I took my daughter to her very first concert last night - Melanie Martinez. Now I didn’t know a hell of a lot about Melanie but I did know in her current incarnation she wore odd looking masks and costumes, which I loved, I liked what I had heard of her music and I was very intrigued. My daughter is a huge fan and was beyond excited and considering I like a million other parents failed to get Swift tickets, I was glad I could do this for her.
I vaguely remember my first concert, it was The Cockroaches (now known as The Wiggles) and some other Aussie bands I can’t remember now. Maybe The Radiators? But my kids are kind of impressed when I tell them who I have seen in concert being a Gen X kid. Especially Michael Jackson, because he is probably the one 80’s artist they know the best, and sadly not for his music alone. They stare blankly when I say, ‘Hey I also saw Cyndi Lauper, Prince, Pearl Jam, Kylie Minogue, Pink, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, U2, KISS, Dandy Warhols, Tegan and Sara, Indigo Girls’ and others I don’t recall. I get it, I’m old. But experiencing the moment of my daughters first ever concert, sharing that with her was all kinds of wonderful. The venue was packed full of gorgeously dressed humans, not a single person didn’t shine with some sort of magic and excitement. It felt safe and beautiful. The support act Upsahl was on bloody fire! I had never heard of her, but she was brilliant, and we were both instant fans. But the room exploded (not literally) when Melanie came on, my ears are still ringing, my daughters voice hoarse. Onto stage came this tiny (we were far from the stage) little pixie with four eyes and huge ears accompanied by four stunning dancers. It was theatrical and magical. We were transported to another dimension, which was the whole point being the album was titled Portals and it was the Portals tour. The songs were gorgeous too, her voice relaxed and unique. I didn’t know that she once graced the stage on The Voice subsequently choosing Adam Levine as her mentor. I just watched her initial audition, hang on, correction, it wasn’t an audition but a completely polished performance. You could easily see what a creative force and star she was at only 17 years old. Check it out. But most of all, most importantly, my daughter had the time of her life. Melanie is by far her favourite artist, even over Taylor. She cried, sung, screamed and gushed love and appreciation all night. She clutched her overpriced merch with passion and I know it is a memory forever imprinted in her mind and I am part of that! What a fucking privilege. So, thank you Melanie, and please come back soon. You brought so much love and magic to us and thank you for ending the night with a show of support for Palestine and our queer community. Ps – If you could find your way to send my daughter some of the confetti you release at the end of the show, she would be ecstatic. Unfortunately when we went to retrieve some, the security wouldn’t let us. #freepalestine #melaniemartinez #portals #portalstouraustralia #sydney #pride #queer #music #thevoice #talent #memories #magic #beauty #upsahl #thewiggles #thecockroaches
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Do I wish you a Happy New year? It feels kind of off right now, but I do. I do wish this year is happy for you, better for all. I even made some ‘semi’ resolutions, I don’t call them that because they never work. I am making some gradual life shifts instead. Honestly, thank fuck 2023 is over. It was one of the most stressful years of my life and I am one of the ‘lucky’ ones. But everyone is feeling it right now, aren’t they? It seems to cost an unattainable and offensive amount of money to feed your family, to pay the bills, to put petrol in the car, to do the things that were once more manageable. Interest rates? I can’t keep up. Daily coffees, an occasional movie, some nice Thai takeaway food? Forget about it. regular groceries would be nice. (Obnoxious first world problems hey) It is time for some major shifts, a move away from all the bullshit and greed. There is a strong yearning in me for a simpler, healthier and more peaceful life. To find a more affordable way of living, a deeper way of connecting with nature and others and sending a big middle finger to the corporations, banks and rich folk actively destroying our lives. Greedy buggers, I am sick of them. This year, I’m focussing on my health, my home, my kids and my creative work. I’m keen to revamp and expand my vegetable garden to help reduce grocery costs, have access to fresher, healthier produce and to be a little more self-sufficient. The supermarkets are out of control, and I don’t want any part of them. I’ll focus more on bulk buying, cooking from scratch, getting rid of processed food as much as possible (there are some things my kids won’t part with!) and reducing my use of plastics. I’ll actually compost this year and not just produce a tower of stinky sludge and I’ll barter what I can for what I want. This way of living really appeals to me. I would really like my kids and theirs, if they decide to have them, to have a healthy planet to live on when I am long gone. But I fear it may be too late. I hope I am wrong. My creative work over the past year is coming to fruition and will hopefully begin its journey out into the world, that’s fucking scary but the goal nonetheless. I need to be braver, because I often say things that pisses people off, and I care way too much what people think. I am a person who easily offends, who speaks too quickly, too abruptly at times. It is a flaw I am aware of. Is it a flaw? My words are not subtle and I refuse to shy away from the hard things. I admit this way of living stresses me out at times, but I will continue to create, to write, to speak. I’ll read more because as a writer, you must read. I’ll teach more, because people loving to sing makes me happy and I’ll write more music because without it I can’t exist. I’m not on socials right now for several reasons but will return soon, to a lesser extent. I existed for decades without it and can do so again. I’ll put my phone in a drawer, it’s a convenient but irritating thing. Once upon a time, ‘back in my day,’ we would just take the phone off the hook. Done. I’ll walk more, I have two dogs that need exercising now. (Aren’t they cute?) My little home is complete. I’ll look for little pockets of joy and sink into them. It could be sipping a hot cup of tea under a blanket, reading a new book that enthrals me, a new song I can’t stop playing on repeat, a chat with a friend that makes me laugh so hard I pee. I’m at that age now. I bloody love it. I’m grateful to be able to grow old, to pluck the chin hairs, to see my kids grow up. Many aren’t that lucky. Most importantly, I acknowledge how fortunate I am to be able to write these things down as my focus for the year, that I am not spending my days dodging bullets and bombs and destruction. I’m not losing my family and friends, or losing my home. I am so fucking lucky. I acknowledge that I am blessed to have a home, that my children are safe and no matter how much we struggle it is nothing compared to some. Watching the world in chaos on a screen is surreal and traumatising, and it is so easy to disconnect, to keep scrolling, but please don’t. Those who are suffering need our voices, our help. I have actively lost people from my life this year for speaking up and out, but I won’t stop. I won’t ‘shut my mouth’ as I have been told. How can I truly live in peace when others can’t? I wish it for you, I wish it for all. Liz x |
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