Trysting Fields

#F12 @ City Square

Interview With The Corporate Zombies

Stuff I Did This Year

In a nutshell: systematically climbed the fuck out of hell. Again. (See previously: 2005; 2007; 2009.)

And it's good! Can't complain.

:)

"Friends - you know who you are; you know we're grateful." - Blur, 1993. (Seriously. If ever a year was about Who Your Real Friends Are, it was 2011.)

Similarly, those who have fucked me up and fucked me over this year most likely know who they are also, and possibly how I feel about this (hint: angry, bewildered and sad) - with the possible exception of the Rt Hon Lord Mayor of Melbourne Robert Doyle (note contact details), who I strongly suspect does not have any idea who I am.

(I also doubt he reads this blog. But since it just can't be said often enough I might as well take this opportunity to (re)state, for the record: Robert Doyle, you're a fucking cunt. You really are.)

The bulk of this year's SIDTY post I rendered in audio format at the coast a few nights ago. It goes into a bit more detail (although, to be honest, not all that much). Enjoy:

Vale 2011. Viva 2012.

Happy new year!

~ Occuparty ~

Saturday, 17th December.

Chez Hagakure Cohabitative Arrangement VI Official Housewarming Shenanigan / Karl's Birthday

Friday, 21st October.

As anomalous Chez Hagakure parties go, I'd rate this one as anomalous out of ten. We didn't even do Russian Cocaine in the end. But it still went off.

At an advanced stage of the evening I even shot a video. Don't say I never do anything for yiz.

Adam's Grand Final BBQ

Saturday, 1st October.

Obligatory Birthday Party Post

Saturday, 24th September.

An epic time was, needless to say, had.

The Patrick Porter award for the best present and best guest overall goes to Kirrily. The prize for the most perverse guests goes to the Keith! Party crew - comprising on this occasion Talkshow Boy, 2-SHEE, Hot God, Gezus and entourage including Ms C. C*ulter (alias unknown) - who turned up unfashionably early, immediately occupied what would normally be the dancing room and systematically set about turning it into a chillout room. WTF. (NB: And it was *great*.)

Prize for the most long-lost-but-pleasingly-now-seemingly-regained former CH party regular goes to Vicwie. Prize for the best guest who wasn't able to attend physically but who came in essence goes, as always, to Wads. Prize for the best autographed copy of Kafka's "Metamorphosis" and best Tasweigan mafia attaché goes to Doktor Midnight aka The Dan Cross Revolution. Prize for the best drug by almost universal consensus goes to nitrous oxide.

Prize for the most gobsmacking act of delusionality - not to mention the most concerted but nevertheless pathetically unsuccessful attempt to ruin a birthday party of mine in the history of the world - goes to the profoundly fucked in the head disappointing Ms G. Rouse. Prize for the most departing housemate of three years goes to Grim$ha.

Prize for the most heroically tenacious still-recovering-from-her-own-birthday-shenanigan-the-previous-night attendee and all-round best MC-Ren-would-you-please-give-your-testimony-to-the-jury-about-this-fucked-up-incident regaliousness goes to Toots.

Special award for the mouthiest ho goes, as it generally does, to Kat (see audio, below).

Extra special thanks to, y'know, everyone else. Seriously.

(Previously; previously; previously.)

Gathering

Saturday, 14th May.

The first Chez Hag social event since the somewhat abortive dinner party marathon in November, and the first real party since my birthday in September.

Went off.

UPDATE (Sat 21st) - I thought no audio had been captured, but upon checking my phone this afternoon I found this recording, captured at 4:51am, of Johnny "Liable For Nothing" Coburg performing Knockin' on Heaven's Door, accompanied (IIRC) by Ford on the acoustic guitar and featuring Grimsey scatting at the very end, which is something you don't hear every day:

4/20 Rally

End Of Week One

More pictures, but I can't be fucked choosing a particular one to post; they're on flickr.

Here's a status update I made about what I did after working a 7-hour shift on Saturday:

Here's some audio which reflects my mental state this afternoon:

It'll get easier.

So I Went To A Party Last Night

At my friend Dan Cross's house.

We've known and lived around the corner from each other for about three years, but it's only this year that we've started hanging out regularly for whatever reason. It's been good.

I've been living la vida recluse of late and ergo felt severely awkward and freakish initially. But the night came extremely good in the end and did excellent things for my faith in people and awesomeness, etc.

Here's a photo I took at around 1:30am, the point at which I started to feel the full force of the awesome and was compelled to document it:

It was also at around this time that former operative Deadsoybean sent me some audio, which means that - as per a bargain we struck on January 30th - I can now send her the handmade thing she is owed under the terms of a F$&book status meme I posted a month or so ago.

(The preceding post was a picture of the first handmade thing, which was for Master Luke Hand. The next one will go to Jonathan Carfax. The one after that to the legendary Twyllan Mynodal, and the last to the artist formerly known as MC Gezus.)

Here's some audio I recorded for Carfax (starring the aforementioned Dan Cross) on the night of January 23rd, when I made Soybean's thing:

I like this audio a lot. I've listened to it over and over in late night goon stupours and it's made me happy. I don't know why. (If anyone wants me to bleep out their name, they can freakin complain.)

What else? I'm in a quandry about whether to go back to school in March or defer again. I kind of liked the idea of graduating in December 2012, just in time for the Mayan apocalypse/whatever. But when the world ends/whatever it won't really matter whether I have a whole diploma of visual art or just half of one. And that I'm so not sure suggests to me that I should save it for when I'm feeling less not-sure.

I could do it part time but that seems half-assed, and I don't really do half-assed.

Dunno.

So hungover rn omg. I'm going back to bed.

Birthday Party

Friday 17th September.

It started out as the intended convivial quiet gathering.

Suffering some uncertainty as to whether I was being terribly rude - but hey, it was my birthday, and moreover Luke forced my hand. As in literally picked me up and carried me out the door - I abandoned said gathering temporarily to go see these people play a venue down the road with a roomful of balloons at around 11pm.

(Due to a combination of behind-scheduleness and licensing restrictions, they very nearly didn't. But in the end they beat the odds - and the law - and totally did.)

Then, with a few new guests in tow, we returned to CH an hour and a bit later to find the former quiet gathering had unexpectedly hit critical mass in our absence and was comprehensively going OFF. Omg!

The universe, in effect, threw me a bitchin surprise party.

Big thanks to everybody who conspired with the universe to make it such a happy one.

Last Day Of The Melbourne Central Prismatic Audit

Friday 3rd September.

(Previously; more photos; official site.)

Dinner Party V

Saturday 17th July.

Most fiasco-tastic DP evar! It's been a bit like that lately. I almost gave up and cancelled it. But I'm very glad I didn't, coz despite all kinds of stupid problems in the end it still went OFF.

(10:21pm; 4min 59sec)

Amongst other things, the DPP planning committee encountered considerable guestlist difficulty. Despite and at least partly because of no less than three date changes aimed at accommodating them all and genuine enthusiasm from at least some quarters, exactly none of the invitees I'd originally lined up ultimately managed to make it.

(10:55pm; 1min 17sec)

Which might have been considered a fairly abject fail - were it not for the inspiringly circus-saving company of previous-attendee legends who, in flagrant violation of DPP rules, valiantly braved the cold and brought the awse instead: Matt K (DPs I and III), Twyllan (DP II), Henley (DP III), Sarah aka The Major (DP IV), Pablo (DPP virgin), Luke (DP IV), and of course Grimsey (DPs I, II, III and IV). Fucken <3.

(12:24am; 4min 28sec)

It was an unprecedentedly structured DP. As per a preestablished order of proceedings there was soup, then salad, then pie, then the merciless destruction and defilement of an old chair that had unforgiveably given way under DP I alumnus Bourkie at CH the night before. Then, naturally, muffins.

(1:16am; 2min 26sec)

Along the way there were tears (not really); there was laughter. It was epic.

(2:34am; 2min 49sec)

:)

"They Are Steel-Capped Boots; Welcome To Broadmeadows"

Saturday 5th June.

Surprise SRC Gathering

Wednesday 12th May.

Dinner Party IV

Saturday 10th April.

Starring Brendan, Duncan, Harrie, Luke, The Major, and Grimsey.

(11:11pm; 14min 12sec)

Like DP II, a relatively low-key occasion compared to DP I and DP III. (I don't know why, although I have many theories.)

(11:56pm; 4min 35sec)

All the same: went OFF.

(1:22am; 1min 22sec)

:)

Easter Camping

Friday 2nd April - Sunday 4th April.

Night Before Luke's SRC Farewell @ CH

Thursday 25th March.

With, y'know, Luke. Also starring Grimsey.

Some might argue that this audio is overlong and kind of banal in parts. I suspect even Tenex won't make it to the end this time. But I like it.

Night At Twyllan's

Monday 22nd March.

Random Encounter With AG

Thursday 4th March.

Entertaining Budini

Tuesday 2nd March.

Polyphonic Spree @ The Forum

Saturday 27th February.

With G and these people.

Interview With The Prismatic Auditors

Tuesday 23rd February.

Starring Jason Maling & Torie Nimmervoll. (Previously; elsewhere.)

(Interview transcript.)

First Day Of School

Monday 22nd February.

Party In The Patch

Saturday 20th - Sunday 21st February.

(See previous.)

With Adam, Gab and Grimsey.

It was ace. Once again, got a shit-ton of audio - and once again (but even more so), it's pretty much solid gold. So instead of fretting about what to use and what not to use like I did over the DP III post, I decided to just stick it all up; fuck it.

Thailand (Three)

Bangkok, 2nd February.

Thailand (Two)

Ko Lanta, 28th January.

Thailand (One)

Chiang Mai, 26th January.

After Going-Away Cocktails

At CH late last week with Kav (lurking), Petts, and the artist henceforward known as Lady GrimGrim. (Whose birthday it is today, incidentally. Happy birthday!)

Okay, I'm off to Thailand. :)

HNY :)

Bar Open With Toots

20th December.

She initiated this audio. That never happens. Crazy festive timez FTW!

SRC Xmas Party

17th December.

Vale SRC. I'm gonna miss you hugely in some ways; in other ways not so much. I'll certainly miss your Xmas parties. Or maybe I'll just crash them.

The following was captured at Harrie & Atkins' house, at some point quite far into the 17-odd hours' worth of extended shenanigans.

Messy night; messy audio. But I like it.

(Previously.)

Dinner Party I

24th October.

For the Facebook-equipped, here's a link to the Dinner Party Project manifesto.

This all started the night before G's Picnic at Prudence, when - in a sudden, entirely-non-drug-induced moment of feeling like I was peaking on fucking awesome drugs - I was compelled to inform my friends Vicwie & Kav that they would, at some point in the near future, be coming to dinner at my house.

Four other superstars from my work (including the legendary Bourkie) were subsequently invited. And Toots, obvs.

It occurred. It went off.

The rest is currently in the process of going down in relational aesthetics history.

(In accordance with her wishes, all of V*cw*e's audio parts have been edited out; the excisions are marked with bleeps.)

Picnic

3rd October.

Not really a picnic. Due to inclement weather it was held inside at Gab's place.

But it was still good. (If admittedly not as good as the night before; omg. But that's a story for a forthcoming post..)

Prudence

25th September.

I heart Prudence.

(Starring Toots, Zack & Grimsey.)

Meg's Birthday

23rd September.

Two videos were shot, neither of which could be used - one because it was too boring, the other because it was too interesting.

But there is this:

Birthday

Went off.

Admittedly not to quite the full extent of last year's - but on the upside no one wound up in hospital this time, and no string of events which will lead to me being effectively completely shut down for the best part of the coming year were set in train. Which is always good.

On the downside, my Ixus disappeared - I won't say explicitly that Wouters stole it because, however plausible, this theory can't be proven beyond reasonable doubt - so there are no pictures. But a lot of audio was captured, and it's great.

This bit is my favourite. The core of it is Grimsey asking various people if they think Facebook is dead, and Henley's impassioned rantsponse:

I've produced a full transcript of the above clip, in the vague hope that this might help others to appreciate it almost as much as I do.

And this is me the morning[*] after:

:)

[*] Morning, afternoon, whatever.

Home

With Gab & Dan.

New York (Four)

With D.

New York (Three)

With Bourkie "B. Jerky" Bourke.

New York (Two)

With DF & Kev.

New York (One)

With Nada.

Sydney

With Em, Matt & Maddy.

(Previously.)

SRC Xmas Party

(Link; link.)

Sunday Afternoon

No One's There, Victoria

Shed Party / Coburg's