The Life and Times of Peter Green
Archive: 17 August - 30 August 1998
August 17th
Pick up my new VISA card, so shiny and new- nothing like a virgin card to make you want to spend....but I am good, I control myself and hide it away in my wallet. I'm trying not to be part of the cashless society.....I want to feel that "real" money in my wallet.The antennae people arrive today- this strange German man and his son. He gets totally confused and somehow pulls out miles of the optic fibre cables instead of the old antennae. Mark catches him , he's just about to pull out our main cable tv line. Phew- good save MG. This man is really confused and he's meant to be top of the his pile. Found out he also did Nathan (ex Enz managers house awhile back)....should of asked Nat if he had any problems. I was waiting for him to get stuck between the houses on either side, or to come crashing down through our roof like Santa on the turps! A bit of a worry. Can't believe we even paid out $250 for this.The reception is a bit better, except for the abc which is somehow worse. The really sad part is that we wouldn't have to get this done if there wasn't talk of the free stations being removed from the cable suplier. Another stupid government idea. Finally if you live in an area that has poor reception you can get great reception via your cable tv operator. No extra charge...but the government wants to remove that option. Such bullshit.
Keep searching for the perfect wardrobe for the Skyhooks shoot, now spend my days at op shops, and reject stores and auction houses, there is nothing like what we want. It's going to be a hard shoot. I smell.
August 18th
As expected Clinton admits sexual misconduct and gives a confession to the American people. Someone called Bill called the office from the States the other day asking to waver copyrights on the Crowdies "Into temptation"....for a minute there I thought Mr president was going to play the clip instead of his "I did it" speech."You in your new blue dress,
covered in such a mess...
the white house is soft and warm
wouldn't do my opinion polls much harm"
Oh that's right thats the office version not the real version- sorry Neil... lost my head for a minute
"You in your new blue dress, taking away my breath
the cradle is soft and warm, couldn't do me no harm"...
Just let the adulterous ol' bugger do his job. I'd love to know how many Americans have affairs...then again maybe I wouldn't. Perhaps that's why his ratings still so high! Over it!
"Try whistling this" slips out of the Aussie top 20, but only just #21. It moves up a few spots in Melbourne town.
August 19th
We head to St Kilda once again wardrobe hunting, find this great hidden away Aladins Cave type place that has incredible chairs.....they are the only ones in Australia...really strange and I decide they are perfect for the balcony of the new house....I can't really describe them. Kind of church pew-ish...but with the snail cone / Madonnas bra (end) on the carved handles...polished ancient wood with some gold guilt...and seats are weathered crumbling ...too hard to describe. They look like they were found near the Mars face. Real alienish (but not in a sci fi way). In the end I use my cash, the few spare dollars from my Crowdies wage, and several other credit card areas. It all just adds up- I have great chairs for the huge wooden balcony...but I now have $1.13 in my account. Happy but depressed.Cross the street and run into Dale Ryder- Boom Crash Operas lead singer and he has his kid- Marlon on his back....nice to see him, he looks kind of sad.
We head to an auction house and the wardrobes are ugly, we finally go to a shop call Azibi who make one off furniture pieces....speak to Ruska. He's a sweetheart and gives me a deal on the piece I need for the shoot. Finally- hope its the right choice.
Spend the day tracking down Grant and the gang regarding the UK merchandise deal, at this stage we still dont have the contracts ok'd....don't want the usual last minute rush....I hate that.
August 20th
Try Whistling This still has a few thousand units to go before it hits platinum, but we are close. It's a slow crawl to the platinum mark- but we'll get their.Happy Birthday Rosemaree.......are we celebrating your birthday or how many times you've turned 21 (grin). We decide the best present is to shout her and her friend dinner at the Elephant one of our fave waitors is on, he's just made the cover of MSO...we all tease him and ask him to sign our copies. Everyone at the restaurant gives him heaps- mean bastards we are.
Ruska is late with the wardrobe but the chairs arrive....the owner has had about 3 other locals try to put deposits on them....but too late, all ours.
TWT platinum in New Zealand.
Grant only can give me the two European dates- 16th- The Crossing Border Festival- Holland, and the 17th- Ancienne Belgique at Brussels- Crowdies played their a few years back. Its only going to be a very small tour. No doubt the Neil site will get dates as soon as we have them locked in.
August 21st
Greg from Skyhooks drops in his pile of Hooks costumes, Powerhouse museum returns all my bits and pieces....and we line up the shoot for Sunday. It's the only day that John from Belmore can do it, he's a good photographer, we just have to light it well. The "blue room"...which is also Dianne and Nicoles lodgings when they are in town also doubles as our film room.Liam Finn wins a $50 bet with Grant- at Boulder (USA) AAA radio show. He plays onstage in his mambo hat, goggles and red satin boxer shorts. He does play coy with the photographers and drapes a towel over him when he sits. (Good polite upbringing)...I mention to Amanda on the tour that I'm sure he's Paul Hesters love child.....! The antics are very Hesterish. Go Liam.(but dont Go Nude).
August 22nd
Get in contact with Chris B. re: writing Neils biography for the UK Tour programme. Hope we have enough time to get all this together. Always the last minute. We can never get it together.We work on the Neil Finn calendar with Spock, this 13 page full colour gem will be available on the next sales area of the club newsletter. The roughs Spock showed me look great. Love it.
August 23rd
Brekky at the Elephant with the gang, Beck has booked for Bali...she sounds really tired and grumpy- a well deserved break. Time for her to recharge. I could use some time off too....but Mark and my mates are staying here while I head off for the tour. Wonder if Fran wants to escape....Russia could be good?Set up the room for the shoot- looks like a Glam Op Shop- Mary Anne Pineapple head would kill to be left alone with these materials and cossies....we'd never see them again. Skyhooks certainly gave Noel Crombie and the Enz a run for their money in the costume department.
John turns up with his son Nick who is growing like a beanstalk...we do some decent set ups....I alter the costumes every 6 shots.....Macainsh turns up and moves into some control area- after he blows a few fuses. he's ok and at least has some different input and ideas. We use a weird combination of natural light bounced off a huge painted wall outside and our studio lights- nice mix.
Wonder if I'm allowed for ARIA coverart of the year (grin). Will have to encourage that one. Work on the shoot till the wee hours- long day.
Clear my emails and find one from Fran, she found a Blue Elephant in Paris but the food was crappy, and over priced. Make a note not to go their to eat.
August 24th
Mail Sis's birthday present, Mum told me she needed socks, so I filled up a huge box....she wont need socks for years now. Practical...thats me.Libby from the Arts Museum calls by and they are working on an exhibition on musical familys and want to do a piece on the Finns and Seymours, so I'll be helping them with that. It will start mid November at the Melbourne performing Arts Museum and run for a few months. We'll tell you more info when we have it.
August 25th
OK the rumours are true- I did get Scary Spice and Posh Spice pregnant. Thats the real reason I wasn't on the Neil Finn USA tour...I had "other duties" to fulfil.......I hope the babies don't end up with 10' high booties. But they'll have my great cheekbones....and you can all tell your friends you know who the real father is! Peter Spice.Work on some ideas for our much talked about New years Eve party here at home. Looks like I'll be putting together a band...The Space Cadets, had a few phone calls from various band people...it's a celebrity lineup.....the party is going to be called "The last great costume Party.....Austin Powers in Space". It's THE party to go to .....hope the house doesn't get trashed.No costume, no entry.
August 26th
Happy birthday Erika from America...its been another year already......hope you had a very special day. They broke the mould with Erika. A one-off. Heard that Liam and Neil both came back off the tour bus to have a photo taken with her- love those Finns.The press hassle me all day about the Neil not being allowed nominations at the ARIAS. They were dying for a fight...didn't happen. Neils comments were exactly what I said- Australia IS his second home, and it's sad but what can you do. Pisses me personally a bit-I know how the Arias reallyed wanted Neil and the Crowdies etc many times, butt kissing....wonder how long Kylie lived in Australia and if her album was recorded here....that just came to me, I'm probably wrong.....if they have such strict guidelines they should simply make it nothing BUT Australians......no kiwis, no Tasmanians (OK bad taste joke- sorry Tassie- just kidding)........there really are more important things that should be focused on -like parallel imports, lack of Australian artists getting airplay, the crumbling live scene, and the lack of Aussies in the charts. If all of these things keep up, the ARIAS will have nothing to celebrate. Smell the coffee guys. ARIA SMARIA!
Call into EMi and they give us the C.House Recurring Dream display, it lights up and is incredible...like a piece of art. We'll give it away in a club contest. Next stop Mushroom, the Enz sheet music artwork is nearly completed (finally) so that will be printed soon.
Meryl Bainbridge wants Paul to drum for her on the upcoming 2nd album tour- Paul declines. He 's (Paul) off to Tennant Creek with Blackfires Grant Hanson for a gig and a protest. Looks like LLT will record their album in early 1999. The guys will be doing a special show at The Espy...on halloween, tickets available via the club and the Espy. All our mates are coming down, should be another event.
August 27th
Give up trying to find Jj, he's never at Revolver....tried to call him to let him know that we are going to meet USA author Poppy Z Brite- she's dropping into Prahran and has promised to read a new small story called "Nailed", it'll probably end up in the short story book, coming out later on. She's nothing like what we expected, her hair is no longer Gothic Black- it's brown and she;'s very short. She looks like normal America....but she's nice and friendly and wants to see my Gryphon tattoo (which i decline because I'm wearing so much clothing- its still winter in Melbourne). Signs a book for me....I like her stuff, the latest one I'm reading is "Drawing Blood" which isn't a mind fuck like "Corpse" was. We have dinner at Alternative and the manager of Hares and Hyenas is next to us and tells us that Poppys husband AND mother came along with her to Australia.Mark still has his cold so I want to get home early. A few hours later I have the sysmptons of his cold bug and feel like crap....herbal cure is not working too well on this one.
Work on the next club mailout. Due to be mailed early September, just before I leave, can see myself carrying a bag full of Newsletters to Ireland.
August 28th
She will have her way will arrive at some Aussie retail stores today. Should be in all stores by Monday and Tuesday next week. Nick Seymour calls and is having his farewell party tonight- cop out because of this flu thing, but i'll see him overseas in a few weeks time.A postcard arrives from Neil in America (thanks Amanda) and suprise Tim (Finn) send a note and a snap of his baby boy Harper. Tims off to America soon to continue work on his solo cd. Will put Harper pix in the Newsletter too.
August 29th
Happy Birthday Sis....wow 27. I'm getting old!!!Melissa truns up while I'm having some exotic bath (grin)....love it when my friends wash my back....very Cleopatra. They hate it when I dress them as FemBots from the Austin Powers Movie. But hey what are friends for- thankfully I DONT have Austins teeth! Love that scene when Austin has all the Fembots seducing him and he turns himself off by screaming "Margarent Thatcher naked, Margaret Thatcher naked". (kind of cool because in that part of the movie they played The Divinyls "I touch myself"). Melissa wears her Fem Bot outfit to dinner, I am wearing my red thermal undies over my ripped jeans and MG has on his Vulcan ears (reminder Nic) Melissa is in charge of building this new country hosue in 1999...our group are all financing it- it's bizarre looking, and will be the much needed great escape. It's her baby and we'll all retire their!! (grin).
Go to the video store and rent Austin Powers....just to get ideas about the new years party! I am refusing to be Dr Evil! We then watch our friend Robbies new project "The Fluffy Ones"...it's one of my secret projects so I can't say anymore but watch out Japan, you're out target audience!
Get to bed at 2.00.
August 30th
Wake up and find Mark haunched over the computer working on one of his Rolling Stones wish lists. Get side tracked by faxes and a call from Neils manager Grant.Bec calls from the Elephant- she is early , I'm late....hey we've reversed our roles. Looks like being a nice day- Melbourne's weather is great. The new Elephant cook fucks (hey my first swear word this issue) Becs brekky and she gets it for free! Rosemaree takes me to Xavier and we do some copying for the mailout, her new office is great, nice and airy. We're glad Mindy the cat is ok, I think Rosemaree missed the cat as much as the cat missed her.
get home and we have organic tea in the plant room, it's now warm enough to sit there, which is great. Greg from the Hooks calls and we try to work out the track listing for the new Hooks cd.... Wow Spy is here in a week- can't wait. So much fun will be had.
Still washing all my clothes from the move, finally they are all done, I'll probably bring back several loads from the UK leg. Neil and Amanda send the corrections for the Programme, Grant gives me his, it's slowly coming together....the tour is getting closer.
I'm not going to be answering any emails for a month- so please DO NOT send any after September 9th. Deb can't pass them on, and they won't be answered, we'll make mention when it's ok to email again....it was just crazy to come back from the tour last time to that many, and impossible to answer.......all emails arriving from 9th will be trashed automatic...sorry [ed note: actually they just won't go through, and maybe I'll set up an autoresponder reminding folks of that, and maybe not. :) ]. You can still send in snail mail, but please avoid email.
Deb tells me there are a handful of Neil Finn website badges left (with Liams photo of Neil on them) plus it supports the site which is cool. check out the merch page if you are after one.
Take care everyone and I'll probably put up the next Diary update just before I depart and then hopefully from different locations on the road.Will fill you in on all the gossip...keep checking the site, it might even end up being weekly.....(sorry Deb).....we'll see.
Cheers all
Peter