23.8.11

Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering whale.

Briscoe Gig #1
Saturday in Design 20/08/11
w/ Kate Gogarty and Ben Walsh

yes, i have a student melodica.


Kate (our pianologist) works for a company that puts on aesthetically pleasing events in unexpected places and gets excellent bands to play at them. Hence this sweet design exhibition at a carpet tile showroom featuring Briscoe.

This was, as far as I was concerned, the ideal first gig scenario for a few reasons.

Reason 1: It was a stripped down line-up - only me on acoustic, Jacob on electric and Dave on bass. Fewer instruments means less potential for gut-wrenching technical f*%k-ups, fewer gut-wrenching technical f*%k-ups means reduced risk of teary-eyed post-gig instrument incineration.

Reason 2: I got to sit down. I have never played a gig standing. I’ve either been drumming or keysing, always seated, so this was a welcome transitional opportunity. I am actually nervous about standing- i once strapped on a guitar in a Kid C rehearsal and Ray pissed himself laughing. "You only move from the waist up", he said, before launching into a withering (and dickish) imitation of me-as-inflatable car-yard noodle man. This shame was branded into the rump of my self-confidence that day and it's been festering there ever since. If Ray hadn’t done so much to build my confidence up in other ways i’d probably still be sore about this.

Reason 3: It was (kinda) anonymous. Aside from a few creepy Briscoe stalkers, no one there knew us from pile of carpet tiles. This was good because personally, I had no idea how shit or otherwise I was going to be at fronting a band. I still have no idea really, but i at least know now that i can get through 30 minutes of frontmanship without spewing everywhere and offending everyone. This was an important revelation for me.

Thanks to all the aforementioned stalker-types who made it despite my attempted cover-up job, in the end we were stoked that you managed to hack my email account to be there. We're playing in this format again in Canberra in September – the 24th at Phoenix. Dusker and Ranger Spacey will be playing too so DEF worth a road trip. Look at me! Promoting gigs like we are a real band!*

SETLIST 20/08/11:
The New Tragedy
Someone’s Wall
Triggers
Uh Oh. Mexico
Philadelphia Shangri-La
Break My Word
One Man Show feat. Student Melodica
Animal


*we are a real band.

5 comments:

  1. Hearing new Briscoe jams for the first time was more satisfying than drinking cab sav out of a jam jar while arrogantly musing over the metaphysical implication of a conspicuously positioned booklet of shag-pile carpet swatches.

    A highlight was the face melting 'Student Melodica' solo, it was like Rachmaninoff’s piano and Miles Davis’ trumpet conceived a child and that child got down in Bart’s mouth… It was equalled (if not bettered) by the revelation of Dave’s impending career as head maracist of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic. Also, Jacob was mind-blowing.

    Well played Briscoe (accompanied by a gingerly tip of the hat), I look forward to seeing the full compliment in action.

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  2. Thank you for your kind message Marx, and while i appreciate the sentiment, please don't leave any more comments about children getting down in my mouth. This imagery does not align with Briscoecorp's brand vision. Come to Canberra by the way!

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  3. Damn you for starting earlier than the advertised 4pm - it means I missed the 1st live performance of "Someone's Wall" which I really dig. I had that same heart sinking feeling I get when I am briskly strolling to the bus stop two minutes before the 412 is due to arrive, thinking I won't have to wait long for my ride, and then I look up and see the back of the bus up the street and turning the corner because it's ahead of schedule.

    But aside from that minor complaint, it was a grand debut - subtle but dynamic, and the face paint was a bonus! You well earned those stripes!

    (It isn't really stalking when you ask me to attend...ahem. But I am glad you did.)

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