7.10.2004

 

[hanging up all my hang ups]

if there's one thing i've learnt this week, it's how much i've changed.. and how much more there is to go. (technically that's actually two things, but they're flip sides of the same point, so it still counts) regardless of how i carry myself, i just can't get rid of all my hang-ups, most of which are either downright childish or have no firm basis for existing. (i'm not going to elaborate!)

but i have found that music is therapeutic, and live music, even more so - had a great night out yest covering enough musical styles to cover half of HMV, and then some - and i've more or less thrown all the emotional baggage i've been lugging around this past week away.

the observatory gig was a bit of a letdown - although the sound was very polished and studio-quality (thanks to the mixers and powerbooks they were equipped with), everything wound up sounding rather similar after a while. and it WAS very ironic that after a drawn-out discussion during dinner about the punctuality campaign and how concerts NEVER start on time, we arrived half an hour late, only to find the gig in full swing (if you can imagine a chill-out-rock type gig in full swing). the venue was far smaller than the ZGPS one, maybe the management learnt their lesson not to utilise too big a space, but i was rather perturbed by the legions of fans quietly sitting down in an orderly fashion. *suspends disbelief* this IS singapore, after all. it even prompted the band to remark that "this is the quietest audience we've ever had!" *sigh* to be fair, though, it IS a little hard to gyrate to the observatory, and i'm not going to embarrass myself further by attempting to categorize their style of music. it was technically competent, but a little lacking - i certainly didn't walk out of the venue with the same satisfaction i did after ZGPS - though it's hard to say whether it was more the audience's fault or the band's. sad.

spilled out of the theatre studio on the top floor to catch ublues from the comfort of the roof terrace - now that was cool. the view from the roof terrace is nothing like that along the riverside, i can't quite put my finger on it, but there's a big difference in both atmosphere and view. it didn't last long, though, and security soon ushered us out of the roof terrace. what a shame!

ublues was fantastic. there's really no doubt as to why they've gone on to international festivals and stuff, the energy and sheer enthusiasm of the band is palpable! listening to them from the roof terrace didn't really do them justice, although the ground-level concert pit was jam-packed with people, simply because they had *presence*. they weren't into the whole visual-rock business, but it was a joy to catch them performing live. (fast running out of descriptive words)

and area 320... well we went early (2300+) and took quite a while to find the venue. the main problem with arriving early is that there are just too few people and absolutely NO energy at all. not that crowds are good, mind, the smoke is downright irritating - i can't understand how people manage to smoke and dance. they probably could run a marathon and still be puffing away, pun unintended - and it's difficult to move around from point A to point B. if i had doubts about whether my $28 was well spent in the first half an hour, it largely dissipated in the next hour, because the Lo-Fidelity Allstars (the primary reason why i decided to go) were absolutely wonderful. they managed the pulse of the crowd well, and name-dropped enough 'popular' tunes to get people feeling at ease - among them the Beastie Boys, twice, they opened the set with 'Intergalatic' and followed up later in the set with the new single 'Ch-Check It Out', Max Sedgely's "Happy" and Basement Jaxx' "Jump 'N Shout" - when in a large crowd of strangers, you just feel incredibly reassured and comforted by recognising a tune that you know. that's my theory, anyway. i'm still not sure if their set was mainly house or not, but I can say that I liked just about everything in the set.

the local DJs, in contrast, didn't receive such a warm reception, partly because their sets were more downtempo and by nature slower. it doesn't take a genius to figure out that they're the warm-up DJs before the big names come on.. maybe that was the crowd opinion too, or everybody was just spoiled rotten after the Lo-Fi Allstars.

Kid Loco's set was typically French, in the sense that it was quirky in a very fashionable way. at one point he actually played "The Sound of Silence" with a big beat.. what more can i say? brilliant, if in a less intense way than the Lo-Fi Allstars.

transportation was a major headache, though, i really wish i had driven there, it's right smack in the middle of nowhere and goodness knows when the shuttle bus comes (and if it ever does)..

whatever it is, though, im happy, and i've got nary a care in the world. mission accomplished!

Basement Jaxx - U Can't Stop Me

---

I got sixteen seconds and i don't want to stop
Got no time for the present living on a spinning top
i got satan on the tv i got god in a frame
i say 'hello' for a second then you won't see me again
i am happy i am sad i can be most anything
i'm a scary motha*> I'm the future on a spring
i got sixteen seconds and i don't wanna stop
i got no time for the present living on a spinning top
can't stop me, can't stop me, Can't stop me
you can't stop me

I got sixteen seconds and i don't wanna stop
i got no time for the present living on a spinning top
i got a fast food store selling poison, selling rocks
spaghetti junction in my head i'm living in the aftershock
i am happy i am sad i can do most anything
i'm a scary motha*> i'm the future on a spring
i got no time for the present living on a spinning top
can't stop me, can't stop me, can't stop me
you can't stop me

---

i've also begun to appreciate how so many things in life seem to be fated. for most of secondary school i had looked towards studying in the UK, because I was developing my taste in music, and the UK was simply the place to be for music. then around late sec4-j1 i started to look at the states or canada, because i liked the liberal arts system and the freedom of choosing your own courses. and as fate would have it, i was categorically rejected from all my US unis, and wound up being accepted in the UK - so i had to realign my thinking once again.

but given a choice now, i'd stick with the UK, simply because of the wide range of music available and how easy it is to find it there - from radio to clubs to records - and i know that if i had gone to the states i'd be firmly stuck on hip-hop/rap, or house, and that's about it. i'm happy the way things turned out. ^^;

ADDENDUM: it only struck me later that the phrase "hanging up all my hang ups" came from a song.. and how apt it is! Jamiroquai's "Canned Heat", the tune that was endlessly played all throughout 2000 (if my memory serves me well), which culuminated in me buying the album. anyway, here goes..

Jamoroquai - Canned Heat

---

You know this boogie is for real.
I used to buy my faith in worship,
But then my chance TO GET to Heaven slipped
I used to worry about the future
But then I throw my caution to the wind.
I had no reason to be care free
No no no, until I took a trip to the other side of town
Yeah yeah yeah, you know I heard that boogie rhythm
Hey- I had no choice but to get down down down down.

CHORUS

Dance, nothing left for me to do but dance,
Off these bad times I'm going through just dance
Got canned heat in my heals tonight baby

I feel the thunder see the lightning
I know this anger's heaven sent.
So I've got to hang out all my hang-ups
Because of the boogie I feel so hell bent
It's just an instant gut reaction, that I got
I know I never ever felt like this before,
I dont know what to do
But then thats nothing new,
Stuck between hell and high water
I need a cure to make it through.

Hey- dancing nothing left for me to do but dance
Off these bad times I'm going through just dance,
Hey got canned heat in my heals tonight baby
You know know know I'm gonna dance yeah
Off all the nasty things that people say.


You know know know I'm gonna dance yeah
Oh the nasty things that people say, but I'm gonna make it anyway...
Dance yeah! Got canned heat in my heels tonight baby!
You know I've got canned heat in my heels baby
You know this boogie is for real...
Only the wind can blow the answer
And she cries to me when I'm asleep
She says you know that you can go much faster
I know that peoples' talk can be so cheap
Yeah yeah
I got this voodoo child inveined on me
I'm gonna use my power to ascend
You know I got these running heels to use
Sometimes there's no way to lose
I was born to run
And built to last
You've never seen my feet
They can go so fast

Dance…yeah, hey!
Nothing left for me to do but
Dance
All these bad times I'm going through just
Dance…Hey
Got Canned Heat in my heels tonight, baby

Hey I've got to dance yeah!
Oh the nasty things that people say
But I'm gonna make it anyway,
Dance yeah!
Got canned heat in my heels tonight baby

You know this boogie is for real ,
So much canned heat in my heels yeah!
Gonna dance, gonna dance my blues away tonight,
You know I'm gonna dance my blues away,

You know this boogie is for real ,
So much canned heat in my heels yeah!
Gonna dance, gonna dance my blues away tonight,
Dance!
Got canned heat in my heels tonight,
Oh oh oh oh, canned heat in my heels tonight
Oh oh oh oh, canned heat in my heels tonight
Got so much...

Dance!

Hey DJ
Let the music play
I'm gonna live this party live
Hey DJ
Throw my cares away
I'm gonna live this party live
Hey DJ
Let the music play
I'm gonna this live this party live
Hey DJ
Throw my cares away
I'm gonna live this party live

Canned heat in my heels tonight!

You know, you know this boogie is for real
Got so much Canned Heat in my heels
Gonna dance, gonna dance my blues away tonight
Whoooooooo!
You know, you know this boogie
This boogie is for real
Got so much Canned Heat
Canned Heat in my heels.
You know I'm gonna dance my blues away tonight

---

it neatly encapsulates everything im feeling. dancing all your cares away is... cathartic, for want of a better word. im really glad im heading to UK where there's just a huge abundance of clubs, i've got this sinking feeling that i'll need to continuously destress to stay sane. o_O

that sounded a bit sad, but it shouldnt be! haha ^^;

timestamp: anonymous 21:48 0 comments