Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Monkeys, Movies, Music, and Magic

Not usual for me, but I want to talk big movies. Specifically, the Planet of the Apes reboot. This is a franchise that has taken its roots and just run - real popcorn stuff, and I'm for sure going to see the next one, Dawn of the Planet of The Apes. The whole origin story is such an interesting concept - we know the story, but the "Outbreak" theme is a great twist on just what led to Charlton Heston's beating the sand at the end of the great original.

Now, there's a series of shorts that have come out. Documenting one year5 years, and 10 years after Simian Flu, it's a really unique teaser series that makes me want to buy my ticket now.  They're all totally worth watching, but my favourite was the third, Story of The Gun. All of the characters brought together in a post-apocalyptic world by an item - a weapon  - is such an awesome idea. I highly recommend them.


Next, music. The weather has finally become Summer - right on time for July. New Season, New Job. I'm taking advantage of working at the GLC inasmuch that I'm taking opportunities as they come. I went to see Pete Murray the other night, and forgot I knew a lot of his stuff.  If you don't know, he's an Australian singer/songwriter who's known for playing chilled beach tunes. One man and his guitar was exactly what I needed after a weekend of work hell. I thought I knew the meaning of "burnt out" but that was, I now realise, the emotion "over it". It took me ten minutes to make 2 drinks, I was all over the joint.

But enough of that. It was a great show, and apart from one little scuffle by two little dickbags, it was an awesome crowd to be a part of.

What struck me about the show, though, was two things:

People are taking videos and snapchats more than ever, and while the little screen in front of me doesn't bother me per sé, it's what it represents.  When have you ever had a Snapchat from a live gig that wasn't drowned out by the audience immediately around the phone singing along? When have you ever taken a video on a phone and watched it back more than a week later?

The hate on phones at gigs is not a new one by any means, but it makes my point nicely. Murray does a song called "Ten Feet Tall", possibly my favourite of his. Its backstory involves, love, death and meaning.

A man's wife died when she was only 32 years old (I don't know under what circumstances). This woman, from when she was a small girl, had said that when she died, she wanted to come back as a butterfly. Not long after the funeral, her widower and some of their friends were having a late one at a bar, when a butterfly flew in the window, flew amongst all of them, and finally came to rest on the man's shoulder, where it remained until he walked home.  This is a beautiful story, made more so by the fact that butterflies fly during the day.



So this moved me. I'm allowed to feel things. So, in the same way that holiday photos never look as amazing as when you're there, how would the transference of this beautiful and touching story be relatable when you say to your friend "Oh, dude, you HAVE to check out this vid of Pete Murray"?  I don't know. Maybe I'm just looking for beautiful things.

Which I found, and brings me to my next point: those that didn't have their phones in their pockets were perceivably having a great time. I always check out the crowd a couple of times at gigs, because people collectively experiencing and enjoying live music is a rare and precious thing.  Electric.  I get goosebumps when I see a couple holding each other and kiss, or a couple of buddies clink beers and bro out. I'm getting goosebumps just writing this!

But it seems that's the way it goes. There is such a stark dichotomy of people: those that live the moment, and those that share. I know which one I am.

Start living moments.