Oodnadatta, South Australia Superthread

[Axver]

CARN THE BOMBERS!

...oh.

 

[liamcool]

Oh yeah, inthistown never forget etc *falls over*

 

[Axver]

tuf bono respect!

 

[Reggo]

i didn't do anything respectable today, not even watching the TV Gaga videos. There's still time for that, I suppose.

 

[bono_212]

Is that today?

 

[Axver]

Your time, yes!

 

[Reggo]

The phrase "Inthistown" will never stop being funny.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

So it turns out my uni course doesn't have an enrolment advice session?

I'm not sure how this works.

 

[Axver]

Won't there be advice sessions during O Week?

Though honestly, my experience has been that the advice sessions tell you basically nothing you couldn't have learnt by reading about it on the website or figured out for yourself.

 

[cobl04]

Just go to course advice people. I've done that heaps of times and they've always been really helpful.

 

[cobl04]

Just heard from a colleague that a developer plans to build a 12-storey apartment block at the pizza shop next to the Corner. What's more is they don't plan on soundproofing it. Apparently in Adelaide they have this thing called "agent of change" where local art venues can dictate terms on nearby developments, and Melbourne doesn't have that.

Scary. Hope it proves to be not true and/or there's a match akin to saving the Tote, cos the Corner is the best.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Look who's more progressive now.

But to be fair, people in Adelaide are frightened of tall buildings.

 

[Axver]

Just heard from a colleague that a developer plans to build a 12-storey apartment block at the pizza shop next to the Corner. What's more is they don't plan on soundproofing it. Apparently in Adelaide they have this thing called "agent of change" where local art venues can dictate terms on nearby developments, and Melbourne doesn't have that.

Ah fucking hell. I believe that a couple of Melbourne councils also have the "agent of change" principle implemented (pretty sure Yarra Council does), but I'm not sure which local government area the Corner's in. Nor, to my knowledge, has it yet been put to the test. But if you're fucking dumb enough to move next to the Corner and then complain about noise, you deserve what you get. It's like people so eager to move to Brunswick that they buy apartments built on the site of what made Brunswick an appealling place to live - namely the East Brunswick Club.

the Corner is the best.

It's funny you say this, because Charlotte and I thought we were the only people lukewarm about the place - but then recently we've spoken with a bunch of other regular gig-goers/musicians and we're not the only ones! For us, it's just that it's a bit more out of the way than the inner north venues and that the sightlines are absolutely terrible unless you're up the front or very tall. Turns out that it's also not that great for musicians; the sound can apparently be pretty bad on stage.

General consensus is that the venue is much-loved not because of its qualities, but because for most people it's the place where they first went to a club gig and it's more nostalgia than anything else. Which is fair enough really. I mean, I fucking adored the East Brunswick Club despite its obvious shortcomings - toilets were horrible and inconveniently located, the sound wasn't as good as the NSC/Corner, it was far too deep a venue to have such bad sightlines, etc. And, well, much as the NSC is my favourite venue, I make no claims to greatness on its behalf...! Man, that stage is way too fucking low.

 

[cobl04]

That is all true. I guess I love it because the sound is so good, the best of any small venue I've been to, and I've seen a lot of great giga there, but yeah, sometimes even I can't see properly, and I'm six-two. And that motherfucking pillar. Goddamn.

At any rate, I'll be distraught if it disappears.

Here is a terrific article on The Butterfly Club that the same colleague wrote - http://www.portphillipreviewlocal.com.au/story/1268930/flight-of-the-butterfly-club/?cs=1475

I'd never heard of it, but Tim Minchin basically owes everything he is today to the the place, and the last few pars are extremely important - without these tiny venues, Melbourne's art scene will die. You can't just go "I wanna start a band" and then start playing at the Forum. You have to work your way up. It's really scary. The dude that runs the club makes like $26k a year.

 

[cobl04]

Looks like Richmond is in the City of Yarra - which has agent of change Yarra Council - Planning information for live music venues and developers

 

[Axver]

That is all true. I guess I love it because the sound is so good, the best of any small venue I've been to, and I've seen a lot of great giga there, but yeah, sometimes even I can't see properly, and I'm six-two. And that motherfucking pillar. Goddamn.

At any rate, I'll be distraught if it disappears.

As far as sound for the crowd goes, yeah, the Corner's generally up there as one of the better venues in the city. I was quite surprised to learn that for performers it can sometimes be a bit of a mess - I guess the irregular shape of the stage really does not help. By comparison, The Toff has a good rep for sound on stage, in contrast to the fact that it's one of the more rubbish venues for sound if you have the misfortune to love a band and want to be in the first few rows.

As far as the larger live music clubs in the city go, i.e. those over about 500 capacity, I'd rank them as follows:

1. Billboard the Venue (great sightlines, sound's good no matter where you are, well air-conditioned - it looks like one of the sleaziest places ever in nightclub mode though, and the drinks are a monumental rort, so it's worth it for bands and bands alone)
2. Corner Hotel (as above; lots of nostalgia for me but those terrible sightlines are a big mark against it)
3. Gershwin Room, The Espy (lovely, lovely room, very good atmosphere, but unforgiveably deep; I don't know how anybody sees anything from the bar)
4. The Hi-Fi (how could a venue with great sound and great sightlines still work out to have absolutely NO ATMOSPHERE AT ALL?!)





100. Prince Bandroom (eww)

Here is a terrific article on The Butterfly Club that the same colleague wrote - Flight of the Butterfly Club | Port Phillip Review Local

Small venues are the lifeblood of the music and comedy scenes that Melbourne's known for.

Looks like Richmond is in the City of Yarra - which has agent of change Yarra Council - Planning information for live music venues and developers

Thank god.

 

[cobl04]

Ha, I was at The Espy last night for some gig with Hungry Kids of Hungary and The Holidays but left cos I had to get the last train home. Gershwin is good.

Only seen De La Soul at Billboards and as much as I cannot stand the venue itself cos of what you mentioned, the sight lines and sound are great.

Prince is just fucking horrendous on all counts though.

 

[Axver]

Yeah, it's such a shame Billboard looks like a horrible place when it's not hosting bands, because for live music it's actually really good. I always have fun at gigs there. Never any problems hearing the band or getting a good spot to see. But oh man, Charlotte saw some guy pay I think it was $26 for two rum-and-cokes when we were there last week. That's highway robbery!

As for Prince, I only go there if I really like the band. If I'm on the fence, simply being at Prince is enough to put me off. I struggle to think of any good qualities, and fuck me, never mind the Corner's pillar - that one at Prince is probably the worst thing at any venue in the entire city. Of all the places they could've put the stage in that room, they put it right where the pillar will most impede vision?!

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Turns out there's a mini festival with indie bands at my uni campus on the second day of my O-week.

 

[The Sad Punk]

Turns out there's a mini festival with indie bands at my uni campus on the second day of my O-week.

You mean Laneway or is there another one?

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Another one, at the end of this month.

Laneway's in a week or so, isn't it?

 

[Axver]

Yeah, Melbourne Laneway is tomorrow.

:excited:

 

[cobl04]

I'm so tempted to go to Revs after Laneway tomorrow but I have to be a big boy and face the fact I'm moving out Monday and need to be not fucked.

 

[Axver]

Should I be looking out for a donkey onesie tomorrow?

 

[cobl04]

I'll probably leave that at home.

 

[The Sad Punk]

Another one, at the end of this month.

Laneway's in a week or so, isn't it?

Oh, sweet! Sorry, I'm all screwy with dates right now. Do you know who's playing?

 

[Vlad n U 2]

No bands who I have ever really listened to.

Here's the page though:

Gear Up Lineup

 

[Axver]

Huh, they've done pretty well getting some buzz bands there.

Must admit I've never listened to Hungry Kids of Hungary purely because that's a truly terrible band name. Plus I'm under the impression they're lame hard rock like Karnivool or Birds of Tokyo. I might be wrong!

 

[Vlad n U 2]

UniSA is trying to be the hip university next to old, grandly statesman Uni Adelaide and some-uni-up-in-the-middle-of-nowhere-suburbia Flinders University.

 

[liamcool]

Oh yes, Vlad, make sure to get your academic advice rubbishy stuff IN WRITING. One of my friends had to get some academic advice in her last year, the person doing it had no idea what she was doing, and now my friend has to do an extra semester because this person got her doing extra elective units instead of the units require to fulfill her major.