The music video

That grin at the beginning almost made me shatter into a million pieces. 

Can I live in this clip forever?

 - Brooke 

I'm BATMAN

Am I the only person looking at this lineup and almost dying from absolute happiness? I could care less about the RHCP but as I read the rest of the lineup on Sunday night I literally squealed and almost threw my laptop across the lounge room as I jumped in my seat.

THE KILLERS ARE COMING BACK TO AUSTRALIA!!!!!! 

*/brain explodes*

February 21st 2010 was the last time they were here. I was at their last show of their Day & Age tour in Melbourne (read about that here) and I have missed them terribly ever since.

Mr Flowers did not tour his solo music here in Australia so we have had to read reviews and be extremely jealous of all the shows and tours that we have not experienced in the past 3+ years. 

I CAN'T WAIT!!! I will be buying my tickets on Thursday morning (my b'day) and am going to try and convince (it won't take much) my sister that we need to attend more than 1 show. We will probably aim for the Adelaide BDO as it will limit the possibility for clashing sideshows.

The best thing about this line up is that there is plenty of other bands that I'm excited to see (either again or for the first time). Vampire Weekend, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Foals, Crystal Castles, CHILDISH GAMBINO (Troy Barnes aka Donald Glover will be in MY city!) and Alabama Shakes. SO much talent. This is my favourite BDO lineup that I have seen in YEARS.

What a great start to my birthday week :) 

On Thursday I have the day off work for my b'day and while I've been feeling under the weather this week with a head cold I am determined to have a fun day. I have tickets to see The Dark Knight Rises in Gold Class (hello recliner chairs) with my sister and then we'll go shopping and have some lunch and then it's dinner time with the family. 

I have already re-watched the last two Batman movies (Christian Bale versions) in preparation for the next installment. It's going to be INTENSE. Batman is my favourite super hero (I've asked my Mum for a Batman b'day cake this year - I hope she delivers).

I'M THE BATMAN

 - Brooke

Perfection equals

A NEW TRACK FROM THE KILLERS!!!

FOUR YEARS AND IT'S PERFECTION. I can just imagine being in a crowded darkened venue and the lights explode across the stage as B Flow sings "CAN'T WE ALL JUST RUNAWAY". I'd naturally be screaming the words at the top of my lungs along with him.

This has made me so very happy

 - Brooke

The past couple of months

One of the things I had on my 50 things list this year is to take a photo a day. I'm proud to say that I have managed to do this everyday this year so far! Normally I get bored or distracted and lose interest but I've been able to keep doing this because of the Photo365 app that I downloaded on my iPhone. 

To catch up on things that have been happening here's a quick photo collage of a bunch of things that have been happening in my life the past few months.

It involves multiple hair colours, black milk, going to the football, adventures with my family & friends, lots of different nail polishes and many many other things.

Consider yourselves caught up in my life. Coming up next - NEW ZEALAND

 - Brooke

P.S My hair is purple again - it feeeeeels sooooo goooood!!!! 

Alive still

Before I get into the whole story or try and explain my absence from my blog I need to draw your attention to this mind blowing new trailer that has been released to announce The Killers new album. I can't even begin to try and describe exactly how excited and happy this makes me. 

I didn't realise how much I missed having anything new from them until I watched this. I feel like these past few years has brought so much new music and bands into my life but just watching this trailer felt right. 

The Killers are my everything. Always and forever. I'm hoping that when I'm in the USA in November (oh yeah I booked a holiday) they will be somewhere near where I'll be. 

Now about my disappearance - you can blame the usual suspects (tiredness, exhaustion, lack of inspiration, nothing to write about etc etc) but I'm back now.

This weekend is a busy one for me and on Tuesday I'm heading to New Zealand for a week for a bit of a holiday. I can't wait to come back home and share photos and stories from this short adventure. 

 - Brooke

#11 of 50 things: Dye my hair blue

So, I did something different. I'm now a blue haired girl (instead of purple haired)!!! 

I've had this Special Effects Electric Blue hair dye in my cupboard for AGES but have only (finally) worked up the courage to take that leap into the world of blue hair. 

My hair started out very blonde (it wasn't hard to get it down from the pale purple I had in it - I used a Loreal box lightener and it was on my hair for about 20 mins and my hair was almost white) before leaving the dye on my hair for about 2 hours. 

It turned out SO much brighter than I anticipated and the response I have received from people has been so positive. 

And of course I had to wear shoes that matched my new hair.

I've had such a fun time having blue hair that I've just purchased more blue hair dye so I can keep this for a little longer. A couple of months as a blue haired girl should suit me perfectly.

#11. Dye my hair blue

Big smiles

 - Brooke

P.S I have also not had a chance to take big camera photos of my new hair but I will soon. For now iPhone photos will do

Cobra love

This last week has been full of mega highs and head stomping in the ground lows. One of my mega highs was that on Monday night I was given the opportunity to photograph one of my favourite bands, Cobra Starship. This came at the absolute most perfect time.

I feel so happy and honoured to have been able to take these photos. This band to me is simply fun and amazing. Every time I've seen them I've danced around with a huge smile on my face and this time was no different. 

The crowd size left a lot to be desired but the bands energy didn't waiver. They played a huge set filled with a fantastic mix of old and new songs.

I heart you Cobra Starship - please come back soon!!!!

Much love 

 - Brooke

I'm in love with a French Silent Film star

Last week I went and saw the highly acclaimed award winning silent film "The Artist". I was intruiged. I didn't read any reviews or interviews before going to see this movie because I didn't want to go into this with any pre-concieved ideas (I hadn't even watched the trailer until I looked it up on youtube)

I was shocked and amazed by what I watched transform in front of my eyes on screen. The story was so simple but beautiful, the characters loveable and expressive.

I wasn't sure I could sit through a film with no talking but after about 15 minutes I was transfixed and didn't want it to end. Jean Dujardin had me hooked in a way I haven't felt while watching a movie for a very long time. He was charming, delightful, heartbreaking and somehow extremely cheeky.

I cannot recommend this movie highly enough - if you're a fan of films you HAVE to go see it. It's a wonderful homage to cinema before all the talking came along.

If the trailer doesn't sway you into going, just watch this skit that he cameoed in on SNL a couple of nights ago. I can guarantee you that he dances like this in the movie - actually he dances about a million times better than this in the movie but this will give you a taste of what he's capable of.

*SWOON*

 - Brooke

Sloth love

I was just shown this video by my sister - I've always thought Kristen Bell was amazing (since watching Veronica Mars) but this video just multiplied that by 100000+++. I didn't know anyone could be so excited to interact with a sloth before.

I'm sure pretty much anyone on the internet has seen that first video but there was also a cute after the show video that I had to share too

Toooooo cute

 - Brooke

Laneways filled with Horrors

Another weekend, another music festival. This time it was the festival described by one of my festival buddies as "so indie it hurts"- the Laneway Festival.

I went to Laneway Festival last year and wasn't super impressed by the festival but when given the opportunity to attend for FREE, I couldn't resist. Mostly because of one band - The Horrors. 

I could re-count the tales from the day but I'm pretty sure it'd go down much like my last post (about Big Day Out) - hot, great bands (for those who care, I saw - Laura Marling, Portugal The Man, Cults, Feist, The Horrors, The Drums & M83), great friends and Calippos - so instead I'll just write about The Horrors and my undying all consuming love for them.

Let's re-wind about 5 or 6 years while I was still working at JB Hi Fi. I was at that stage in my life where I was still discovering new bands. I was also pretty obsessed with The Mighty Boosh and I read an interview where Noel Fielding interviewed this extremely strange and peculiar band - The Horrors. 

I knew we had received their new EP at work so when I was back at work I had a listen - from that moment I was hooked. Their sound was unlike anything I had heard before - it was creepy, catchy, bizarre and oh so good. Since then, each album that they have released has been an evolution of their music style and they've somehow managed to become even more haunting and beautiful.

The very first time I saw them perform was at the Glastonbury Festival in 2007. It was manic, frantic and brilliant. They were crazy good live - engaging, mesmerising and delightfully weird. I was also really lucky to see them play at Electrowerks in Islington London that same year. Of all the shows I saw while in London that year this one stands out as one of my all-time favourites. It was a small (tiny) venue and I can still feel the energy coming from both the band and the crowd. Electric and mind-blowing.

I've been lucky enough to see them live now 6 times and it's been pretty cool to see their transformation - from garage punk weirdos to all out indie cool (sans make-up but still oozing that Gothic charm). Every time I see them live it's a highlight. They draw me in until it's all I think about, and all I listen to.

Now it's time for you to get sucked in too - some of my favourite songs from each album

"Gloves" - from Strange House

"Who Can Say" - from Primary Colours

"Still Life" - from Skyring 

Aren't they magnificent? 

 - Brooke

P.S I am now up to 3 of 10 new bands (who I have gone out of my way to see live) for my 50 things list!! WOO HOO!!!

#43 of 50 Things - Update and Re-design my blog

Do things look different around here today?? They should!!! My new blog design by Kaelah at Little Chief Honeybee has been installed. Man is this girl good!!! After answering a little questionnaire and sending her a few links to some different colour schemes and fonts that I liked she came up with this amazing design. 

It has everything I wanted and everything I love (did you see all the asterisks?? *swoon*). It's so pretty and feels much more "me".

You'll notice I now have a navigation bar at the top of the blog. I forced myself to write a little "about me" page, so if you'd like to know a little bit more about me then click click click! I'll update the other pages in the next week (FAQ, Contacts). 

YAY! I'm so excited about this new look. Thanks so much to Kaelah for being so fabulous and somehow dragging my dreams for my blog onto the page. You're marvellous!

I'm going to relax and watch Empire Records while I click through and obsess about this new layout.

41. Update and Re-design my blog 

x x x

 - Brooke

Big Day Out Festival Melbourne

Sunday. What a day. A hot sweaty mess of a day but a fabulous day spent with great people and amazing bands.

I decided 2 years ago after a pretty lacking Big Day Out festival that I would only attend if the lineup was right. This year the lineup felt right. With as much controversy that has surrounded the festival this year the line up offered me a nice mix of talented musicians ready to entertain me in the heat.

It was such a hot day I spent around $20 on Calippo icy poles. Worth every penny. We also found the sprinklers and soaked ourselves after a few different bands. We also found an easy way to cool ourselves down - pour cold water over your feet, you'll thank me after you've tried it.

The first band we saw for the day was Cage The Elephant. A little background for you - 3 years ago when my sister and I were about to drive down Highway 1 in California she purchased their album from a Borders store in San Francisco (I naturally purchased the latest Jack's Mannequin album). She had been raving to me about this band that we didn't get a chance to see at the Lollapalooza Festival that we had just attended (they clashed with Kaiser Chiefs). We listened to that album for about 50% of the drive down to Los Angeles and I was hooked. This festival was the first time they've toured Australia and the first time we've managed to see them live. They were worth the wait - WOW! (Second photo was taken by my sister Crystal - and no he's not on the stage, he's standing ON the crowd after crowd surfing to the middle of the tent)

We went to their solo show last night and it was SOOOO good I think I need to write about it in a separate post.

We also saw The Vaccines, Architecture in Helsinki, Kasabian and Noel Gallagher (right decision over Kanye West) among other bands. The most perfect way to end our day was singing "Don't Look Back in Anger" with Noel Gallagher.

My festival festivities *cringe* are not over yet. I am lucky enough to be headed along to the Laneway Festival in Melbourne on Saturday to spend some time with some more glorious bands.

 - Brooke

P.S Things are going to look different around here soon - my new blog design is almost ready for installation by the lovely Kaelah from Little Chief Honeybee. I'm SO excited for the change. It looks so much more like me - she's AMAZING at what she does!!!

P.P.S For those obsessed with following the casting news for the new Les Miserables movie adaptation will be SO happy to hear that Taylor Swift is OUT and Samantha Barks is IN for Eponine. I was lucky enough to see her perform this role on the West End 2 years ago when I was in London. She is absolutely PERFECT!!! I'm relieved and happy (there's a cute little interview with her HERE)

Life right now

This is what my life has been like in the past weekend. I've been drowning in a sea of boxes that just don't seem to be disappearing fast enough (probably because I've all but given up right now). In other words we moved house on Saturday.

We were supposed to move house on Sunday but those plans changed on Friday when our removalist (my brother in law) had a job booked suddenly for late Sunday afternoon. This would have been ok had I actually began packing before Friday night. 

Friday night was pretty mad - I was up late trying to pack up my stuff, failed and slept. Saturday was pretty hectic too. I feel like my brain is all over the place at the moment and I've barely got anything organised. 

One thing that is sorted is my cd's - this puts a little bit of relief and it allows me to breathe a little easier while in my room. Only a little though.

This weekend is set to be amazing. I'm going to see Kasabian and The Vaccines on Saturday night and then I'm off to the Big Day Out on Sunday. Though I'm starting to freak out a little bit about which headliner I'll be seeing. I have two choices - Kanye West (who I saw in July at Splendour in the Grass) or Noel Gallagher and the High Flying Birds (who is pretty much amazing). I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO... Help!

If you couldn't tell already - my brain is a little fried so I'm going to stop here.

Much love 

 - Brooke

Wes Anderson is Perfection

Can we talk about how perfect this trailer is for just one second? 

I simply adore anything that Wes Anderson creates and it looks like this movie will be no different. I wasn't even aware of the fact that this movie was being made so seeing this trailer today was a lovely surprise.

I mean the synopsis was enough to draw my attention but that trailer is perfection - the music, the costumes, the style and Edward Norton.

Set on an island off the coast of New England in the 1960s, "Moonrise Kingdom" follows a young boy and girl falling in love. When they are moved to run away together, various factions of the town mobilize to search for them and the town is turned upside down – which might not be such a bad thing. 

It's nice to see some of the usual Wes Anderson gang in this trailer - Bill Murray & Jason Schwartzman.

WHY DO WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL MAY (maybe longer) FOR THIS TO BE RELEASED???

*swoon*

 - Brooke

Monkeys, kookiness and lists

Last week as I previously mentioned was a super busy week. Not only was I back at work after a bit of a break over New Years but I also attended 4 different gigs. Every year in Australia there are a few music festivals and the week after New Years we are inundated with amazing shows that I can never pass up.

This year I went to 2 x Arctic Monkeys shows (supported by Miles Kane), The Kooks and then CSS. All of these bands I have seen before so I can't count them as new bands, but they were all so fabulous. 

It was so nice to see these bands again as they have all evolved and grown as performers since the last time I've seen them. I first saw Arctic Monkeys back in 2007 when they headlined Glastonbury and also saw The Kooks and CSS at the same festival. They were all still relatively new bands back then so I think the fact that I'm still willing to buy and listen to their music and go to see them live is pretty impressive (I didn't realise that I saw all three at Glastonbury back then until I was typing this - weird).

These photos are just a few iPhone snaps I took at the shows - not the greatest quality but I'm hanging to get a new point and shoot camera so they'll have to do for now. I'm hoping I can get a new one before I attend the "Big Day Out" festival at the end of the month. 

I've also been seriously considering #12 on my 50 things list and I may have just found the most perfect image. 

The original image on the left is from (surprise surprise) Jack's Mannequin's latest album art and it has pretty much everything I could desire - cat, asterisk, simple but beautiful. I don't know if it looks better "normal" or if it were more a line image (hence the inverted image) - thoughts?

I have had it in my mind for YEARS that I've wanted the asterisk somewhere on my body - I read an interview with Andrew about the meaning of the symbol and his band and his meaning made sense. It is inspired by a quote from Siddartha "the river is everywhere", the asterisk's is the lines that represent life and all the things around you, and everything intersects meaning everything and everyone is connected uniting the universe. Now I have to work up the courage to get it done.

Wish me luck 

 - Brooke

Hottest 100 = a happy list

January is a time for reflection - in Australia to some people it's also the time to reflect on the music we've been listening to and vote in the Triple J Hottest 100. The Hottest 100 is broadcast on Australia Day (January 26th) and this year I'm planning on having friends around for a BBQ (in a true Australian way). 

I always struggle to try and get my list down to just 10 songs (YEAH 10 SONGS) and this year was no different. I had to cut out some songs from some of my favourite bands and I know I could just use another email account and vote for them but I feel like that defeats the point of voting. 

Here's the 10 songs I voted for (in alphabetical order):

1. Architecture in Helsinki - Contact High
2. Arctic Monkeys - Don't Sit Down Cause I've Moved Your Chair
3. Cage The Elephant - Shake Me Down
4. The Grates - Turn Me On
5. The Horrors - Still Life
6. Kaiser Chiefs - Little Shocks
7. Kasabian - Velociraptor
8. The Strokes - Under Cover of Darkness
9. The Vaccines - If You Wanna
10. The Vasco Era - Rock And Roll Is The Only Thing That Makes Me Feel Good

To make it easier for you to check out these amazing songs for yourself I created a playlist for your listening pleasure.

These songs make me smile. They are a lot more upbeat that some of the other songs I'd normally pick but after going through the list on offer I realised last year was a time for songs that made me want to dance around like crazy. I think that's a good thing.

Happy listening

 - Brooke

#41 of 50 things in 2012

Wow 2012 has started very very well. 

So far this week I've been to three shows (bands I've already seen before) and tonight there's another one. I'll post some pictures and mini reviews on the weekend.

Today I had the day off and after watching a bunch of American Horror Story (I'm only up to episode 7 so no spoilers) I decided to go for a wander and use some of the gift cards I got for Christmas. I was walking around Target and found that they had a sale on their record players. I texted my sister and asked if I should get one - her response "well it is on your list".

So I did it. I can now happily cross one thing off my list. I am now the proud owner of a working Record Player. The first thing I played? Razorlight - and it sounded delightful.

41. Get a Record Player

Happy happy,

 - Brooke

2011 was...

The year I dyed my hair purple:

The year I saw many many amazing bands:

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