Monday, February 27, 2012

soundwave 2012 review.

warning: before reading, grab popcorn + a drink. extremely long post.
i was destined to be unable to sleep on saturday night.
i was probably too restless knowing the next morning i'd wake up to experience a marathon: of my favourite heavy metal bands.
fueled on a somewhat early morning mcdonalds breakfast, i was ready to get going.
in fact, this was my first soundwave, and i'd have to say the baptism was graciously adorned by some of the greatest artists, in my eyes. 

first of all, the highlights of my day:
1*trivium:
why? well, when i heard matt heafy scream the first 'IN WAAAVES', delirium poured over me and it was as if infinite energy had been unleashed. it was an amazing moment; seeing him there, looking and sounding just as he had in all those videos i'd watched over and over again. yes, perhaps i love matt heafy too much, but trivium really did pull together a tight show for us. it was the one thing i'd looked forward to all day, at the time. [apart from everything else], not to mention running around in chaotic circle pits alongside my fellow metal comrades. favourites played included in waves, down from the sky, like light to the flies, etc.
2* lamb of god:
like a true fan i waited in the mosh pit whilst listening to mastodon create some magic on the neighbouring stage. i'd already missed out on front + centre, but i was in no way prepared to argue with large men in black t-shirts who were die-hard fans; not that i wasn't either. i was, however, 3 rows back and ready to face chris adler straight on, who would in a matter of minutes be sitting in his throne. one of my many idols, whose precision on the kit is a lot more than just admirable. 
and before those of you who will ask, yes, i did indeed participate with all that seemed to be left of me in the infamous lamb of god wall of death. as redneck played in the background it seemed as though all of us lost any sense of self and converged in a chaotic mass. 
my personal favourite, also, is now you've got something to die for.
3*machine head:
what a way to end the night. their shamanistic, ritualistic performance had the already exhausted crowd silenced and standing in respect, when the holy sounds of i am hell transcended through the crowd. it was like a mist had settled over all of us as we waited for the first chords to break through.
of course mayhem was unleashed, but what i admired was their ability to hold together the crowd in absolute awe, as if in a level above all others, that didn't require a physical level of expression but a mental understanding. aesthetics of hate, locust, imperium, and beautiful mourning proved to be crowd favourites as well as my own. however the whole set was well extremely well rounded.
robb flynn, leading the band in a priest-like manner, and dave mcclain, were both world class performers.
4*system of a down:
what else? the headliners were bound to be amazing. and so they proved to be. serj's voice soared across the audience as the harmonies floated by on daron's guitar. he is, i must say, one of the coolest stage characters i've ever seen.
depressed i was leaving them behind on the final notes of radio/video, a song i'm almost too familiar with, as i headed out, knowing i would miss chop suey. however what i heard of them was awe-inspiring and i could not have wished for more. opening with b.y.o.b, what was left of the stadium filled quickly and it was a party indeed. as the giant curtain fell to reveal the performers, something inside screamed 'life defining moment'. 
5*slipknot:
always a chaotic show; interaction with the audience was one in a million. could not have wished for a greater visual image as i stood from above, watching the crowd obey the commands of #8, surging, jumping, as the stage lit up with fire, fireworks, any type of completely crazy lighting you could think of to stun the audience. not a song to be missed, duality the classic, and my favourite.
what was i most impressed by? firstly, i've always loved the fact that slipknot is such a large band. reminiscent of dance crews who perform as one, slipknot works only as an ensemble. each visual cue is directed by a different member, their masks creating characters on stage, the audience watching as a though it were a play. 
as a percussionist myself i love how much percussion is featured in this band, mesmerised as the clown danced his way across his instruments. 
in any case, bands should always feel the need for that tight bond. 
6*slash coming on stage for alter bridge: 
unexpected + awesome. i'd say more, but for the one song he was playing, i could not stop smiling. 

other highlights included: mastodon, alter bridge, and in flames.
as well as me keeping everything intact and not losing personal belongings which is always a plus.

there were also the not-so-awesome-things:
1*clashes between machine head and system of a down, but it was to be expected and most of us were able to compromise.
2*marilyn manson: i didn't see the man himself but sources have already informed me that it was a sad sight to see.
3*water bottle restrictions: entering the largest mosh pit saw me having to abandon the lid of my water bottle which just became a hassle. but i'm not complaining too much, i see the point.

nothing else. loved it. 
i have no voice left, no energy, but i'm definitely ready to continue being a die hard fan. 

if i thought practicing these songs in my basement study gave me a workout, let me tell you now, there is not a part of me that is not in pain.

and now, it's only due time that i wash the festival out of my hair and embrace my post-concert depression.

x, rena.

marathon post!

Monday, February 20, 2012

perfect afternoon snack.

i'm obsessed with this snack! 
it's relatively healthy but just filling enough after school or whenever you get the munchies halfway between lunch and dinner.
so... what's inside?
1*water crackers of any sort, to your preference
2*humous/hummus, however you wish to spell it
3*simple avocado mix of half an avo, salt, pepper + lemon juice to your liking.

the combination of tastes is just awesome.

x, R.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

in|out of studio with franki.


finally, a post! 
this was the day i bought my 50mm f/1.8 lens. love the crisp close ups. 
i shot grace for socialight clothing's winter collection, instructed to keep it extremely simple;
the out of studio photos were just a bit of fun.

stay posted.

x, R.


Wednesday, February 8, 2012

please, please please, let me get what i want - the smiths.


shot on my canon 550D with my new a 50 mm f 1.4 lens. [plastic fantastic!]
i apologise for the last photo - i did the best i could with the 5 minutes spare time i had to take these.
found this shirt at dangerfield the other day, i was incredibly: the song is an absolute favourite of mine - filled with a sense of desperation and longing... ahhh, the smiths.
not to mention it was $8.
and the shoes were $35 from zu shoes. 

i was more than willing to buy a dress-sized tee... more freedom to wear it under a coat in winter, or something along those lines. 
i must say i'm continually loving post-post-post christmas sales... although it does involve a bit of treasure hunting, i haven't failed to find something good yet. 

i also apologise for the atrocious amount of time away... the new year seems to have whisked me away and i'm finding myself overwhelmed with school work.

we'll see how this little bloggety does... maybe i'll go on some frenzy and queue a million posts in one night, or something, just to make me look like i'm on top of things.

x, R.