It's with giddiness and glee that I'm excited for another fun weekend around Melbourne here late in this wonderful Summer of 2018.
With Easter just a week away and Labour Day only two weeks in our rear vision mirror, one could Expect What from Morebourne, but anything less than Mel Fun?
Image via https://www.paradigmfestival.com.au/new-page/
The Melbourne Formula One Grand Prix has full fang mode engaged around Albert Park, Round One of the AFL Seasons kicks (or should that be 'bounces') off, Piknic Electronik is on again at Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Download Festival at Flemington racecourse is rekindling memories of Big Day's Out in the past as headlined by Korn, Limp Bizkit and Good Charlotte. The Primitive People boys are rendezvousing all over Somewhere Bar on Chapel St and not long after that wraps up the great Steve Ward is doing his first live synth set in over a year, just ten metres around the corner at OneSixOne. Oh, and Game 3 of the NBL Grand Final Series between Melbourne and Radelaide.
We really are spoilt for choice in the Nation's Capital for Live Music / Sport / Art / Fun / Unpredictale Weather; dang, we really are spoilt.
There's a whole lot of fun coming up in Melbourne. All photos via facebook events.
Despite all that it's the great Paradigm festival at Hisense Arena Saturday night that has me getting all wobbly-knee'd with nervous excitement. Here's Why.
Neelix performing from Sidney Myer Music Bowl at Electric Parade 2017. Video Courtesy: Me.
I try not to openly toot my own horn too much, but I was proud to earn a High Distinction on my thesis in Creative Media last year for which we had to analyse the Semiotics of a piece of media of our choosing. I elected to break down a track and it's accompanying video that inspired me and help prove to me that my mind was on the right track. This worked as a bit of confirmation bias that the path I am choosing (at least for now) seems to be a positive one. That video is Neelix's "You Can Change The World". I decided to pen a letter to Neelix which he may or may not ever read (if he doesn't that's ok), as I was proud that his art was able to inspire me to expand my thinking and that I could be rewarded for my time and efforts in analysing his video and song.
Neelix is playing at Paradigm this Saturday and this will be the fourth time I've seen him live and I can put him up there with only Kanye (oh and now Boris Brejcha) with acts I simply cannot bring myself to miss when I have the opportunity to see them in the flesh. They each have been too important and influential to me in so many aspects of life, and each performance just gets better. (Plus there's nothing better than meeting a 'first-timer' to one of their concerts and just seeing their mind unlocked and blown to the magnificence of these live shows).
Hopefully, You will be just like me and get the chance to experience Neelix live in person soon. This is not the song refreneced in the essay below, however is my Tantilizing Tympanny Tickler of the Day (Hey I remembered to keep that theme going...win!)
So cheers again to everyone for reading this far, here's my little letter to Mr Twardzik and I've decided to do something out of the ordinary, and actually post one of my graded essays for public consumption below. Remember, YOU too can Change the World, You MUST Change the World! :)
Guten Tag Mr Twardzik, I understand that you are busy and may not have the time in your busy schedule to read this nor expect a reply. Firstly, I would like to thank you for being a huge musical influence to not only myself and friends but thousands around the world. You spread positive messages through fun music which I know has influenced me to try and live a better life. Your “Alone After All” and “Time to Wake Up” sets have helped to inspire a change in the mindset of others also. It’s this impact that motivated me to make your track “You Can Change The World” (which I first heard in “Time to Wake Up”) as the subject of a recent essay I wrote as part of the Bachelor of Audio (Sound Engineering and Electronic Production degree) I am studying at SAE in Melbourne. This is part of my creative media class in which we were asked to analyse semiotics in a song or film and relate to dominant ideologies (such as Marxism). I delve into the way you have used the track and vision to encourage the audience that their small decisions in everyday life do have long term and greater impact, and how you use semiotics to reflect a false-consciousness as well as challenge our support of large, harmful corporations.. I was very proud to receive a High Distinction (the highest grade possible here) for my analysis of the You Can Change the World video you posted to Facebook on June 4, 2016. I could not find this on YouTube and could only guess there must be some copyright reasons due to some of the vision, but I have been showing as many people as possible and spreading your great message. I thought you may be interested to read my analysis and any feedback you may have will be awesome. Thanks again for everything you do, I have seen you play in Melbourne many times and look forward to seeing you live again at the upcoming Paradigm festival here in March. I have attached my assignment below. Genieße deinen Tag Kind Regards Trent Bice
