Remember my Fitzroy dream house? Well I have now found my North Melbourne dream house: 10 Leveson Street.
As much as I love a warehouse conversion, especially one with an amazing rooftop deck as that place in Little Gore Street has, I am also a sucker for a beautiful old Victorian terrace.
I haven’t posted much real estate-related content for awhile; perhaps my obsession is easing up a bit? Hmm… doubtful…
x Kitten of Doom
Dear Palace,
I miss you.
You were host to some of the raddest times of my youth.
There was the time I nearly got crushed to death in the Cradle of Filth mosh in 2001. Earlier, Conor and I had been drinking beers on the doorstep of some nearby church around the corner (I hid our one remaining beer in a bush, to retrieve after the gig). Later, we walked to The Paladin on Bourke St and danced at Abyss, one of Melbourne’s best and last goth nights.
There was that other time in 2003 where you were so cold I decided to leave my (faux) fur jacket on, and later passed out from heat exhaustion/dehydration/vodka in the middle of the room just before the final song of a Placebo gig. I got dragged out by Renee and some guy and Ren and I got free bottles of water which I remember being really excited about.
I could continue but I just get too sad.
I remember the day you burned. It was July 2007. You had already been left for dead, but the horror at seeing you engulfed in flames from my then-boss’s 18th story St Kilda Road office window was almost too much to bear.
Still, time does heal, right? I thought I was over you, but I was at St Kilda beach today and I realised there is a hole you left that can never be replaced.
Here is photographic proof:
That space on the left is still rather empty.
But still evocative of so many memories.
x Kitten of Doom
PS. I miss Bass Station!!!
Ah suburban Melbourne… you can be interesting, but you can be such a pain in the arse to get to.
Here are some shots from a recent shoot I did in suburbia. If you are a regular reader you may recognise the windows from one of my earlier posts.
It was a bit of a strange day. Not surprising, considering the location.
I am nowhere near finished editing, but I can’t be bothered. I have been so lazy and useless lately. Meh.
x Kitten of Doom
In the spirit of the holidays (I know not everyone gets holidays this time of year though), I bring you some Instagram snaps of my family’s CUTE PETS.
Toby... he mightn't show it, but he's feeling joyous
Toby on a leash... he's mostly an indoors cat (the leash isn't around his neck)
Tina wants IN.
Tina says hiiiii!
x Kitten of Doom
Soon, the grapes will fry to death in the summer sun.
x Kitten of Doom
I went to both of Omar’s shows at the East Brunswick Club in the two days following the Le Butcherettes gig at Northcote Social Club. ‘Cause I’m such a loyal future wife n all.
Both his Melbourne shows were sold out, and a packed East Bruns Club saw me resorting to wearing five inch heels so that I could see over peoples’ heads. Genius idea on my part, I have to say; I don’t know why wearing five inch heels to a gig had never occurred to me before.
I was in the back courtyard as Le Butcherette’s finished their set on the first of the two nights, and as I was walking back inside, Teri bolted past me with Omar right behind her (don’t know what that was about). He pretty much brushed right past me, and as I realised it was him, it was too late and he was gone…
Sigh…
Anyway, Days of My Life moments aside, both shows were awesome; Omar is just too cool for school onstage, and his crazy drummer is craaazeh! Unfortunately I was feeling nauseous on the second night and had to go outside for fresh air, thus missing the last twenty minutes of his set (here’s a hint for you kids: don’t mix medication with alcohol, especially when it says on the box “do not take this medication with alcohol”). So, in short – if you didn’t go, sucks to be you. (Sorry Steve!)
Also, Teri from Le Butcherettes is quite short in person, which makes her even cuter in my opinion.
I’m not actually a live music critic, so if you were expecting any useful and informative content in this post that doesn’t consist pretty much solely of my infatuation with Omar, then sorry. Hope this pic makes up for it!
x Kitten of Doom
Here are some band photos from Meredith!
All photos by Nick Cooke.
Adalita
Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears
Joelistics ...he can't hear you
Graveyard Train got muchos boot action!
Icehouse
Icehouse
Cut Copy
Grinderman
Nick Cave climbing out of the crowd during Grinderman's set
Grinderman
x K
First up, I have to admit, I only bought a ticket to this show because Omar plays bass in this band. I am a massive Mars Volta fan. I only heard of Le Butcherettes because Omar is involved.
Secondly, I was in such a foul mood this afternoon that I almost didn’t go to the gig.
I am going to Omar’s two headlining gigs (tomorrow and Wednesday) so what did it matter if I didn’t go to the Le Butcherette’s show tonight? He’s only playing bass with them, and it’s their show, not his, and I hadn’t heard a single song of theirs before.
But I still went ’cause I figured it would be a good photo op… the next two nights are at a bigger venue and both are sold out; it would hard to get a prime photography spot at the front of the stage. Tonight would be ideal for that. So I got there, a little late, but like all good bands they were late starting.
Boy am I glad I went!
Their music is GREAT, but more importantly, their singer Teri has amazing energy that I haven’t seen from any band in awhile. She’s dynamic, she’s completely lost in the moment, she looks fucking HOT up there doing her thing… she’s so good I actually forgot Omar was even there.
Halfway through the set she stage dived backwards into the crowd, then proceeded to slink her way through to the back without missing a note – only to return moments later, crawling through my legs, to jump back onto the stage.
The drummer is a machine. Their energy didn’t let up for the rest of the show and I am sincerely glad I overcame my lame-ass laziness from earlier in the evening to make it down there – I loved them! I will definitely be paying more attention to Le Butcherettes from now on.
It’s ridiculous how an amazing band can improve your mood.
x Kitten of Doom
Went to Meredith on the weekend! Believe it or not, it was my first Meredith Music Festival. I went to my first Golden Plains in March – for those of you who aren’t from Victoria, both festivals are held at the same site, but Meredith is a bit bigger than Golden Plains.
Although everyone else was mostly excited about seeing Grinderman, I was more excited about Icehouse. And they did not disappoint! A band that has been around so long that vocalist Iva Davies recounted a tale of playing a show in East Berlin before the fall of the wall, and at one stage quipped, “We’re going to play one of our newer songs now; this one is only 25 years old…” I’m not sure that everyone who was rocking out to Icehouse was old enough to remember their heyday, but hey, I can still remember Icehouse videos being played on Rage (guess my age all you like!) But everyone did rock out, and the standout moment was Glenn Reither emerging from the shadows behind his keyboard and strutting to the front of the stage to play the sax solo midway through Electric Blue. The crowd lost it’s shit.
Cut Copy brought energy and atmosphere, and I’m not really big on them normally but they were great live. Grinderman were great, as was to be expected, with Nick Cave jumping all over the place, off the stage, back onto the stages, going crazy as Nick Cave has a tendency to do. After their final song he announced that that was the final Grinderman show EVER. Was this really true? we pondered. Surely not. Our verdict in the end was… yes it was. But he will be back, no doubt, sooner rather than later with something new.
Graveyard Train were terrific as per usual, Jerry’s vege burgers were their usual amazing selves, and we made bucketloads – literally – of sangria, which we managed to consume every last drop of. Seriously the best fun. Don’t eat taro chips though – just don’t.
My friend Mark ran around dressed like a tele-tubby jumping over things and onto people. It was beautiful. And slightly sexual. I hope someone got a pic because I didn’t.
I was lazy with my camera but here’s a few random shots.
Peeps signing the "happy 21st" key
An eagle... of some description...
Cookie, our group's official photographer (and Hugh!)
Sexies
Chillin' on the golden plains
Garbage bag doona + goonbag pillow = WIN
Field of dreams
Ah the country... so fresh and wholesome
Throwing taro chips at each other, 'cause they're shit and we're childish
Sunday morning sleepyness
No band photos, but my mate Cookie should have some gems which I will post once he’s put them online.
Also, the weather was DIVINE. It was supposed to bucket down all weekend and it was hot and sunny except for a brief deluge during Cut Copy’s set, but we were all prepared with poncho anyway. Ha, take THAT weather!
x Shmitten Kitten
This is a bad time of year to be trying to save money!
Remember my post about Ghostpatrol’s If We’re Going, Then Let’s Go opening night back in May? Yes? Swell! How divine are his characters?
Now you can get them in sterling silver necklace form!
Each piece is hand-carved by jeweller Victoria Mason, and the faces are hand-carved by Ghostpatrol himself. There are two different pieces, and each comes with a signed and numbered Ghostpatrol print. Both are a limited edition of only 99. Buy them here.
I personally wouldn’t mind Book Project for Christmas! Just sayin’.
😀
x Kitten of Doom
Kitten of Doom 