Tonight was our last concert in Australia. This time it was in Perth.
Perth is by far the hottest place we have been to in a long time. It is AWFULLY hot. A true hellhole.
(This reminds of one of the Rambo movies, with the slogan “what others called hell, he called home”. I thought I remembered that the pianist Percy Grainger lived in Perth. He had a love affair with his mother, or something even worse. I could have said about Grainger that “what others called a hellhole, he not only called home, he really lived there”. But after checking my sources I found out that Grainger never did. Good for him!).
The concert was OK. It was the last day of Big Day Out, and as usual when we appear on festivals we didn’t have a sound check. So the new version of the song I mentioned (which I’m not naming right now) is going to wait until we have had a chance to rehearse it.
Tomorrow we are going to Bali! And will have a vacation for an entire week!
Björk told me tonight (after I had done my spider breakdance with Arcade Fire) that in Bali you can take fairly cheap courses in Gamelan playing, diving, cooking and other things. She asked me what I would prefer. I haven’t decided yet. Maybe cooking?
Below is a photo I took tonight of Damian with two guys who helped him play the ReacTable. Damian, who are they?
BTW, Damian told me that people in Australia often speak as if everything they tell you is a question. Here is part of the above in Australian:
Tonight was our last concert in Australia? This time it was in Perth?
Perth is by far the hottest place we have been to in a long time? It is AWFULLY hot? A true hellhole?
Etc., etc.
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February 3rd, 2008 at 5:57 pm
Damian looks like Rambo.
February 3rd, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Thanks for the blog. I’ve been following it since I saw the show in Madison Square Garden last September (amazing). Funny blog. Good luck in Indonesia!
February 4th, 2008 at 7:36 am
Hey Jónas,
Sorry Perth put on the heat for you, but I do happily call it home, and as I have friends who work in the north of the state where it is regularly even hotter during summer I can’t really complain. Percy Grainger may not have come from here, but David Helfgott the pianist lived here, maybe that explains some of his life experience?
I just wanted to say thank you to both yourself, the rest of the musicians and Bjork for a wonderful performance at the Big Day Out last night. Everything about it blew me away, from the technical and staging side of things to the musical abilities on display. I especially enjoyed the icelandic ballad you and Bjork performed, it made an interesting counterpoint to the performance from Rage Against The Machine. Thanks again, and enjoy Bali, I’m not a fan of Gamelan Music, however I love Indonesian food so I would suggest the cooking course.
February 4th, 2008 at 8:32 am
May I recommend a wonderful activity in Bali, Jonas?
I’ve been there, in a long trip into Indonesia. I have seen the beautifulest landscapes on the top of volcanoes and sulfuric acid lakes!
In Bali you can also climb the island (which is very small) mith a small bus. At the top, you can get wondeful view of the volcano. And get down to the shore by bycicle, with a personal guide. It’s really cheap. And it was the best thing i did in Bali! Away from the hotels and crazyness of the sea front, which is full of beer-drunk australian ex-surfers… We stopped in small hinduist villages, with many ancient temples, all the rice and bananas… And the trip is really easy, as you never have to make any effort to get down… I hardly recommend this trip to every one.
Have a nice trip, have a rest. Here in Europe it’s cold, grey, depressing…
February 4th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
the cooking sounds fun!
the question inflection? is a very west-coast thing? in united states?
i hate it? especially when i catch myself doing it?
February 4th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Sorry about the heat Jónas, I’m glad you have some time to chill. I think my choice would be the cooking but I’ll be honest I’m not too familiar with Bali cooking. Also if two random guys can come and play the ReacTable I wish I could have jumped at the chance! As far as the question statement thing I’m from the East Coast USA and I don’t hear that at all it must be as n69n posted a west coast thing. Hers some Bail links, I hope they help!
http://www.indoindians.com/travel/thingsbali.htm
http://www.damai.com/north_bali_sights_part_2.html
http://www.worldbank.org/wbi/qcs-1/briefing/seeanddo.htm
February 4th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Sorry about the heat Jónas, I’m glad you have some time to chill. I think my choice would be the cooking but I’ll be honest I’m not too familiar with Bali cooking. Also if two random guys can come and play the ReacTable I wish I could have jumped at the chance! As far as the question statement thing I’m from the East Coast USA and I don’t hear that at all it must be as n69n posted a west coast thing. Heres some Bail links, I hope they help!
http://www.indoindians.com/travel/thingsbali.htm
http://www.damai.com/north_bali_sights_part_2.html
http://www.worldbank.org/wbi/qcs-1/briefing/seeanddo.htm
February 4th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Sorry about the heat Jónas, I’m glad you have some time to chill. I think my choice would be the cooking but I’ll be honest I’m not too familiar with Bali cooking. Also if two random guys can come and play the ReacTable I wish I could have jumped at the chance! As far as the question statement thing I’m from the East Coast USA and I don’t hear that at all it must be as n69n posted a west coast thing. Hope you have fun!
February 5th, 2008 at 12:48 am
You all choose the cooking because you never did the bycicle trip! Trust me, it worth the little money you have to pay!
February 7th, 2008 at 12:43 am
They are the boys from Shy Child, right?
Your West coast Aussie accent is perfect. Happy Vacation, don’t forget to take a photo of your cooking for us!
February 7th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
I’ve never been to Bali, but my 84 year old landlady has. She says they have huge spiders there. Good luck.
February 8th, 2008 at 11:46 am
for myself gamelan playing is what i would enjoy my time with in bali if if if i was there . as cooking n’eating is part of the basics in a trip . but music…. anyway, enjoy and nourish yourself, mister!
ps: if you see a gamelan can you give us a sip of it..?
February 10th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Hey Jónas
The tow guys ar Pete and Nate from Shy Child. They warmed up for us in Sydney and also played at the BDO