#so excited for the festivals and australia so excited to so this with you all again

[girlhorrror]

god like this is going to be such a horrible emotional post because i am feeling sooooo much after this show and also umm drank half a bottle of vodka during it but like i first found mcr before 8th grade like 2014/15 ish and i had just moved across the country from one of the most major cities where i had a lot of friends to the middle of the woods on an island nobody outside of the province knkws about and i was soo lonely and isolated and lived far away from town where anything ever happened/the few friends i made in school and i was depressed and actively suicidal for the first time and dealing with seasonal depression from a horrible like 5 month long snowy winter i and never experienced before like i genuinely thought about drowning myself in the pond midway through my kilometre long driveway (lmao Rural Areas be like) and an awful home situation where i felt like i could never actually be myself a horrrroble Horribke breakup with my first girlfriend/incredibly codependent girl best friend and like i swear 90% of the music i listened to that year was just the three cheers album and it sounds so fucking cheesy especially after hearing it for so long but that album Really Did save my life and just give me a space to comfortably be myself in and like fuck flash forward to this tour where i am dealing with trying to build my life after like 8 years of that shit and the worst anxiety i’ve ver experienced and the like Subatnce Abuse Issues that have come from coping with all that and the band that saved my life is Back and they are the happoest and full of life they’ve ever been snd they are doing things on their own terms and i’ve found myself in this wonderful community of people who’ve had similar expericmes and just i love you guys all so much and o really really think we have proof now that it can get better

[ohmyeyesmyeyes]

what happened in switzerland?

mick schumacher x singer!f!reader

fc: gracie abrams bc i have no self control

britishvogue posted...

liked by ynofficial, alexachung and 231,926 others

britishvogue: Singer y/n l/n recently attended a music festival in Australia after her break from social media and the public eye. In an interview conducted by a fan, she explained how she was excited to see what the future has in store and is looking forward to releasing new music after an inspiring trip to Switzerland this Winter.

view all comments

fan1: FINALLY MOTHER HAS RETURNED

fan2: get this woman a grammy immediately

fan3: pls she's so cute 😭

fan4: at this point i genuinely think i'm in love with her

fan5: this is amazing and all but i'm wondering why switzerland?

fan6: switzerland is actually very beautiful so it makes sense that she was inspired when she visited

fan7: fr like switzerland in the winter???? cold but GORGEOUS

liked by alyahcs, alexachung and 791,193 others

ynofficial: i feel like it'd be weird to ignore the fact that i kind of went offline for about a year and a half (and i only just found out that virtually nobody had seen me either) so i'm letting you guys know that i'm alive, well, happy, and writing again - and i'm so excited to announce that a new single, 'happy endings', will be released at midnight tonight!

also, have some (2) pictures from the last 18 months, photographed in my new happy place 🥰

view all comments

fan8: YOU LOOK SO HAPPY IM SO EXCITED

fan9: happy endings will either destroy my mental health or leave me a sobbing mess on the bathroom floor (wrong, it'll do both)

fan10: switzerland is officially on my bucket list of countries to visit

ynofficial: good girl👍👍👍👍

fan10: imdead 🧎🧎

fan11: i'm 🫶 so 🫶 proud 🫶 of 🫶 you 🫶

ynofficial: STOP YOU'RE MAKING ME BLUSH

georgerussell63: looking forward to hearing it!

liked by ynofficial

mickschumacher has posted to their story...

liked by mclaren, lissiemackintosh and 360,184 others

mercedesamgf1: it's official: the boys are all in their 'happy endings' eras! 🥳

view all comments

fan12: came for the driving update, left knowing we can stan the merc boys

fan13: AS THEY BLOODY WELL SHOULD BE

fan14: idk bout you but mick is cheesing a little too hard at that question 😏

fan15: i thought that too, but he probably just has a little crush, bless his soul 🥰

fan16: i wasn't convinced but after i saw lewis likes her music, i listened to her recent single and omg it's actually incredible

fan17: is this the same y/n that mick posted about the other day?

fan18: yes!

liked by ynofficial, phildunster and 483,188 others

mercedesamgf1: familiar faces in the garage. fabioquatararo, tomholland2013 and ynofficial are attending the race on behalf of us (by popular demand 😉)

view all comments

fan19: i hope the drivers begged them to invite ynofficial 😞

mercedesamgf1: who says they didn't? 🤔

fan20: I BET IT WAS MICK

fan21: GIVE ME A TOM AND Y/N INTERACTION I'M BEGGING YOU

fan22: tom??? fabio is a literal motogp wc 😭

fan23: scraping for crumbs of y/n rn GIVE US EVERYTHING YOU HAVE

mercedesamgf1: 🫡

liked by estebanocon, connor_swindells and 519,312 others

ynofficial: thank you mercedesamgf1, this weekend has been INSANE!!! also, a massive shout out to mickschumacher for being the best tour guide 😁

view all comments

fan24: ok panic over *mops up forehead* 😌

fan25: aw i was kinda hoping they were dating, they'd be cute together 🥲

fan26: this^

fan27: the way they both looked like they were having fun 😊

fan28: PLS HIS FACE IT'S TOO CUTE AHHSDJF

fan29: omg she did a hot lap BABE WHO WAS THE DRIVER

ynofficial: mickshumacher!

fan30: oh. my. god.

mercedesamgf1: content coming soon 😉

fan31: i'm dying someone send helllllpppppp

fan32: why am i fighting the urge to squeal after that merc comment

fan33: no bc same that emoji defo implies something

mickshumacher: had an awesome time with you this weekend ☺️

liked by ynofficial

fan34: shooting his shot

fan35: yk what, i'd probably do the same

liked by landonorris, stephbohrer and 591,374 others

mickschumacher: austria 😁

view all comments

fan36: hmm yeah they're probably dating let's be honest

fan37: but he was only her tour guide and it's kind of natural that he'd get photos of her, esp considering she was invited as a merc guest?

fan38: true but when has mick ever done that before?

fan37: i'm just saying, the last thing we want to do is assume things bc there's a perfectly reasonable excuse as to why they've been spending time together

fan39: FUCKING BROAD SHOULDERS 🫠🫠

fan40: i just know y/n took that 😭

fan41: kay but all those photos are just so cute

fan42: right???

callum_ilott: 🤨

liked by danielricciardo, kaitlyndever and 691,320 others

ynofficial: my new album 'STAYING AT SEB'S' is out next week and i'm so excited for you all to finally hear it!

view all comments

fan43: seb's? as in seb vettel's farm?

fan44: just how did you draw that conclusion????

fan43: bc she could be dating mick and seb owns a farm in switzerland and i'm pretty sure she knows daniel ricciardo through her manager who knows seb vettel. it's far-fetched but it's not impossible

fan45: if this is right...🤯

fan46: OMG I'M SO EXCITED I JUST SHIT MYSELF IN COSTCO

fan47: i'm gonna listen to this because i'm a massive fan of baby goats

ynofficial: omg i love that for you

fan48: is it a happy album or soul-crushingly depressing

ynofficial: 🤷

fan49: WHAT DOES THAT MEAN GIRLIE 💀

charles_leclerc: no bc i'm so excited

fan50: charles lmao

ynofficial: 🫶

liked by ynofficial, sebastianvettel and 691,186 others

mickshumacher: happy two years, sweetheart 💗 there's never been a day i haven't been in complete awe of your existence; i love and appreciate you everyday

view all comments

fan51: oh. em. acca. gee.

fan52: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

fan53: I SHIP IT. I SHIP IT SO HARD

fan54: babe calm down, they've sailed already

fan55: i'm crying pls the way she looks at him HAS ME BLUSHING

georgerussell63: congrats to the happy couple!

estebanocon: about time our dts gossip session came to light 🤣

danielricciardo: fucking finally 😁

lewishamilton: 💜

fan56: the support from the drivers is melting meeeee

liked by mercedesamgf1, laurawoodsy and 712,001 others

ynofficial: happy 2 years to my favourite person, the love of my life, the most adorable human being ever created, and my best friend. it's been a blast so far and i'm loving every second of it 🥰

view all comments

fan57: can i ask if mick is the inspiration for 'happy endings'?

ynofficial: he's actually the inspiration for the whole album

fan58: he's so golden retriever

sebastianvettel: i can confirm this is true

danielricciardo: hello??? seb??? look at my texts

fan59: ok he's hot

fan60: THE MOTORBIKE AND THE ARMS 😭🥵

fan61: she's out here creating thirst traps of her bf

fan62: honestly if he looked like mick, i think i would too

fan63: WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY 'STAYING AT SEB'S'??????

ynofficial: SEB VETTEL

charles_leclerc: 😲

estebanocon: 😲

lewishamilton: 😲

danielricciardo: 😲

landonorris: 😲

ynofficial: kay wtf

[myheadphonesareneverloudenough]

pinning this one to my profile for the next two weeks.

The Tin Can Bros need your help as they embark on the Tinlightenment World Tour: Spreading the Gospel of TCB which includes 7 holy missions, aka 7 days exciting live events in LA, New York, London, Edinburgh, and Adelaide

Spy Another Day: in LA, original cast members of the TCB and Talkfine comedy musical, Spies Are Forever, will be reuniting (along with new special guests, many you know and love from Starkid) for a Rocky Horror Picture Show-esque live concert screening! Watch the full movie with audience participation and live musical numbers!

Spy Another Day, in London: that’s right, baby! Spies Are Forever live concert screening is coming to London, too! Featuring brothers Joey, Brian, and Corey, along with Lauren Lopez!

The Solve-It Squad Returns: at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the original cast of TCB’s comedy play, The Solve-It Squad Returns!, will be back together once again to do the first ever live TCB event outside of America!

This Could Be On Broadway: the original comedy musical starring Bryce Charles, Esther Fallick, James Tolbert, and many more is coming back baby! live at 54 Below in New York City, the cast will be performing all the songs for the first time ever in front of a live audience.

Gross Prophets: An all-new original TCB musical about cults, enlightenment, financial and spiritual freedom! starring Joey Richter, Brian Rosenthal, and Lauren Lopez, with performances happening in Australia and LA!

Intelligent Life: the Tin Can Bros have a new queer sci-fi comedy show, Intelligent Life, and will be doing a live reading of the pilot episode in LA, summer 2024. following two ex-boyfriends, one who can’t get away from his ex, even after leaving Earth to explore a new planet!

The Great Debate: who is the best Hollywood Chris? what is the worst 3rd movie in a film trilogy? who is the worst muppet? what’s something that feels like a cult, but isn’t? so many questions to ask, so many opinions to debate! The Great Debate is a live comedy game show where the Tin Can Bros and special guests argue seriously unimportant topics with the kind of passion of a serious life-or-death debate. things get heated, friendships are ended, and one person will always come out on top… with so many amazing guests! TCB have already announced three special guests on The Great Debate; Smosh’s very own Angela Giarratana, Chanse McCrary, and Arasha Lalani!

but none of these projects can happen without your help! until March 2nd, the Tin Can Bros’ kickstarter is in full swing!! we’re working our way to their goal of $200,000!

all TCB asks of you is to pledge $3, and to share this campaign with your friends! this is how we can make it happen!

have more than $3 to give? amazing!! there are 12 backer tiers of varying prices that can get you some INCREDIBLE rewards like merch, custom t shirts, collectables, and a BelieverBand that will allow you to unlock incredible backer perks in the very near future of TCB

interested? go to tinlightenment.com to check out these reward tiers!

we’re over 50% funded, friends <3 we can do this.

TINLIGHTENMENT.COM

[luvdsc]

I MISS YOU PLS COME BACK TO US

((hope you’re living your best life lately ilyyy))

i miss you and ilysm, honey bee !!!!! 🥹💗💗 i hope 2024 has been treating you kindly, and you’re doing well 🌷🌷 how have you been? what have you been up to, sweetpea? ☁️

i have been living my best life, thank you !!! 🤧 in 2023, i traveled with my friends, went to LA every month basically, visited japan for almost three weeks, visited australia for two weeks and steph and ti showed me around 💕, attended two music festivals (seeing dpr irl and rich brian coming down from the stage and stopping in front of us ???? immaculate) and a keshi concert (i was SO close to the stage and the videos are beautiful except my storage was full so I couldn’t get it all rip), hung out with els, omg and moon is basically my neighbor now and we hang out super often and I just went to her graduation (congrats on being one masters degree hotter 🥵), and lana came to visit us over the summer too !! 💘 also it’s been over two years of being blonde now lmaoo

and i’m so excited for 2024 !!!! 💛 one of my bsfs is getting married, i’m going to korea with my friends for two weeks, and i have one music festival already lined up 🥳 ooo also there’s gonna be a fun work trip with my work bsf soon and another nyc trip and mexico trip in the works !! ✨

also, i am slowly starting to write 🥹 i opened up one of my wips recently, ty to lana and moon for the moral support as we’re all gently peer pressuring each other into writing again 🤧 fingers crossed that i’ll have something to announce on my bday 🍒

i wanted to see what everyone has been interested in reading lately and the fic tags are all filled with text scenarios now ?? idk if any of you will still enjoy my fics but i’m having lots of fun writing again !!! 🐝✨

[siremasterlawrence]

The Handler’s Red Carpet Express 3 & 4

The success of my launch party with BAFTA aid is week known so my appearance at the lots of many Hollywood executives soon lead to submissions galore.

Part 1 - 2

Tyler Hoechlin is magnetic walking across the red carpet tonight something has gotten into him that my spirit driving him ever on forward.

He smiles so bright the light glistening on his teeth he blows me the camera a kiss he is waving his hand and demanding so much attention.

No one has ever seen him so happy with the camera men before taking one position like pose one way other than that and the crowd is so exciting.

The lights of the camera crew flashes going on blinding him in a fleeing sea of lights on and off clicking away the sound messing with his head.

Everything begin to slow down to a cruel a heavy weight off his body is unleash in a shocking wave hitting him head on in a life of fire.

Another hot, sexy and beautiful steadily sturdy stud man stops next to him with love, light, power and passion consuming him in a white glow.

He spun a bit feeling the man’s arms on his shoulders letting it spread over the man’s entire width groping it he yanks him closer to his body.

The flashing conquers both wiping away all fears, worries and desires because all they can do is wait for further commands to be given.

The other man is former Titans star known as Brenton Thwaites is in the mood as well as I notice a cock sprang forward in his suit pants.

The active flesh overacting into a myriad of cum explosion his facial expression are trying to hide as his brain cell die out on live tv.

My reporter walks straight forward toward them as the crowd is pumped for this super star studded event and Tyler follows suit ok cumming.

The man guides them to side by the red and gold blinds shoving them in playfully as they join the ranks of my loyal Hollywood pets or slaves which ever you prefer.

Inside there is a long set of stairs to the base of the bottom floor they both descend down the swirling staircase. Meanwhile two Men appearColton Haynes is at the welcoming desk he is getting a champagne glass as he takes a sip he can see silhouette in the shade of yeh red and gold blinds.

Australia star Brenton Thwaites walks on to the scene and soon the world stops making sense of anything and everything in utter life’s existence.

“Hey Colton over here buddy…what’s up?” Brenton yells at him.

“Hey Brenton! Waiting for the festivities?” Colton asks.

“Hell Yeah!” He says prepped for a high five.

“So do you even know what this is about?”

“To be honest no clue”

“Me Either! I am not sure why but…”

“You felt compacted to come”

“Exactly “

“Same here”

“Things are shaking up “

“You noticed then”

“I kind of like it actually I am embracing it”

“You are embracing your darkness”

“Oh God! Why am so hot?l

“Me too…I feel wet”

“Fuck”

“Ffffuuuuccccckkkk”

“Gentlemen! Excuse me ! Follow me please “

Part 3 - 4

The time for fun has come and gone so the real party begins when Tom Ellis gets hit with a spotlight encroaching on him ever so closer.

Stephen Amell is standing right next to him in surprise they both stare at the crowd in a cool style give a shrug with their shoulders in disbelief

“Oh How Cute? Two best pals”

“Who is this?”

“Is this a prank”

“Trick Or Treat”

“Neither! Fuck Off”

“Mwahahahahaha “

“Sinister laugh you got their pal”

“I’m aware it’s just for you “

“My two good fellows…do me a favor and”

“I said to fuck ….”

“SLEEP”

“Ooooohhhh Mmmyyyy Goooodddd”

“The audience gasps”

“Perform routine debauchery”

“Yes Master!”

They start to smile hands on each other in a warm embrace, a jaw dropping kiss, clothes disrobing in to the air, and most importantly a whip transports in to Tom’s hand and he whips his pals ass till it is red.

“Thank you and goodnight everyone “

“Say goodnight guys “

“Goodnight friends “

“Take A Bow”

They take a bow disappearing into the night in a flash of smoke slowly filling the room to the top and memory of this event is erased throughout the world.

“Enjoy your stay Mr. Evans” the hotel bell hop says to an exhausted Chris.

He fell a sleep unknowingly ceiling his faith at the Circus Hotel chain with a bright smile to his face his expression is silly after the night he had.

A strange looking clown pops out undoing his pants slowly stripping him and the lifting him into his arms and pressing the elevator to the basement.

“Master Lawrence, Chris is E is fast a sleep for you.”

“Place him in the elevator shaft “

“Press basement, clear the room of any and all evidence.”

“Yes Master”

“We are leaving now”

“Too perfect “

The elevator door descending to the cellar of the basement takes its time lights up in all manner of collar stirring Chris awake as he rubs his eyes.

Chris comes to laying on the floor he sat up placing his back to the wall his laborious breathing lessons and he returns to a sight for me.

He starts to widen his mouth into a smile and he cracks up hilariously for the world to see in this video he stands up bouncing wall to wall.

“Hahahahahahaha…the fuck…what is so…”

“Soooooohhhhhaaaa….i am going insane”

“Nah! It’s normal “ a voice comes from the speaker”

“The elevator is talking…hahahaha”

“Funny”

“It’s right this natural and right “

“Chris Hemsworth”

“Wawwhhhaaaattt” he answers in slumber as his body rises.

“Stand by the wall”

“Yes”

The wall at the touch of his back spins him to the opposite side of the wall into the shaft to join his friend.

“Barrel of laughs you two”

“Why are we laughing”

“I don’t know “

“It feels good though”

“Give in”

“Let’s go mad together “

“We can’t stop it”

“We can’t help it”

“Aaaahhhh…ooooohhhhh….aaahhhhh…babe….mmmmnnnnn….ffffuuucccckkkk….yyyyyyyyyeeeeaaaaahhhhhhh.”

The end

[orgyupdates]

Jay interview with Music Festivals Aus

California Nu-Metal pioneers Orgy are rearing and ready to embark on the first ever tour Down Under! Following on from sell out dates across the US, Orgy and fellow patriots Cold are gearing themselves for three massive back to back shows this October. The Orgy + Cold Australian Tour kicks off at Melbourne’s Max Watts on October 25th, The Metro Theatre, Sydney October 26th and rounding off at The Triffid, Brisbane October 27th. Now celebrating 25 years since the release of debut album Candyass, we caught up with Jay Gordon from Orgy to discuss the renowned Family Values Tour , the cause and affect of Napster and the evolution of Orgy since conception.

Interview behind the cut

Thanks for meeting with me today, Jay. I first found Orgy on the Family Values tour back in 1998 in possibly one of the most standout performances, and one that's remained with me for all of these years. Can you tell me about that tour and what it meant to you then and now?

 

Oh, yeah. I mean, it was our first tour ever. So it was what a way to break into the music industry. I mean, play with all of those great bands and all that kind of stuff. So it was fantastic. You know, definitely a learning experience. I learned how to navigate through the Big Boys you know, so it was cool. Messed up a lot. Had a lot of fun with Rammstein. It was chaotic. You know, we had we had a great time. But yeah, they cost me a lot of money. But it was cool. Yeah.

Yeah, it was definitely a rite of passage back in in the in the 90s. In Australia in those years, we had to physically import albums from overseas. Candyass was definitely one of my first and favourite imports. So, it’s 1997 and Korn’s Jonathan Davis signed Orgy as one of the first artists on their debut label Elementree Records, what impact did this have as an up-and-coming artists in the pre digital era?

 

Huge, you know. Korn was like a massive band at this point. And, they're good friends of mine, thank God and I owe them everything. They, you know, paved the way and opened up the doors for me along the way. So that was cool.

 

There is something candescent about your sound, in some forums labelled as electronic rock or alt metal, but more famously, as a pioneer of the nu metal movement? What were some of your biggest influences at the time?

I mean, I think always, you know, people like David Bowie and I just love the way his brain worked. I really can identify and relate to a lot of his music and stuff like that. But also, like, really heavy stuff, too. Like, where I came from, you know, the San Francisco thrash metal scene and things like that. So, adding like futuristic, melancholy weirdness with heavy stuff from the era at the time. Metallica and Testament and all those guys coming from where I'm from. So that all helped and kind of paved the way for me. And obviously Korn I suppose at the time. They were my favourite band. And so that's how I got to know those guys. And Jonathan would come stay at our house and stuff when they would play in town and it kind of started off a pretty, pretty basic friendship from then. And so they were a huge influence on me like I loved every song.

 

What impact did these artists have on you, personally and professionally?

 

Just Korn has such an original sound and they had a really big impact on me, all the way through my career. I’m always excited to hear what they come up with and what their next sound is going to be and what their next song is going to be. We get to play with each other every now and then like, in Sick New World. That was really cool. And just a huge impact.

Candyass was a pivotal album of the 1990’s, not only for myself but a deluge of young adults transitioning life. As a parent, it’s hard to pick between, but what is your favourite album release and why is it Candyass?

 

I don't know that it’s the best album that we've ever released. But I mean, it's probably my favourite. I don't know I was just in a different headspace. Candyass came from, let me see. So myself and Josh Abraham, were watching Depeche Mode show downtown and these three drag queens walked up to me and one of them’s name was Candyass. And, you know, he asked me, my name, I was like, “Jay” and he's like, “why don't I know you?” And whatever. And he goes, “you know me, my name is Candyass” and I thought it was so funny. So I said, I'm gonna name my first album Candyass and that was it. Then, you know, we became friends and everything, and they will come over to the studio and like, you know, mess up the board when I'm working. Like, I'd go to the bathroom and I come back and like, why does it sound like ass, you know, they were just like, him and Alexis Arquette, you know, RIP but I love Alexis Arquette and they would come over to the studio where we recording you know, it was just funny. Yeah, so that's why I named the record Candyass after him.

As most 80’s kids, I’m a sucker for a synth and electronic drum kit. The amalgamation of this soundscape with industrialism is none more evident than your cover of New Order’s Blue Monday. Before Stitches, this is one of my favourite releases. What was the inspiration behind your sound and its’ evolution?

 

You know, I wanted to do a cover song. And we were messing with a couple of different ones I liked it's called ‘Something Going On’ and Frida Lyngstad was her name. Her and Phil Collins, I guess got together and they did this song called I know ‘There's Something Going On.’ And that was gonna be the first one that we did. And then so we're playing around with that one and the Blue Monday one and we just went with Blue Monday. Yeah, just kind of, it's kind of clicked and worked out.

 

Vapor Transmission and Punk Statik Paranoia celebrated the unique sound encapsulated by Candyass, both in their own right. What was the progression in sound as traversed through the years and these albums?

Well you know, Vapor Transmission, I think definitely a progression, sonically, and things like that. I think we're headed for something really different on that record, but at the same time, that's when Napster dropped, you know.

“Napster kind of came out and kind of really killed the record industry, so to speak”

So, the record sales weren't there anymore, and things like that. But that's not an indicator that it wasn't doing what it was supposed to be doing. It's just that music was free after that, like, so it kind of just, it was a vibe killer on that, on that level, because our record had just come out, it was literally like, two weeks out. And then you see this big change in the sales of records because everybody caught on to Napster so fast. So that's kind of what happened there. And then Punk Statik Paranoia, that record just came out, like way too late. That was more like to me, like a bunch of glorified demos, you know, like, it never really got mixed, right. We never had a chance to really finish it up, because we were going through a lot of label stuff and trying to figure out what we were doing, if we were still going to be on a label or not, I think we were trying to get off Warner Brothers at the time. And that took some time. So the record just came out so late, and we ended up just putting it out in the end. Yeah, it took a long time for that to be able to happen. So we were sitting on it for like a year waiting for the lawyers and to get everything solid, so we can actually put the record out.

Carlton Bost first joined Orgy circa 2011 after an equally successful career as guitarist in parallel bands such as Deadsy, The Dreaming and the bass player in Stabbing Westward. What kind of dynamic did Carlton bring to the Orgy party?

I mean, Carlton's, he's great, like he's, he's a great band member. He and I actually, you know, when it comes to the more now orgy, you know, we kind of do a lot more stuff together. Whereas before in the past, you know, the first few records I just did by myself, you know, a lot by myself, you know, everybody did their part. You know, they played on the records and did whatever but, but as far as writing and stuff like that, I just did a lot of that on my own. And then I'd say, Paige wrote quite a bit of stuff on those records. And, you know, like a riff here a riff there and he was always really good at coming up with stuff on the spot. So, Oh, first, you know, he's like the new Paige in this era, but we actually just write a lot of stuff. Like sometimes he'll write like entire songs like Spells and Wide Awake and Dead. He had a big part of those songs. So it's more like a team on this one.

In October, Orgy embarks on the first ever tour down under alongside fellow patriots Cold in a three city rampage including Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. What kind of energy are you anticipating from an Australian crowd?

 

I have no expectations. Because I've never been there. I don't really know a whole lot about it other than like, you know, the typical kangaroos and this and that. I mean, I want to see all of that stuff when I come there. But I have no idea what to expect from the crowds I think I think it'll be a good show. I think the crowd will love it. And we're gonna bring the energy that's for sure. And, you know, we just killed it out here. We sold out every show but one with Cold here, it was a great tour. And I anticipate it being similar to that and hope the turnouts there and the turnout there is going to get a great show, you know, and we just signed Orgy, Carlton, and I we signed a Tucson deal with Golden Robot, which is an Australian label. So we're gonna try to get those songs done and be playing those live when we get there.

A huge congratulations on the 25th anniversary of the debut album Candyass. You've just answered my question. can fans expect any new Orgy releases within the near future? So yeah, as a fan, I'm very, very excited about that one.

 

Me too. You know, I have no idea what the release dates gonna be on those two songs. But yeah, we get them done and get them out before we show up and play so we can play them.

 

I do follow you on social media, so I will be definitely keeping an eye out myself for that. Following the tour, what's next for you, for you, both individually and professionally?

 

I'm kind of getting into, I'm going to be getting into like film stuff like Sony and direct some stuff. So that's kind of my next chapter in life. But yeah, other than that I'm also producing music. So I'm gonna keep doing that and work with other artists and things like that.

Full Interview, Aus dates/tickets, and pictures here.

[cherrylng]

Summer Sonic 2000 Headline [ROCKIN'ON June 2000]

Y2K breaks out! The first ROCKIN'ON report on the midsummer alternative festival Summer Sonic! Finally, Japan's first urban festival. First of all, fly with the line-up!

On 5th and 6th August, immediately after the Fuji Rock Festival, the two-day rock festival "Summer Sonic" will be held simultaneously at Fujikyu Highland Conifer Forest in the Kanto region and Osaka Cosmosquare Open Air Stadium in the Kansai region. The number of artists is expected to be considerable, as the festival will be held over two days and on two stages. The names are still coming in, but for now the confirmed artists include Green Day, Mansun, The Flaming Lips, Teenage Fanclub, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Muse, Weezer, Arrested Development, Ben Folds Five, Coldplay, Grandaddy, The Living End, Tahiti 80, Vienna, 311, Supercar, Quruli, and more! —So it's already gorgeous! The artists are completely interchangeable between the Kanto and Kansai regions, so all bands will be appearing in both. Don't worry.

Now, let's take a personal look at each of the highlights, starting with Weezer. I thought they had broken up, but it seems they are really coming. What's going on? I've checked many times, but seriously, they're coming. And Mansun! The new album is coming out in June, so it should be unusually exciting by this time. Shout out "I'm negative!" to the sound of high-speed dominoes falling all over the place! And for those who missed their first visit to Japan, is the longed-for Muse going to be the favourite? Green Day, who played in the basement of Seiyu [a convenience store] in Takadanobaba after being cancelled at the first Fuji Rock show, have not played since their last shows at Tokyo Bay NK Hall and Akasaka BLITZ [in 1998]. What colour is your hair? Or, has there been a new album to follow "Nimrod" yet? Jon Spencer, who is a familiar face is sure to impress. And for Teenage Fanclub, the long-awaited new album is in the works. They'll be playing new songs! The Flaming Lips under a summer sky, is it Reading Fest all over again? A Bowlie Weekender illusion? Check out Grandaddy, and I could go on and on, but this is a groundbreaking line-up. I know my wallet (or bank account) will be tight at Fuji, but I have no choice but to say "I've got to go".

This festival is an urban festival. It is an attempt to present a different kind of festival in Japan, where people can experience world-class rock artists on stage in a convenient location in a casual and comfortable manner, rather than the green, free and hard-working rock festival that Fuji Rock so strongly impressed upon people. This is the same direction as Reading in the UK and Big Day Out in Australia. In a sense, it could be said to be competing with Fuji. It's hard to decide which one to go to, and if you go to both, it's hard to find the money and time, but it's good to think about the future of festivals in Japan. We can target festivals too, and if we do, they will become better and better. …… As I was writing this, I was stunned to see the new line-up for Fuji Rock announced today! In addition to Morrissey and Denki Groove, Mogwai! Yo La Tengo, Super Furry Animals and more! This is a battle as early as the subject……. Find out more with your own eyes! That's all I can say. (Yoichiro Yamazaki)

Translator's Note: There's actually at least 3 different accounts on what happened with Green Day when the first Fuji Rock Festival was cancelled back in 1997.

As claimed in the article, they played an impromptu show at the basement of a Seiyu convenience store in Takadanobaba.

According to Wikipedia JP, the band were upset and trashed the hotel room that they were staying at with a BB gun/air gun.

According Green Day Live, the band joined members of the Chili Peppers, the Foo Fighters, Beck, and The Prodigy on an excursion to an amusement park. It was likely to be Fuji-Q Highland, since it was close to the resort and only half an hour away by car.

So yeah, make of it what you will.

Believe it or not, I happen to come across this article by chance from amongst the secondhand Japanese music magazines that I have in my collection. It came from one of the magazines that I was forced to buy as part of a bulk purchase and it had none of the artists or bands that I was interested in, so I put it away. It wasn't until a couple of days while I was sifting through the collection that I found this article.

So, everyone, say thank you to this closeup image of Richard Ashcroft for this nice little article.

[thatpaintedpony]

It’s Christmas so it’s time for the 2023 year in review. This is going to be a rollercoaster so strap in.

We kicked off 2023 with a trail ride down to our neighbour’s place to ride on her lovely arena, and needless to say Sky took it all in her stride, though she was a little wide eyed when she met their many, many, many blood hounds. It was, however, extremely hot, and we both came home drenched in sweat and ready for a shower.

We had, of course, been preparing for our Novice debut for nearly 12 months now so we were also starting to work with a bit of elementary stuff, working slowly on our laterals and developing our walk to canters. January at work was deeply miserable, as my excellent manager had left and I was left in a job I hated, surrounded by people I didn’t like, plus I wasn’t allowed to work from home which made riding a bit miserable. Still, we plugged along through January.

I once more rode at the MARC Unofficial comp and did another two Unofficial Novice tests, with one scoring 73%! Unofficial scores are never a good indication of where you are realistically, but it’s always nice to see that score starting with a 7. Then, finally, FINALLY at the end of January, we competed in our FIRST Official Novice test at Bowral Dressage Club, more than 8 months later than intended. We had one more error (broke to canter in the lengthen trot) but otherwise put in two very solid tests and scored 64% for both, and placed 2nd and 4rd. Not bad for our first official comp! It seemed the curse was finally broken!

In February, it was off to South Australia to see Mum and Dad, during which time I went on a hot and rather random trail ride on a standardbred out the back of some random lady’s paddock, enjoyed some beach time, and went for a lot of dog walks. We did get excellent weather for  change which was nice!

The end of summer brought a boon of blackberries, since our property at Gunning is rank with them and even as annoying as having a property full of noxious weeds is, at least these ones have berries.

We also started preparing for our Novice Freestyle, which was supposed to be debuted at the Festival last year, but never got finished due to the broken hand. This meant a few trips out to a local arena to get the timing right, which we also used to start to develop our elementary work a bit more.

In March it was off to Melbourne to meet my delightful cousin and her new hubby, back from London to visit the family, and Mum and I had an excellent time exploring some museums while we were there.

We had another solid official Novice at ACTDA in March, with 64% and 65%, keeping our scores fairly consistent. We probably could have done better but Sky decided to do a choose your own adventure test so was anticipating pretty badly. In March we also tried our hand at hacking, and did excellently, though it was revoltingly hot, and landed Champion Led Pinto and Reserve Champion Led Warmblood, and picked up a ribbon in almost all our classes.

April rolled around, and with it, Dressage in the Bush. We camped out at Bendick Murrell Showgrounds, and competed in the AOR Novice Championship and the Novice Freestyle. Our Freestyle went well and we won (after a bit of a snafu with the scores) and we placed 3rd and 6th in the Championship, only JUST missing out on Reserve Champion due to an error of course in our first test. But Sky was absolutely exemplary the whole time and I was SO proud of how well we went.

We also won a lesson with the amazing Susan Elekessy, who has become our eyes on the ground, helping us pick up little things that Peter can’t see through the Pivo. She was very complimentary towards Sky, as well, which is always nice.

After the excitement of Dressage in the Bush, a certain SOMEONE (looking at you Lexi) conned me into entering Elementary at the HDC Festival. I figured it would be a good opportunity to see how we would go, how solid our Elem work was. Afterall, we had most of the main movements alright, though our travers was less good. Due to a wedding, I wasn’t able to compete AOR, so I found myself riding my first ever elementary tests in an OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP. No pressure, right? And yet somehow my magical unicorn Sky managed to not only not embarrass us, but to PLACE 6th in the 3.2 with 65%, which ALSO qualified us for States. Insane! We also got 2nd in the Novice Freestyle. Unfortunately the big week and competing elementary meant that by the time we got to our Novice championship, Sky was exhausted, so while we put in decent tests we didn’t manage to place against the Open horses. Still, it was amazing to finally make it to the Festival that I worked so hard to help organise, to actually be able to ride with my amazing friends.

Post Festival, I finally started a new job at ANU, transferring from the Digital Literacy team back into the Library, taking on the role of Information Access and Training Officer, which was a HUGE step in improving my attitude towards work. I love my new manager and my new team, and I’m having so much fun being back as a librarian.

Peer Pressure struck once again, and I found myself entered at States in both Novice and Elementary. With not a lot of time between the Festival and States, I trekked out to Wagga to try and get one more ride at Elementary in before States. We did the 2.3 and the 3.3. We had some hefty mistakes in the 3.3 and ended with 62.8%. Even better, we cracked 70% at Novice for the first time in an Official test which is an excellent benchmark!

Before States I went back to South Australia to surprise Dad for his birthday. Little did I know, it would be the last time I saw him outside of hospital.

Then it was States again. On paper, it wasn’t the most successful Championship we’ve been to. We scored 57% in the 3.3 which was one of our worst ever scores, and 61% in the 3.2, which put us mid field in both tests, which considering these were our 6th and 7th ever Elem tests I was still pretty pleased with, however it did show that Sky was getting a bit scrambled about the simple changes. Then in the novice, again, she was tired, scoring 63% and 64% in the two tests with some silly mistakes. So no ribbons, but the fact that we were even competing at States in at two levels when before Sky the thought of competing at states AT ALL was far out of reach, so I’m still proud to have been there, and we were mid-field in all our tests so definitely not at the bottom!

We took some time off competing while we addressed the issues that had arisen in rushing our Elem start, namely that for a while we were entirely unable to trot, and could ONLY do walk to canters and canter walks. It was a whole thing. So we stepped it back to Novice while we addressed that.

In September, my dad unexpectedly went into hospital with severe pneumonia, among other things. I rushed down to Royal Adelaide hospital to be with him, and stayed for a week as he slowly recovered. He seemed to be getting better, so I came home. I competed at ACTDA in Novice, in a howling gale. Her tests were tense, but obedient, and we got 63% and 64% (at least we’re consistent).  

Then, a week later, Dad passed away in the ICU at Royal Adelaide Hospital. It has been the most devastating thing that has ever happened to me.

I came home and tried to pick up my life again.

In November, my bestest for the restest and I decided to start a Podcast, revisiting our terrible writing from when we were teens, in an effort to try and create some sort of platform since apparently that’s what you have to do to publish a book these days.

Finally, it was time for the Canberra Classic. The big local championship that I missed last year due to Sky’s endless seedy toe. I was tough, being the first time I’d competed since Dad died. He was always so invested in my competitions. It was hot, and windy, but Sky put in two lovely tests. We got slammed in the first with 62% for having her poll too low, but scored 69% in the second test to place 5th AOR. If we’d competed Open we’d have been second! Still, I can’t complain about a 69% so was extremely happy, and we got to take home a shiny ribbon.

On the 18th of November we said goodbye to Dad with a wake at one of his old haunts in Balmain, spreading his ashes off Darling Street wharf. I was reminded how truly beautiful the friendships I’ve made are with the support of my amazing pals. I wish they could have met him.

Sky and I came 4th in the AOR Novice Horse of the Year rankings, and I was awarded a Bronze performance medal at ACTDA.

And so we have rolled onto the end of the year, starting to reintroduce our elementary work, getting stronger and ready to start competing at Elementary next year.

Then, approximately 10 minutes before leaving to fly to SA again, I bought a new towing car, a 2010 Mitsubishi Pajero. Hopefully it’s excellent, and I can pass my trusty Prado on to a new owner!

This Christmas is a little bit sadder. A little bit emptier. There were no power tools under the tree this year. Less beers in the fridge. The weather is crap and somehow appropriate. I wish you were here, Dad. Merry Christmas.

[taylor-on-your-dash]

Swift Ascent - Dolly Magazine - May 2009

Original Scans; Conducted on March 14, 2009 in Sydney

As usual, this was transcribed for the interviews spreadsheet.

DOLLY's Emma V meets Taylor Swift and discovers she's the perfect antidote to trashy starlets like Paris and Lindsay, proving once and for all that nice girls really do finish first.

I'm standing in the middle of an excited crowd on a Saturday night in March when a tall blonde walks onto the stage. "I feel like we should get to know each other," she says into the microphone "I'll start - my name's Taylor, I'm class of 2008, koalas ave my new favourite animal, and I officially love Australia". The crowd roars in approval, while 19-year-old Taylor Swift grins from ear-to-ear. Watching her flit across the stage ina micro-mini green sequined dress, it's hard to believe we're just a hop, skip and jump away from Mount Kosciusko at the "CMC Rocks the Snowys" country music festival. But like the festival itself, which is free of line-dancing and boot- scooting. Taylor is a contradiction Born in the small US town of Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. Taylor surprised everyone when she developed a passion for country music "The kids at school thought it was weird that I liked country -they'd make fun of me," she confessed recently. But Miss Swift didn't let a little thing like peer pressure put her off "discovered Shania Twain, Faith [Hill] and the Dixie Chicks, and I found all these things in their songs I could relate to country music told stories that made me think."

RELUCTANT SUPERSTAR As I wait backstage for my interview with Taylor, it's obvious when she enters the room, even though I can't actually see her due to all the people trying to catch a glimpse - I haven't seen so much fuse over ane person since interviewing Jessica Alba! Despite the hangers-on and the gaggle of minders rushing around, she appears relaxed and cheerful as she records a TV interview. Watching all the craziness unfold, it's hard to believe the statuesque teen (she stands at 180cm, the same height as supermodel Gisele Bündchen) was a loner at school. "Junior high was actually sort of hard, because I got dumped by this. group of popular girls," she revealed during an interview recently. "They didn't think I was cool or pretty enough so they stopped talking to me when I'd sit down at the lunch table, they'd get up and move. Or as I was setting up my equipment to sing karaoke at the town summer festival, the kids would shout horrible things."

TAYLOR BY NUMBERS Costume changes in her live show: 1 (she ripped off her black tee and jeans to reveal a green sequined shift dress) Signed first song-writing deal at 13 Scored first number-one at 16 Number of friends on MySpace: 1,177, 650-and counting! Number of albums sold: 6,000,000+

THE TAYLOR EFFECT Finally it's my turn to chat to Miss Swift, but before I sit down, she extends her hand and says, "Hi, I'm Taylor." I'm impressed -most celebrities fail to observe basic pleasantries when you meet them. As we chat a number of things strike me: her skin is like porcelain- I have to fight the urge to ask if it's real. Her hair is her signature thing-flowing curls which are naturally honey blonde (she's never coloured her hair), and her eyes-even when the questions get more personal, her blue eyes atay fixed on me the whole time. Many industry people say it's this natural air that sets Taylor apart from other young musicians. "I didn't want to write songs about being on the road and being in hotels and missing your family and missing your friends," she says. "I'm inspired by boys and love. Those are my favourite things to write about." After Joe Jonas dumped her in a 27-second phone call, Tay didn't get angry: she simply used the experience to pen the track "Forever & Always" which was a late inclusion in her top-selling alburn, Fearless. I ask her if she worries about whether potential boyfriends will be scared off by her candid song-writing style. She pauses, before saying, "I think my motto on that is that if guys don't want me to write bad songs about them, they shouldn't do bad things". It's a little piece of Taylor wisdom to take home, along with a photo and a hug that makes me think we could all use a bit of Taylor's sunny outlook in our lives.

TAYLOR TALKS, ER, SWIFTLY ON

HER DEATHROW MEAL "A huge cheeseburger, large fnes and a chocolate milkshake." WHAT MAKES HER SMILE "When I've just figured out the perfect word to go in that gap I was missing [in a song that s when I am at my happiest." BEING IN LOVE "I don't think I've had one great love of my life. Love is interesting because you can feel like you are in love and then after, you realise that if it had been that great love, then it would have lasted." HER SECRET TO MYSPACE SUCCESS. "My success on MySpace has come from not treating my MySpace as a promotional site, like I just wanted to get a lot of fans and use them to buy my albuma. I just wrote on my MySpace [about] who I am as a person, what I like, what I don't like. I think that being real with people is the best that you can do Just be yourself if you keep having to reinvent yourself, eventually you'll run out of things to be." HER LAST BIG SPLURGE "I bought a tour bus this year-that was a big splurge! But that's like where I live, so it's sort of like investing in a new house on wheels. It has a treadmill out the back, it has a shower, a complete bathroom, wood floors, a huge bed and a chandelier over the bed. It's really fun!"

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

We are beyond excited to present for the first time in Australia a tribute to the cast of Outlander... Hublander - A visit to the Highlands!

This is a convention style event, with one day each full of fun, festivities and fantastic guests not to be missed, in both Sydney and Melbourne.

Hublander will feature Sam Heughan and other Outlander guests live on stage for stories and anecdotes as well as Question & Answers. Purchase merchandise and exclusives from the dealers, or pick up rare items from the amazing raffles and auctions. Do not miss out on your chance to meet the guests and acquire autographs and professional photographs! Along with the main event, there will be an exclusive VIP panel and guest meet & greets plus so much more!

All Guests will be appearing

- in SYDNEY on Saturday 24th February 2024 - approx running time 9am to 5pm (plus at the special Platinum event on the evening of Friday 23rd)

- in MELBOURNE on Sunday 25th February 2024 - approx running time 9am to 5pm (plus at the special Platinum event on the Sunday evening)

*Note: All guests appear health and work commitments pending.

Tickets will go on sale on this website, on the following dates:

MEMBERS PRESALE: On sale 27th November 2023 - 12pm AEDT

GENERAL TICKET SALE: On sale 28th November 2023 - 12pm AEDT

This event is not recommended for persons under the age of 15, based on noise, long periods of sitting, and mature language and/or topics.

All attendees require a ticket if over the age of 2. If under the age of 2 they can sit on your lap, however you will need to contact us after purchase so we can seat you in a special section that allows easy exit from the venue. No prams are allowed in the venue.

TICKETS - ON SALE SOON

This is a seated event. All tickets include access to all general panels, including Sam Heughan's general panel. All tickets allow you the opportunity to purchase photos and/or autographs with every event guest (until photo and autograph allocations are sold out).

Please make sure to read all ticket inclusions for any ticket type you’re considering. All ticket types and prices are listed below.

Tickets are posted by mail approximately 2 weeks before the show. International ticket orders are to be collected at the door.

Payment is by Credit Card only. A $5.95 ticket handling fee and 1.74% credit card transaction fee applies to each order. There will be no manual payment options available for this event.

Tickets will go on sale on this website, on the following dates:

MEMBERS PRESALE: On sale 27th November 2023 - 12pm AEDT

GENERAL TICKET SALE: On sale 28th November 2023 - 12pm AEDT

Please note - Seating is allocated by when you purchase your tickets, so the earlier you book the better your seats will be.

The Members presale is limited for this event to 4 tickets per member. You can purchase membership via the menu on this website.

This event is not recommended for persons under the age of 15, based on noise, long periods of sitting, and mature language and/or topics.

All attendees require a ticket if over the age of 2. If under the age of 2 they can sit on your lap, however you will need to contact us after purchase so we can seat you in a special section that allows easy exit from the venue. No prams are allowed in the venue.

Ticket purchases are non refundable. Please refer to our Terms and Conditions for more information.

—-SYDNEY Standard Day Ticket - $200

These are ONE day tickets for the HUBLANDER event on Saturday the 24th February 2024 in SYDNEY.

Standard Day Tickets include:

– Entry to the event for full day of programming and panels on Saturday, including Sam’s general panel (no VIP panels are included in this ticket)

– Access to merchandise vendors at the event

– Opportunity to purchase autographs and professional photographs on the day for all guests.

Please note that Standard Day tickets will be seated behind the VIP ticket section. Seating is allocated based on when you make your booking.

As photograph and autograph opportunities may be sold at the event on a row by row basis, early booking is strongly recommended.

+ SYDNEY VIP Ticket - $1,100

+ SYDNEY Platinum Ticket - $1,800

+ MELBOURNE Standard Day Ticket - $200

+ MELBOURNE VIP Ticket - $1,100

+ MELBOURNE Platinum Ticket - $1,800

Sydney, Australia - TBA

Melbourne, Australia - TBA

Please note: Venues are announced after tickets have gone on sale. All event venues are typically close to the City Centre and easily accessible by public transport.

SYDNEY

HUBLANDER SCHEDULE – TBA

To see an example of a typical Hub Event schedule please click here

Approx running times for a typical event are between 9am and 5pm for Standard Day ticket holders.

VIP and Platinum ticket holders may be asked to arrive anytime between 7am and 8am.

VIP Panels are scheduled during the day.

Platinum evening events generally start anytime after 6pm and can run between 1 to 2 hours.

MELBOURNE

Can't get to an event? No problem! We can provide absentee packs of autographs from the actors appearing at our events. Absentee packs will be made available within one month of each event after any preceding events have finished.

This is a great opportunity to have your photograph taken with the guests! Each photograph token purchased is good for one photo opportunity and includes a physical copy of your photo which will be made available on the day for collection before the autograph sessions start.

Please note that photograph tokens are limited and there are no other photograph opportunities with the guests.

Photograph Opportunities are purchased at the event on the day, and are sold on a row by row basis! You can purchase tokens using cash (no additional charges) or by Credit Card (1.74% surcharge applies)

Photograph Token Prices:

- Sam Heughan - $190

More guests coming soon...

Autographs are a great opportunity to say a quick hello to your favourite guests and get a piece of memorabilia signed! Each autograph token purchased is good for ONE autograph and you may either bring a personal item or photo to be signed, or choose an 8x10 print provided by Hub Productions at the autograph tables to have signed.

All Autographs are signed in person by the guests and are sold on a row by row basis at the event on the day. You can purchase tokens using cash (no additional charges) or by Credit Card (1.74% surcharge applies)

Autograph Tokens may be limited and guests may, or may not, choose to personalise their autographs.

Autograph Token Prices:

- Sam Heughan - $160

More guests coming soon...

———

ABOUT US

DCA Enterprises’ The Hub Productions is an Australian owned company based in Sydney, that provides opportunities for fans to meet the actors, artists and behind the scenes stars that contribute to the TV shows, films and comics that we all so love and adore. more

———

The non-stop flight from the UK to Australia takes over 16 hours. A visit just for two days in Australia, He’ll need more a day to recover for each time zone crossed 🥴🛫

THE HUB PRODUCTIONS

[qnewsau]

Elliot Page's trans drama film to make Aussie premiere

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/elliot-pages-trans-drama-film-to-make-aussie-premiere/

Elliot Page's trans drama film to make Aussie premiere

Actor Elliot Page’s first film as a trans man, queer homecoming drama Close to You, is making its Australian premiere in Sydney next week.

Close to You is screening as part of the 2024 Queer Screen Film Fest in Sydney, which starts on August 28.

In the film, Sam (Elliot Page) returns home to visit his suburban family for the first time since his transition, to a mixed reception. En route, Sam also runs into high school crush Katherine and feelings from their unresolved past begin to bubble to the surface.

The film’s screenplay featured no dialogue, which was improvised by the actors. This meant some very long takes, Elliot recalled, including one that lasted almost an hour.

“[We filmed] all of these things that might not end up in the movie, but in some ways it is there. Because the stuff we would have done together that you don’t see is underneath that next moment you’re seeing, which is what ends up in the film,” Elliot explained to NBC News.

The actor said the film has “intense and emotional” moments but was also “cathartic and healing” for him to make.

“But for me, it was mostly actually just such a joy to create in this way,” Elliot said.

“The moments that were challenging and emotional were also cathartic and healing in many ways. It was really one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.”

Elliot Page came out as trans in 2020

Elliot Page came out as a trans man in late 2020, and he opened up about his journey to that point in memoir Pageboy last year. The actor said he couldn’t have done Close to You before taking that step.

“To work in this way, to be on a set and to be completely open and present and comfortable and have a solid foundation to exist in a place, to be able to improvise, to be able to disappear, to be able to really feel like you’re existing as the character in those spaces, it just actually wouldn’t have been possible before,” he told NBC News.

“I kind of sensed that from the moment we started doing it, which I’d say made the process even just like extra exhilarating and exciting for me, just the sensation of waking up every day and being so stoked to go to set.

“I didn’t have that level of comfort and solid foundation and ability to be present before, and I don’t think it would have been possible or enjoyable for me before.”

Queer Screen Film Fest is from the organisers of the Mardi Gras Film Festival. The second iteration of the now-annual festival starts on August 28, with in-person screenings in Sydney and on-demand streaming.

For more details and tickets go to queerscreen.org.au.

For the latest LGBTIQA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

[earlgreytea68]

The Good Things Festival - Sydney

Dear EGT, do you mind if I share with you my disappointing FOB experience? None of my friends or family are in the fandom as I am, and I just want to tell someone who will be able to understand my grief.

I am in Australia, living near Brisbane, and when I heard that they were coming here I was ecstatic and eager to go to the Good Things Festival. I didn’t manage to get a Brisbane ticket before they were all sold out, but decided to make a weekend of it and bought a ticket to the Sydney festival, and train tickets down and back, with a couple of days accommodation in between. The train trips were 12 and 14 hours, respectively, which I personally was looking forward to, as I have two young children and the idea of two entire days in which no one could even get in touch with me via phone was BLISS.

I reached the concert venue (which was a fenced-off section of a huge and beautiful park with lots of trees) about an hour and a half before their set, enough time to decide me that none of the other bands there are anywhere near their league in performance or composition.

They came on after playing ‘We didn’t start the fire’ and ‘The Pink Seashell’ on the screen, and they were great. I was impressed with my fellow concert-goers that lots of them seemed to know the words to at least the first couple of verses of ‘We didn’t start the fire’, and most shouted out the chorus. They played ‘Love from the other side’, ‘Phoenix’, ‘Sugar’, and were most of the way through ‘Um Thurman’, when Pete stopped the music and announced that a storm was on its way, and they were being taken off stage. He hoped that they would be able to come back on.

One of the officials then told us more - the storm coming within the hour would feature thunder, lightning, heavy rain and possibly hail, and we would all have to vacate the park. Which made sense, for both the people and the equipment, but put paid to any hope of resuming the set – by the time we had all left and the storm had finished, it would be past time for the end of the festival, not to mention the logistics of getting everyone back in again. So we all left. Getting out of the park and back to my hotel was a saga in itself (all I can say is that I am glad as always that I had something to read, and that I was soaking wet when I did arrive back), but this submission is already much too long.

We got some pyrotechnics (which was brave of them given how the sky was looking) and some of the guitar chicken game between Patrick and Joe and of course their wonderful live performance, but it was so short. I can’t even get into the larger disappointment of missing all the set with the banter and the piano solo, not to mention the cover of ‘Beds are Burning’, which I would have been so excited to see, because it is still too painful. But the smaller disappointment for me, EGT, which is what I could handle focussing on, was that they didn’t get a chance to talk to us, which is partly what for me would have set the live performance apart from a group watching a recorded concert together. We didn’t get a greeting reflecting the crowd that was gathered there in that place for that time only, or any commentary on what it was like to be there, and I am so dejected about that. I know this is definitely a first-world disappointment and I had a worthwhile weekend anyway (three nights in a bed with no one waking me, HOORAY), but I am sad when I look at your website at present, and see pictures and clips from sets in Melbourne.

***

I am SO SORRY and I appreciate very much getting this submission and please know that I completely understand how disappointed you are. I had one of the canceled HMT shows, which you may or may not remember, and I totally understand that your disappointment is probably much greater given how relatively rarer it is for them to go to Australia vs. being fairly near me in the U.S. but I also totally understand some level of your disappointment. :-( The worst is feeling like they don’t care, but I think they did and they were upset it went down the way it did. They obviously can’t ever make it totally right -- you had a whole weekend that you were looking forward to that didn’t really happen the way you wanted and it’s so unfair that it happened to you and not the rest of us and I’m so sorry.

I’m glad you got some silver linings out of the weekend, and don’t be too hard on yourself, the disappointment is real when you’ve been looking so forward to something and it gets taken away and you don’t have a real replacement for it, and it’s worse if you make yourself feel guilty for feeling upset because obviously other people have much bigger disappointments, but that’s not how emotions work, alas. Be kind to yourself. ::hugs::

[likeadevils]

2012 Lover Diaries Transcripts

Feb 2012

Holy Ground Lyrics

Mar 2, 2012- Perth, Australia

So here we are in Perth. It’s a beach town on the Indian Ocean and it’s beautiful. It’s 85º and sunny and yesterday I went to Cottesloe Beach – I’ve never seen water that crystal blue before. And white sand. There was this art festival going on, so there were all these sculptures set up on the beach. We laid our towels out and got tans and frolicked in the water. After our beach afternoon, we went to this restaurant right on the beach called Indiana. It was built in 1910 and looked like an old fancy hotel. It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve been, with old world arches and moldings, antique tables and big french doors opening out to views of azure blue ocean. We sat there for hours drinking strawberry mojitos and eating calamari until I was so tired, I went back to my fluffy hotel bed and slept. I’ve been thinking a lot about getting older and relevancy and how all my heroes have ended up alone. I wrote a song on the plane ride from Sydney to Perth on the appalachian dulcimer I bought the day of my flight. I bought it because Joni played on most of her blue record. I taught myself to play ‘A Case of You.’ Anyway, I wrote a song on it called “Nothin New” and it’s about being scared of aging and things changing and losing what you have. It says “I’m getting older and less sure of what you like about me anyway.” And in the chorus it says “How can a person know everything at 18, and nothing at 22? And will you still want me … when I’m nothing new.” It’s a really vulnerable song, but I think it’s important to say.

Jun 10, 2012- Los Angeles, CA

I’ve been in the studio non stop. This week I was in with Max Martin and Johan Shellback, the guys I wrote ‘Getting Back Together’ with. The first day, I had to do this corporate performance for an arena full of managers. I played Love Story and Mean, solo acoustic and Justin Timberlake was MCing so he introduced me. Hilarious sense of humor. He was making the whole arena laugh. When I finished there, I got on the plane and this idea came to me “I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling 22.” I wrote the entire chorus on the plane ride to LA. When I landed, I went straight to the studio and played it for Max and Johan. They loved it. I was so excited. I wrote 22 about how much fun I’ve been having this summer and this year in general. It’s so carefree and sounds like a summer anthem. I was floating on a cloud after we wrote it. The next day I brought them a chorus called 'Trouble’ that’s about how I should’ve known what I was getting into. We came back to 'Trouble’ and it turned out to be absolutely amazing. It’s so edgy and unexpected. It’s almost dub step. My friends love that one the most. I love writing so much. It’s the only thing that makes total sense to me. If I missed a day in the studio, I’d be so mad at myself. God I’ve been having such a beautiful life lately. I can’t believe it. It’s like there’s magic in the air. Friday was my day off. I woke up and went hiking. Then went home and showered. painted my nails, daydreamed about our trip for 4th of July. Taylor

Oct 17, 2012- Los Angeles, CA

This Love lyrics

(2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007 & 2008 • 2009 • 2010 • 2011 • 2012 • 2013 • 2014 • 2015 • 2016 & 2017)

[canmom]

L’Aventure de Canmom à Annecy - Dimanche/Lundi

Bonsoir mes amis!

I am in Annecy, the unreasonably picturesque home of the Annecy International Animated Film Festival! I have discovered that the Annecy International Animated Film Festival involves a lot more standing in long queues in the hot sun than I expected! Nevertheless, I’m here and making the best of it.

So.

dimanche - le voyage à annecy

First of all, Sunday! I set off at 3am on Sunday morning, taking a bus, followed by two tubes, followed by another bus to the airport. The last bus was late. I met a couple of nice PhD students on their way to the same airport, and they were gonna get all of us an uber, but then the bus showed up after all.

At the airport, security threw away my 200ml bottle of sunblock. Can never be too careful I guess >< Inevitably, Richard Dawkins and his little pot of honey leapt unbidden into my brain. I promise I did not call anyone a “dundridge”.

The flight itself was uneventful! I was behind three other Annecy-goers, a very sweet gay couple and their friend... we hit it off pretty well but they were on a later bus and I haven’t seen them since I got here ^^’ Once I landed in Geneva I was racing across the city to try to get to the Annecy bus in time (I left myself an hour, which turned out to be way too little time to get through customs, out the airport, onto the train etc.) Trains in Switzerland are nuts, some of them are split across multiple levels and even the ones that aren’t have like, steep steps to get aboard.

Like “fuck you if you’re in a wheelchair” I guess.

Luckily the bus to Annecy was late! So by midday on Sunday I was in Annecy!

I ran into a group of Swiss animation students who were happy to let me tag along for a while. They just finished their graduation films and they were terribly excited about Spider-Verse. They ended up arranging to meet a couple of animators at Cartoon Saloon so I ended up witnessing some honest to god Networking. The imposter syndrome kicked in about when they were showing the cartoon saloon animators clips from their demo reels. I didn’t even have business cards. Apparently that’s a thing people bring???

pictured: swiss animation students approaching Lake Annecy.

Anyway my legs got really tired from standing up and no sleep. I bought myself an expensive crêpe and sat down on the floor to eat it. No films were due to start for hours.

I went down to a comic book shop in Bonlieu. French comic book shops are fucking insane. All the books are enormous glossy hardbacks that cost like 50+ euros. I could totally walk away with the complete works of Moebius or Enki Bilal if things like ‘money’ and ‘getting through the airport’ and ‘not reading French’ weren’t factors. But equally there’s so much stuff that I’ve just plain never heard of. I could spend a month in this one shop easy.

At 3am my hotel checkin opened! Though in French you don’t say ‘check in’, you say j’ai un reservation. By this point I had been awake for more than 24 hours so I decided to go have a nap and eat the falafels I brought with me (very good idea, would recommend having a snack) and wake up for the opening ceremony.

Hotel comments: It’s pretty comfy! Nothing super fancy but I don’t need super fancy. The breakfast is kind of crazy expensive. I had a bit of a scare when it turned out that they hadn’t charged me when I booked the room, and wanted payment now, but thankfully I have a job now so I could take that in stride ^^’

At this point I discovered my plug adapter supports the US, Australia, New Zealand and Japan... but not Europe. Fortunately I had a power bank with me so I could keep my phone alive (its battery is pretty shot) so I resolved to buy a new adapter on Monday.

I woke up shortly before the opening ceremony and quickly concluded that there was no way I was going to be making it down to the opening ceremony and went back to sleep. I slept a really long time. But I think I needed it. Shame to miss the ceremony but odds are I probably wouldn’t have even been able to get in, someone else said she’d queued for two hours.

lundi - les files d'attente 

(lmao is that really the french for ‘queues’? ‘files d’attente’?)

A beautiful morning in Annecy! I walked over to the supermarché and got myself some pasta ingredients and a ‘veggie dog’ (falafels in a baguette) from a French bakery. I learned just how limited my French vocab is. But it’s a little reassuring to find French people who speak about as much English as I speak French. (Have not yet tried to speak Japanese to any French person but it will probably happen.)

Anyway. Films time, at last!

So the way Annecy works is, you get a certain number of reservations per day depending on your ticket type. If you don’t have a reservation you can optimistically show up at the theatre anyway, and whatever seats they have left go to the line. From the website it sounded like you’d have a pretty good chance to get in.

My friends. That is a lie.

To get in to a popular non-reserved screening you have to turn up basically hours in advance. Otherwise you arrive at the back of a queue like this, stand in line for a while, and then someone in a red shirt comes out and tells you you’re too late and you go find something else to do.

I have already become very familiar with this particular stretch of ground outside Cinema Pathé. That said, the queues are a good chance to meet people! So I ended up making a couple of connections, mostly with animation students from various places. It turns out a ‘Grand Public’ ticket is a bit of an odd duck.

As you can see in that picture, a lot of people had umbrellas. This is something I neglected, and had to use my bag instead, like so:

Guess where I got sunburned.

One of those something elses I did was walk into the VR films room. This runs on its own reservation system, with each film having somewhere between 2 and 6 headsets, which get sanitised between viewings. The whole room looks kinda scifi with its cables dangling from the ceiling...

The only VR film available when I arrived was called Black Hole Museum + Body Browser by Su Wen-Chi from Taiwan. This was very demoscene, with a lot of particles flying around under force fields in a black and white space; the second part involved a dancer who’d been photoscanned somehow and was displayed using waves of particles. It was neat, but I can’t say I was hugely moved? The display device was a Quest 2, but I’m not sure if it was running the particle sim on Quest 2 hardware. If it was, I’m impressed.

The other VR films were all but fully booked so I resolved to come back another day.

I tried to get into the anime film The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes. Predictably, I was too late. However, the next queue over was for a Spanish film called Inspector Sun and the Curse of the Black Widow, and, wanting to see at least one film I hopped onto that queue and found myself inside the cinema in short order.

The auditorium was packed and I got to witness firsthand such Annecy traditions as throwing paper aeroplanes at the screen, shouting ‘Lapin!’ whenever a rabbit appears onscreen, and making a weird popping sound with your mouth while waiting for the film to start (??? it sounded like frogs ig???). The movie itself was greeted with excitement but honestly? It was pretty eh, which is a shame since the idea of a world of bugs is a fun one! The story concerns a bumbling spider detective, his aspiring sidekick spider, and his feud with the leader of a locust underworld, playing out on a seaplane en route to San Francisco. The characters are all very one-note archetypes, and the dialogue felt like it was trying way too hard to be funny quippy movie dialogue... only to land on the painfully obvious. A big shame.

But what’s worse is that I had spent my one daily reservation on Mars Express by Jérémie Périn at 4:30 and I’d completely lost track of time. By the time I walked out of Inspector Sun my phone was almost dead (see above about the adapter) so I popped into a French electronics store and bought a couple of EU adapters and set off to charge my phone. But then on the bus I thought, hold on a minute, when is Mars Express, I have like an hour right---oh fuck. Well fine it’s at Bonlieu right? I can just walk there? ...it’s at Le Mikado Novel? Where the fuck is that? Half an hour away?

...so to make a long story short I got off the bus, walked down the street, my phone died, there was no way I could find my way to Le Mikado in time to get in even with my reservation, so I had to go back to my hotel and waste my precious reservation. And I hear the film was great. Sob.

There are a bunch of other screenings this week but they’re all packed so who knows if I’ll get to see this movie.

Despite this big oof I charged up my phone and headed back to meet up with my friend (hi to my friend!) who was in the queue for Production I.G.’s new film The Concierge. My friend was more than an hour early, so we thought we had a pretty good chance... lol nope. After standing in line for 45 minutes we were informed the cinema is full and had to leave.

It wasn’t a complete waste though. We met up with another friend and had a little picnic of bagels. Unfortunately the bagel I got was not the bagel I thought I was getting (idk what happened) but even so, it was nice to meet two online friends who by bizarre coincidence both turned out to be from Singapore.

To close the night I decided to take one more shot at getting in to see a movie, and went for a late showing of The Sacred Cave, a movie from Cameroon. Which is pretty neat, it’s not every day you see a movie from Cameroon. This one was... well, technically it’s definitely rough, but I don’t wanna be hard on it. The story is a fairy tale: a traditional healer is called in to attempt to save a dying king, and he dispatches his son on a mission to retrieve special medicine alongside the Prince.

On the way the son encounters a weird forest wizard, then a princess of a neighbouring clan who’s been turned into an anthro frog by an evil wizard; as he tries to head back with the medicine, he’s captured by said clan and almost executed, but because of his pure nature he alone can draw the special magic sword, and using this power he helps his captors overcome the evil wizard’s raiding party. But on the way home he gets betrayed by the Prince! A whole lot of betraying unfolds, killing off the old seer, and it turns out that our boy is actually the true son of the King. Despite the whole ‘executing his adoptive father on spurious charges’ thing, it all shakes out; the baddies are driven off, the princess unfrogged, and our very special good boy is rewarded.

It’s animated largely in Flash, and it has the feel of an online Flash video. All the same, I believe this is the first feature-length animated film from Cameroon. Bootstrapping an animation industry capable of putting together a coherent film is a hell of a feat, and must take an enormous degree of passion and dedication to make that happen. (Also not to put too fine a point on it but there are certain historical reasons why France has a much more developed animation industry than the country it had colonised until 1971.) Anyway, although principally made in Cameroon, the credits name a whole bunch of different countries, mostly in West Africa. Probably it would make sense to compare it to Princess Iron Fan or something like that, and I’m excited to see what comes down the line. And it was a very sincere movie, the setting presented with a great deal of love, especially when it came to costumes. I’m glad to have seen it.

Tomorrow morning Im gonna get up very early and take another shot at The Concierge, and try and plan better around the queuing system to try to make the best of it and catch more of the short films. It’s definitely not been the day of back to back films I was expecting, but honestly despite all that I’m having a good time just being in Annecy and the week is yet young...

good god is it expensive here though

[aeoki]

High and Low: At World’s End - Prologue

Location: Shopping Mall 1F Characters: Tetora, Hajime, Tomoya, Midori & Mitsuru Season: Autumn Writer: Akira

TL Note:

Tomoya’s surname can mean “pure white” or “blank”.

< The first year ES was established, in the latter half of October at the mall. >

Mitsuru: We’re going to Australia for our school trip!

Wait, where’s Austlara again?

Tomoya: You didn’t pronounce that right, Mitsuru.

Mitsuru: Hajime-chan, do you know about  Auryurolia? You’re pretty smart, so you should know about stuff like this, right? ♪

Tomoya: Don’t ask Hajime about everything you don’t know, Mitsuru. Just leave him alone for now, he’s frozen stiff after hearing that we’ll be going overseas for our school trip.

Hajime: ………

Mitsuru: Hajime-chan, what’s wrong? You don’t feel so good? Alright, I’ll give you a piggyback ride~!

Hajime: W-Whaa, please don’t~! It’s embarrassing in front of so many people…!

I’m happy you were worried about me, but I’m okay, really.

Mitsuru: Hajime-chan, you have a habit of saying you’re fine when you’re really not, though.

Tomoya: You sure know him well. Hajime must be really anxious since it’ll be his first time going overseas.

It’s pretty much the same for me too, so I’m a little uneasy since I don’t really have any experience…

Sena-senpai basically dragged me to Florence against my will, so it didn’t really feel like a trip at all.

Mitsuru: It’s totally my first time~! But don’t you get all excited ‘cause it’s the first time? I’m super excited!

Tomoya: Sure, you might be, but while we’re buying all the things we need for the trip, I can’t help but imagine all the bad things that could happen.

I can’t really communicate in English, I don’t know if my body can handle the food there and what happens if we get robbed or some kind of issue crops up?

To me, going overseas is like going to some place bad and scary.

Mitsuru: I don’t think it’s as bad as Yumenosaki was last year, though?

Tomoya: You can say some pretty brutal things, huh, Mitsuru. The stuff you’ve been saying feels weirdly twisted in a way.

Mitsuru: Hm~? I’m always the same-old me, though, y’know?

I’ll always be running down the path I made at full-speed~! Dash dash dash~!

Hajime: Y-You’ve run past the shop, Mitsuru-kun~ Actually, you shouldn’t be running indoors like this.

We’re now older second-year students now, so we should behave in a, um, modest way? How do I put this? Behave with more social etiquette…? 

Tomoya: Guess you’re not really made out to be lecturing others, huh, Hajime.

Hajime: Uuu~ I can get really angry with my little brother and sister, but Mitsuru-kun’s Mitsuru-kun and I don’t know what’s the “right” way to do it.

Anyway, putting that aside. What you said was a little extreme, Tomoya-kun, but I didn’t expect our school trip to be overseas.

So I’m a bit flustered. It feels like the inside of my head has turned into Tomoya-kun.

Tomoya: So your head’s gone completely blank[*], huh.

Hajime: Ehehe. …Up until last year, the school trips were always to Kyoto, so why did they suddenly change it?

Tomoya: Yeah, you’re right~ We all got surprised because it was so sudden.  Our travel expenses can’t even compare to a school trip domestically, so do we even have the reserve funds for it?

Hajime: Ah, you don’t have to worry about me in that aspect. I was so anxious I checked the information over and over.

It seems this year’s school trip will be completely subsidised by ES.

In exchange, there’ll be some sort of work waiting for us in Australia during the school trip, though.

Tomoya: Looks like ES has dabbled in another of the school’s events, huh. Great. The Sports Festival was a huge mess because of that.

Hajime: Ahaha… You really did your best at the Sports Festival, “Leader”. The NewDi team won in the end, but I think you were amazing for working so hard, Tomoya-kun.

You were on TV too so I’m sure you gained a lot of new fans because of that.

Tomoya: That would be nice if that’s true.

It's just that, I don’t really like ES meddling with the school’s affairs and I don’t want everything related to work to be tied to them all the time.

Our stage this time is overseas, anyway. Even if issues arise, it’s not like our reliable upperclassmen can run to our help like always.

I’m worried~... I wanted to enjoy our school trip in a more honest and normal manner.

Hajime: Fufu. I’m full of worry and confusion right now too, and I might not look it, but I’m actually pretty happy.

If it weren’t for this opportunity, then I don’t think I’ll ever get the chance to go overseas.

I’m happy to see a rare opportunity like this has come my way.

Tomoya: You’re surprisingly optimistic, Hajime~

Hajime: I should probably have more of a sense of urgency, though…♪

All I can do is pray for it to be an unforgettable trip – one that will have no issues and be filled with fun.

No. To achieve that, that’s why I’m talking with everyone here, face-to-face, and preparing all the things I need.

Tomoya: Yeah, you’re right. It’ll be nice if we can look back on these anxious times and think it was a “good memory”, huh.

Mitsuru: …Yeah?

Tomoya: ? What’s wrong, Mitsuru? The store selling suitcases is over here, you know~?

Mitsuru: Look, Tomo-chan, Hajime-chan! “RYUUSEITAI” is over there!

Hajime: Huh? Are they performing a hero show or something like that at the mall…?

Tomoya: Probably not since they’re in their school uniforms but–

Tetora: ……! ……!

Midori: ……!

Tomoya: What’s happening over there? It looks like they’re arguing about something.

Mitsuru: Wahaha! Looks like there are issues going on even before the trip started, y’know!

Hajime: T-That’s not something you’re supposed to laugh at, Mitsuru-kun~

Next Chapter →

[villa-kulla]

Hi yes, aware I haven't posted on tumblr in months, but June was just busy, and July was my first proper Eurotrip!! Went around Portugal, Spain, Italy, Austria, Belgium, and then back out again through Spain! ~Momentous~ Highlight reel that is in no way comprehensive:

Favourite food(s): Topfenstrudel in Salzburg, prosciutto/mozzarella in Venice, chili/lime plantain chips in Barcelona, fresh anchovies in Cinque Terre, raspberry donut in Lisbon, churros in Madrid, seafood paella in BCN, and honestly just some plain old hangover bacon/eggs in Venice while I slowly woke up after the festival going on (but yeah topfenstrudel was #1, when I took a bite I think I said something to effect of "are you kidding me")

Favourite drink: Love a bitter orange cocktail, so Italy was all about aperol spritzes, negronis, and americanos <3 Bonus points for the liter-sized beer steins in Salzburg too

Favourite hike: Cinque Terre with @enbouton! I just tried to keep up. Our Toledo hike was a close second though! Don Quixote realness

Most exciting moment: sitting in a square in Venice waiting for my best friend from when I lived in Korea to arrive, literally vibrating with excitement at seeing her again after 8 years omg (she lives in Australia but was in Europe too around the same time, and we made it WORK!)

Best tour: did a Sound of Music bike tour in Salzburg and it was an absolute delight. So was the beergarden date and [redacted] with my tour guide lmao heyo (context, we were extremely clickety from the get go much to the amusement of the rest of the tour group so it was like 'let's meet up when you're not literally at work lol'. He took me to a proper Austrian beer garden the next night and honestly, date for the ages lol, yay for fleeting love in foreign countries ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )

Most serendipitous planning/non-planning: booked my first night in Venice completely unaware at the time there was a huge festival happening, and was on the right island for the fireworks. Also my timing worked out that I got to do Barcelona with a friend from home so that was fun too

Best museum: this glorious cathedral in Toledo, and also the Hergé museum just outside Brussels

Best restaurant: first proper dinner out with my friends in Venice at this restaurant by the Ponte dell'Accademia. The pic 3rd down on the left was the view and we ordered everything. *Runner-up was this fantastic little diner in Madrid that had churros and horchata and we ended up going twice lol

Travel bloopers: Italian rail strike and heat rash in Spain lol #attractive Oh and got screwed by one booking website lol but I'm hoping to get that refunded. Also my flights out to Europe were screwy!

Best travel eavesdropping: I overheard a waiter in Brussels speaking to an older woman who was very anxious about ordering something a specific way I think, and he replied in French "Madame, this is your house, order how you like" and I just thought that was a very classy thing to sayyyy

Most relaxing day: had a picnic/laundry/shopping/movie day in Padova and it was just the ticket. Also by the time I hit Barcelona I was pretty wiped out and made the executive decision to wait in no lines or do any busy tourist attractions in favour of beach time, and that was WISE

Travel tears: Saying goodbye to Aussie friend before my train to Vienna and watching her disappear back into the Venetian throng

Favourite outfit bought: your girl was backpacking so space was Limited, but got a little orange dress in BCN, a white/green blouse in Padova, and some silky trousers in Toledo I'm still summoning up the nerve to wear here. Oh and a raincoat my Brussels airbnb host offered to sell me for 20 euros and I'm pretty sure it was worth a LOT more than that lol but it was very chic!

Wardrobe win: this lightweight long black skirt with convenient leg slits for walking. Came in clutch many times

Wardrobe fail: My sneakers were great at first but the 5 terre hike cracked something in the soles and and I started getting agonizing blisters. By the time I hit Salzburg I hobbled off the train right into an h&m, bought the first affordable pair of sneakers I saw, and tossed the old ones out

Prettiest city: maybe Florence just because there seemed to be something unreasonably beautiful everywhere you turned your head. This could apply to most of Italy though.

Best vibes: Something about Salzburg!!! Mountains, opera, amazing food, cute tour guides, and misty skies...I'd have stayed longer if I could have instead of pushing on to Brussels, but my next bookings weren't refundable. Brussels was cool in its way but honestly just reminded me a lot of Montreal lol. Also Toledo had a nice relaxing atmosphere, I'd like to go back and spend more time in Spain for sure

Best miscommunication: the guy across from me on my train to Padua who saw me reading Moby Dick and asked "Are you reading that because of the whale?"... After some confusion he explained that the book apparently features in the movie The Whale lmao but I thought he was asking if I was reading it for the character of the whale?? asdfgh. I was like "...yeah I've heard the whale is great" lmao.

Best sleep: hand to god it was my party hostel in Barcelona lol. Rowdy downstairs, super quiet and comfy bunks upstairs.

Favourite city: Venice is going to win this one. Fireworks, festivals, seeing one of my best friends after 8 years, postcard views on every street, and late nights catching up and drinking wine listening to the water lapping at the canals? Absolute dream.

All around lovely trip and so glad I planned something instead of rotting away all summer! I hadn't travelled properly in aaaages, and it was a good mix of solo travel + travel with friends, and saw a solid amount of places too. I'm convinced the best way to travel is to talk to the people, eat their food, and just wander around and soak up the sights, and I feel like I got to do all those things and then some 🎉

Anyways I'll probs post a little more before work starts back up, but then I'll probably be taking another tumblr break! It was very nice to unplug and I also have some creative projects I'm working on, so I'm hoping to focus more on those this semester!