Going to see live music upon my arrival in Sydney as an 18 year old was one of the most exciting milestones of independence. Before this, going to a gig was a major event, involving harrassing parents, meticulous planning and hours of travel (see my post on Ben Folds about a time when this didn’t work). Now there were no parents to convince and a short bus ride to most venues. Even though tickets were usually above the budget of a student (especially one who was a sucker for merchadise that proudly displayed to all and sundry that I’d been to an awesome gig) I still managed to scrape together the required cash.
The Sarah Blasko concert at the Enmore Theatre on October 29 brought back these emotions, although it was a different sort of independence. I hadn’t been to a gig since December 2009 when I was 7 months pregnant (and I’m not even sure if it counts if its at the Opera House with the orchestra – although the Whitlams were there too). The sleep deprivation and constant feeding of the following months meant I didn’t have the ability or the energy to be away from my baby for long enough to indulge in many personal interests. I missed many exciting concerts, much to my dismay. But thankfully those days passed, and I could take some time away from Asher to enjoy some pre-birthday entertainment with my sister (our birthday being on October 31).
I’d seen Sarah once before, in 2007 while she was touring her second album. I found her an intruguing performer, but well worth the money. The Enmore was a bigger venue, and her current album As Day Follows Night was quite popular (as well as a complete departure from her previous work into a more jazzy style), so I had high expectations.
There were a few surprises when we arrived. Firstly, Sarah came on only 15 minutes later. Usually there was a support band or two to sit through, then 20 minutes of anticipation before the musician you paid all the money to see came on – we had tried to skip most of this by going out for dinner, but we almost missed everything. Secondly, we actually had seats! I’d dressed in my concert clothes in order to maximise comfort for the hours of standing I was expecting to do – sneakers so my feet didn’t get sore, and noone trod on my toes, and everything I needed stuffed into my pockets so I didn’t need to carry a bag. All this effort was made redundant when we were ushered to seats. I could have checked my ticket for this information, but never thought to since I knew exactly how these things worked….
It was difficult to get into the swing of things from our seats as opposed to standing up, so I found myself concentrating on some unusual things. I have to say Sarah looked pretty ridiculous. She was dressed in a white dress that looked like a slip nightie, with white stockings and Mary Janes, accessorised with a chain of colourful balls around her neck and an accompanying headpiece dangling in front of her face. She looked like a grandma crossed with a hippy. She also started doing this weird dance which reminded me of an uncoordinated male friend from uni – step forward, step backwards, rinse, repeat.
However as soon as she started playing music from her new album it all fell into place. The double bass came out, the lighting warmed up, Sarah suddenly looked more like a 1920′s flapper and everyone looked like they were having much more fun. I found the juxtaposition of her older songs next to the syncopated rhythms and swing of her new album quite jarring, and even though I had started as a fan of her previous alternative pop style, her most recent work is far more enjoyable to listen to.
While there are no more gigs on the horizon at the moment, this situation is bound to change as soon as I get my hands on Drum Media and discover who is touring next. As for the blog, my next entry will be about some travel with baby – on a small scale!
