I want Meat

Last week I bought tickets for the upcoming Blondie and The Pretenders double bill at A Day on the Green. We saw Blondie a few years ago and she (and the band) still rocked in a very big way. I'm hoping Chrissie Hynde still has it too.

This is a concert I'm really looking forward to, most of all because we can take the kids (for free!). I love introducing them to "our" music. They have it on their iPods and taking them to a concert is an extra special thrill. They are still at an age when they enjoy music for what it is, without the "theirs" and "ours" attitude.

The next day I was listening to a radio special on Meatloaf's Bat Out Of Hell, a classic by any standard I would think (though I understand that there are those who think it's schlocky rubbish - bah humbug to you, I say).

Then it hit me: how amazing would it be to see Meatloaf performing the entire album at A Day on the Green. Pumping out those huge songs under a starry sky. I hope there's a promoter working on it right now...

On a hot summer night would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses?

FUCK YEAH!

I would walk 500 miles and I would walk 500 more...

... to not ever have to hear The Proclaimers and/or The B-52s live, ever again.

Look, it seemed like a good idea at the time. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

We spent yesterday afternoon and evening at Centennial Vineyards in Bowral at A Day on the Green event featuring the above mentioned bands as well as Mental As Anything. Overall it was a wonderful day, sitting out in the paddock on a lovely cool/warm summer's day with good friends and good food.

Too bad I can't really use the word "good" to describe the music. Mental As Anything were great, not musical giants by any stretch of the imagination, but good fun with lots of old favourites us Aussies have grown up with. The Nips Are Getting Bigger and If You Leave Me, Can I Come Too are practically part of our Australian DNA.

The Procalimers are a study in middle-of-the-road. Nothing offensive, but certainly a good effort at steady mediocre. Of course everybody sang along to I'm On My Way and I Would Walk 500 Miles (which is actually not the title of the song I think) which was very jolly and the kids had a ball dancing along with all the manic, drunk, sentimental adults. Unfortunately they didn't bring along their subtitles because I couldn't understand a friggin' word they were saying in between songs (and I was married to a Scot way back when, so I've had experience with this pea soup of an accent).

Now The B-52s were shocking. Really. The male singer is truly painful to the ears, his voice could strip paint, no doubt about it. That gay, nasal twang is amusing and even endearing to me in some settings (Example A: David Sedaris) but in this instance it is unbearable noise pollution. Make it stop, make it stop.

Of course we had all the favourites, Roam, Love Shack, (Something Else I Can't Remember Right Now) and the big finale of Rock Lobster. OK, all good clean fun but dear God never make me sit through it again!

[I had hoped that the girl singer, name never known, - Kate Pierson (thanks Google) - would sing Candy, that fabulous song she did with Iggy Pop a gazillion years ago, but that didn't eventuate. Given that Mr B-52 would have to have sung Iggy's part I think that's a blessing.]

It's a little sad for me that Wilco, a band I have long held in high regard, a band responsible (in a collaboration with Billy Bragg) for Mermaid Avenue, one of my all time favourite CDs, have slowly dwindled into a pile of shite. I've just heard some of their new CD and it's truly bland and self indulgent. Awful. I will hang onto a sweet memory of watching them play at the Big Day Out about 6 or 7 years ago, Murray from The Wiggles standing right in front of me.