From : "Owen Brown"
Good evening people.
I am in Melbourne again sitting in an Internet cafe on Elizabeth street. I
actually paid to go through 120 craplist emails. Amazing. I am very dirty
and tired and I sure hope that the deodorant "wont let me down".
Rightio. I left Sydney aboard a virgin plane at 6:35 am yesterday. I met
Matt Smith at the Melbourne terminal and his Dad drove us to Gisbourne, a
country town north west of Melbourne. It was a another new experience for me
seeing the Victorian countryside and I can assure you that it isn't a far
travel from the city at all before you start seeing the countryside. We
arrived at his place where I met his other friends Matt and Tess who were
constructing "Vote for Boat" signs which involved making a few campaign
signs of a local federal candidate into a *scoff* Balaclava-Clad member of
TISM.
We hit the road and hit the beer early. It wasn't long at all before we were
at Meredith and the next hour involved being stuck in a traffic jam which
was fun because it involved beer, hackey sack and good fun dickery with
other campers.
We set up camp close to the stage and spent the rest of the day meandering,
climbing a tree, drinking beer and just seeing whatever there was to see. It
was overcast but it thankfully never rained.
I saw John Butler Trio. Very talented musicians, Fantastic slow songs filled
with power and meaning. Naturally, I was bored shitless.
TISM sighting number one came when I started conversation with a man in a
black "De Rigueur" T shirt. He was evasive. Later on he took a photo of us
with our signs...... With a disposable camera. It wasn't until we were
walking away did it click. That was John st Peenis!! Fuck! He's the man who
got me backstage at Glenworth. I cursed myself but soon got over it.
I met Antoine and he took us to where he and Lara were sititng and we had a
nice little chat and a photo. Not the biggest Craplist amalgamation but very
cosy nonetheless.
OK.. some other bands played. Me and Matt drank heaps of beer. BFW. Some
fucking latin band played for ages as I was trying to squeeze to the front.
It was like they wouldn't finish. I was very irritated. When I did get to
the front I whacked the signs on the punter barrier and waited. Some probs
with the keyboards gave way to TISM sighting number two. Eugene himself came
out to fix the problem. I tried to get a photo but his head was behind the
keyboards.
As expected, the setlist, intro and costumes where the same as Homebake.
They continued with fine form on the small stage. anecdotes? Eugene had
trouble with his keyboards early in the set and sang "Channel Turd" on his
knees whilst rummaging thu a toolbox. Humph went "crowd walking" during Saturday Night Palsy
and lost his balloon. Ron kept his baloon all night. Being the first Gig in a
while where David Cox was NOT standing directly behind me was an absolute
killer. Matt did his best but were were absolutely crushed and it was a real
damper on the experience. Humph yelled out "Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr Leak
Van Vlalen... OOPS!" during Thou Shalt Not Britney Spear and gave me a smarmy look after he did it.
During the show Michael Lynch approached me and introduced himself to me. He
asked me if I had made the signs. I said that my friends had but he still
said he'd get me backstage so I could give the signs to the band. Sweet.
The funniest part of the show was when HBF was singing All Homeboys Are Dickheads with the wheels
from the Ten Points For A Razor Scooter lawnmower on his head. He finished the song with.
"But the truth is that a real fuckhead
The diatribe was the same. The Mystery Of The Artist Explained was the same except for John Howard being
replaced with "Mul Waverly". Mul Waverly had their own campsite set up
nearby. complete with McDonalds "M". I assume it has something to do with
Waverly College. Please enlighten me.
When the show finished I waited for Mr Lynch motioned me onto the stage with
the signs. I tried to get Matt and the others to come but I couldn't. He
wanted to get a photo of me with the band.. when we reached the caravan they
were all out of costume and absolutely wasted so that couldn't happen. I had
a little chat to them. JSP was there and he was the guy with the camera. I
said hi to him, he asked if I was the guy who was wearing an umpires outfit
once... I didn't realise at the time he meant the labcoat. One of them asked
me if I was strapped with a bomb but it was my camera. I asked how record
sales were going. Eugene just said I should by more copies to help them out.
Fair enough.
Before I left Lynch gave me his business card and told me to contact him in
advance the next time I was to see TISM. Sweet. He indicated that that would
be sometime in autumn. But, he also told me something not very definite but
all the same made me feel very comfotable that I already have a BDO ticket.
BUT DON'T QUOTE ME ON THAT! All in all it was an odd ecperience because they
were "stuffed" and I was delerious.
I left and found the others and let them know I tried my best to get them
backstage. I went to bed straight away but was hounded by some of Tess's
friends.
Today was pretty dull. it involved eating, packing, watching Dave Graney
and seeing the "Meredith Gift" a Nude race.
They dropped me off at Bacchus Marsh where I caught the V line to Melbourne.
The public transport here is brilliant and so are the roads. Is that because
of Kennett? One thing I found amusing that just outside the suburbs up
Melton way the land is so dry, flat and barren as if it were Dubbo. Yet only
a few Kms away on the Horizon was a bustling CBD. Very odd indeed.
I Remember my stay in Melbourne last time to be pleasant but with some
hinderance I couldn't quite remember. Today I remembered... These heavy
fucking bags! I guess thats what trams are for. So I am about to head off
for some Pizza. Then I am getting of the train at Caulfield to Meet Jezza
Fantl. Don't worry. I have left my copy of "The Chosen" at home.
I got about two good pics. The damn zoom was on too high. I will post them
when I get back home as well as the other pics taken....
Have fun folks. It's Pizza time!
Owen.
To : crap@suburbia.com.au
Subject : tism: Meredith
Date : Sun, 16 Dec 2001 19:30:23 +1100
Wears a hat with wheels."
