Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Catching up part 1: Tool

I'd say the first big event that happened since last posting was the Tool concert.
Wow.
Seriously the best concert I have been to.
Amazing.
I came twice (just without the ejaculation). It was the same mental feeling as when I came. Twice. Once during Wings PtII, and once during the next song, Lateralus.
Wow.
Holy fucking shit.
Amazing.
Went with Mike S and Ross. Ben (from work) was there too, but not sitting with us.
Originally the tickets sold out in 35 minutes, and we didn't get any, but later they released 1000 extra tickets, but didn't advertise it, and it was from these 1000 tickets that we sourced ours. These 1000 tickets weren't released when the others went on sale, because they lay to the extreme side of the stage and Tool weren't sure if their stage show would permit viewing from that angle. Well, obviously it did. We were pretty far back, but the seats actually turned out to be freakin awesome. We could see every member, and even saw Danny and Maynard do a little play off for the final beat/scream on one of the songs (I don't remember what song though).
Fucken awesome.
Fucking, fucking, fucking awesome show.
Here is the setlist:

Stinkfist (standard live version with extended breakdown)
forty fix & 2
Jambi
Schism (with fast breakdown middle bit thingo)
Lost Keys (no dialogue/vocals)
Rosetta Stoned
Danny drum solo (sounded VERY much like Ticks & Leeches and Triad)
Swamp Song
Wings for Marie
10,000 Days
Lateralus
Vicarious
Aenima

Wow. Just wow.
Just. Wow.
Yeah. Best concert I've ever been to. Better than Nine Inch Nails, better than Massive Attack, better than the other Tool shows, better than Mogwai.
Best. Concert. Ever.
Speechless.

More to come soon.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Amazing Tool Nugget

This is the most amazing thing yet I have heard about Tool. Read it now.

From http://www.mikeportnoy.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=1266584
Quote by headup13

"I didn't know if you people knew this. But, If you burn both Viginti Tres followed by Wings for marie .. Then, play that track as one with 10,000 days as another track and play both at the same time, Both Wings for Marie AND 10,000 days sync ! It is incredible ! It is like an 8 piece band but it all FLOWS ! It flows like one song.. It is the most unique and incredible thing I have ever heard in my life.. BadA$$ ! The vocals, drums, the guitar riffs, everything flows ! Both songs get heavy at the same point at 9 minutes and 14 seconds in, it is magical ! This band synched tracks ! They synched them in testament to Maynard's mother passing to sound like an 8 piece band.. The vocals wisp back and forth almost like a conversation during the sync.. It's UNREAL !

Tool meant these tracks to synch.. If you look at the track times, "10,000 days" is 11 mins and 13 seconds long.. When you add the track times of "Viginti Tres" and "Wings for Marie" it adds up to 11:13 as well.. Look at the album cover ! There are 3 faces with one in the front.. This SICK band meant for all three tracks to play as one song for the self-title track "10,000 days" . Freaky !!

By the way, "Viginti Tres" means the number 23 in Latin . 23 is the number of synchronicity . And nothing is more synchronous than hearing the tracks mixed as I described .. Everything Tool writes is for a reason. These aren't merely interludes and fillers this band puts between songs. All their tracks have a meaning and there's a reason why they are there .. They are truly a one of a kind band like no other.

I recommend using a surround sound system for this.. Play 10,000 days in the rear and viginti treS + Wings for Marie in the front.. It's much better than headphones with listening each tune in one ear.. Because you have a fade with headphones.. Ever notice sometimes the bass guitar (or the effects) will only play in one ear with headphones ? And you may have to adjust the bars and volume.. But once you set it right, the sync is undeniable and it is a pure treat .. Well this is what I mean . It must be heard with a surround system . About two minutes in there will be sounds swingin around your head..It is so cosmic and trippy. When it gets heavy at 9 minutes and 14 seconds in, Both songs get heavy at the same point and it sounds like a cohesive 8 piece band. It's crazy ! I havent stopped listening to this musical feast for 3 days now.. This band is SICK SICK SICK !!

Tool, once again, has come up with something totally innovative on an album. A band that is truly unparalleled IMHO. They never disappoint . On the 2001 release Lateralus , they did the infamous fibonacci sequence in the title song.. Tool's Lateralus is the best album front to back I have ever heard, PERIOD.. They are intoxicating once you give them enough time to squeeze into your consciousness. And with hours of straight listening, your flattened.. Because this band is so deep, it takes a long time for you to absorb their musical complexities , waves and textures. But once you absorb them with alot of listens, it is entrenched into your psychy and they are a mad MAD addiction ..

Every album this foursome comes up with has some new mad musical ideas, they are like mad musical scientists .. Here, in 10,000 days they sync three songs , to make it sound like one incredible song ! The only band in history to accomplish this incredible feat on an album.. This band is pure genius. And with every release they never cease to amaze me. For about 10 years now this band has made me just speechless. I have received such pleasures over their sound over the years that I believe these 4 guys who call themselves "Tool" , are really from another planet ... Pure genius . What innovation . What an experience . Album of the year . This is a masterpiece !!"

Holy sweet fucking shit.

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Dammit. Boredom...

Seems I spoke too soon in my last post. Although, I'm bored not because I have no work, but rather because I cannot do the work that I have.
I use an in-house designed program called NBT to edit the timetables.
Last night, they upgraded to 3.1 (from 2.8), and it fucked most things up. There are so many problems with it, that I don't really feel like doing work because I feel that it may all be for naught when these bugs are fixed. So I'm annoyed. I've done next to nothing today because of having to fix problems that arised from the bugs.
Gragh. So annoying.
At least today I got the office onto both PBF and White Ninja (see links to the side). So that was fun. Emails shootin across the office with new comics that people had found.
Ben didn't like White Ninja at all at first, and even through a box at my head for continuing to send him links. Eventually though he came around to it, and even started sending White Ninja emails himself.
White Ninja is tops.
Check this shit out!
Psycho fans!
http://www.whiteninjacomics.com/fanart/fa-tattoo5.shtml
http://www.whiteninjacomics.com/fanart/fa-tattoo4.shtml
Awesome.
So yes.
I'm bored.
That is all.

Listening to: Moloko - Statues (Album)

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

The D

Tenacious D time you motherfucker, go!
FUCK YE-EAH!
So last night was the Tenacious D concert. Most awesome. It started out with them lying in their loungeroom and waking to play for us - so it was already a more interesting stage show than last time. Lee himself came out and raided their fridge and smoked a bong with them. Then JB decided that the band needed to move into the 22nd century and go electric.
He said he'd bought an electric guitar that day that some guy had made himself - it was made from tin foil, an extension cord and a toilet seat. Because it was electric, they plugged it into the wall and promptly electrocuted themselves.
They played a video of their descent into hell, where they came across the anti-christ playing guitar, and Colonel Sanders and Charlie Chaplin playing drums and bass. So they started a band.
The screen retreated and revealed hell - complete with 666 drum kit, volcanoes and skulls. They rocked. It was awesome. I ended up to the side of the stage because it was easier for Leanne to see, and was pretty close. I took a heap of photos (my zoom rules), but the camera had trouble focussing in the poor light... which sucks. It may have had to do with the batteries being near dead, too.
Ben and I finished work at 4pm so that we could get on the drink before the show. Poor Josh wasn't going to come to the show - the Tenacious Triangle would be incomplete.
I met up with Leanne after work, and the three of us headed to the Strawberry Hills hotel for happy hour - and what a happy hour it was.
Before this though, we stopped at a newsagent to get the stuff necessary for a kickass Tenacious D sign. We made it at the pub, and added authentic beer stains. Awesome. It read "I poisoned your wine!" and had a goblet as the Y, with a demon hand holding it, and a pitchfork + pentagram exclamation mark. It was fuggen kickass. I will try and post a photo today.
We also had a quick go on the pokies, but only lost money.
I called the rest of the gang (Jon, Helen and Boggle) and decided to meet them at the Captain Cook hotel (I'd already arranged to meet Ross and his roommate Chris there).
So we hopped in a cab and headed over. The cabbie was a champion. Had a great conversation with him about food, heat and sex. Funny guy. We thanked him and gave him a tip in gratitude.
Shortly after we arrived there, Ben recieved a call from Josh; he was coming. Fucken A. This meant Ben had to run over to the Hordern and buy a ticket though. So off he went. He was fucken puffed. But he got one! And more than that, they sold out just behind him! Just in the nick of time, Josh! Awesome. The triangle was complete!
We all grabbed a steak there (I realise more and more why I don't enjoy steak), and headed in.
And the rock began...
On other news, I shaved my head last week (a number 2). I reckon it looks awesome. Almost every Summer I think about it because of the heat, and this time I finally decided to go ahead with it - and I'm totally happy with it. Showering is easier, sleeping is easier, putting on headphones is easier, getting ready is easier, swimming is easier, having the window down in the car is easier. Generally, it's all good. Stoked. I had all intentions of growing it all back, but because of the simplicity it brings, I'm less sure now. I'll see as it happens.
I'm late for work. I was buggered after The D last night, so I slept in an hour, and now I'm late. As I walked up to the station the express train arrived and left, and I'm now on the stop-at-every-station-wait-at-every-station-coast-between-every-station-take-longer-than-any-train-should 8:45am service from West Ryde, and I'm fekkin late. I thought I'd get in (late) at 9:15am, but it's now that time and I'm only at Redfern. Lame.
So this is all I can be bothered typing right now.
Later!

Listening to: train noise. This is the very reason you folk got this post; I left my bag at the office so that I didn't have to carry it to The D. Because of that I have no iriver, and no book. So I turned to my blog for entertainment.
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Edit o'clock... here is a pic of our sign:

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Bored

Wow. How long has it been? Fucken ages, that's how long.
I don't have the net at home, and I only started back at work last Thursday, so there's one reason. Of course I could have been typing posts on my phone, but I didn't. Bit of a pain in the arse to do so. So why am I doing so now then? Because I'm bored and sitting on the toilet.
Work has been wonderfully busy, so it's not been boring at all (which is another reason there hasn't been a post in some time).
I guess I'm writing this just to let you all know that I have not yet discarded this blog.
I also wanted to let you all know that I had a fucking fanfuckingtastic night on Friday. Thank you all for coming - I felt so loved. Thank you.
Tonight is The D!
ROCK!

Listening to: pooping
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