, eh? Well, a few people plunged in and stood in the chest-deep water splashing around in the front...as Homer Simpson said: 'ah, alcohol: the cause of, and solution to, all life's problems'. Now, let's be clear: they were standing and soaking in duck shit. These will be some itchy people today...but, they did break the forcefield that inserting a body of water between you and your audience has a tendency to create. We needed 'em, so: thanks, brave, and now dysentery-stricken, souls!
Furthermore, we were double-rocked both NZ nights by the deadly array of support firepower, the ever-soul-rattling Bright Eyes, and NZ's maximum R&B young gods, the Checks. We became familiar with the Checks via a sampler CD of music from Auckland that our tour mgr. found in a hotel in Vienna last year...with one of their songs, 'Tired From Sleeping' on it...Modern Lovers, AC/DC...uhn...just any of you who have the slightest interest in rock and roll take fucking note: the Checks have the goods. Unf. no record yet but a 7" is rumored to come soon.
(Later that night--)I am proofreading and addending here in Oz, land of many beloved friends of KS...bugs have been eaten, clothes ironed for tomorrow's festival show in Byron Bay, and all systems seem to be healthy and clean. Gun it.
Love
KS
Brisbane AUSTRALIA
