Wednesday 9 March 2011

The Brilliance of Kate.

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Ever since about 7 years ago, when I heard 'Babooshka' on the radio, and made a passing comment that I thought that song was good, I have had a deep, passionate love for everything that is Kate Bush.


My father took that comment, and bought me a Kate Bush Greatest Hits album the next time he was at the shops. I listened to it, and immediately fell head-over-heels in love with every single track. I have so many favourites of hers, you could say her entire discography is my favourite. (If you pushed me, 'Cloudbusting' would probably be my number 1...but that may change tomorrow..)


Every song she releases, or puts on an album, is so marvellously thought out, so liquid in flow and motion, it puts my mind into a state of ecstasy listening to her. Her lyrics are so different then just silly love songs you hear so frequently. They have meaning, sometimes on many different levels. She injects humour, tenderness, and the deepest feelings that I can experience listening to music.


The instrumentals that her incredible lyrics are backed up with is eclectic, different, full of unique instruments that aren't always used in popular music. When she uses generic instruments, she plays then with such magnificence that it strikes the heart, overwhelming the senses.


Kate Bush's high octave range and effortless flow from high notes into low sends a shiver up the spine. She has shaped my life by putting me into moods I never thought possible. My dream, one day, would be to see her live. It is a long-shot, but I hope that one day it will come true.

Sunday 6 March 2011

The Problem with Clubbing.




Clubbing is fun. Even if you don't drink. Getting drunk off the music is enough for me. But there are several very annoying parts of this culture that are incredibly obvious and needs to be rectified.

Getting Drunk: While fun, getting so drunk off your face that you have no idea where you are anymore is not good. Best to be done maybe at a house party. As, on the dancefloor, the biggest drunkards will always make fools of themselves, and need to be carried off to a quieter place. Don't get so drunk that you are out of control of your own decisions, that's irresponsible and can lead to dangerous encounters. Or even just embarassing photos uploaded to facebook the next day.

Dancing: I LOVE to dance. I would dance all night if there wasn't a very big problem. Guys gyrating up against you. Guys. STOP THAT RIGHT NOW. Learn to read body signals before you think you can just hook up with every girl at the club. Because very recently I realized, a very small amount of guys actually like clubbing. They go to hook up. That's it. There really needs to be a badge you can wear if you are taken or not interested. As it's just becomes a disgusting orgy on the dancefloor after a while.

Which leads me to my next problem,

Hook-ups: Okay, so we understand that drunk people are also overtly friendly. Sometimes to the point where they can't help hugging, kissing or fondling each other on the floor. That is appalling and unacceptable. If you want to hook up, go find a corner or go upstairs away from the throb of the crowd. Although, I must say, the crowd encourage it. The mentality that you are safe around a big group of people is probably the reason a lot of people do not go elsewhere.

Friends-hooking-up-with-friends is also quite..I'm not sure what to say...pathetic?

You want to kiss your friend, so you get all the attention of the boys on the dancefloor, then when one of them wants some, you wonder why? Isn't that called a cocktease? While I understand the freedom of every person is important, and people should be able to do what they want without being harassed. That is bound to attract unwanted attention.

I used to never understand why so many straight girls go to gay clubs, but now it is perfectly clear. Men are a big problem at these clubs, there needs to be a women-only-but-not-necessarily-lesbian club. As the amount of guys acting like complete idiots was staggering. It was not simply a few of a large crowd. It was the majority of the crowd. Can't I just enjoy the music and dance?

Now, it's not like I am particularly attractive either. I'm just your average girl. It's just like my friend Nicola said 'It's because I have a pulse, and I am standing here' - is exactly right. These guys are trawling the clubs, asking any girl who looks half-decent, if they want to hook up. It's not even a 'hi how are you, my names joe' introduction-style. Which I would appreciate and be very polite to. It's 'HEYY LAYDEEEES'. It absolutely ruins a good night of dancing have that happening.

Transport: Getting to a club seems to be easy enough, but just you try to get home if you don't have a lift arranged. Public transport is horrendously under-represented, even in big cities like London. I remember sitting outside the Fortitude Valley train station in Brisbane, waiting for it to open, and never thought the same kind of thing could happen in London. Turns out it does, and it's much worse. The train from the major station, Victoria, starts at a reasonable time, but it is bloody hard to get to the actual station if you are nowhere near it. Best bet is to save some extra money just for the cab to the train station.

These tiny occurances make it harder to have a good time and just let go. London is a major international city, it needs to start thinking how many people travel from quite far to be there on a night out. They would not lose money opening the tube/train station earlier so people don't freeze walking around in the cold.

Also, men need to learn that NO means NO. It seems to be a hard concept to grasp. It's really quite easy. Don't hit on girls who are dancing tight, dancing together, having a good time. Don't ruin their night. If you are desperate to hook up, go for those skanky girls gyrating in the middle of the throb.

I like clubbing, but it'd be better if these problems were fixed, and not just 'part of the night' - I have a feeling nothings ever going to change though.