one day

One day I’ll learn how to breathe underwater

and plunging to the bottom of the bay won’t be such a problem

and I’ll linger down there,

because it’s dark and simple,

just like me.

And I’ll shake the hands of murdered drug dealers with bad judgment and cement feet

and their water logged smiles will tell me that they know something I don’t,

that maybe being dead is funny

and then I’ll know

that if being dead is funny,

then being alive

must be fucking hilarious.

Performing live at Federation Square on ABC Radio

This Sunday morning, 26 March, from 11:30 to 12 I'll be performing live on ABC radio 774 in Federation Square on the Sunday Show hosted by Helen Razer. I'll be participating in a poetry slam head to head with Ben Pobjie. Ben has performed at Babble quite a few times and happens to be very good. The broadcast is part of the Commonwealth Games program and is the ABC's attempt at providing some alternative 'games' to the other games. If you're in the city Sunday morning look out for the mobile broadcast unit on the upper plaza level of Federation Square called the G-Spot. Or if you're still in bed at 11:30 on Sunday morning you can simply tune the clock radio to 774am and listen along from the comfort of your own bed. If you're not from Melbourne you can also stream it live on the internet at http://abc.net.au/melbourne

Lou Barlow at Northcote Social Club

pics by sean m whelan

Saw Lou Barlow perform at Northcote Social Club on Thursday night.
Lou has been something of a indie rock god to me ever since the release of Sebadoh's Bakesale in 1994. Bakesale is one of those albums that i return so fondly to over and over again. A time machine that doesn't bite back.
When Sebadoh toured Australia on the back of that album I was witness to what was not only one of the worst gigs I've ever seen, it was also one of the best.
Lou was acting strangely all night. He kept stopping songs halfway through and appeared to be arguing with the other band members. At one point he broke his guitar somehow and it eventually culminated with him walking off stage in a temper. The gig was over, the lights were up and the house music was turned on when suddenly Lou returned to the stage alone with guitar in hand. He then proceeded to apologise profusely for his antics and followed up by playing the most hearbreakingly beautiful acoustic set for the next hour and a half! All my favourite Sebadoh songs, it was truly stunning.
Funnily enough he mentioned this infamous gig on stage, he joked about turning on the radio the next day and hearing a Melbourne DJ talk about what a 'jerk' Lou Barlow is!
This was one of many warm and quite funny anecdotes during the evening, nice punctuation to a great set of mostly current material embellished by guitar loops and occasional use of an Eno'ish sounding synthesizer.
He didn't let me down too by breaking out a few Sebadoh songs including possibly my favourite, 'Skull'.

Trying to Write

Writing a poem about writing poetry,
Is like a snake trying to bite its own arse.
Oh.
I just ate my own arse.