architecture in helsinki

Last night Mia and I went to have dinner with Shane and Olivia in the course of the week-long farewell that seems to have recently kicked off, though if there was a launch for it we weren't invited. We went to Mexicali Rose in Swan St and it was really good, huge stuff and and I had two mexican bloody marys which I think just means they use tequila instead of tomato juice and tequila instead of lemon juice. Shane had a long story about the weirdest idea of Lewis and Clark going to Portland to make salt out of water, or was it water out of salt - either way it was a process I was unaware of but find fascinating. Portland is about an hour's drive west of Port Fairy.

Anyway S&O were going to the Architecture in Helsinki show at the Corner and we weren't because basically we are skint at least until next Wednesday and probably beyond. And so as we went towards Richmond Station we ran into Monica who was en route to AIH as Guy's plus one, and we told her we weren't going, but would have liked to. By chance and her kindness and consideration for others, she ran into Kellie as soon as she go there and told her she had seen us and Kellie called me on my mobile as we were travelling by train between Richmond and Flinders St. And said she'd put us on the door. Which was exceptionally nice of her too I feel. I had a short talk with her before they started playing and told her how pleased I was for their massive success, which in this case is really true (why 'in this case'? It's not like I know heaps of people who have gone on to become massively successful, or even indie successful... anyway, I'm greatly impressed by AIH's ability and the hard work they put into making their shows shows rather than grim-faced badly dressed turkeys staring out above the heads of the three paying customers and singing songs of woe. And they sound great and have great songs. That's really enough to congratulate someone heartily - but more amazing, they have actually found an audience in various parts of the western world). The first time I saw AIH, Mia occasionally reminds me, I didn't like them at all and was quite vocal about it (not abusive). But I have since come to regard them highly.

The show was great although I couldn't actually see much. However from the pics you can tell that it was a great show. There was someone not far in front of me with a head very much like a freak pineapple. You know how sometimes you just wish people had never been born? I felt like that about her, or at least that she had been born with a head I could look through (or had chosen a hairstyle people could look through. This would not have looked more ridiculous than what she had).

We walked into the city and got the nightbus home. The nightbus gets a bad rap but it's great - it only took 30 minutes to get to the end of our street and it goes a really interesting way (if you like Niddrie - who doesn't?)

Shane has never heard the Young Marble Giants.