"Ice on the Dune" ~ Empire of the Sun's New Album

Luke Steel and Nick Littlemore are Empire of the Sun. The duo from Australia delivered an album premiere of epic proportions in the Concert Hall at the Opera House on the 30th of May last month.

Luke who appears to be the front man to this duo described the title track as being “about how the Emperor’s head-dress is stolen by The King Of Shadows and the emperor and his priestesses travel throughout the world through all the heathen towns.  While the head dress is missing this is bringing chaos to the world”.

Vivid LIVE @ Sydney Opera House (Photo credit: s13_eisbaer)

I loved their first album, Walking on a Dream so much.  We played and played this. I have songs from that album down in my top 1OO   I call Melonpop Drives Top 100 songs of forever, thats how good I thought it was.  So Ice on the Dune has big shoes to fit into to follow that up.

The emperor and his priestesses going around the world through all the heathen towns ..  yes it is like this.  I see so much more in their costumes and in their music.  To me it is like the know the secrets of the universe because their lyrical content tells me clearly they do.

The sun is our life giver and our sustainer and these guys understand where we are going on this journey we all call life.   Ice on the Dune conjures up a lot of symbology once again.  I love the entire album.

I look forward  to hearing some tracks off the third album that is already in the pipeline.  "When that creative spark is sparking we need to keep that sort of momentum going", said Luke.  Its a pendulum effect once again because I agree, momentum is good.   I guess saying your third album is going to be awesome when the vinyl is still wet from the second album released two weeks ago at the Opera House Great Hall is a big call.  A call I don't think I will be disappointed with.  Quite frankly these guys could sing three blind mice and it would still come out all esoteric and magical.

 

This video footage is some live stuff from the guys at the Sydney Opera House during Vivid Live 2013.

Images @ Eminpee Fotography

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Chrissy Amphlett has past away, a legendary woman of rock who is my age.

 Chrissy Joy Amphlett 29 October 1959 - 21st April 2013 ..

Divinyls (album) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Science Fiction (song) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In My Life (Divinyls song) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Temperamental (Divinyls album) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Desperate (Divinyls album) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Chrissy Joy Amphlett 29 October 1959 - 21st April 2013
She grew up in Geelong as a singer and dancer. musically active 1982–2013

Today is a sad day as we all will mourn the passing of one our most beloved female front woman of rock from the gutsy band known all over as The Divinyls.

Good Die Young (Divinyls song) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

She and the band brought a style of raunchiness and in your face cheek to rock and the music scene .  The band had an ever evolving line up around her and Mark McEntee, her former lover.

The Collection (Divinyls album) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I saw her on a few occasions live at various hotels across Australia before I had children, once we even hung out with the band after a show at a hotel near where we lived at Browns Plains in Brisbane.

Greatest Hits (Divinyls album) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Essential (Divinyls album) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Chrissy was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and number of years ago,  she kept that under wraps until her performance at Homebake several years ago.   She was living a private life in New York with her drummer husband. She thought it better to tell the audience than to have them assume she was drunk.  The symptoms are often mistaken for drunkedness.  This mistake can cause a great deal of pain for people who are already suffering.

Underworld (Divinyls album) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Chrissy was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and she has sadly passed away today on the 21st of April at the age of 53.  This is the age I am and this make me examine my own situation and it highlights  how precious our lives are when we reach this age.  Because of her multiple Sclerosis she was unable to have chemotherapy.  There were claims three years ago that she was cancer free. 

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Stand Up - By Luke Wilton

Luke Wilton Live on 2bbb in September 2011.

 Goulbourne's loss and our gain in this area.  Luke is a young man with a huge passion.  He is a singer songwriter and a music therapist.  He can be contacted via facebook.   Drop him a message,  he wants to get this message our just like all of us do that care about our Mother Earth and the state of helplessness we are in because we gave so much power over to government.  

They have now lost the plot completely and are all in a mad scramble cutting each others throats as they go and walking over the next bloke and all they concern themselves with is money.

Images @ Melopopzdropz Flickr

One week later

Last Saturday night I was standing in Kata Juta National Park in the Northern Territory. This week I am standing once again in my favorite old East Maitland and I am Groovin the Moo. Doing it hard .. lol No I am feeling very blessed that I loved everyone who was playing and I knew them all and all the music and seeing 360 was pretty funny and the Hilltop Hoods were excellent but really City and Colour were the best and Gettaway Plan were the best to photograph.  Montana and I had a hectic time with all the lines but we put our bag in the cloak room which was a great idea really.

It got really cold around 7.30pm and everyone was lining up for bags after what had been a top day in the great Australian sunshine.  Listening to the best bands around and I even enjoyed Kimbra. I don't much like her but she was brave as it was very cold in her skimpy outfit with cape.
Rosie was a sweet heart and picked us up in the cold after the concert.  We rang her and she was there to pick us up on the corner near the service station.  We went home for  coffee.

Image by Mezza - Groovin the Moo Maitland 2012 /Gettaway Plan

Pink,  purples and all kinds of greens, reds and browns and just beauty every where.  I have cried because it is so awesome, how could you not when you have done what we have been doing here helping the Aunty and experiencing it first hand.

I am just so amazed by the colours all around me here.  The absolute beauty is spectacular. I collected the sage seeds to grow the sage in the sand at home and hopefully I can make my own smudge sticks eventually.  I would like to think that I could anyway and that is the plan.  I have a quandong seed that Aunty gave me as well.

All of these grasses and bushes have a purpose and that is the great part about it.  You can see just how these people existed in peace and ceremony for so many thousands of  years.

Image by Mezza- The Olgas from the Hill and the Grasses around Uluru

The Only thing that interferes with my learning is my education.

Albert Einstein

Local Made - Photography workshop.

 Sometimes in life there are great people in the world who fully understand that all people don't have much funding behind them at certain times.  It was one of those times yesterday and I am grateful of the Local Made people for making this happen and for bringing the editor of Reverb to Bellingen  to speak to us regarding photographing musical acts and  bands.  Band Photography as it is aptly called.

Yesterday afternoon Montana my daughter and I attended eagerly and  it was great to learn something new about my photography.  I have been chipped many times for taking pics sideways and I have been told this is wrong and to frame up my shots perfectly.  I have taken many cross ways shots I call them but I have binned them all too.  No more folks.  I learned today that this is acceptable and is the way decent photographers use the full scope of their camera and of the angles available.

I am going to employ this technique as soon as possible. Perhaps this weekend at Local Made and the bands that are appearing.