i guess walking ain't that bad....
i live up round owen st. hope its not raining....

you bet your bottom dollar I'm walking.
I live just up from you actually.
see you there boyo.

The only complaint I could possibly make about this gig is that there are way too many ska bands in Wellington, it seems.

I'd never seen Two Lane Blacktop before: after all the talk here (and knowing a couple of posters are in the band) I was curious. They did a very good set - I'd say that they're better than some of the more popular/known rock bands around at the moment: why Elemeno P and Pan Am are better known than TLBT beats me. They have a good sound, do the rock band poses to a tee - maybe the one thing needed is a couple of standout/trademark songs, or maybe I just have to hear them again because the thing I never remember after my first listen to a band is the lyrics.

I was thinking as TLBT worked through their songs that they'd put up a pretty strong storm, that Fur Patrol would be a bit pushed to beat in some ways but then they came on and my God, was it great. A lot of the songs were new, some in the old style, some they're working out new ideas - loved the song where Julia vamped it up as a kind of torch song - a touch of jazz, a touch of camp. All were still recognisably Fur Patrol, not simply remakes of Lydia as Julia jokingly suggested. But it was in the old songs that they really triumphed - the last two times I saw Fur Patrol were on outdoor stages. Being inside, somewhere small like Bodega made a huge difference, making the sound more embracing. So the song would start, I'd close my eyes and luxuriate in the warmth of music that was totally familiar, I could anticipate each beat and be at home, safe. Wierd, but that was my response - I came out of one of these songs to find a guy just staring at me, he gave me a big grin so must have recognised what was happening.

That was how it was until the ska thing happened: a group of about five obviously decided it would be fun to do a bunch of skanking pretty much where I was standing, it forced quite a reconfiguration of the crowd up the front.

Two Lane rocked but I found Fur Patrol to be a bit hit and miss. The new song they played towards the end which I assume will be a single at some stage (with the lyrics "and you" or similar in the chorus) didn't seem to ignite. In fact I thought it had more to it when it was played a couple of nights before, outside for the LOTR parade. They connected with me more that night with their slower material that was beautifully crafted and Julia Deans' voice continues to amaze me when she really uses it. As myshkin said the song at the end with the old school jazz styles is always a treat. I love it how Ms Deans slips into characters throughout and just has some real fun.
Of the new material someone said to me "Fur Patrol moved to Melbourne, Melbourne discovered dirty rock, Fur Patrol discovered dirty rock".

Thanks Jon Jr for the link to TLBT. I do remember a song about guys thinking with their dick. Dunno why your name wasn't on the door list, 'cos mine was. When Fur Patrol was on, I was standing right beside Pip (is it?) for a while, then she moved, then the group of skankers came in and I found myself to the right of them, behind a chick in some sort of pink raincoat looking thing (!), one back from the front.

the chick in the pink raincoat looking shirt was my friend. she was drunk....

what?

I thought Teina may have explained to you that Fur Patrols doorlist was not given to the doorman by the owner.