The Life and Times of Peter Green
Archive: 3 March - 16 March 2008
March 3rd
I wake up in my own bed at Kalorama. It feels so nice not to be fighting the Sydney traffic to get to the airport for the morning flight, I guilt a bit about leaving Mums so soon but I know she'll understand, and it meant she got to sleep in, ok I miss out on a rather cool Mum breakfast but the thought of that traffic was horrid.It's that time of the month where we go through our Rocket Pockets book numbers , really just a glorified stock take . In some ways it's interesting as I get to see what books will soon sell out. Obviously the first two diary books Hussy and Bang will go soon. They are both running low. Glamour is fine as we did an extra large stock run for that one. I will be glad when we have the stock for TRIP later this year after the first two are extinct. Will be funny not having those two little books available. Our Enz book is now down to 8 copies, so I'd say that will go by the end of March, and WINGS well our second pressing means loads of stock now available again. So really 3 of the titles will be gone. I'm happy so many people enjoy the diary enough to get the book version- when I look at the list it amazes me where copies have gone to from Alaska to Africa....Borneo to Brisvegas!!! TRIP will make it my 6th book- that alone is too freaky.
Yum Chicken Enchiladas for dinner! That deserves a line of it's own.
*GRIN* (Sorry Belinda, Sharon and Joan).
March 4th
I send off some money to Warners for more of our special LUTON (2 cd) stock. This is an office favourite and I love that the Enz fans can get special two cd copies via us. Just nice when the band does special stuff like that, and really Eddie is cool for working on the 2nd cd in the first place. We must be getting low on the stock soon- guess when it all goes that's it?I speak to Wayne at Qantas about the holiday for later this year. He's one of the good Qantas people , just makes stuff happen. I have to wait for the flight confirmation before booking Banshees suite at the cat hotel. She'll do her usual freak out for the first week, I'm packing loads of her special 'treat' food to make her stay less stressful. Wish we could take her with us. Banshee running wild in Russia?!
March 5th
I give mum a call, her 'real' birthday is today. So typical SHE is cooking for my sister and her husband... the birthday host cooks for you or pays for it, I kind of like that.I'm hoping the Enz will have a full dress rehearsal in Christchurch. It went so well last time in Brisbane, so many fans are travelling in for these Enz shows and attending all the Enz shows. I am always amazed by their devotion. I keep hounding for this, would be nice for the fans especially if this is the last time.
March 6th
Spend part of the day mailing out another batch of the Rootin Tootin Luton Enz cds, the double set always tempts me. I love these cds, possibly my favourite Enz release. It's probably the most played CD in the office.David calls and I need to pick up Nigel's bass, well he has two that he uses on the tour but it's easier to travel with one and freight the other with the gear. So will wait till Nige calls and do this next week, still some time. I'm assuming all the stage gear will go at the same time, backdrops etc. It's probably all fascinating for people, 'the fine art of touring' how you have to stay on top of it all- especially around stage pieces like back drops. I've given up counting how many times cozzies and backdrops have travelled with me at the very last second. I'm almost use to it.
I email Tony Skyhook as we want to film him as well for one of the album interviews. It's cool to interview band members, as you get a different view each time, no matter what the band, peoples memories are always slightly different. History tends to pigeon hole how something went down, but in reality it probably didn't happen 100% that way. I watch the Hooks Guilty dvdr, and Mark did an amazing job, he is way too talented, the fans do owe him for such fine work. Onya Marky, you are a good bloke (how Ocker is that?).
March 7th
Nice to hear from Gabe Bates, she is zooming back into the country for a quick art show.....Trocadero Art Space at Hopkins St, Footscary... starts March 29th and goes through till April 14th, so I have that in my real diary as I'm dying to see what art she has been creating overseas. She scored another residency in Penang so we are really proud of her.It's another hot one here, well not as bad as South Australia where they have had something like 2 weeks of around 100 degree heat.....it's not quite nude day in the office but even the cool exterior of the Gryphons nest is starting to get a little bit warm, our Apple Macs don't like the heat.
A cool break in the afternoon so I head up to the end of the property and mend the fence, of course a week later another tree comes down on the exact same spot-doesn't destroy the fence but it went close. What is mother nature trying to tell me?
OH my 'box of fun' arrives from the USA. If ever I get the blues (very rare) I just order a box of fun- how cool is the Hillary Clinton nutcracker with those stainless steel thighs..and we need one...not thighs but a nut cracker for those walnuts. My Bush toilet paper with his face and some moronic Bush quote on each piece.... sadly I know this will run out fast, too many eager visitors grabbing Bush and seeking revenge, well he has to be good for something right? The giant chicken suit, made in China so giant isn't as giant as you'd like- it's got a god damn ugly rubber face and you almost suffocate in it. The yellow fake fur is so bad and falls off and just sticks all over you- so I can imagine nice and sweaty inside and emerging covered in fake yellow fur.... this will be fun. Plus a lot of other good bits and pieces. I wonder if George gets a percentage of the products? The No More Bushit Tee proves a popular number as does the backwards Bush counter saying how long we all have to suffer this arsehole. It's a joy to watch the timer run backwards. (Sigh). Wish we could make it go faster... I know, I know.....!
March 8th
It looks like Ned Kelly the famous Aussie bushrangers bones have been found. They just have to work out which bones are his. A friend ages ago told me that Kellys head was stolen by a family member when the graves were moved......so it will be fascinating to find out if all of Ned is in the grave.In the afternoon we get a visit from Dirty Gall and Destructo and we think she is pregnant, so a baby cockatoo may be visiting us soon. I give her extra food in case she is, or maybe the extra sunflower seeds I give her have made her fat? She's a nice bird... tries so hard to talk to me.
March 9th
It's a hot day outside, perfect to give Miss Banshee a wash. She's so clean after some serious cat shampooing, the water has almost zero twigs etc in it.... such a good cat when it comes to bath time, she just lets me give her a good wash, just stares at me like 'I should trust you shouldn't I?'. She looks like a baby leopard when wet, very little fat and little muscles from endless running around the property and up the tallest trees. She just sits in the sun and cleans and dries herself and I escape without a single scratch.I email Navman NZ to try and get replacement bits and pieces but they haven't gotten back to me yet. I love their product but their consumer replies leave a lot to be desired.
The charity project hits the magic 90% mark today. So we are in the final stretch. Be great to commence work building the classroom by mid year. I'm pretty sure it will be in Africa. So many people have donated, a few several times- it's just been a great response. I hope it continues for the last little bit. We accept all donations, email me (peter@frenz.com) if you want to donate to this, every dollar helps make this a reality. The thank you list (and total) is at: http://www.frenz.com/fundraiser.php A big thank you to Deb & Iarla for letting me add this onto the site.
March 10th
I am hopeless, only found out that it's a public holiday. It's labour day/Moomba. So a lost sort of day. I think Tim and Eddie from the Enz arrive in town to workshop the Poor Boy musical, Ed as musical director.The Enz Spellbound tour cd entered the NZ charts at #22 today. It is about to hit the magic platinum mark in New Zealand, last tour it went Platinum in Australia. I'm sure the tour will just move a few Enz releases.
The stores are filled to the brim with easter eggs, I'm wondering half the time if anyone knows the real meaning of easter....saying all that it's more fun to dress up in a giant chicken suit and hold a shiny egg then celebrate Pascha and the resurrection in a fake Jesus mask. I think safeway believe in the original traditional "easter lasts for 40 days" as they seem to be flogging chocolate for much longer periods. I guess it all relates to times of feasting but to each their own- a friend of mine prefers the Slovakia tradition of easter spanking (nothing to do with a 'whip in my valise' I'm sure). I just thought it sucked that the men throw water on the woman and spank them with a korbac. It's meant to keep them healthy and beautiful. I think it's time for woman to give the blokes a bit of a spanking, so if you are in Hungary, Slovakia and I think Czech Republic its time for woman to hold the korbac I say ....and I know I'll surely get into trouble for writing this (opps). Lets move on from spanking shall we........ Mark's spin drying the korbac as we speak! (Ouch). Think he has his spanking party all planned while I am away on tour!
March 11th
Oh the drive is today... we head off to Nigel's and call into Monbulk on the way for gourmet sandwiches. It's good as Nige is a late riser so a chance for a nice lunch. Walk around Emerald as we are still early, have another coffee, Mark explores the local cd store and no Enz (tsk tsk..don't they know an Enz person lives just around the corner).Arrive Nigel's and he is awake, signs a few bits and pieces for us and passes over the bass. I point out he doesn't have his name anywhere on it, so we add some ID inside. We drive off with the precious cargo and eventually arrive at Noel and Sals. Give them a dozen Kalorama eggs too. David is having a coffee and we talk about the backdrops.... and off we all head, somehow we are delivering them to the other side of the city. Our 4wd is packed, Noels ute has a giant black creation on its back that has the main back drop inside, as we drive behind him we watch it slowly inflating!!!!!! Finally arrive at the container and load it all in to head to NZ.
We call into Prahran for a coffee and to clear box 333. By the time we get home and through the traffic it is 6.00. A long day but we know everything is NZ bound.
March 12th
Call Dugald re: Paul's drums, and i think I have our surprise all worked out.Oh I was just working on TRIP and noticed it was 10 years ago that Gilligan from Gilligans Island was busted for pot...and today ten years later we spot an article on Dawn Wells (Mary Ann) who was also busted this week.... what is this, every ten years the law busts one of the Island for marijuana use.....not many of them left.....the professor has to be next I say.
After massive reviews of over 60,000 Iraq documents seized when the USA invaded Iraq, it now confirms Saddam's regime had NO links with al Qaida. NONE!!!! Bush's 2 main reasons to invade- weapons of mass destruction and links to al Qaida were simply lies. It's incredibly pathetic when you think of it, and those poor soldiers who lost their lives- for nothing , sent to their deaths on a lie from the lips of a moron. Truly horrid- and I hope America is angry over this, it's not like we didn't know but to have some solid proof is a welcome thing. History will be the judge of Bush- I hope when people vote they think of the horrid mess he has made of an amazing country. I remember Donald Romsfeld claimed 'bulletproof evidence' at the time. Yeah right, why anyone would vote for Bush in the first place is the million dollar question. Oh that ol' soapbox (sorry).
March 13th
It's 30 years today that our Skyhook boys released their 'Guilty until proven insane' album- a much tougher sounding Skyhooks. UK band Iron Maiden loved 'Women in uniform' so much they recorded their own version. Has it really been 3 decades ? A cool album that has stood the test of time. Love it.Australia's unemployment has dropped to a fresh low of 4 %, the lowest in 3 decades. That's a good sign I guess.
Watch TIDELAND on HD- typically wonderful Terry Gilliam romp, does our head in. The book was cool too- one not for the Hugh Grant crowd (snore).
March 14th
Phew 40o celsius today , which is over 100.... it's still Summer right? No? Really it feels like Summer still. Global Warming has made Melbourne into Brisbane. It's Autumn..really ?So I keep hearing that Crowded House are following us to Russia. C'mon guys get your own cool country..... I bet it's true , we are trying to escape and they keep following us..... ok maybe it's not true..... well?
March 15th
Hot sticky nights, Ailsa Craig is an exceptional house but after bombardments of endless sunny days even she starts to warm up. Our cooling works well I keep worrying about Rosemaree bubbling away in her hot flat. Drink lots of water everyone.Working on the photos for TRIP, and I'm really happy with the way it's taking shape. It reads well, all those fun Neil Finn tour bits, kind of like Hussy in that way, it all comes rushing back- ten years later. People are pre ordering TRIP for the free DVDr that will come with the first batch. I keep finding the most extreme photos and they have me in fits of laughter.
Dress up in the giant chunky chicken suit, the face is so ugly and tight, it's close to torture. The three chooks- Sharon, Belinda and Joan hang about- they look at me like I am a giant mutant chook, I was hoping they'd think I was some LEADER OF HENS.... we have the easter egg and mark snaps away- I'll be away for easter so we are sending our easter love now! The things we do? I do it all for you!
Watch RESCUE DAWN on HD - very cool movie. Good ol Christian Bale without the bat suit. He amazes me how he can make his weight fluctuate .... oh i was at JB the other day and noticed a lot of Blu Ray discs have been turned upside down- see people are protesting everywhere..... you just smile knowing what it means.
March 16th
Neil plays Womad NZ today (new Plymouth) as Cesaria Evora had a minor stroke... he just stepped up to the mark- good one NF.I have some food at the Verandah with Fenella and Giles- just excellent company even though I waffled on way too much. It's always nice to sit and chat with really good people, though it was stinky hot outside.
Home again and some filming and work in the afternoon.... also some quick washing of socks and jocks for the tour.
That's it for me, have a great Easter for whatever reason you celebrate it.
Take care
PG