Socialising

After several invitations I finally attended the ACT Arts Awards event delivered by the Canberra Critics' Circle.  It was at Drill Hall Gallery, pretty much filled with a coterie of artists and critics from all manner of the arts, music, theatre, dance, visual arts, writing.  I recognised various faces but not many and chatted as best I could (given the very reverberant space) with a few groups of people I didn't.  Two chatters were from arts centres and craft councils so new to me.  The dance was very unknown to me.  I have a very successful dancer in my family but never much followed that art.  I had an interesting chat with two ANU historians who were each to win awards for their new books of various history.  I seemed to have been typecast as conservative (maybe given my recent find in Salvo's, a jacket by Pierre Cardin, no less) but managed to avoid that image by talking of SoundOut and with some help from Richard J.  Louis won a prize on behalf of NCO for our recent film music concert, Heroes & Villains, which was very successful and hugely attractive.  There were awards for Canberra Bach Ensemble and Luminescence and the Neemans and Queanbeyan Players and amusingly for some actors at that very instant performing at the Street Theatre in Waiting for Godot, so that one was collected by a ring-in.  I did fall into a chat on Israel/Gaza but it was too difficult given the noise in the back room and the dense issues of the topic.  I was stunned by the list of critics who selected these performers: ~25 critics for ~30 awards.  Whatever, it was fun and comfortably short with few speeches.  And thanks to Helen Musa and mates who make this all happen.  Quite an enjoyable and sociable outing, really.

The Canberra Critics' Circle convened the ACT Arts Awards at the Drill Hall Gallery.

Madame returns

It's a different world, certainly from the jazz scene.  I caught Madam Nightingale at Smiths on a Sunday afternoon on a tour from various national Art Fringes singing a synth-pop set entitled Dynamic Darkness with offsider Aj'Zho.  Different as far more presented, far more visual and abstruse, not at all more or less artistic for the nature of art here is direct, punchy to the stomach, intriguing for ideas and themes, like Supermodel or Into the dark of simply Dance with me.  In an interesting twist, I could walk straight from Murrays ex-Royal Princess and into the Madam set missing just a song or two.  I really like this style, all repeating synth tones although with occasional recorded harmonies and authentic sampled instruments, orchestral and otherwise, loud with deep and insistent grooves, softened with movement and thoughtful with lyrics rather than improv.  Just so different but entertaining and fun.  Different, too, from the covers and party bands I've been hearing recently, thoughtful as they can be in their own ways.  Great to catch our mates Phaedra and Dave again.

Madame Nightingale performed at Smiths.  MB are Phaedra Gunn (vocals, lyrics) and Dave O'Toole (keys, programming).

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We’re running down time at sea returning to Sydney.  The question is are you continuing, I think to Hobart then NZ then on further.  A production show was sadly cancelled given problems with lifts.  There’s been another singer show from NZ-resident Scottish singer ex-Australian Voice Nyree Huyser and I enjoyed the varied songs, from Celine Dion and Barbara Streisand to Guns N Roses.  Nicely backed by the House band with her charts and a 90-min rehearsal.  I remain in awe of Gio, the Italian drummer who holds grooves and holds the band together to my ears.  There has been a chat from stage about how the entertainment is brought together.  Princess Cruises (read Love Boat) prides itself on its entertainment and it is impressive, LA trained, costumed and more harking to Broadway ad the West End.  There was a repeat of a show I’ve seen before, all opera and musical theatre, Encore.  Entertaining and pretty and well done if not too artistically challenging.  That’s what this is and it’s fabulously well done.  There will be a few wind-up concerts and our Pop choir will do a short gig on the last full day at sea.  Not many rehearsals and limited harmonies but fun none-the-less.  Then back to the run down to Christmas.  It’s been a strange period, too, with three major events, Halloween with dress-ups in an increasingly US-influenced Aussie world, the Melbourne cup from our older Aussie English-influenced past, and the US election with its foreboding for all.  So perhaps a more memorable cruise than normal.  And the chance to test my Talking cure.  This morning’s opportunity was with the writer on deck: Writing your novel?  Just recording for Jesus… It felt like more Americana.

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God help us.  I don’t write that about wars or poverty or power.  They can all be repaired over time. They are social matters.  They hurt people but society continues, somehow, despite grievous harm to many.  But I write for climate and that’s a matter of physics.  Drill baby drill is a recipe for burn baby burn and flood baby flood and more.  We hit tipping points in the climate and we lose control. As I write this, BBC is reporting that this year is the first to breech the 1.5degC barrier.  We can repair Japanese cities after nuclear bombs, but we can’t repair Earth after climate tipping points, or at least not for thousands or millions of years.  This is an existential danger and scientifically-accepted fact.  So I fear for our world.  But we must understand why Trump won.  The short term economics of Covid, the longer term economics of neo-liberalism, the local poverty of globalisation, the lost hope of financialisation of property and more, the unfairness of this winner take all approach.  And local matters like meekness, media, failed decision making.  The issue, though, is whether Trump will actually improve things for the very people who voted for him.  It may be emotionally satisfying to hear his rants but who will win?  The huge industries?  The billionaires?  And how does he go about his changes?  Legally?  Violently?  Justly?  But the losers must see their failures and blindnesses and unreasonablenesses.  Recognise their extremes (in identity, but more), state their purposes and argue strongly and convince.  Rail against weaknesses and failures and unfairnesses.  They too have work to do.  But perhaps it won’t matter with such a conception of a free world?  And maybe those tipping points will come even quicker than our new expectations expect.  And maybe the very structure of democracy is about to be dismantled.  Dangerous and distressing times.

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It’s the morning of Wed 6 Nov in the Pacific and the evening of the election in the US.  The Melbourne Cup passed with little comment from the passengers I met although some fancy millinery appeared amongst some women on board.  That’s fun.  The election isn’t but I can say it’s been a test for my Talking Cure theory.  The Talking Cure is a song I wrote after another cruise with the theme of conversations with people you don’t agree with.  Certainly a cruise is a place to meet people outside Canberra liberal normality and that’s good and interesting and expanding if sometimes challenging.  I was amused to find myself in a lift with ~8 others.  There was a mention of the Melbourne Cup then of the other upcoming competition and an indignant Trumpish comment.  Then a mild statement from a well spoken American woman that she’d done her part (meaning voted early) and a knowing look.  Then a milder comment from the Trumpist that politicians are all corrupt.  That’s a common theme I’ve heard. And it carries some truth.  Certainly, it was interesting that the two major parties got together to produce the meagre corruption commission we now have and there are issues with whistleblowers and lobbyists and more.  To me, there’s also truth that many previously comfortable jobs and lives have been lost to Reagan/Thatcher policies, implemented in Australia by Labor, of course, if with more safeguards.  I remember two interview programs on BBC radio in two US midwest (?) towns in late 2016 and the Trump supporters were ordinary, middle class types and that was disconcerting.  They look much like those behind Trump events today.  I imagine they wouldn’t benefit from a Trump return but I guess they’d expect to.  Another more discrete supporter claimed Kamala is a Marxist, just hiding her stripes when she took over from Biden.  He also had issues with action on climate and argued that the death rates from Covid in the US was a function of hospitals corruptly claiming Covid for deaths to get government funding.  I hadn’t heard that one before.  Trouble is, with all these arguments and the Left’s arguments for multiple truths and the rest, it’s hard to find a path through these contradictions.  Common sense is argued as a response, but I prefer critical thinking as I doubt I can fully determine the science of climate change and other complex issues independently.  So the question becomes who do I trust and how can I triangulate.  I heard little detail in the discussions I had, but frequent broad claims.  It can be a challenge to civility and conversation so good.  So, it’s just hours to first electoral results and I am fascinated and disturbed.  The ultimate danger is not the wars and deaths that can we can rebuild from, as costly and hurtful as they can be, but the climate tipping points that we can’t.  In the meantime, have a listen to my The Talking Cure, from sky vs weather / The Pots.

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As for the soloists, Sebastian Scala played steel drum.  Colby Dean was a country guitar/vocals with Akubra or similar.  Gemma Rose was a piano-woman bar soloist, treating feminist anthems and more to a whisky bar world.  On board musical director and pianist Jane Milliken played at least one solo set.  Argentinian House band guitarist Gabriel Colman played latin.  DJ Trademark turned up later at night for DJ sets, and occasionally for feature dance sets, not least ABBA.  A few offboard performers included Alipati and Mitiele who performed for the pleasure of tourists in a particularly upmarket Suva establishment.  There were some other performers on board.  I missed a few but did catch Elizabeth Hytton mezzo-soprano running for the local Voice competition who had appeared on the Australian national Voice TV show (which I have never seen but it hard to totally avoid, Daniel Thompson who led a House Band country quartet in an interesting tribute to Johnny Cash and comedian Jarred Fell.

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Then a series of duos and solo performers of various styles and various origins.  VOP Duo was vibrant female voice, piano and backing.  Secret Crush was piano and perhaps steel drum from Belarus.  Some confusion there as musicians sometimes performed in different combinations.  Freedom United was a violin duo with recorded backing out of Ukraine.  Soloists and others coming.

VOP Duo comprised Mia Adityarini (voals) and Rio Oktaucanto (piano).  Secret Crush comprised Natallia Hardzei and Konstantin Hardzei and perhaps appeared as Sebastian Scala.  Freedom United comprised Yuliia Shevchuk and Maria-Viktoriia Parashckok (violins).

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It may be popular, of an apt age and stylistic era (‘60s-’70s, ABBA, piano man, classical ringins), sometimes smaller in composition or bigger on digital backing, but there’s lots of music on the Royal Princess.  The band was The Drop, a covers (party) quintet playing a range of popular musics from rock on, nicely inviting, nicely sung and nicely played.  I was taken by perhaps the best bass tone on board, but also by the repertoire of the likes of The power of love and I wanna dance with somebody.  All obvious but fun and nicely done.

The Drop comprised Katie Mophett (vocals), Peter Mehlia (guitar, vocals), Howie Harwards (keys), Adam Jones (bass) and Will Hankey (drums, vocals). 

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There’s always a list of performers on a ship for entertainment in various lounges.  Soloists and duets and pop and occasional classical players.  But the king hitters are the House Band.  They are individually selected; they perform behind the shows; they read the dots; they do gigs in the most salubrious bars on board.  And they may come from anywhere: this time guitarist was form Buenos Aires and they bassist I spoke to had an English accent, I guess.  I had heard them behind Sweet Soul Music reading complex charts with various funky grooves melding into each other and then as a quartet backing a Johnny Cash tribute playing playing country grooves then as a jazz band with a trio front end playing Miles and more.  Presumably they’d played a few other shows I’d missed and there was another Samba gig that I’d also missed.  I did catch their Canadian pianist / musical director playing solo piano in the atrium (the Piazza), the central core indoor performance area on the ship.  I was stunned by the clarity of the take on So what, thumb bass part, restrained and extended minimal drum part, some exemplary solos, a haunting harmon muted trumpet giving just the restraint that defines the tune.  We all play this tune, but it tends to take off.  This was a stunning performance in my mind, recognising the nature Kind of blue, perhaps revisiting the very solos, but I’d have to listen again to confirm.  Close enough.  The front line were trumpet/flugel, trombone, tenor so not quite Kind of Blue but close enough and the feel got it to a tee.  Fabulous.  They played otherwise around the ship, including a poorly attended samba set that I failed to catch.  I love these house bands. 

The Royal Princess House band comprised Jane Milliken (piano, musical director), Alex Arcus (tenor, alto, flute), Chris Harris (trumpet, flugelhorn), Alex Sadkov (trombone), Gabriel Colman (guitar), Lewis Brown (bass) and Gio Rossi (drums).

This is CJBlog post no. 2,900

Royals 3

I was amused that fellow passenger, Singaporean and adult but younger, didn’t know what Motown was as a musical style.   We can take such things for granted.  He was of the ABBA generation but I didn’t think Stevie Wonder was so far before, or even The Supremes or more recent artists like Tina Turner who got in there.  It seems such a formative era for Black funky music that I can’t imagine popular music without it.  But he could and did.  I’d seen this show before but I never tire of the music.  Stevie Wonder got a string of songs; James Brown got one.  This was a production show, so popular tunes neatly merged and orchestrated.  The capable house band visible behind the dancers, with headphones and plenty of mikes and reading charts: a few horns with guitar, bass, drums, grand piano.  I’ll look forward to catching them in a bar sometime.  And a string of dancers, male and female, and several feature singers.  They mentioned names but I caught none.  Perhaps later.  But great fun and great chops.  These shows are the highlights of a cruise to me.

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I’m learning that cruises can be quite unpredictable. I remember one where there had been a coup in Fiji so the prices dropped throughout the Pacific and we went given the kids cost virtually nothing.  This time, our cruise cancelled New Caledonia due to separatist activity over recent months.  I can understand the wish to separate, but it can have costs. (Is that why Australia remain loyal, I wonder, or just laziness and Howard’s manipulation).  Anyway we now have favourable memories of Vanuatu including visits to Parliament, plantation tours and soccer championships and kava and Library visits and more.  Thus it was that we arrived at Mystery Island, Vanuatu, and it was a wonderful day in the sun.  Simple, fairly lazy.  Some swam, I walked the full periphery (it takes ~40mins), had a few swims, chatted variously, and sang with the local welcoming group, the Nepel Unique.  Funny to sing pop-US-country material but we did amongst the more traditional fare, and also some strained harmonies, but this was a classic islander welcoming choir and a great pleasure.

Nepel Unique Choir sang on Mystery Island in Vanuatu.

Royals 1

Royalty reminds me of QEII outside St Paul’s when we drove around a corner at Manuka some time back.  It amused me that she passed through so little remarked. Th same has happened with King C recently and Camilla.  We did just see them passing by.  But then I was off with Mum for a few weeks on Royal Princess, on our family cruise.  Not the first one noted here at CJ.  It’s a time of catching bands and shows and generally reporting to CJ and drinking and eating too much.  Indulgence thy name is Australia; a floating resort.   But I do like the stage shows, especially.  They have capable performers, dancers, singers, incredibly professional staging and lighting, even if the themes can be pretty trivial.  But this last one had me a little flummoxed.  I’m sure the production show (seems to describe a musical evening of uber-popular songs as big productions, all dance routines and costumes and harmonies.  The title was Colors (sic.) of the World and its final ending theme song had lyrics: “The whole world’s coming together now.  Can’t you feel it”.  It’s a hopeful theme but perhaps the show was designed sometime before this era.  Certainly, it matches little with the news I’m watching on BBC News, of Ukraine and Gaza and Trump and climate and more, but let’s just hope it provides a path.  But the show was entertaining: Bollywood extravaganza; tango Aphrodite with The Power of Love; inevitably Time to say goodbye; Brazil and Girl from Ipanema; something on the supremacy of NYC.  Then that final elation of the world coming together.  This morning I saw BBC videos of Russian grenades dropped from drones on innocents.  Befuddling but let’s hope it’s true. 

Royal Princess, Colors of the world