A Return Squig and The Doctor

Casa del Mar, Pantai Cenang, Langkawi, Malaysia.

I cant fault the service or the staff or the atmosphere or the location - we had a perfect little mid winter beach holiday. Tom Yum every lunch time and divinely fresh seafood every night.

The sun, the beach, the company and the break where marvellous.

I flew back into Sydney at 8.00am in the morning, that evening I went and saw Bell Shakespeare's production of Perciles & drumming - its comfort food isnt. Its a lukewarm year for Bell Shakespeare, but its better than 2008 which is not much of stretch thankyou Brendan Cowell and the worst Hamlet I've ever seen and there has been a few.

Two days later I was at The Metro with Dickie (that would be my dear brother-in-law Mattie as the fall back speaker sound guy). Gareth Liddiard and Dan from The Drones doing an acoustic set of harsh and raw loveliness in The Drone style - I'm watching with interest to see where Liddiards songwriting will take us, I'm always awed by the raw emotion of the man and his performances. Oh yep, Augie March played too, they were the headliner and we had some darling little old songs, but it looked and sounded like a finale. I've loved this band and the music they've made for over 10 years, the first time I ever saw them play was at this same venue in January 1999 on a stinking hot summers night supporting Grant Lee Buffalo, its strange to think that a keyboardist, some horns and ten years sees me seeing them again at the same place 10 years later, knowing its probably the last time Sydney will see them play - but they play and oh how do they play. It would be romantic to say it would be the last time I ever see them play too, 10 years later at the same venue I first ever saw them play at but thats a bit too perfect and my world isnt perfect. I'll be in Melbourne next month when they have another show so we're popping along to that too - seems fitting though, as Melbourne is where my relationship with them truly grew.

Two days later on Sunday, the newest member of the family had his little christening - my nephew was christened with my other nephew as his godfather, out in Camden, full on family affair, jumping castles and squabbles and family togetherness.

5 days at work and then its another weekend. This weekend is the first time in over 6 months I've decided to do nothing, see no one and go nowhere, nice but different. Friday night I went to the gym then home for some noodles and a couple of episodes of the Doctor, Doctor/Donna, Donna/Doctor. Today I pottered about and just watched Touch of Evil. Orson Welles, film noir, bubbles - heaven.

Orson Welles chews up the screen every time Quinlan and his bulk stormed through, Dennis Weaver, Marlene - oh Marlene ages with such grace, dignity and f*cking style - whorehouse madame and the pianola. Janet Leigh is outclassed, but Charlton Heston - as a MEXICAN, freak, why? Heston doesnt ring my bells, his acting is lame (I'd be more expressive but I've had a bottle and just couldnt be arsed), Judah Ben-Hur I can live with, Moses I've never seen, but in this his Vargas was so not Mexican, so not film noir detective and so not right I didnt like it, but Orson was there.

I could listen to Orson Welles speak for hours, he has one of those voices that wraps you up in the sounds of his being - we like this.

So thats my last 10 days in blurt and a spurt.

Listening - The Men They Couldnt Hang - Devil On The Wind.
Reading - Darkmans - Nicola Barker