a year ago today: publicity for the bogan delusion

Last night (22 July 11) was the launch for the book, and it was really exciting. We had it at Handsome Steve's in Abbotsford Convent (one of my colleagues made the very sensible comment that this was an inappropriately inner-city space, but the interior is very anti-elite, retro and full of fun memorabilia inc a lot of footy stuff). The Suburban and Cokes played, basically New Estate with James Dutton as an extra, doing five songs. 'Flash' by the Coloured Balls, 'No Secrets' by The Angels, 'Cheap Wine' by Cold Chisel, 'Suburban Boy' by Dave Warner's From the Suburbs and 'We Can't Be Beaten' by Rose Tattoo. All went really well, though I am very ambivalent about 'We Can't Be Beaten' because it seems so much to be the inarticulately expressed sadness of an abused child channelling his rage into racist violence.

There were lots of people there and Handsome Steve's being so small made it seem like there were even more than there were, I suppose. We sold a lot of books and I had trouble coming up with valid things to write in them when people asked me to sign them. It was wild overall though and I was really happy with the way it went. I had assumed I would be largely patronised in a jovial sense by many but I wasn't, on the whole. I see a measure (only a measure, I'm not up myself) of success is enough to get people off your back in that sense, or perhaps it wouldn't have happened anyway, don't know.

I still have a few more bits and pieces to do before it's all over - notably, Brisbane next week and another interview (with RTR in Perth of all things) has been booked in as of today for two weeks away. More thrillingly, the ALR has asked me to write something about suburban creativity and that's grouse. I continue to be chuffed. It will be interesting when this all gets 'published' a year from now (in case it's not apparent, I've simply been writing this stuff up as it happens and using the post options function in blogger to publish a year in advance; who knows what mid-2012 will be like, maybe I'll be dead) to see if there were any long-term ramifications. I am keen to do a revised version of the book in the future, and this stuff will be handy for me to look back on then, too.

Just to keep things in perspective, it's not the greatest thing in the world, it's just been really interesting and worthwhile, and I've really enjoyed the experience. That's it.