Free Festivals RULE!

Australia day was heaps of fun (ooooh first official use of the word 'heaps'!), it was a sunny day, with lots of interesting things going on in town; car shows, food stalls, tennis live link, and 5 stages of music! We zig-zaged through the Rocks soaking up the incredible atmosphere, nothing gets Australians excited like a mid-week piss up, and we finally settlled at the Parksong stage for a delightful mixture of reggae, electro, soulful acoustic music and a box of goon. 

Sprawled out on a picnic blanket with friends as both the goon and the sun went down, we were in a cheery mood! Australia's original Michael Jackson impersonator was throwing shapes behind us- not sure if the fact he was actually Indian and loooked NOTHING like MJ made it funny or tragic...

The headline act was Katie Noonan, apparently very famous in Australia and advertised as having a wonderful voice for Australia to be proud of (you will find this is their main selling technique for beer, food and pretty much EVERYTHING) so I was excited to see her. It would be fair to say I was in a receptive mood, With the whole Sia album being played before she came on, I was dancing lying down, and fairly drunk. But Katie's voice really did make an impression. It was sweet, soulful and accompanied by great instrumentation. She was quirky and intriguing, and told a good story. She is exactly what I look for in a singer quite frankly! As soon as I got home I you-tubed her and found an amazing cover of Gnarles Barkley's 'Crazy'. It may not be an original song to cover, but damn does she do it well. Thanks Australia Day for bringing her into my life! Oh, and for the day off work :)

mmm whatcha say?

Sydney is not my "lucky" city. I'm just going to put that out there. Not sure why it has to be in the public domain, but sometimes these things have to be aired. I'm almost 100% sure this is not my fault. My experiences so far of Australian men, and men of other nationalities that reside in this country, is overwhelmingly negative. For the most part they are egotistical, arrogant, sexist, racist, self obsessed pigs. I could go on. A friend of mine who has lived here for 2 years warned me that this would be the case, I wish I had just believed her and sworn myself off men, it would have saved a lot of embarrassment. Not just for me, but for the whole of the Australian male race. You know what? That's fine. Asia can be pretty full on in terms of backpacker fun, and quite frankly I was done anyway. But why do the guys have to be so mean? It has at times made me feel pretty crap. But I'm so over that now. Ladies in Australia, if you ever feel marginalised or not good enough because of the lack of braincells in the wanker banker surfer dudes, remember, for one it really isn't you, it's them.

P.S I realise this is a slight contradiction to my last post where I 100% approved Sydney. This is of course because men are not important enough to be considered in the overall view of the city life, and they should not damage a city's reputation. I therefore left them out of the equation, and gave them their own little post.

I have been listening to this song a lot recently, and funnily enough, the lyrics tie into the feeling of loneliness it is important to break free from. Imogen Heap has a beatiful voice that she loves to experiment and play around with, using various forms of technology and looping systems to do so. This song from her 2005 album "Speak for Yourself" performed live is a testament to her abilities. Maybe I should start experimenting?

Livin' for the City

Moving to a new city isn't something I have done before. Not really. Even when I went to university, it was close to home so I went back as and when I needed my washing done. And when I moved to Brixton with my boyfriend, that was close enough to beg for a lift home on a cold night (i'm very indepedant if you hadn't noticed already). But getting a flat and a job in Sydney? Well now that's pretty far. And having finally fled the nest properly, I think Sydney was a damn good choice for spreading my wings. There's great beaches (when it's not pissing down with rain), great food, yummy surfers, shopping until your heart's content, work that pays better than London, and i've got a lovely little en suite room in a house with Harri, and great friends living 2 doors down!!

As much as I love the idea of traveling by myself, to "find myself", I like having the safety net of friends around me. You know, to freak out with when I cockraoch crawls into my toiletries bag (actually happened) or my bag gets stolen (actually happened) or I see a hot guy (has happened ALOT). Friends old or new, as long as they're there and I can call them up and say "Hey, what ya up to? Lets do something fun". I don't think I was made to travel on my own, but I'm also fearful i'm telling myself that because its easier than lifting myself out of the comfort zone i'm nestled so nicely into. Either way there's no denying it, there's a lot of fun to be had in a city like Sydney with your mates. You want an example? Sure.

Plump DJ's @ Chinese Laundry. Perfect. Exactly what I wanted. 8 people + 2 boxes goon (Australian version of Lambrini, UGH) = drunken mess before we even get there. And when Plump DJ's come on, I danced and I sweated myself into a melted version of my former made up self. I'm giving the eyes to everyone but no ones taking them. I don't blame them, I look back at the pictures of the night and I get a fright. An actual fright. 

So there you have it. Sydney has been 100% approved by moi. For fun, food and friends. But not family. Because they're not here :( Which is why I will be going home in 6 months time to enjoy their company and a summer of festivals. Bring it on!

P.S. It's Friday night, but I am severely in need of a detox....with chocolate. But here's something to give YOU that Friday feeling, one all mighty dnb mix by Fiend. I can't get enough of it at the moment.

A Different World by Fiendproductions on Mixcloud

In a really good mood, for no reason at all?

There is a distinct lack of  music that sums up this feeling. I have music that makes me feel happy because it means something to me, and the occasional greats that make everyone happy like Stevie Wonder, but genuinely happy sounding music? Not as much. And then, walking around pretty much every store in Sydney, I kept hearing a familiar voice. And of course, with this particular artist being from Australia, her crazy quirky billboards were popping up everywhere. So I went and bought the album, and it has brought happy clappy music into my life once again.

The whole album, from start to finish, fills me with smiles. From her time with London based electronica collective Zero 7, I have always been a fan of Sia's beautiful and powerful voice. However her second solo album "Colour the Small One", the first I discovered, didn't really do it for me. Apart from the song Breathe, which is a very emotional ballad to say the least, there was no oomph. Admittedly I haven't had the pleasure of listening to her third release, "Some People Have Real Problems", but her latest album "We Are Born" has really done it for me. It shows off her voice at its most powerful in songs like "Be Good To Me", and also has such a massive playful element in it with others, "Clap Your Hands" and the above "Stop Trying" to name a couple of my favourites. This album is one to listen to from start to finish, walking through a park, getting ready to go out (for the girls of course) or whenever you're in a really good mood for no reason. That's what this album is summed up as for me, In a really good mood, for no reason at all. Frankly it's the best reason to be in a good mood, don't you think?

The Great Ocean Road

Ooooooh but it was great. We hired a relocation van for 4 days (minimal cost as you are returning a van for a company, definitely the cheapest way to travel), a beautiful 3 berth high top called Margaret :)

We started off in Melbourne, and spent the first day trundling along the windy roads, through the quaint little seaside towns of Torquay, Lorne, Anglesea ending in Apollo Bay for an evening on the side of the road, tucked up in bed by 9pm! The towns were beautiful, if I did the trip again I would definitely stop off in Lorne for longer. Lots of cafe's, a nice swimming beach, what more could you want? Oh yes, good weather. We didn't really have that. Luckily we woke up to beautiful sunshine on our second day, and we set off at 8am- silly early for us girls, but when you go to bed at 9pm its crazy the things you can achieve.

Day two consisted of a nice and easy "hike" in Cape Otway national park. In reality it was a meander through a paved fern gully, but it gave us a taste of the forest wildlife, and it was an accessible way to explore for two inexperienced hikers like us! We stopped off at many a scenic viewpoint, they were fantastic. The 12 Apostles, London Bridge, and some of the most stunning costal scenery in the world. By the end of day two the Great Ocean Road was over, and we ended it in style- Beer and Cheese (purchased from Cheese World in Warnambool!) by the Port in Port Fairy, one of the oldest towns in Australia.

Days 3 and 4 were spent driving to Adelaide, mostly through small town Australia down those typically Australian highways where you don't see a soul for hours. And FYI, just because you see a kangaroo sign, doesn't mean you will see ANY Kangaroos. They only come out at dawn and dusk, during the day look under the trees. I of course found this out after the drive. We made a stop at Mount Gambier in South Australia, with the famous crater lakes. The most famous is called the blue lake, I thought it was strange to be called that- surely all lakes are blue? And then I saw it.

The perfect soundtrack

We soon realised that driving through the middle of nowhere with only the radio providing us with musical delights was not gonna cut it. Luckily in Lorne we managed to find a lead to hook our ipods up to the speakers, enter the road trip playlists!! First, a bit of classic rock i think.

One of my all time favourite songs in that genre has got to be Free Bird by Lynrd Skynard. It means a lot to me for a couple of reasons, aside from the fact is it the most stunning solos of all time of course. My brother and I used to play it back when I was at home (me attempting to strum the chords and him flying high with the solo) and it never fails to remind me just how talented he is. Also, when listening to the song at the beginning of my trip, I really heard the lyrics for the first time. Sure, I knew what they were, but only then did I feel some attachment to them as representing how I felt on my travels. Needing to break out of the relationship that was, in all honestly, holding me back from doing the things I needed to do. Every time I listen to it I am also reminded of the fact I made that tough decision, I broke free, and I am living my life the way I needed and wanted to, and it makes me feel really alive. It sounds so cliche I know, but that is precisely what I love about music. It's why I started a blog that was about travelling, but also appreciates how significant music can be on the journey.



There were many playlists made, for the girls, for the guys, for the chilled out morning driving. If I had Spotify in this country I could share them with you. Until then you will have to start thinking about your ultimate road trip playlists. What a cop out ey? Well I needed to wrap this post up so I could entertain you with Christmas Stories! There will be more road trips to come in this beautiful country so it is a topic I will surely come back to :)

So.....Melbourne.....

Harri and I have been here for a week, and maybe it's because it was put up on a pedestal, maybe it was the weather, but sadly it did not captivate us. It should have, it has plenty of music, cafe's, clubs and food, but we fell so in love with Sydney that Melbourne paled in comparison. Plus everyone thought they were ever so cool. Far too cool for us.

I'm also a little bit bitter about missing out on what i'm sure was an incredible gig. On Friday night I found out that Little Dragon were playing in the East Brunswick club for a mere $30. I decided against going- it was cold out, I didn't have much money and I had planned to have a BBQ. Foolish mistake. I've only started getting into them recently, but there's nothing like a good gig to accelerate the love, and I KNOW they would have been great. They have such a unique sound, they capture that quirky electronic sound like no one else- and i've heard a fair amount of both the quirky and electronic. Their singer, Japanese-Swedish Yukimi Nagano, has such a sultry,  grainy yet elegant voice, and she knows how to use it in a way that completely captivates you. This song is a favourite at the moment:

And then there's the first song I ever heard by them, a great dubstep remix by 16bit. It's a beautiful song, one that once I found the original I would listen to on repeat at work sitting at my desk, and I would be transported to a different world, one that involved no soul destroying cold calling.

What really made our stay in Melbourne so great was staying with Brydie and Paul. We met Brydie in Chiang Mai a few months earlier, and after only knowing us a couple of days, she insisted on having us stay with her. We took her up on her kind offer, and it was brilliant! And this is one of the best things about Australia so far, the overwhelming generosity of people - The couch surfing host Zsolt in Sydney, Brydie in Melbourne, and now Mark in Adelaide (who we met in Bali on a random night out) - this kind of thing really restores your faith in the generosity of people for generosity's sake. Its the way it should be, and I implore you to consider more random acts of kindness in future. You end up having wonderful people like Harri and I to stay in your flat and eat all your food :P

Welcome to Australia

I have now been in Sydney, Australia for 1 week. I was so dubious about this country, I had heard such mixed reviews. On the one hand, its sunny, sand filled and full of opportunity, but on the other, they have been known to be a tad backward. That's the diplomatic way of saying it anyway. The politics, the racism, the introvert nature, all reasons for me not to want to reside here for a whole year. But I arrived with an open mind, and i'm having a great time so far. I have met some amazing people, and already feel so at home in Sydney. 

If you have ever been to Australia you will know how expensive it is. We decided to couch surf and stay with friends as much as possible, which was a great decision. Couch surfing absolutely rocks! You meet some great people, and find out about great ways to travel on the cheap. I 100% recommend it when you're traveling.

So my number one priority (apart from making some money to survive!) is to find some great music in this great country. Being the one thing that Asia lacked, I intend to get my fill here to make up for the 4 months without. Gigs, festivals, raves, it's all happening here. And I will do everything in my power to be at every one possible. You've got the Sydney Festival in January, a huge variety of acts playing in a lot of different venues, festival fever hitting the East coast in the same month, and gigs and raves are literally everywhere you look. I'm in Heaven. 

Fat Freddy's Drop, The Enmore Theatre

I was looking forward to this gig so so much. The first gig in 6 months, it was well overdue. And one of my favourite bands was playing 2 days after arriving in Sydney, perfect!! Unfortunately they didn't quite satisfy. It was great having the whole gig experience again, in a beautiful venue (not unlike Brixton Academy but far more initmate) a beer in my hand, and a burger in my belly! But I was expecting them to pick up the pace at some point during the gig. Sure, i'll give them a few slow sensual numbers, but the whole way through? Nope. Doesn't cut it. Zero 7 are a chilled out band, but every time they play live they get the whole crowd dancing. For Fat Freddy, it seemed the whole crowd were talking. A lot. Loudly. Ah well. They'll be on the festival circuit so we'll give them one more chance, they are after all an AMAZING band.

The DNBBQ

What an awesome rave it was. A free BBQ on arrival, ozzie style, and 3 rooms of DnB, Dubstep and Reggae/soul. A live dance band outside, I literally did not stop dancing all night! Great concept, hopefully it will make its way over to the UK in time for the summer.

On to the must see events coming up down under! There's so many to choose from, believe me I have been doing my research!!

My pick of the Festivals

Future Music Festival

With the Chemical Brothers headlining this 1 day festival, it's a no brainer. It seems to have a more commercial feel to some of the others I have researched, which is OK with me. Its going to be one day of mayhem, I can't wait.

Playground Weekender

I'm seriously excited about this one. A camping weekender with fancy dress, its got Bestival written all over it. It's recieved rave reviews from everyone I have spoken to, all saying it's the best one they have EVER been to. What a claim. Gonna have to check it out, you know, for research purposes. Nothing to do with the fact De La Soul, Four Tet, Lamb, Belleruche and SO many other good people are playing. PHWOAR. Excited.

Good Vibrations

Such an interesting line up, it's got a bit of everything. Everything that I want and need. Faithless headlining, again it's a done deal! But add Erykha Badhu, Fat Freddy, Fake Blood and Rusko into the mix and we have ourselves one awesome party.

Fingers crossed, I will be at ALL of them :D