OK, this is an exhibition which I think many people will have fond memories of, judging by its extraordinary success at the time, and even things people were saying to me at the time - I went twice, by the way. This second time is the third last night and Robert Forster played (the night previously, Regurgitator played a 'Velvet Underground' set - with a couple of Prince songs thrown in, I gather, because he'd died the day before).
The RF set was very neat, controlled and covered a good range of his work, the oldest song I think (?) being unless I'm misremembering (writing this a couple of days later) 'Head full of steam'.* The band, which included Karin Bauemler on violin for most songs, was tight and tasteful. I saw Mary Mihelakos there, who told me it was the 16th time she'd come to the exhibition. She didn't know what she was going to do, now it was going to end. I suppose Whistler's Mother wasn't going to do it for Mary.
A nice night. I zoned out a little on occasion but I seem more able to do that painlessly than I once could.
The next day I picked Laurie up from football, where he scored two goals against Westmeadows (West Coburg still lost pretty comprehensively for all that). He had been sleeping over at a friend's house so he could play, because Michael, Nicola and Florence were staying with Graham and Tanya on the long weekend at Heathcote, and we drove there in the morning. Laurie had been forced, he told me, to consider the possibility that if he stayed in Melbourne on the Saturday he might be too tired for marshmallows the following night. It had clearly been a difficult choice but with the goals I think he knew he had made the right choice. Both times we stopped at shops (Woodend and Heathcote) the women behind the counter commented on his apparel (St Kilda colours) and I told them about the goals.
After carrot soup at Heathcote and chiding Graham about being old and talking about his grandfather's deception in the early 20th century re: sausage additive, I went on to Elmore and spent a couple of hours with Elizabeth Taylor and Andrew Bonnici. Andrew has been working on a solo album (under the band name Hook Turns) for two years, he played me it all, and while I am not into the idea of listening to someone's album while they're sitting there, I enjoyed it. I think it has a lot going for it. I am also fairly sure that it will sell nothing and get no interest, not a reflection on its quality of course. But anyway that's not the point.
Elizabeth and I are likely to revive our radio interests in podcasting form. I hope this proceeds.
* The oldest song was actually 'I'm Waiting for my Man'.
