NOFX/Bad Religion

Yesterday marked the end of term 3, and it was also the night NOFX/Bad Religion played Metro City, Perth. I bought the tickets in May, so I've been excited for this quite a long time! I don't really have any friends here who are super interested in going to a punk rock show, so I paid for both tickets and gave Dave the great news that he was going with me. Haha. Dave and I went out to Utopia for dinner and a bit of wine before the show, and got there in good time. We waited in line to get in, and people seemed pumped for the show. Some people didn't have tickets, and there was one guy holding a sign that said he would pay $120 for a ticket.

We got some pretty good spots in the venue. There were two support bands - Perth's Grim Fandango, who were a great local punk band, and Pour Habit, an American punk band with a powerful sound and a very charismatic front man who won over even the most impatient NOFX/Bad Religion fans.

NOFX were up after this, and Fat Mike told the crowd that he wrote down the songs they played when they were last in Perth so they wouldn't play the same ones. Fat Mike was in a much better mood than the last time NOFX played Perth, and he was injured with a nasty spider bite. He apologized for this, promising a better show than last time. They started with "Murder the Government", which went into a much appreciated "Linoleum". Playing before Bad Religion allowed NOFX to play some of their classic sons and some more obscure b-sides (there was even a song I didn't know!!!). I was excited to hear a few songs off "White Trash, Two Heebs and a Bean". They played only a couple from their new album, "Coaster", which was fine, and rocked out with "Seeing Double at the Triple Rock". I wish they would have played "The Decline" again, but they played it last time! All in all, great set!

Bad Religion closed the show, and I have to admit that I was perhaps even more excited to see them than I was to see NOFX. I had been doing a mega crash course in Bad Religion's discography in the car on the way to work the last two months (listening to Bad Religion every day!) and I really got to love the band. The sure didn't disappoint! Greg Graffin, who has been the band's vocalist 29 years, hit his notes amazingly (Dave noted that he looks like "a high school S&E teacher", which is certainly true, but his appearance is deceiving!) , and the entire band really gave a superb performance. They played some of my favourite tracks such as "Social Suicide", "New Dark Ages", "Them and Us", "Sorrow" and of course, their hit "Los Angeles is Burning". Dave knew a few of the songs, which was great. Members of NOFX hung out on the stage and watched Bad Religion. When Jay Bentley's voice was starting to tire, Fat Mike, looking quite inebriated, stormed the stage to "help" sing, and danced around. Bad Religion played for over an hour, and even did an encore, which they don't usually do, but relented because of Fat Mike's enthusiastic insistence that they all put on a "big fucking event".

Amazing night, one of the best shows I've seen!

For a review, pics and setlist, you can visit http://www.musicvice.com/reviews/nofx_bad_religion_metro_city_perth_september_2009.html

September 24

September 24 - a great day with lots of news, and one I have been looking forward to for a long time! Firstly, it was the last day of term 3, which means a two week holiday! Dave got some excellent news as well. His final prac is coming up, and his placement turned out to be at a really tough school in a low social economic area (lots of kids from dysfunctional families, and a lot of racial tension), with a reputably severe, old school mentor teacher. To get there would be 1-2 bus rides plus about a km of walking to get there every day. Getting there and back would probably be around three hours of travelling every day. Dave was excited for the challenge of a tough school, but a bit apprehensive about some parts of the equation. But then, something amazing happened - his friend Luke, who had a placement at Mount Lawley Sr. High (a school that's about a 20 minute walk away, just across from the uni), dropped out of his placement because he wants to teach in Tasmania! Dave gets to do his final prac at Mount Lawley Sr. High. I have a feeling it's going to be great for him.

The Days of Our Lives

It's Saturday! Having a little snack of rock melon and yogurt, The Flinstones is on TV, it's raining outside and cozy in the house.

In store for tonight: possibly a board games night, or dinner and a movie with Dave. Last weekend was a bit of a weird one - Dave got picked up to MC the Nation Campus Bands competition Friday and Saturday night. We were on the Flying High roster to deejay Saturday night, and I did that one by myself - it was actually a lot of fun, and I think I played a really good set! It was fun hanging out with Cutter and the gang, and Dave showed up to say hi when he was finished his MC job. We've had some quiet weekends lately - It's winter, we've been having some cozy movie nights, a board game night with Lou, Kok, JP and Kerry...One bigger party that was on was Ash, Kat and Kok's triple birthday party. It was great to see everyone, and Liz is back from the UK!

As Perth warms up, things start to get busier! The last day of school is September 24, and NOFX/Bad Religion are playing that night! Over that long weekend starting Friday, a bunch of our friends have a house booked in Yallingup. We're going to have lunch at a winery, and a murder mystery night among other things. The next weekend Dave and I are deejaying and I'm going to celebrate my birthday. I figure that I can't make it go away, so might as well have a party and see friends! The next week is Spring in the Valley on Sunday and the Kill Devil Hills are launching their new CD. Of course, all of that time during the two weeks there's no work! Yaaayyy! I think I'm going to get myself a bit more organized during the holiday - work on my piano parts for the band, get some sleep, do some writing.

When the holiday ends, the final term begins. I only have my year 11s for half the term, which is pretty cool. After the end of the 4th term, it's summer holidays. Mom and Dad are going to try to get up here for a visit. I really hope they can make it, I always miss them so much.

It's amazing how time seems to pass and roll around. It feels like this term has just started in some ways, and it's over in 2 weeks! I have a feeling it will go by very quickly, since there is a lot to do.

It's winter here in Perth. It's really been a mild one, considering. But I still can't wait for the sun to come and stay. It's great to have a car. When it starts to get hot, we can actually get to the beach! Yay!

I guess you could say that I've been going through a bit of a rough patch both physically and emotionally lately. Nothing serious. I think I was (am?) just really overtired and possibly even anemic, and when I'm tired I get emotional. I have been beating myself up a bit, going through a phase where I don't think I can do anything right; I've been picking on myself about work, whether it's at school or at home, how I am in my relationships, my appearance, even my driving. On top of that, there are some things back in Canada that have been eating away at me, and have been for quite a long time. The littlest things have made me upset. Here's an example:

Someone is rostered on every morning to read a prayer in the staff room. I usually make sure I read the notices, but last Friday I was off sick and I forgot. Well, on Tuesday morning, Mel at work asked me if I was going to do the prayer now. Of course, I hadn't known it was my turn. It's no big deal - there are prayer books all around and I could just choose something, but to my horror, I started to cry. You know when you trip, and you know you're going to hit the ground and hurt yourself, but there is nothing you can do about it? A million thoughts go through your head in a matter of a few seconds. That's how I felt that morning when I felt the tears coming. Things were okay at work - I simply traded days with someone and excused myself, and explained that I hadn't been feeling well lately. The thing is, when something bothers me, I usually internalize it, bottle it up because I don't want to burden anyone else with it, and I tell myself that I should be independent and strong enough to just deal with it myself. I don't air out my laundry at work. It's not professional. However, too much of this internalizing leads to unpredictable breakdowns like the one that happened on Tuesday. The only thing I can do is be aware of it, and try to prevent this by being more open and honest, even if it means admitting weakness or fault.

On the upside, I think this slump is ending. I have felt really good in the last couple of days, and I'm excited to put all the energy I can into the last couple of weeks in the term. My year 10s had some fun reading "The Crucible", and even acting some of it out! We're going to be doing some activities, finishing off the watching of the film version and writing an essay. That play brings back so many good memories, I've had so much fun teaching it.