Trysting Fields

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!

Christmas

~ Occuparty ~

Saturday, 17th December.

Tentmonster Rally

Saturday, 10th December.

Footage of (failed) police raid the same night here (207 MB).

Occupy McFarland St Treehouse aka Sarah's Housewarming

Friday, 2nd December.

Surprise K!P Gig @ The Evelyn

Thursday, 1st December.

Luke Hand's Opening

Wednesday, 30th November.

Fifth Of November

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.)

Second Day Of Spring

F#$book Is In, Apparently

One of the main reasons my blog is so dead these days is that all the action it might once have seen is now occurring on my two Facebook accounts.

FB - rapacious motherfucker that it is - has eaten my blog.

I'm not particularly happy about this, but so it goes. Can't force shit.

Here is the news:

I am doing alright; better even. I've become a bit decadent over the semester break but that's okay. I need a new job, and I've all but decided to defer school for the rest of the year to focus on making some money and generally sloughing off the final vestiges of My Worst Depression Since 2005 (tm) - which is, pleasingly, drawing to a close fucking FINALLY.

Bring on spring.

I had another bustup with Lady J the week before last, which has made me a bit sad. But I'll get over it. And in thematically related news, I'm still estranged from my former associate the artist sometimes known as Schnozzie, which also continues to cause me grief.

Being severely alienated from people you love a lot and have epic history with really sucks.

What else? My sister moved house last weekend, which was a major operation and marked the end of an era. Her new place is massive - she now has her own studio, which I am very envious of - and her new housemates are lovely. Yay Toots's new house.

Finally: I'm having a birthday party on September 24th. It's going to go OFF. You should totally come.

Generally speaking we're on the up, at long last.

That is all for now!!!

Hand-made Thing From Luke Hand

:)!

Click for larger.

He blogged about it, also.

Handmade Thing From Nada

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

Relax, Everything's Going To Be Fine

Li has started blogging again.

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.

Stuff I Did This Year

My 2010 started on a high. Life was good and all the stars were aligned, etc. Unfortunately the wheels started to come off in the second quarter and the second half was an increasingly shitful and regressive abortion.

So it goes. We'll do this as many times as we have to.

Amongst other things (hosting some fairly awesome dinner parties, etc) I:

• Went to Thailand;
• Started studying art in fulfilment of longterm ambitions (alongside baby sis);
• Went part time halfway through first semester (see also baby sis);
• Reconciled with a former close associate after a long estrangement, which made me very happy;
• Got very suddenly & unexpectedly shitcanned by a then-close associate three weeks later, with the inverse effect;
• Deferred school and everything else and moped around reclusively for months doing increasingly little except thinking about everything, with increasingly hilarious consequences;
• Turned 34 24 2.0;
• Slapped myself around some for having fucked up so badly, thereby fucking things up more;
• Got a job and started to apply the breaks.

I'm not going to thank specific people Oscar-stylez like I have the last two years.

People who've been awesome: thanks. People in general: also that other thing. Seriously.

Life is improving. I think we'll be doing just fine if we relax a little.

Happy new year.

Hello, Blog

I got nothin.

(Happy birthday Georgie.)

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.

Spring = Sprung

Official fact. Doesn't quite feel like it yet, but it's unquestionably getting there.

So, Em came to visit from Sydney a few weeks ago. Hadn't seen her in almost exactly a year. It was excellent. Here's a picture of us her, and me in half-eaten pizza form at Bimbo:

Amongst other things, we talked blogs. She pointed out that my F$%book accounts have pretty much completely supplanted the more here-is-the-newsy kind of role my blog used to play back in the day, and told me she'd blog more if I did. Which seemed like a good deal, especially since I'm finally starting to feel kind of over F&#b!@k.

She also opined that TF should go back to being more writerly and less overwhelmingly audiocentric. Quoth TAFKALJ, concordantly: "TOO MUCH AUDIO".

I dunno. The blog has to do what it wants!!! *stamps foot petulantly on behalf of blog* It can't be forced, let alone by the audioantipathetic whims of sundry ex-girlfriends. Well, it probably can up to a point. But it shouldn't be. That said, I think Em made a strong case.

Blog bloggety blog.

We'll see what happens.

~ SPRING! ~

How was your winter? Mine was harsh. Although I've certainly had worse. And yeah - it's over now.

Which is good.

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)

:)

Friday 2nd July.

Proper CH Party

Friday 11th June.

The first oldschool stylez party we've had here since my birthday in September. Blame The DPP.

Went off.

Footage of my broken VCR/DVD player being ritually destroyed on the stroke of midnight: part 1 (42 meg); part 2, starring MYF (671 kb); part 3 (36 meg).

(My original plan was to throw it off the roof before destroying it. But unfortunately the ladder which would have facilitated this turned out to be at Toots's house. So it goes; that piece of shit still got completely annihilated. Result! etc)

"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.

The Psychopathology Of Schnozzie

Friday 26th February.

Almost-but-not-quite captured on video. Exciting times!

In other news: The SRC Xmas party audio is finally up. Many thanks to Bourkie for giving it the green light at long last.

Interview With The Prismatic Auditors

Tuesday 23rd February.

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

(Interview transcript.)

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.

Dinner Party III

Friday 12th February.

Starring Henley & Adele; 2003 & Danny (sans promised cheese platter, but I just can't stay mad at the guy); Lady GrimGrim & Jacqui; the fantastic Mr Kav; the ex-operative formerly known as Li Han, Blog Boy From Space (who hopefully won't object to me linking him old-school like that - because although Exaggerating Rumours is now four years old and obviously he's grown as a person since then etc blah blah, it's still genius which deserves wider exposure) - and of course Toots, who opted to turn up after everyone except Kav had gone home, because that is the way she motherfucking rolls.

Fair to say, went OFF.

No obligatory formula picture of everyone in the back garden, because for whatever reason (quite possibly because it's the way they motherfucking roll), the guests all opted to stay inside this time - a trend that, with the encroachment of winter, we were going to have to adapt to sooner or later anyway. But there's these ones.

In contrast to last time, when I accidentally deleted the audio directly after recording it, we successfully captured over sixty minutes of vox, much of it gold. Unfortunately that means I'm having a really hard time choosing clips. Maybe I'll put some up retrospectively & link back to it in a later post. We'll see.

In other news: if you happen to be in the region of the Abbotsford Convent at any point over the next week, I strongly advocate checking out the Prismatic Audit currently being undertaken there by Torie Nimmervoll & intended DP III invitee and amazing genius Jason Maling (who couldn't come, because he was too busy getting ready for the Prismatic Audit. That's okay, we'll get him next time).

I did today; it was great. I came home exhausted and collapsed at 6:30pm into some of the weirdest and most awesome dreams I've had in months. Now it's 2:30am and I'm blearly eating a pizza at Bimbo. But that's beside the point.

Where was I? Oh yeah; I'm starting school on Monday, which will be well weird. But before that I'm off to a quasi-hippy festival in a field near Schnozzie's hometown.

There will most likely be bloggage about both of these things. Until then: stay in the groove. Or, y'know, don't. It's Entirely Up To You (tm)! See if I care, blog readers. SEE IF I GIVE A FUCK.

:)

(Previously; previouslyer.)

Thailand (Two)

Ko Lanta, 28th 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. :)

Happy New Tenth!!! [*]

([*] Trope courtesy of D. Soybean.)

So, my 2010 has pretty much rocked so far. How's 'bout yours!!!?

I think my epic backlog-killing spree (mostly effected down the NSW coast, where I spent an actually not at all unpleasant festive perenium with Toots and the parentals) exhausted me a bit, blogwise. Maybe that will change; maybe not. We'll find out!!!

Yeah, my parents have been in the country, which doesn't happen very often. They went home yesterday, after five days here in teh Melbourne. Ergo, amongst other things, I've lately been eating out a lot and experiencing a generally higher material standard of living than that to which I'm accustomed. It's all been very nice!!!

I set a prospective date today for DP III, which is Friday, February 12th - although I haven't told the prospective invitees directly yet, coz I'm still figuring out exactly who they are!!!

The audio from both DP I and the SRC Xmas Post-Party is being held back pending the resolution of some content (in the former case) and clearance (in the latter) issues, but I'll post an update when it's finally up!!!

What else? Oh, yeah - I'm going to Thailand for ten days in two weeks!!!

To this end, I was vaccinated against Swine Flu (amongst other things) the other day and consequently, I think, came down with a very minor case of Swine Flu. But I recovered!!!

And I think that's pretty much all for now!!!

Here, randomly, is a picture of A, DA, G and myself at Prudence last night, playing the Trivial Pursuit Toots gave me for Christmas:

HNY :)