Ahoy!
Life is good. But it’s been so jam-packed with stuff I haven’t had much of a chance to spend a solitary evening blogging about it. So for those who care, my apologies. For those who don’t, well maybe consider putting a little more effort into dedicating your lives to following mine. Na, you’re okay. You’ve done well.
I’ve really noticed a massive change in my social life since moving to Melbourne. I’m just talking more. A product of being around more people: at uni, at the share-house and hanging out with people pretty much whenever I get a chance. It’s good. I must have spent a lot of time on my own last year. Uni really changes things. Especially this post-graduate environment. It’s completely different from undergraduate. Much more comradery. It’s a good thing. Of course at times I do also get sick of these people… Na, they’re okay. They’ve done well.
Things to report on:
RMITV
I auditioned for RMITV Student Television’s “Studio A” live late night comedy/variety show. I was quite happy with the audition. I presented a 60 second monologue to camera and then conducted an “interview” with local Melbourne comedy personality Tommy Little. Unfortunately I didn’t get an on-camera role, or a writing role. But I’m happy to report you’re reading the blog of RMITV’s newest “Script Editor” for Studio A. This will allow me to take my Nazi-like stance on grammar to bizarre new places. But hey, this was the whole reason I moved to Melbourne so just glad to be on the team. I believe the show should go to air around June on Channel 31. More details coming soon…
I was also a member of the crew for the Channel 31 production of “Tough Times”. It’s an interview show hosted by Michael Kuzilny and filmed at RMITV studios. For the first two shows I was a vision mixer (or “switcher”), and I must say, I LOVED it. Great fun. It’s not the direct TV equivalent of radio panel-operating. Technically that would be monitoring the audio recording for the TV show. But vision mixing gives you the same great feeling when you do a good cross from one camera to the other, just like a good crossfade between songs. Ah, it was great! I also helped out with camera and audio, but vision mixing was by far my favourite role. Of course, as much as I enjoyed that, I’d much rather be hosting the show itself. Maybe not that particular show, but the role of “host” is more attractive to me.
Oh yes, that reminds me. I’ll be hosting the first live “Newsline” for 2010 on Monday May 17 on Channel 31 Melbourne with my glamorous co-host Lucy Ormonde. Looking forward to that!
Catalyst
RMIT Student Magazine “Catalyst” printed my interview with Shaun Micallef in “Edition 2” a couple of weeks ago. Copies are available from the various RMIT University Melbourne campuses. I presume it will also be put online (although as at May 6 2010 it’s still not there). So I guess keep checking out HERE until it’s uploaded. Unfortunately the fabulous editors forgot to print a link to this website so readers could read the complete Micallef interview (they also changed the title, as editors do, to “Talkin’ Bout Shaun Micallef”…sigh…). They assure me the link will be in the next edition to direct people to the complete Tim Vine audio interview. No hard feelings towards the editors, of course. They’ve done well.
They also printed a short autobiographical article of mine titled “Throwing it all away”, where I discuss the tribulations of dating and drinking. I’ll post that article directly on this website at some point, as I kinda like it.
Radio
Still working on that one. Got a few leads but nothing of much interest. I’ll have something to report soon. God I miss it though…
Stand-up
I recently realised that, like back in Adelaide, no one is going to take me seriously as a comedian until I do regular stand-up (which I’m not too thrilled about, but hey, what can you do?). So I booked myself in at “The Comic’s Lounge” in fabulous North Melbourne for an open mic spot on Tuesday May 18 from 8:30PM. I’ve just got to get noticed in Melbourne. It’ll be interesting to see how the crowds are different. I’ve heard several stories from Melbourne performers here about how their shows were often not as well received in Adelaide. Of course, they didn’t mention whether or not Adelaide was the butt of the majority of their jokes… That may be a contributing factor. It does get rather tedious after a while. And I can tell ya, sure, Melbourne’s great and I like it more than Adelaide, but Melbourne ain’t perfect. Although their audiences may be easier? I’ll soon find out…
Well, I can cross another one of those “’80s bands to see before I die” off the list. Two actually. Even though Tears for Fears were the support act, I was more excited about seeing them than Spandau Ballet. But I stuck around after they’d finished to see Spandau Ballet too. Hey, I paid for it, right? $100. And like Howard Jones, I couldn’t find anyone who could justify spending that much money to accompany me to this concert, so I attended Melbourne’s famed Rod Laver Arena alone.
I did get talking to the other pathetic single man next to me though. A 44-year-old baker from Broadmeadows who, upon discovering I was studying journalism, preceded to reveal his entire sci-fi novel idea, pausing only to think out aloud, “I probably shouldn’t be telling my idea to another writer… but I will anyway.” Mental note: steal his idea. Na, he’s okay. He’s done well.
Unlike Howard Jones, who played at the intimate Governor Hindmarsh Hotel, this was at Rod Laver Arena, one of the largest enclosed performance venues in the country. Naturally, opting for the cheaper ticket, my seat was appropriately placed:
As for the actual performances, Tears for Fears were good. Unfortunately, as they were the support act, the sound levels weren’t optimal. They seem to do that, don’t they? Spandau Ballet had great levels, but I only knew four of their songs, so I was mostly just sitting through it, sharing the occasional “raised eyebrow hello” with the sci-fi baker to my right. He actually left about 10 minutes into Spandau Ballet. Obviously had some early baking to do. But hey, overall an enjoyable experience.
I also went to my first AFL game since 1997. I tagged along with a bunch of the RMIT journo people to Melbourne vs. Brisbane at the MCG. I’d never been to the MCG before. Very impressive stadium. It was good theatre, I suppose. I enjoyed the insults being hurled from members of the crowd at Brenden Fevola. But I found myself sitting cross-legged, looking around at these footy fans as they cheered and carried on, and I thought to myself, “I can see why people like this, but I just can’t get excited over it.” I’ve just got too much else in my life to follow a sports team.
Later that night I got to drive a car for the first time in about two months. A manual too. Ahh… still got it!
There is of course so much more, but this blog entry is dragging on a bit, so I’ll leave you with two things. 1) The reassurance that I’m enjoying myself and I’m continuing on the dream-chasing venture that is my move to Melbourne. And 2) This photo, which in no way reflects my personal political views:
Kind regards,
David M. Green
I was not responsible for that graffiti. Give me some freaking credit! I would have used two B’s.
