Goldfrapp @ Radio City Music Hall, NYC 09/12/08


















很棒但是票價也很貴的場地。一進去大廳有好幾個 bar 讓你買附贈會發光調酒棒的貴貴調酒,地下室的男女洗手間旁都各有一個 lounge。














大廳














Bar














地下室洗手間入口














時間還早還在 set up


一開始暖場的是 Martha Wainwright,表現中規中矩,也贏得不少掌聲,不過 Golfrapp 一出場馬上就說明了今晚誰才是老大:Visual,聲音和樂手的表現幾乎都無懈可擊。開始唱了幾首新專輯 Seventh Tree 裡面的歌,到了中段開始放送 Ohh La La 和 Strict Machine 時全場都坐不住啦,在這麼好的音場裡面聽著台上兩把 Keytar 和 keybaord 互尬實在有夠兇猛有夠爽!

Highlights:
You Never Know


Ohh La La


Strict Machine


Number 1

Layo & Bushwacka @ Cielo, NYC 09/11/08


還好要去之前先在網路上訂了票,不然位於肉品包裝區的 Cielo 對我來說實在是一家太過 chic 的舞廳,要進去之前還看到一位倒楣又不夠帥的老兄被擋在門口。沒想到進了 Cielo 之後我這鄉巴佬馬上得接受一連串的震撼教育。


震撼之一:要進舞廳要看包包甚至搜身都很正常,沒想到門口那位非裔美籍老兄在徵得我許可之後還真的來了個"搜身",全身上下摸得徹底不說,還把手伸進褲子裡拉了拉內褲頭看看有沒有啥"重型武器"......


震撼之二:裡面的 Funktion One 真是......讚。聽過調校得最好的 Funktion One。


震撼之三:好華麗的小舞廳啊......服務生好美......


不過期待滿滿的 Layo & Bushwacka 令人小意外,當晚主要操刀的是 Bushwacka,卻放了一個半小時冷冰冰沒有起伏的 set。倒是 Layo 的短短半小時已經足以讓人驚呼連連,大概是因為 The End 要關了讓他特別有感觸吧:P

Kitsune: Fischerspooner @ Santos Party House, NYC 09/04/08


衝著當紅的唱片廠牌 Kitsune 還有 Fischerspooner 早早就到位於 Chinatown 附近的 Santos Party House 旁邊晃來晃去兼探頭探腦啦。


到場子裡面進到地下室覺得,哇,這個地方還真小,大概二三十坪不到的空間外加超小聲的音響。在那磨磨蹭蹭二十分鐘之後往裡面探路才發現原來 main floor 要再往裡面走去上一樓......我好聳。


更聳的是發現其他人把舞池裡面擠得滿滿,而且穿著都有型有款,數了一下男生穿 t-shirt 的大概不到五個吧(當然我是其中一個),而女生都打扮得美美的,穿在我看來有點誇張的小禮服或洋裝。心理暗自嘀咕:"哇,這就是傳說中的美式 clubbing,不過這地方看起來就髒髒舊舊實在不太搭"。


前面2個 DJ 放的實在有夠爛,很納悶為啥打著 Kitsune 名號的派對會有這種咖出現,音響又很大聲但是很破而且後來 Fischerspooner 雖然很嗨(放到後來還有 DJ 胸肌秀),但是實在沒有預期中的好玩,就是很混的國歌連發,聽得我實在有點疲乏就閃人啦,其實那天的 line up 還有 Guns N Bombs 說......


好吧至少有照片一張做紀念

Adele @ Webster Hall, NYC 09/03/08


真的很會唱歌的小女生。

旅途上


不到24小時,我們將又一起踏上追尋的旅程。


I descended a dusty gravel ridge
Beneath the Bixby Canyon Bridge
Until I eventually arrived
At the place where your soul had died

Barefoot in the shallow creek
I grab some stones from underneath
And waited for you to speak to me

In the silence it became so very clear
That you had long ago disappeared
And I cursed myself for being surprised
That this didn't play like it did in my mind

All the way from San Francisco
As I chased the end of your rope
'Cause I've still got miles to go

And I want to know my fate
If I keep up this way
And it's hard to want to stay
Away

When everyone you meet
They all seem to be asleep
And you wonder if you're missing your dream
You can't see your dream
You can't see your dream
You just can't see your dream

A dream

And then it started getting dark
And I trudged back to where the car was parked
No closer to any kind of truth
As I must assume was the case with you


Snow Crash


"英雄也負擔不起那台電腦,但他就是需要它。那是謀生工具。在全世界的駭客中,英雄是個極具天份的浪跡者。大約五年前,他還覺得這種生活方式挺浪漫。但過了二十出頭歲月,成年人面臨的殘酷事實,一如周日早晨的陽光照醒周六夜晚的狂歡。"

------ Neal Stephenson, "Snow Crash"

WALL·E 《瓦力》


Rebel without a cause


影片開頭花了不少時間來"介紹"瓦力還有瓦力所生活的地方。當然,在瓦力工作片段之餘,導演安插了幾個鏡頭不只是要製造幾個笑點,卻是高段地在短時間內為已發生的,及將要發生的搭好橋樑

其實在先前網路上的解說兼預告片導演已為一切定調:


Brazil》片段


《瓦力》就是擁有好奇心的叛逆機器人,看似不可得的天堂,愛的追尋,老大哥及由以上元素展開的故事。


The good the bad and the ugly


要帶醜陋人類回家的可愛瓦力和女友遇上了 Axiom 號主控電腦來段裡所當然的小弟對老大哥,大衛對抗巨人,抑或者是,耶穌及十二門徒對抗羅馬帝國的情節。耶穌及十二門徒?身上帶著愛與奇蹟的瓦力還能把愛與奇蹟傳給了那幾個被關在維修室裡的故障機器人,以及一直追隨著瓦力"腳步",可愛度僅次於瓦力的 M-O。在過程中瓦力"不小心"地向一對胖男女揭示了世界的真相,然後還要死而復活,很難不令人聯想到這種主題。


Real odyssey


那部有紅眼電腦的電影很偉大,連《瓦力》裡面都要來如此明顯的致敬。但比起來也許《瓦力》更貼近了原來的奧德賽故事,也更貼近我這個愚鈍的心。畢竟在那部偉大的電影裡,回家竟然是如此抽象,崇高,需要智慧的概念; 而在《瓦力》中,卻是人人都能懂,更何況諸神的角色是一群可愛的機器人。


The one


片尾細心的 Pixar 當然不忘加上一些令人愛不釋手的小細節,用不同風格的繪畫交代了瓦力帶著人類重建文明,從壁畫到 8-bit 的電玩風格。不太能確定導演有沒有在暗示些什麼,不過這樣的結局倒是令人覺得驚喜又黯然。

The Knife


The Knife - Silent Shout



I never knew this could happen to me
I know now fragility
I know there's people who I haven't told
I know of people who are getting old

Wish I could speak in just one sweep
What you are and what you mean to me
Instead I mumble randomly
You stand by and enlighten me

In a dream I lost my teeth again
Calling me woman and half man
Yes in a dream all my teeth fell out
A cracked smile and a silent shout
A cracked smile and a silent shout

If I explain it once thoroughly
He'll have you later 'cause it's never free
You were at the gigantic spree
I caught a glimpse now it haunts me
I caught a glimpse now it haunts me


The Knife - Heartbeats


One night to be confused
One night to speed up truth
We had a promise made
Four hands and then away
Both under influence
We had divine scent
To know what to say
Mind is a razorblade

To call for hands of above, to lean on
Wouldn't be good enough for me, no

One night of magic rush
The start: a simpel touch
One night to push and scream

And then relief
Ten days of perfect tunes
The colours red and blue
We had a promise made
We were in love

To call for hands of above, to lean on
Wouldn't be good enough for me, no

To call for hands of above, to lean on
Wouldn't be good enough

And you
You knew the hand of a devil
And you
Kept us awake with wolves teeth
Sharing different heartbeats in one night

To call for hands of above, to lean on
Wouldn't be good enough for me, no

To call for hands of above, to lean on
Wouldn't be good enough

Analog Summing?

"I just don't buy it. I've heard examples, people have posted up examples around the 'net, and every time they do it, they go 'Listen to how much better that sounds when it's summed,' and I've always preferred the digital mix. So I think I'm just going to stick with that."

---Rob Swire, Pendulum

欸,難怪這麼難聽。

三訪北京流水帳

首先真的很爽的事情是往香港的座位居然是在 747 Jumbo 二樓的商務倉,我的膝蓋居然不會頂到前面的座位外加可以把腳打直!到香港機場再過一次海關直奔免稅商店區的粥麵館來份好味的水餃麵解解饞,路上還看到新開的 Sea Food Bar 魚子醬!專賣店。

從天空看見的北京還是一樣的灰。

不過熟悉的三里屯倒是變了,路上多了許多想拉你去看看外帶美眉的小伙子。看起來稍微摩登一點的酒吧仍然瘋狂放送著流行樂曲,我仍然有點小迷路地錯過 Jazz Ya 的小巷口。Jazz Ya 原本的木造氣息被滿佈的俐落黑色沙發取代,不過滿滿爵士樂還在,沒跟妳說我去了哪裡一個人吃晚餐,兀自點了大概兩人份的東西懷念地邊吃邊想著,如果能夠和妳一起再來,應該是挺好的吧。


DSC00090

第二天去吃大董烤鴨,三個人花了一千二,感謝公司業務經理慷慨解囊。稍晚星光現場看到不錯的加拿大團 Woodhands,好想要有台 MS-20。老外和當地音樂人很多,也看到蠻跳的很開心相當可愛的外國女生。


DSC00131

瘋狂主唱把弄著 Keytar 還有合成器和鼓機


DSC00139

這張照醜了。正妹和人很 nice 的業務經理。

第三天去一家叫 Assagi 的義大利餐廳,又是業務經理慷慨解囊,很不好意思地跟他說到台北我請他去 Tutto Bello。Assagi環境不錯,餐點有點裝模作樣就是了。吃完再去后海喝一瓶 90 塊的 Eindinger 邊看包括川劇變臉各式各樣的秀。

最後一個晚上去很有名的糖果聽 Loco Dice 放歌,要進去之前還納悶為啥有人在發扇子,進去之後才知道,啊,原來北京的 venue 都不開空調。一百塊不附酒,非常傷耳的音響,加上 Loco Dice 相當搞怪我又得不到那個點,北京女又一直獵殺白種人,沒聽完就悻悻然離去。

回來的時候在期待著下次再來,畢竟是個相當迷人的城市啊。想著和妳一起。