I love all of you

Annie & I saying bye to Marie on Oxford St after we saw The Wahas play at Spectrum on a Wednesday night.

Seeing Galija play at a Serbian venue in Canley Heights with Jasmina, Nikola, my sister and her friends. I was sick and didn’t have a good time but the music was beautiful. & I had Kitty Power on my side!

More photos from our lazy day at Stanwell Park.

Hyde Park day.

Adventures in Liverpool with Jasmina & Nikola.

Waha This!

Wednesday nights were made for partying!

See The Wahas play every Wednesday this month at Spectrum on Oxford St: 14th, 21st & 28th.

To find out how fucking amazing this band is, listen to their music here and read their TEETH interview here. Then get onto Facebook and invite all your friends to their Spectrum shows!

7th & 8th Dec

Sunday & Monday

 

  

 

 

1. Emma & Alex

2. Seeta & T-Nev

3. IS IT ALEX JORDAN OR AXL ROSE?

Sunday was a lot of fun. Annie and I went to the city, photocopied and stapled lots of copies of TEETH LOVES STUFF #5, then walked all the way to Camperdown. We weren’t exactly sure of where the park we needed to be was, but we found our way there relatively easily. It was only the heat that was the problem – the weather people said it’d be cold so I wore my Docs and stockings! Also, it was raining so it was disgustingly humid. But anyway. We walked the very long journey to Camperdown Park where there was a zinester picnic happening. Emma, Alex, Seeta and T-Nev joined the picnic which was beyond awesome. Though we moved away from the rotunda pretty soon after arriving to smoke and we didn’t end up rejoining the circle because Annie was sick, etc. We had a little picnic of our own a bit further away, with a blanket and all provided by T-Nev, with Alex making up stories about a war for Rotunda World. It was fucking hilarious. Apart from the part about Annie being sick, it was a really, really nice day. I don’t get to hang out with those kids nearly enough. So many November Rain references! We’re going to re-enact the video clip and I get to be Slash. Oh yeah! & Alex and I are going to write a series of articles on the topic of Being a Wog With Big Hair. On our way home, Annie and I made a stop at Chinatown where I got the biggest munchies out of nowhere and bought lots of cheap delicious cakes. Good times! (Conclusion for the day: “Asian milk drinks are bad and the Backstreet Boys are good!”)

 

I don’t think I did anything on Monday…? Oh wait, no, I did 100 sit-ups. But seriously, I don’t remember doing anything else at all. I guess I must have stayed at home.

Friday, 5th Dec & Saturday, 6th Dec

I really need to get better at this whole keeping-track-of-my-life thing. I keep forgetting to update, then I have a mini panic attack every time I forget what I did on whatever day. My short-term memory is fucked up.

 

 

Friday

Friday was a really nice day. A much-needed day of being calm and relaxed and well-aware of my surroundings. I went over to Zig’s at UNSW. I had a cruel reminder of how difficult those stairs on campus are to climb up… We walked down to Coogee and lazed around on the beach for hours. It was really nice. I miss going to the beach. I don’t think I’d been since…Byron Bay? That was in 2007! The weather was pretty much perfect. It sort of threatened to rain a bit but it never happened. We trekked back up to Randwick, got Easy Way, then back to Kensington where we lazed around on the Library Lawn for a bit before I headed home.

 

Saturday

The weather was a cunt. It was incredibly hot and hurricane-windy. I didn’t want to leave the house but at the same time, I felt too restless to stay inside. So Annie & I went to the city to photocopy TEETH zines but it turned out that our precious Kinko’s was closed. We were heartbroken. Turns out it is no longer open 24-hours, and it is closed on Saturdays. I’d never given much thought to this economic crisis thing until it affected my ability to make zines drunkenly at 3 in the morning!! So instead of photocopying, we wandered around, looked at amazing books at Kinokuniya and CDs at JB Hi-Fi (where we also stalked Radiohead Boy unknowingly – seriously, I don’t mean to stalk the kid but I just keep running into him everywhere, at uni all the time, at JB Hi-Fi, on George St…I’ve never spoken to him and we’re really awkward around each other because we both obviously realise how much we run into one another. Also, I don’t actually know if he likes Radiohead but he seems like does. I’ll forgive him for that since he’s adorable).

Damaged goods, send them back

 

WHAT I DID TODAY

Lived through incessant cramps

Read Down and Out in Paris and London in the sun in my backyard

100 sit-ups and 50 crunches

Lots of work for TEETH LOVES STUFF #5

 

WHAT I STILL HAVE TO DO

CD reviews for The Dwarf – Circlesquare (really good) and The Tossers (not so good)

Gig review for Faster Louder – Tim Freedman, happening tomorrow night

Make it through a night at The Vanguard without killing myself or anyone else

Rewrite article for Stiff Magazine

Add finishing touches to TEETH LOVES STUFF #5 and copy it

Post new band interview on the TEETH blog

Marry Stephen Colbert

Send zine orders/trades

Vacuum room

Find a job

 

WHY THE HOLIDAYS ARE REALLY GOOD EXCEPT FOR THE OBVIOUS

Because I can do TEETH stuff all the time

Because Law & Order: SVU is always on TV

It’s Friday, I’m in love

Last Friday

I went to the dentist to have my teeth cleaned. Having to bite down, for three minutes, on some weird rubber device with fluoride (I think) on it is incredibly uncomfortable.

 

In the evening, Annie and I went to the city. I was wearing these stockings that have a rip in them that looks pretty good but then I was playing around with it and it ripped a little too much. I got paranoid about the stockings just coming apart so we had to find a new pair somewhere. 7-11 comes in so handy sometimes. There were some really weird noises in the sky as we walked to Kings Cross; we couldn’t figure out if it was thunder, fireworks or bombs. Anyway, so we got to Candy’s and in a hilarious incident with the security guards, got our precious vodka taken away (but they were nice enough to give it back to us later). Then we got free entry thanks to Darren. (I later found out Outrun put me on the guest-list – awww.) Inside we met up with my friends-from-the-ghetto Jasmina, Nenad and Drazen who had surprisingly decided to come along that night. Drazen and Nenad bought me a lot of drinks and let me drink theirs too which was nice.

 

A band called Yen played a really long set. They were pretty good. Kind of mellow and interesting. Sujin and Marie joined us also. Towards the end of Yen’s set, Annie and I went outside for a bit…to…get medicated…and then we went back to Candy’s and saw Outrun play. AND THEY WERE REALLY FUCKING AMAZING. The only downside was the length of their set – nowhere near long enough. But they were so, so good, especially considering that chatting to Josh beforehand, I found out he’d had three hours of sleep! So, rather impressive. I fucking love this band! After their set, we stayed around for a while drinking and dancing and being amused by Drazen’s antics. Was fun!

 

The night ended with an hours-long gutter party, with my friends-from-the-ghetto leaving Annie and I…I don’t think they appreciate the beauty of gutter parties. One day they will learn! It was a really good night but I had a killlllller hangover the next day.

 

This Friday

  

Last night ended really early but for some reason, it felt like we’d been out forever. I guess we did a lot in a short amount of time.

 

First, Annie & I went to see Ohana play at Spectrum and they were so good! That was the first time I’d seen them play live and I was as impressed as I was when I first heard them on FBi. I need to discover more bands like them (suggestions, anyone?).

 

Then we went down to the Oxford Art Factory to see The Vignettes play and they were, as always, heaps of fun and completely incredible. There was a little fan club happening at the front of the stage and they were adorable. After they played, we talked to Natalie and Aaron for a bit, from The Revolution Artist Services, about music and TEETH and other good stuff. They’re both so lovely, and I was completely jealous hearing that Aaron has seen Nirvana live! There’s some good stuff being planned between The Revolution Artist Services and TEETH so…stay tuned!

 

Then back to Spectrum to see Die! Die! Die!, a fucking brilliant band that I absolutely love seeing live because it is always complete insanity and sweat, bruises, spilled drinks, loss of inhibitions, etc. They always put on such a good show!!!!!!! They need to come to Sydney more often. I very rarely see people lose their minds that much at smaller gigs and it’s amazing! Ran into Taps, Andrew and Myers there too which was cool.  

 

After that neither of us could stop talking about how amazing it was and so we regretted going back to OAF where The Protectors were playing because it kind of ruined the good vibes a bit. Seriously…just because you look interesting doesn’t mean you should be a band. Also, looking like the lovechild of Steven Tyler and Mick Jagger doesn’t mean you are either of them.

 

Then we had to leave early because Annie’s sister was offering us both lifts home if we came back not too late, and since we both hate the amount taxi drivers charge, and since yesterday ended with me having 85c to my name, we took up the offer.

 

How I survived with no money: bottle of vodka left over from last week + Annie buying me drinks (thanks dude!) + my father’s spare change jar for Spectrum entry & train ticket. Whoooo!

 

(Photos by ANNIE LY.)

Ivana Stab’s Favourite Sydney Bands, PART 1

 

I’ve decided to start my Ivana Stab’s Favourite Sydney Bands segment with a band whose gigs I somehow keep missing. It makes me a little sad that I’ve only seen them play three times. I’ve known their music for quite a while and it’s definitely not right that I haven’t been to more of their gigs. They are called The Spirits and they are lovely (formerly known as Chequered Leopards). Thinking about this band brings back good memories – waltzing slowly to their faster songs at Hot Damn with a bunch of other kids I’d never met; insisting on seeing them play before going to a birthday party on the other side of the city to which we ended up being very late and most people had already left so we had to down a lot of vodka very quickly to catch up; seeing The Vignettes play for the first time on the same night and being very impressed; doing the best TEETH interview with them. They make lovely music and they’re nice guys and it’s all dreamy, fireplaces and hugs and I hope I can make it to one of their gigs sometime soon. Listen to their music here and see the TEETH interview here.

TEEF

Good teeth: these.

 

Bad teeth: mine. I had to have a root canal…thing…done today. Luckily my dentist is the sweetest person in the world and his assistant/secretary continues to amuse me like no other. Today she twice called me “kinky” (once for my handcuff necklace, then for saying I like tongue piercings…I guess I brought that on myself), then she got all excited when her phone rang and started singing along with the ringtone – “Snoooooooooooop Doggy Dooooogggggggg”.

This music is the glue of the world, Mark. It’s what holds it all together. Without this, life would be meaningless.

 

 

The weather people told me yesterday would be twenty-three with rain. Lies! I almost died of heat exhaustion. Still, that was probably better than rain during the Newtown Festival which happened yesterday. It was good but not as good as the last couple of years. I’m not sure why. The stalls were pretty much the same and the music was good (except the awful skip-hop that hurt my ears) and the crowds were as impossible to move through as always. I think maybe it was the police presence. Fascists on every corner. The police have this impressive ability to instil fear in me when I’m doing absolutely nothing illegal. I was also in a bad mood for no apparent reason. I need to control my angst. Maybe it was the sugar comedown from eating nothing all day but a bag of fairy-floss and a slurpee? (A public apology to Annie, Zig & Kylar for my moodiness.)

 

The Wahas played a great set at the Essential Stage. They played a few new songs which sounded really, really good & the ending to “Cheap Stuff” is always so impressive to watch. Every time I see them play I get even more excited about Sydney music. I don’t want to spend my life chasing after things that have already happened. You know, The Doors and friends, Hole and friends, The Libertines and friends, etc. Those bands were amazing and I love them to bits, but I don’t want to only dream about how wonderful it would have been to experience that from its beginnings and to be a part of it. And that’s why the Sydney music scene is so exciting to me; because I CAN be a part of it and because the music is really fucking good! (I’m going to be writing about my favourite Sydney bands in instalments soon, so stay tuned!)

 

The Wahas are playing their first headlining show this Friday (14^th November) at the Hopetoun with two other great Sydney bands – The Vignettes and Chaingang. It’s their End of HSC celebration show as well! TEETH interviewed Joel from The Vignettes a while ago and you can read the interview here. (We also did an interview with The Wahas which can be read here.) Anyway, it’s only $10 and it will be a great show so you & all your friends should go! And get there early so you don’t miss The Vignettes who will be playing first!

 

I’m currently listening to the Empire Records soundtrack and wishing my DVD was back in my hands. I don’t even know who has it anymore. The last I saw of it was the case at Nenad’s place but no disc inside! “In the immortal words of The Doors…the time to hesitate is through!”

 

  

Music journalism is not for me

The only interviews I’ve had to write so far have been for TEETH which means only Annie would tell me that the questions are shit, and she never would because Annie is the best. Now I’m writing an interview for The Dwarf & a record company and there’s pressure for the questions to be good. Aaaaah! Also, my essay is now VERY late and I still haven’t written a word, and I’ve barely done any research. Oh and I am sick and I hope I feel better by tomorrow because I don’t want to miss the Newtown Festival.

So, a list of good things to balance out the negatives: Cole Mohr‘s collarbones; peppermint tea; FBi 94.5 FM; Homo Sovieticus; Scrubs; episodes of Law & Order SVU when Dean Winters was on (Dean Winters aka Ryan O’Riley from Oz, aka the best character after Miguel Alvarez!).