armageddonriver

The haunting video for Porcupine Tree's Way Out of Here. WARNING: suicide theme.

( Way Out of Here )

Last night was the second performance in Melbourne of the almighty Progressive Metal masters, Porcupine Tree.

( When the world has gone to seed you're so detached )

Best gig of the year so far, without a doubt. Up next is Placebo at Festival Hall...

I don't usually remember my dreams, but I think last night's was too awesome to forget. Anybody here remember the movie Gremlins? Well, imagine a bunch of them attacking a shopping centre, sort of a Dawn of the Dead scenario where there are only a few people in there because of the zombie gremlin apocalypse.

Okay, now imagine Alissa White-Gluz, vocalist of The Agonist and pictured in the icon, kicking arse and taking names of said gremlins. With a Star Wars style blaster rifle.

There may also have been snogging, hehe. But seriously, arse-kickers unite! That's fucking Metal.

Just dicovered this band, and am very much enjoying them.

( Gothminister - Dusk Till Dawn )

If you are a woman, or love a woman, I highly recommend you read this; from a friend I deeply love and respect.

Arrrrrgh. The mothballs my mum bought make the whole house smell like an open sewer.

Do not want.

In Also Irritating News, Meshuggah have finally announced a Sidewave... on the same night as HIM. *sigh* I can see that at this rate, there are going to clashes of this nature every year at this time for the rest of forever.

A not irritating observation: I didn't know Emilie Autumn's tour was technically part of Soundwave. It seems there are a LOT of bands who were requested for the festival, but decided to do their own tours on the side instead. Opeth, Paradise Lost, Sirenia, The Devin Townsend Project, Emilie Autumn, Porcupine Tree, Machine Head... Mind you, I'd rather see proper headlining shows anyway, so I hardly mind, but imagine the awesome of the festival itself if they'd all been there.

So I returned to my Vampire: The Masquerade role-play campaign today, as game mastered by the inimitable Dan. It's been a while, since rehearsals and then the actual run of One is Warm in Winter, the Other has a Better View kept me from attending.

About an hour in, after an absence of some three months, I became Prince of Boston. ROCK.

Last night El and I headed out first to Z-1, then to DV8. Z-1 is at a truly lovely venue, Neverwhere, and is also frequented by the lovely Kama and Tom among others. So the company was fantastic, even if the music left something to be desired. DV8 held great promise on the music front, though ended up not being great either. Still, there were a few highlights; Nine Inch Nails, Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath, The Sisters of Mercy. And in the end, it's always a highlight in and of itself to get out and dance with El :) Also got to catch up with Spike and Jess, so that was cool.

Of course, El and I made ourselves pretty for the event, as evidenced below.

( For the greater glory of Metal )

I know that previous observations have been made insofar as my resembling a member of Dream Theater, but on second thought, perhaps I should join Dimmu Borgir instead...?

Awesome new Lacuna Coil video! ( I Won't Tell You )

Yay! My short story Thou Art is now available for perusal here.

The physical anthology should be released sometime in April, 2010 :)

Apparently, this is my "seduction style." ( Pleasing, if possibly not surprising. )

OMG. Best videos ever, even if the audio's pretty shit. From the Christmas Metal Symphony... Cristina Scabbia and Simone Simons performing Heaven's a Lie together, and Cristina performing Metallica's Nothing Else Matters. OTPFANGASM.

( Christmas Metal Symphony )

Awesome night at karaoke last night. The DJ was clearly aware that he had a Metal crowd for the evening, as he was playing some quite reasonable music in between actual karaoke songs. Beautiful performances by Darclady, Lisa, Shane and Mike. I got up and did quite a few songs myself, being:

Iron Maiden - The Trooper
HIM - Rip Out the Wings of a Butterfly
Queensryche - I Don't Believe in Love
Shakespeare's Sister - Stay (Duet with Darclady in the style of Cradle of Filth's cover)
Metallica - The Unforgiven
Nine Inch Nails - Only

Actually got a lot of (serious) kudos on my singing too, which was unexpected but welcome. Personally, I think a lot of it comes from the fact that I'm a good performer, not necessarily a good singer, but maybe I had an "on" night...

So, I bought my ticket for Amanda Palmer, despite the Soundwave clash. At the moment, I'm thinking I'll hit Soundwave during the day, then head off to Amanda at the Forum. Beautiful venue, though I do think it'll be a little restrictive for her tastes... I suppose I should still be prepared to ditch Soundwave for ninja gatherings...

But at the moment, I'm thinking this:

3:50 - 4:35: Paramore

5:05 - 5:45: Meshuggah

6:05 - 6:55: Anthrax

8:00 - X: Amanda Palmer

Meshuggah clash with Placebo, and I'll be missing HIM altogether, but thankfully I'll be seeing both those bands at their sidewaves. Anthrax clash with AFI, but I'm not particularly broken up by that, as I'd really only be interested in hearing Miss Murder, so I'd rather hear my third of the Big Four.

I'm hoping an hour will be enough time to get to the Forum. It should be, and if I miss anything it'll only be the support act, but still, that's rude, and I don't want to do that. I know Amanda would choose good support, too. But what can you do? That's what happens when you play on the same day as a major festival - probably the second biggest, after the Big Day Out, as far as rock music is concerned.

Hopefully there'll be something of interest happening earlier in the day at the signing "tent," otherwise it will be a long wait for Paramore... I mean, merch lines were long last year, but I doubt it's going to take me four hours to get a Meshuggah shirt.

Hell, this song deserves posting because it rocks.

( Sonata Arctica - Paid in Full )

Last night was the epic debut of Finland's Sonata Arctica in Melbourne...

( Hoping the young will lead the pack now )

And it deserves to be outside the LJ-cut - Why in the hell would Amanda Palmer (or her agent) book a show the same day as Soundwave?! It's ridiculous! How do they expect to get an audience? Soundwave is sold out. They have Faith No More, Placebo, HIM, AFI, Paramore, Meshuggah, Trivium and a metric fucktonne of other acts. Where do they think all the alternative types are going to be that day? Bad planning, very bad.

Still, if the date sticks, I'm willing to sell my Soundwave ticket for it. I'm seeing Placebo and HIM at the sidewaves, and I'd rather see a full AFP show than catch Meshuggah at a festival. Still would suck though, to have to trade a full-day festival for an evening gig. Maybe Amanda will twitter some ninja thing for during the day. I hope she moves the gig, though. As long as she doesn't move it to the night before, because then it would clash with HIM. Though I suppose then I could sell that and go to Soundwave...

Dammit, clashes are only supposed to happen within the festival, not outside of it too!

But anyway. Next gig for me is Paradise Lost supported by Sirenia, once again at Billboard. Hopefully they will have sorted out the damn sound by then...

Monday night was a night of pure, Satanic, Black Metal glory with Greece's Rotting Christ supporting the Swedish Dark Funeral.

( Where grace, love and harmony combine )

The next night brought us Sonata Arctica...

Holy shit, I'm getting published.

Not my novel (yet), but a short story. It's a horror piece entitled Thou Art, and it's going to be published in an anthology of speculative fiction from Sentient Online.

Apparently they're going to send me contracts and suchlike soon.

Holy shit.

December has been a month for people heading off to other places. Two such people, Tasha and Maria, had parties in farewell. Partying has been interesting for me lately, as I've been to several where I've only known one or two people, and because of that, been fairly apprehensive about whether or not I've had a good time. I've enjoyed myself every time, and made shiny new friends as well as enjoying the company of people I already knew. Certainly leaves me in no doubt that I am very much a social creature...

Tasha's party was the smaller of the two, held in a lovely apartment on Southbank. Very spiffy. As well as farewelling Tasha, I caught up with Taylin, who I met at Jess' Halloween party - another party where I started out knowing hardly anyone, and ended up with a new magical circle. My role-play friends Danny and Quilty showed up to Tasha's later, it was good to see them. Met some other cool folks... very nice night all up.

Maria's party was on the beach down at Black Rock, and this party I spent being the consummate spiritualist. Maria said to bring "toys," so I had my Tarot deck with me. Thoth definitely got a workout, as I did six or seven readings for people. Add to that the fact that most of my conversations that night happened to be of an esoteric nature, and the obligatory cleansing in the ocean, and I must admit I felt something like the witch doctor of the group by the end of it. Beach party... very tribal feel. Amongst the cool people I met that night was Sara, a lovely young lady hailing from Germany. She was quite pleased that I could speak her native tongue, albeit somewhat simply and haltingly. Apparently I was the first person ever to kiss her hand... Well, I guess the honour has to belong to someone :)

Caught up with Andrea at the party as well, which was most excellent. Maria may be gone, but at least her best friend and I have developed a fondness for each other :) I think good things will come out of that friendship.

And of course, there was the brief but fun-filled visit of our beloved Circe, just a few days ago. We spent the day enjoying the glory that is air conditioning, as well as a stint of perving on tasty clothes in Anton's. There was a gorgeous shirt that I deeply coveted, black silk with lace sleeves, but unfortunately it was cut for a woman... Damn Anton, making awesome clothes that I couldn't wear! Oh, how I would have bought it otherwise.

So although I farewell some friends, the threads of other disparate friendships are slowly being drawn together. The universe continues to move in its mysterious ways, and only time shall tell what becomes of all this.

( In the meantime, have a few pictures )