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owlbeerI'm back and I had a great time.
I may have been a little too hard on Auckland. I don’t know if I’d want to live there but I really enjoyed my visit and would like to visit again. It was surprisingly beautiful and had quite a nice vibe to it. Not quite equal to Wellington, but still nicer than I expected. Devonport, Takapuna Beach and the waterfront were particular highlights.
I also theoretically knew that Auckland was really spread out but you don’t quite realise it until you’re in it and driving around (or in my case, being driven around by a wonderful friend). Wow. It’s crazy. What looks pretty close on a map, really isn’t. I can understand why transport is such a big deal.
Also, I have to mention the stonegrill seafood that we had at Degree on the Viaduct, because it was one of the best meals I have ever had out. Seared scallops, I love you. Also, mussels don’t actually taste that bad when they’ve been seared. So, so good.
The whole day was really well planned and surprisngly calm. They fenced off all the drinkers in the back, which was a very good idea and it all worked really well. Dependng on the band announcements, I think I'd really like to go next year. It's such a full on day but so worth it and really a bargain for what you pay.
Anyway, the bands I saw and some brief thoughts:
Deja Voodoo: They were a lot of fun and just what you needed at the start of the day. I wasn’t familiar with too many of their song but now I kind of want to be.
Steriogram: I liked their set a lot more than I thought I would. It had a lot of energy and I really got into it.
The Subways: I only caught a couple of songs because the stage was running late and I wanted to get back to the main stage for Pluto. In retrospect I kinda wish I’d stayed because what I saw, I really liked. The program said they had an average age of around 18 and they looked quite young but they were going really hard and played pretty well. Their songs were pretty catchy and I wouldn’t mind trying to find some MP3s if there are some out there.
Pluto: I’m a bit weird about Pluto. I’ve liked some songs I’ve heard by them but then I listened to their album in a cd store and was a little disappointed. They were pretty good live but not great. It could have been the fact I was in the stands at this point and not in the crowd, but I didn’t like them all that much. They weren’t bad, but just not that great.
The Living End: The biggest regret I probably have of the whole day was that I wasn’t actually in the crowd when these guys performed. I was still in the stands and while they were great, I do wish I’d been a bit closer. I forgot how much I love a lot of their songs and they put on a really great show.
Sleater-Kinney: I kind of went to these guys on a whim – I’d seen their name mentioned around, I have one of their MP3s which I like quite a bit and I like the idea of all-girl rock bands – and I liked them, though not a whole lot. They seemed to have quite a dedicated little NZ fan base though.
The Magic Numbers: These guys were so cute! They’re a British and play this kind of melodic pop-rock, and I enjoyed it a lot. It wasn’t really dancing music but it was cool to stand around and listen to while catching up with a friend I haven’t seen in ages. I’d been quite interested in getting their album actually.
Kings of Leon: I admit, I don’t actually know any Kings of Leon songs, or if I do I don’t know they’re by them. I wasn’t listening to them too hard and we only really got into the crowd so we could position ourselves for Shihad and Franz Ferdinand. They sounded okay.
Shihad: NZ legends, and they gave a great performance, as always. I must admit, I have a little bit of a crush on the lead singer. They rocked. I do think that I enjoyed their solo concert I saw earlier this year with![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
rather_little a bit more, mostly for the fact that it was in a roofed venue. The open air took a little bit away from them, but not too much. They played all the favourites: My Mind’s Sedate, Home Again, Wait and See, Comfort Me, Run. I’m still not sure about ‘All the Young Fascists’ though.
Franz Ferdinand: The band I was there to see! They were fabulous. They played a pretty good mix of the new and the old, including: The Fallen, This Fire, Outsiders, Take Me Out, Dark of the Matinee, Jacqueline, Michael, Eleanor Put Your Boots Back On and I’m Your Villain. The must awesome moment was probably during ‘Outsiders’ when they actually had three guys on the drums. It worked surprisingly well. One thing I will say was that I think there was something up with their levels because I think that Alex’s voice was too quiet and the lead guitar was a little too loud and it made the songs sound a little odd but in retrospect, it was a small thing. It didn’t really hit me until I was walking around Auckland the next day with my iPod and one of their songs came on that I’d actually head them live. Gah. Much love.
Iggy and the Stooges: I don’t know if these guys should even be on this list as I was either out of the stadium or talking to someone during most of their set. We decided to go get something to eat and ended up sitting in the stands. The only thing I really remember was that he dragged a few people up on stage with him.
The White Stripes: Oh, the crush. We tried to get close but in the end two of my friends and I decided it wasn’t worth it and stood back a fair way. I must admit I’m not their hugest fan and I was really tired by this point, so I was kind of bleh about the whole thing. Everyone else I went with loved them. I did love that they played ‘Hotel Yorba’ and I must admit that ‘Jolene’ was pretty damn cool.
I also booked my flight to Wellington today. *wibble * Monday 13 February. I really am going. However, I did manage to snap up a really cheap flight, which was great.
--
A couple of extra Top 5 lists thatpenelopeblack asked me for:
Top 5 things I love about House and Wilson:
1. Banter.
2. Snark.
3. How underneath all those layers of snark, they really do care about one another.
4. How truly screwed-up their friendship is.
5. Balcony!
1.
It's been my default for nearly a year now and I can't see me changing that. It's a picture of Franka Potente that I made black and white in an editiing programme and I just love it. The painting in the background, her hair and her expression. I think it sums up a lot about me, and I'm not quite sure why.
2.
I wish this pic was a little clearer really but I still love it. The angle and the the way Veronica and Logan are sitting, I really like it. I really loved that all black outfit Veronica had on it that ep too.
3.
What? Like this wasn't going to be a VMars fest given my mindset right now. Again, I love the angle and the colour and well, yes, I love the ship too. ;)
4.
Stop looking at me like that. To be honest, I feel kind of bad as I cropped Wallace out of this screencap but I liked the image of Veronica walking better.
5.
Because it's Hugh and RSL and they both look adorable.
--
Random Fannish Things:
1. I watched a few eps of S4 SG-1 yesterday and oh, love. The eps included ‘Window of Opportunity’ and that ep really is a classic. However, I had forgotten how Jack/Sam ‘shippy this season actually is. I enjoyed it quite a lot really, more than I thought I would. I still don't have a Stargate OTP though. Jack/Sam, Sam/Daniel, Jack/Daniel. Daniel/Janet, Janet/Sam, I like it all.
2.
Charlie, what exactly is that on your face? It’s a little scary.
Toby has glasses now. Aww. I don’t know why it makes me aww, but it does. Toby <3
Alan Alda rocks.
Patricia Richardson is pretty cool in this too.
Will … still annoying.
Santos … still really don’t care.
General Hammond!
I was pleasantly surprised that the putting Butler on the ticket conversation didn’t go like I thought it would. They have made the Republicans a little more interesting.
They lost me on the ‘debt sealing’ thing …
This ep was a little slow (and really missed the Sorkin dialogue tonight) but the end just rocked. The two of them sitting there eating ice-cream and them Vinick’s answer. Very cool.
I kind of hope they let Vinick win in the end when season 7 is over, but I don’t know if I can see it happening. I think they are going to set Santos up to win. Sigh.
3. I'm so glad The West Wing finished earlier tonight because I've gotten hooked on The L Word, which I manage to catch the last 30 minutes of if they air TWW at 11:10. I love Shane. So very much. Katherine Moening is gorgeous. I also have a bit of a soft-spot for Alice, Dana and Carmen.
4. Brain still hijacked by Veronica and Logan.
I may have been a little too hard on Auckland. I don’t know if I’d want to live there but I really enjoyed my visit and would like to visit again. It was surprisingly beautiful and had quite a nice vibe to it. Not quite equal to Wellington, but still nicer than I expected. Devonport, Takapuna Beach and the waterfront were particular highlights.
I also theoretically knew that Auckland was really spread out but you don’t quite realise it until you’re in it and driving around (or in my case, being driven around by a wonderful friend). Wow. It’s crazy. What looks pretty close on a map, really isn’t. I can understand why transport is such a big deal.
Also, I have to mention the stonegrill seafood that we had at Degree on the Viaduct, because it was one of the best meals I have ever had out. Seared scallops, I love you. Also, mussels don’t actually taste that bad when they’ve been seared. So, so good.
The whole day was really well planned and surprisngly calm. They fenced off all the drinkers in the back, which was a very good idea and it all worked really well. Dependng on the band announcements, I think I'd really like to go next year. It's such a full on day but so worth it and really a bargain for what you pay.
Anyway, the bands I saw and some brief thoughts:
Deja Voodoo: They were a lot of fun and just what you needed at the start of the day. I wasn’t familiar with too many of their song but now I kind of want to be.
Steriogram: I liked their set a lot more than I thought I would. It had a lot of energy and I really got into it.
The Subways: I only caught a couple of songs because the stage was running late and I wanted to get back to the main stage for Pluto. In retrospect I kinda wish I’d stayed because what I saw, I really liked. The program said they had an average age of around 18 and they looked quite young but they were going really hard and played pretty well. Their songs were pretty catchy and I wouldn’t mind trying to find some MP3s if there are some out there.
Pluto: I’m a bit weird about Pluto. I’ve liked some songs I’ve heard by them but then I listened to their album in a cd store and was a little disappointed. They were pretty good live but not great. It could have been the fact I was in the stands at this point and not in the crowd, but I didn’t like them all that much. They weren’t bad, but just not that great.
The Living End: The biggest regret I probably have of the whole day was that I wasn’t actually in the crowd when these guys performed. I was still in the stands and while they were great, I do wish I’d been a bit closer. I forgot how much I love a lot of their songs and they put on a really great show.
Sleater-Kinney: I kind of went to these guys on a whim – I’d seen their name mentioned around, I have one of their MP3s which I like quite a bit and I like the idea of all-girl rock bands – and I liked them, though not a whole lot. They seemed to have quite a dedicated little NZ fan base though.
The Magic Numbers: These guys were so cute! They’re a British and play this kind of melodic pop-rock, and I enjoyed it a lot. It wasn’t really dancing music but it was cool to stand around and listen to while catching up with a friend I haven’t seen in ages. I’d been quite interested in getting their album actually.
Kings of Leon: I admit, I don’t actually know any Kings of Leon songs, or if I do I don’t know they’re by them. I wasn’t listening to them too hard and we only really got into the crowd so we could position ourselves for Shihad and Franz Ferdinand. They sounded okay.
Shihad: NZ legends, and they gave a great performance, as always. I must admit, I have a little bit of a crush on the lead singer. They rocked. I do think that I enjoyed their solo concert I saw earlier this year with
rather_little a bit more, mostly for the fact that it was in a roofed venue. The open air took a little bit away from them, but not too much. They played all the favourites: My Mind’s Sedate, Home Again, Wait and See, Comfort Me, Run. I’m still not sure about ‘All the Young Fascists’ though. Franz Ferdinand: The band I was there to see! They were fabulous. They played a pretty good mix of the new and the old, including: The Fallen, This Fire, Outsiders, Take Me Out, Dark of the Matinee, Jacqueline, Michael, Eleanor Put Your Boots Back On and I’m Your Villain. The must awesome moment was probably during ‘Outsiders’ when they actually had three guys on the drums. It worked surprisingly well. One thing I will say was that I think there was something up with their levels because I think that Alex’s voice was too quiet and the lead guitar was a little too loud and it made the songs sound a little odd but in retrospect, it was a small thing. It didn’t really hit me until I was walking around Auckland the next day with my iPod and one of their songs came on that I’d actually head them live. Gah. Much love.
Iggy and the Stooges: I don’t know if these guys should even be on this list as I was either out of the stadium or talking to someone during most of their set. We decided to go get something to eat and ended up sitting in the stands. The only thing I really remember was that he dragged a few people up on stage with him.
The White Stripes: Oh, the crush. We tried to get close but in the end two of my friends and I decided it wasn’t worth it and stood back a fair way. I must admit I’m not their hugest fan and I was really tired by this point, so I was kind of bleh about the whole thing. Everyone else I went with loved them. I did love that they played ‘Hotel Yorba’ and I must admit that ‘Jolene’ was pretty damn cool.
I also booked my flight to Wellington today. *wibble * Monday 13 February. I really am going. However, I did manage to snap up a really cheap flight, which was great.
--
A couple of extra Top 5 lists that
penelopeblack asked me for:Top 5 things I love about House and Wilson:
1. Banter.
2. Snark.
3. How underneath all those layers of snark, they really do care about one another.
4. How truly screwed-up their friendship is.
5. Balcony!
1.
It's been my default for nearly a year now and I can't see me changing that. It's a picture of Franka Potente that I made black and white in an editiing programme and I just love it. The painting in the background, her hair and her expression. I think it sums up a lot about me, and I'm not quite sure why.
2.
I wish this pic was a little clearer really but I still love it. The angle and the the way Veronica and Logan are sitting, I really like it. I really loved that all black outfit Veronica had on it that ep too.
3.
What? Like this wasn't going to be a VMars fest given my mindset right now. Again, I love the angle and the colour and well, yes, I love the ship too. ;)
4.
Stop looking at me like that. To be honest, I feel kind of bad as I cropped Wallace out of this screencap but I liked the image of Veronica walking better.
5.
Because it's Hugh and RSL and they both look adorable.
--
Random Fannish Things:
1. I watched a few eps of S4 SG-1 yesterday and oh, love. The eps included ‘Window of Opportunity’ and that ep really is a classic. However, I had forgotten how Jack/Sam ‘shippy this season actually is. I enjoyed it quite a lot really, more than I thought I would. I still don't have a Stargate OTP though. Jack/Sam, Sam/Daniel, Jack/Daniel. Daniel/Janet, Janet/Sam, I like it all.
2.
Charlie, what exactly is that on your face? It’s a little scary.
Toby has glasses now. Aww. I don’t know why it makes me aww, but it does. Toby <3
Alan Alda rocks.
Patricia Richardson is pretty cool in this too.
Will … still annoying.
Santos … still really don’t care.
General Hammond!
I was pleasantly surprised that the putting Butler on the ticket conversation didn’t go like I thought it would. They have made the Republicans a little more interesting.
They lost me on the ‘debt sealing’ thing …
This ep was a little slow (and really missed the Sorkin dialogue tonight) but the end just rocked. The two of them sitting there eating ice-cream and them Vinick’s answer. Very cool.
I kind of hope they let Vinick win in the end when season 7 is over, but I don’t know if I can see it happening. I think they are going to set Santos up to win. Sigh.
3. I'm so glad The West Wing finished earlier tonight because I've gotten hooked on The L Word, which I manage to catch the last 30 minutes of if they air TWW at 11:10. I love Shane. So very much. Katherine Moening is gorgeous. I also have a bit of a soft-spot for Alice, Dana and Carmen.
4. Brain still hijacked by Veronica and Logan.
