The Life and Times of Peter Green
Archive: 12 July - 25 July 2010
July 12thWell INTRIGUER has it's USA-Canadian release today, funny if suddenly it took off and became massive! They start touring on the release day (first show the very cool Massey Hall- Toronto) I'm not sure if touring helps sell records in 2010, but I guess it can't hurt. I've seen almost zero reviews from Canada- it used to be such a strong chart area for us when Grant was manager- same for the Enz when Nathan looked after the Splits. It's like people can't get record company's excited to get involved and go the extra 9 yards. The passion of record company people for an album makes such a difference. I just don't mean a free lunch smooze with the band but someone a month later still having the fire in their belly and helping to keep it alive. It's a rare thing these days. I guess we'll know in a weeks time if Intriguer has legs. I keep hearing it's limited chart action in the UK was because of 'bad timing' around touring and it's release- this time they have a tour right on release for the States-Canada and some decent numbers at the shows, so I'm hoping it does ok.We hear from Benny who is somewhere around the world touring with John Butler. We miss you Mr Yeti. I send him a little cartoon of Homer Simpson getting a blow job- I am such a classy guy. We watch The Simpsons on Blu Ray (No blow job for Homer) , it's funny as the Blu ray has some of the NEW start sequences for the show..... works well, look how blue Marg's hair is! I head to bed with an aching back, remind me to lock in Dr Chiro next week, think I have been chopping too much wood, or performing unnatural sexual positions on a high wire in my sleep. Nah probably the first. July 13thI've made a note to go and check out the Tim Burton Exhibition that is on at ACMI Federation Square from June 24th to October 10th. 10.00-6.00. There is a special late opening on Thursday nights till 10pm. It looks great.Liberation Records send me the new Dingoes album. I have never owned an album by this Aussie band, so was surprised how much I enjoyed this new one called 'Tracks', kind of Neil Young in 2010. Quite good and they have a reformation tour underway soon. Call into Morrisons and Sheridan makes one of her special sandwiches for us...and I fill in their survey- its pretty much always good at that place and they treat us well so they do well in the survey. The last of the malaria tablets is still playing havoc with my stomach so I have a 'go slow' and go to the toilet' day (oh joy) nothing too gross and why am I writing this... good grief...... it's the fever have, I am totally delirious I can get away with writing anything *GRIN*. I will not be tempted (chant with me). In the end my upset stomach wins over and I take the afternoon off, so chill at the house in front of an open fire with the cat. At one stage she jumps up on my stomach (ouch). I finish reading the Rocky Horror book....... the fire is burning so brightly, and its grey and raining banshees and lesters outside. The Rocky book is great... so many cool bits and pieces. ('there's a light.. burning in the fire place'). I'm amazed at the 'australian connection' to Rocky Horror, so many Aussies just made it happen and contributed. July 14thI write a few lines to update the Time Line area of the Crowdies website, so so it's up to date. I'm still on go slow after yesterdays crappo day.Mark receives the Blu Ray of 'Predator' so I guess that will be tonight's movie after 'United States Of Tara'. It's one of the few things we watch on free to air tv. So much crap on regular tv, are people just brain dead? It's feeling cold tonight, we have the main fire burning away and Mark turned on the heating in the house. I don't think it will snow yet but it most certainly is snowing nearby, it feels like there is a snow storm somewhere. I check on line and all the ski areas are getting snow, a large snow storm has added 33cm of fresh white stuff to the top of mountains from Thredbo to Mt Buller. So the ski lovers will be stoked, it's not a bad season so far. I still think Kalorama will get a wintery white coating this year, I'll have to buy us some toboggans for the slope down the road at the arboretum. It's brilliant when it's all snowed up, you just pick up way too much speed and need to find a way to stop!!! I guess I can always smash into a tree that would soon stop me!!! Each morning when the 3 chickens are let out to free range, 2 take off and really bolt..... Joan Frances the 3rd chicken and myself follow them..and find a secret new chicken nest, near the hot water heater.... Mark grabs the 6 eggs out of it... even during Winter they continue to lay eggs. Good chickens. So secretive though... I guess we all have secrets even chickens. What is your secret dear reader? July 15thIt sucks that it still doesn't have an Australian release on Blu ray, but check out Tom DiCillos documentary on The Doors. It's called 'When You're Strange' ..narration by Johnny Depp. It also contains some of Jims HWY short counterculture film.... which we thought was a fake Jim (but it's not).....the one final unique piece is an interview with his father (and sister) his dad died shortly after the interview- to our knowledge he always refused interviews on his son so it's interesting..... especially after all those years of Morrison saying both his parents were dead. Anyway if you love your rock history this is a nice one to have..turn it up loud- has great sound. I always loved how Jim Morrison is a anagram for 'Mr Mojo Risin''.Gee Mel Gibson is looking more horrid each day..... what a charmer (NOT)..... I'm glad he's officially an American and not an Australian. July 16thAs the Victorian State Election gets (slowly) closer it's funny to see just how many candidates are in support of Gay rights and marriage. We keep emailing those who are not and asking if they 'support gay marriage' , it keeps them rattled...they know if they give the wrong answer it's more votes down the plug hole. Remember politicians are paid from the public purse they are meant to work for us- so it is good to let them know what you think.Sad to see so many trees and plants being removed from the house next door, Barry would probably be turning in his grave, it looks like a nuclear bomb has gone off. Urgh! It's looking uglier by the day. I keep getting sidetracked paying a gas bill today, they don't take AMEX so I have to try and get to the general store/post office and each time I try the phone rings or a work email comes in. I think I'll blow it and pay this one late, sometime tomorrow. I'm so lame I try to pay our general bills on time- I knew I'd become my mother sooner or later. Next weekend I start on the small art pieces for the F/16 Diary Book Limited Box Sets, I'm looking forward to doing these, I have a particular vision in my head so I'm hoping it flows down to the final image on the canvas. Nice that these are rolling along and will be ready pretty much on time. I confess I did check out the availability of the house on Magnetic Island, I thought if the new powerbook arrives I could work their for a week. I am missing the sun, it's that simple. Normally I don't care but after those weeks away in Kenya it was nice feeling that warmth on my skin. It would mean Banshee would probably travel up with us, and I'm not being practical at all (sigh). My flight points are now down to some sad arse level. I guess it's endless warm fires at Kalorama for us.... while it's snowing outside. July 17thThe other election is announced today for Australia- the Federal one. August 21st. The next major polling is out on Monday so that will be the one to see how PM Julia Gillard is doing and old rat face Abbott. So few people make me physically cringe as that guy, I saw Mark do a 360 when the news was on when Abbott was on tv- with the words 'ugly bastard' muttered as he left the room actually he might of called him the 'C' word too- made me laugh.It's funny- Australia's first female PM goes to Government House to meet the first female Governor General. We head out to the garage and chainsaw some of the wood fall that has dried in the garage, I'm so glad we have this, though 2/3 has already been used. I'm careful I don't cut Marks hands off with the chainsaw, I'll have to put together some sort of holding device to do this sort of thing. Opps there goes Marks hands, I do have some spare hedgecutters- he could be my own Kalorama Marky Scissor Hands! Quiet again from the Crowdies boys, usually an email comes in, which probably means they are in the middle of PR in the States (as well as the shows). We watch 'Beautiful Kate' , AFI nominated Aussie movie , pretty cool though the incestuous side has you going..."OK well those brothers and sister are a bit too close"! Yieks. Well written and filmed, movies like this always find a good home on cable tv. July 18thThe charts are in for Australia, week 5 for 'Intriguer' here in Oz and it has dropped to #43 (from #35) the top 50 is pretty boring at the moment. . I'd love for it to last one more week at least. Kylie sits at #2 again on the charts, she still hasn't cracked the #1 spot here. As 'Intriguer' moves down 'Recurring Dream' moves up, it's a bit of a bullet this week, just outside the top 50. I just want 'Intriguer' to hit gold here, still a ways to go. It will with a tour behind it.Greg Skyhook sent some some lame Galaxy Poll done by tv channel 9, it's such a small number of people- not sure why the Liberals are all excited, the real polling (Newspoll) will be tomorrow , I have a feeling the results will be quite different. Mark requests that Trudi and myself do some voiceover work on African footage- he's uncertain about using my sister for it as she laughs way too much..ok unfair, I make her laugh way too much. Sis and friend will be coming down next month for a visit, same day as Marks step brother so it will be a bit crazy here. A mate from QLD is in town too so hopefully we can see her too, but have to put my family first. Waiting to get the new replaced powerbook so i can continue work on the Crowdies book- still have the 2 interviews to do which will be after the tour. Will be good to get my teeth back into it. July 19thWe are sitting at Ranges when the News-poll results come in. On a 2 party preferred Labor are 10 points ahead of the Liberals, and the Greens have moved up 2 points too. Tony Abbott has his lowest polling ever as potential PM. Excellent, LOVE it. I'm sure the election will be closer then this but I'd love for it not to be. I wonder how many of the high ranking Liberals think they made a major mistake getting this dickhead to lead the Libs. I'll only do the happy dance when the election is over and Abbott fails. (fingers crossed). Time for the women of Australia (and us blokes) to stand up and to say the days of Abbott and dinosaurs are over- sexist homophobic arse holes- why would anyone vote Liberal?A guy in red speedos hassles Abbot at KNOX shopping complex which is in our area of Melbourne..... a friend told me people in the crowd were boo-ing Abbott. One woman bellowing out 'just leave we all vote for Julia' - love it. Is he trying to earn political points by walking into the lions den? Too many right wing christians not enough lions. I am chatting to Greg Skyhook how Hessie used to grab the Liberal voting signs from the end of his street during elections as he hated seeing the Liberal Party sign every day he went for a walk. When we were cleaning up the house for it to be sold for auction it made me chuckle finding quite a few Lib signs underneath it (you'd think he would of burnt them).... it was such a Paul thing to do. Anyway I went on line after I hung up and decided to make a donation to The Greens and Labor for the election, it asked me to type in the shown security word. Imagine how surprise when the two security words I had said THE HESTER! Well there is a sign, holy shit, out of every word (s) in the english language what are the chances that mine would say THE HESTER especially after the conversation I just had with Greg Skyhook. Well he was always active around Elections! July 20thWell a nice 1 degree this morning when we woke up. Mark tells me it hit minus in a few days. Bring on that snow.I hear from the badge company and the long awaited INTRIGUER badges are underway, I hear the badge parts may be stopping soon so I decide that we should get the 'Temple of Low Men" badges/pins done too in case we cant later. These are cool the little 4cm x 4cm badges- they are all Crowded House album covers - they come up so well- I dig fan collectors items like these. I am off to Dr Chiro today for some bending and popping and corrections, it's been awhile the old body needs some work on it. It's great as they have given me a thank you certificate for recommending people so I score a $40.00 bottle of natural multivitamins which is really good cos I've ran out. On the way I call into the post office to grab the mail, a parcel awaits me- it's my KENYA BOOK. 40 pages of my photos, hardcover, once off- looks great. So I eagerly rip it open. I quickly look at it and decide I'll check it out in the waiting room at Dr Chiro's. It's great, Mark did a fantastic job with layout.... printing is ok (for Australia) looks amazing & thanks Bec too for paying for it. People are now gathering around checking it out. Two people offer to buy copies- I explain it's a one off. It's still nice that people like it this much they want to purchase it-freaky. I'm getting my acupuncture needles in and Warrick asks me if he can buy a copy of the book. Wow maybe I should drop the diary books and release my Kenya book *GRIN*. I keep checking it out- what a cool keepsake. So Neil did mention the NYC apartment they rented catching on fire, well the roof anyway. I am so glad our fairy godmother is in town and looking after them- she IS amazing, and you know who you are *GRIN*. 'Tangle' Season two starts tonight- a brilliant start, tonights episode was as good as 'Love My Way' used to be. A fine start, and unexpected major character killed off! July 21stHappy Birthday to Trudi and Fran.We head into the city today, thought we'd try and surprise Fran but we both expected her to be out-with the new baby and hubby having a birthday lunch. We were right, so we hid her present amongst the ferns. We drive into the city, the weather has changed from cloudy to a perfect winter day. I decide to hang the costs and park in the car park, I'm sure I can claim it on tax. Change some dollars over for Mark and drop into Starbucks for a Frappa. Next stop its the brilliant ACMI (Australian Centre For the Moving Image). Its located at Federation Square. The square is packed full of people enjoying this nice day and the Winter sunshine. We are hear for what has arrived at the ACMI , direct from The Museum Of Modern Art in New York. The Tim Burton Exhibition. Its around 700 examples of concept designs, paintings, wonderful mindblowing drawings, photographs movie props, costumes and a whole lot more. The ACMI space is never ending.... possibly the best exhibit I have ever been to. I 'shout' Mark as part of his birthday present and buy him a TB book on the show. It goes way back to his teenage years, when he was growing up in Burbank California..... his early creations animation, personal ephemera and of course the excellent student films like Cave Man. I think we spend 2 hours at the exhibit, the wonderful costumes... Catwomans outfit from Batman, Edwards outfit from Edward Scissorhands (Mark tries it on with his new hedge-clipper hands), Alice in Wonderland, Mars Attacks, The Nightmare before Christmas..... Love how the angora sweater worn by Johnny Depp in the outrageous Ed Wood is on display.... We head down passage ways with black walls and glow in the dark painted images and big plastic eyeballs that you look into to see other art or creations, in the middle is some amazing creation that twirls like a merry go round complete with plasma fired crystal ball. Full on, or full fucking on as Bec would say. The headless horsemans outfit from Sleepy Hollow is way too cool and the alien props from Mars Attack. But it's the drawings, story boards and art that make my heart beat fast- truly beautiful treasures - Tim Burton is a God. I hate all those lame arse Sandra Bollock movies for people who sleepwalk through life, those sad Hugh Grant vile sickly sweet pieces of film tripe that are too sweet for Willy Wonkas place.... numb mindless crap- give me Burton at his worse compared to such dribble shit. This exhibit is so special- it's open till October 10th- see it, feel it enjoy it- what an amazing man. DO NOT MISS IT I see that David Byrne jumped up at the Crowdies 3rd Bowery Ballroom show tonight- and played on 2 songs- 'Road to nowhere' and ' Once In a Lifetime' - he's a nice guy, loves the Crowdies. July 22ndThe fog roars through the trees like some creature is alive inside of it. The leaves have all gone, the skeletal remains stretch skywards. The fog somehow twists around the trees like it has a mind of it's own. Another Winter day at Kalorama, fog bound but we still go out for food and good coffee.I call the insurance company around my computer, they are late getting back to me, they apologize, they are hopeless..I am polite (just). I just want to get a replacement to start work on the book again (GRRRR). Pinky sends me a You Tube Link to the Skatt Brothers 'Life at the Outpost' hysterical...the gayest straight men I've ever seen... I remember that song.. Pinky has too much spare time on her hands. Love her! She dislikes Tony Abbott far more then I do. Christie Eliezer one of the music industries longest serving inmates (he's a writer) emailed me about the 'Ghost Cars' book wanting some blurb for him column so that was nice of him.... gave him some quote over my stolen computer and he said he'd use that, which wasn't my intention! Tree guy arrives from the power line people, yey. Nice dude, and he says he will get them to take the massive wood pieces away that they have to chop down on one of the trees so I am stoked, if and when it ever happens. They'll have to build some insane cutting pyramid to do this job. Have a small argument with my Mum, she's taking too much on with relatives and I can see it stressing her and wearing her thin, I've bitten my tongue long enough on it- puts me in an average mood all evening. Waiting on Canadian charts and they haven't arrived yet. No sign of CH on the Billboard Top 200. Where are the charts.... July 23rdIt seemed to take some of the press a month to even mention that Sebastian Horsley died of a heroin overdose at his London flat. He did lead a rather scandalous life (one can relate) , all rolled up in style and glamour. I actually saw him once, walking down one of those Soho lanes, in his velvet suit and a dark walking cane-funny how that image sticks in my mind after all those years. He died June 17th! On some of his photos he looks like he escaped from the Velvet Goldmine movie, indeed he might of been one of the dandy's that they based some characters on. I remember sprout films taking the option for his book last year.... still in development. I'm sure Sebastian's death will speed things up a bit- death is good for movies isn't it. Look at Heath in Batman- a brilliant piece of acting but (sadly) his death added to the media and to the general public wanting to see him as the Joker. I have a hardcover of his Dandy In The Underworld book. The Sunday Times described it as "One of the funniest, strangest, and most revolting memoirs ever written'-so naturally I had to have it!!!!! RIP Sebastian.Our charts came in this morning for Canada and the USA. Debuting at #32 in Canada and #50 in the States on the Billboard Top 200. Which is great, but my fear is always week 3 as it tends to do a drop around that time- sometimes out of the top 100. Still it's nice to even see the Crowded House name on those charts-so a small buzz for us here in the office. We are having a tiny handful of people call in tomorrow for some food, just a few who called for Markys birthday, so I chop a load of wood and give the house a clean. I'm down to these massive blocks of wood so my axe swinging skills have improved, they'll have me signed up for the woodchopping arena at the Melbourne show if I keep going!!!!!! A bead of sweat runs down my dark blue singlet.... wow impressive. July 24thSpend the day cooking, mostly kofta for spaghetti (how weird Indian and Italian combined!), some chocolate mousse, these burrito chicken pieces and a really good salad with small stuffed bell peppers -with fetta. The guys are bringing some bits and pieces along as well so we will have plenty of food. Mark is making some of his homemade sausage rolls. Greg Skyhook calls at lunchtime and has a chat to Marky, he always remembers our birthdays which is nice, the Crowdies guys suck they never do- OK Hessie nearly always did, I remember the year before he died he turned up at Greville street with flowers on my birthday.Sometime last night I chipped the smallest piece off one of my back teeth, I'm talking micro but it must of had a nerve under it or something as it aches like hell-no sleep... the left hand side of my face feels swollen and I can't eat on one side of my mouth. A total drag especially for tonight's small get together. I'll book in with my dentist soon, so silly as I know it's such a small chip I probably would never have to go. So I'm not in the most vibrant mood when people start arriving. Pain killers are not really helping mjuch or cloves or toothache drop-it just tastes revolting. Why don't they have really nice tasting toothache stuff? It's on that list of things to 'invent' like flavoured postage stamps -the ones you have to lick not stick. Dinner is fun, Bec makes a Key Lime Pie (yey) so we add some candles for the birthday boy. Rosemaree her usual fine italian creation yum.... keeps us all happy. It ends up being a fun night,I do partake in a joint and within 20 minutes the pain has subsided to a dull throb, OK I will always sign any petition for medical marijuana - it just worked! It is 2 degrees outside, the Ailsa Craig big fire in the pool room is burning away-we used a lot of the tree drop wood tonight, am hoping we will still have enough for the remainder of winter. Tania and myself end up playing several games of pool against Mark and Warwick. Tania has a pulled shoulder and I am claiming my tooth ache as our reasons for losing! Truth be known we just sucked. Rosemaree heads off early, it is a bit of a drive back to the city and a foggy night, so it can be scary for those who are not use to driving on the mountain. Bec gets obsessed with that insane size TV of ours and Blu ray and watches all the extra stuff on Alice In Wonderland ad the Doors doco.... meanwhile the Jukebox is playing again, I've rigged it to give me 15 free spins so kind of working. It's a pretty good night and the last car rolls around our circular drive at 3.00 in the morning.... think I climb into bed at 4.00. It's not Marks birthday for a few days but tonight was fun in a hazy stoned sort of way. July 25thI mention to Neil that Joy FM- Australias first Gay and Lesbian radio station are playing an hour of Crowdies this week, all of Intriguer too. Someone says maybe it's Neils gay moustache thats caught their eye (makes me chuckle). He's just happy that the album gets such exposure. he asks me if all the emails I'm getting are about his moustache... I tell him he needs to take it further and I'll get back to him. Time for him to shave off all his hair, every inch of body hair- now that would give people something to talk about?I am fairly much worn today, I sleep , I pat the cat, I drink a lot of water, Mark makes me lunch in bed, sleep, burp, fart, sleep........ he puts out the recycle bin, the rubbish bin, feeds the chickens, puts them in, makes dinner, boy am I spoilt today. I do have some Crowdies dates for the Intriguer Australian Tour in November which we all kind of knew was happening. MELBOURNE-ROD LAVER ARENA -FRI 5 NOV , SYDNEY -HORDERN PAVILION -SAT 6 NOV, BRISBANE-CONVENTION CENTRE-TUE 9 NOV, S.A.-PETER LEHMANN WINES -SAT 13 NOV, W.A. -SANDALFORD ESTATE, SWAN VALLEY SUN 14 NOV, WOLLONGONG -ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE -TUE 16 NOV. If I'm on the tour it means I score a baked lunch from Mum, now there really IS a good reason to tour. Public tickets on sale Aug 10th, Fanclub tickets Aug 2nd. That's it from me.... Life is good PG |