#aussie football bullshit

[lavenderconduitofno]

Okay, just going to make a real big post with all my Dynamite thoughts.

I'm so unsettled by pleasant MJF but when he actually starts talking about his feelings and (seeming) like he's actually going through some character development there's this small part of me that actually believes him. Well, some of it. Still feel like something's going to go horribly wrong and he's going to double, triple, and quadruple down on his bullshit.

Oh my god verbal fellatio. Maxwell please.

The pink and blue gang are the real MVPs.

Oh god I don't trust this contract.

It's nice to see the Elite get to be comedy wrestlers again instead garbage wrestlers, as much as I enjoy the garbage wrestling.

Poor Nick can't catch a break man.

Why are the Aussie's tights (especially Fletcher's) designed to perfectly frame their balls? For all I know it could be on purpose but like...

This women's mash has saturday morning cartoon energy and I'm here for it. The Outcasts are just so damn funny to me, especially Ruby slapping Toni's ass like a football player and Hikaru is such a good baby face. It would have been really nice IF IT HAD ANY FUCKING BUILD UP TONY. At least she got some confetti.

[ijustlovehockey]

Seven players from the Manly Sea Eagles are boycotting the pride jersey citing 'religious beliefs' but they'll gladly run around with gambling advertisement in big font on their jerseys. What does your religious belief say about that?

They're just trying to hide their fuckin homophobia.

[astrugglestreet]

Thoughts on that article that come out about Sam in aus 🙄

Oh anon I’m so glad you asked

I think it’s same old australian media bullshit to be honest 😂 when it comes to women’s football i just find they have no idea what they’re talking about. It’s the same old Chelsea rumours because she ‘might’ not be coming back to aus for the w-league this season. Like the article does not mention or acknowledge the NWSL and just?! gOD FORBID our aussie players get an off season for once. I personally do not see Sam moving from the nwsl in the near future. She’s happy she’s comfy she’s at home with the red stars, let’s just let her bbeeee

[captawesomesauce]

Thoughts at 1pm...

@brujitaxula​ made a post asking what people are going to do once quarantine is over and it really struck a nerve with me...

It wasn’t until I saw that post that I realized that I can’t really picture an end to this. 

I’m looking at this photo I have behind my monitors...

I’m in this photo... right down in the student section near courtside... and I can’t ever imagine doing that again. 

No more football, or movies. No more concerts or museums or aquariums. No more special talks and events, or even in person classes with 300 students shoulder to shoulder in the most uncomfortable seats ever.

Until there is a vaccine, and it might be a year or more until there is one. None of this is possible. 

There is going to be a change in society, a national and international trauma... things won’t be going back to the way things were. I’d love to think that this is an event that would make us all pull together and rosy glasses and what not... but yeah... I’m too old for bullshit...

Hurricanes and natural disasters didn’t make us start focusing on climate change, 9/11 didn’t bring us together and make us start focusing on acts of charity and good to combat the evils of fundamentalism and wahhabism, and the great recession didn’t do shit to stop wealth inequality and homelessness even with Obama in office. 

This is going to hurt... and hurt bad... and I don’t know what the post COVID world looks like. I don’t know what we’ll be able to do again, or won’t do again, or even when. 

In a perfect world, we’d have a federal govt that would institute a complex and complete testing program and assist the states in proccuring PPE and equipment. Instead we have a president who is focused on making himself and his friends rich and doing as little as possible while people die.... and calling that perfect. 

I do hope this changes society in a lot of ways.... I hope that it bolsters the idea that everyone deserves a living wage, and universal basic income is a must. That commuting into work is stupid and has way too many downsides from pollution, to traffic, wear and tear on roads, cost of gas, cost of insurance, stress and time wasted. That curbside pickup should be an option going forward forever, because there are accessibility issues for the disabled, and elderly, and immunocompromised that this benefits greatly. 

I dunno.... Life is changing... I look at my friends who have kids, who are pregnant right now... and I shudder. WE grew up in a remarkable time. The late 70s, 80s, and 90s were really a period of growth and stability and happiness for a majority of people. (caveat being not if you were a POC, gay, and a bunch of others) But we did see crime really go down a lot, we saw home ownership go up, we were at peace for the most part, and even natural disasters were rare and spread out. 

Now, it’s all shit. We started 2020 with the Aussie bushfires... remember those? It just seems like every week is a new overwhelming week and it’s only going to get worse in ways we can’t even imagine... This is the world and trauma the kids are growing up in, the world and trauma the kids will inherit. 

People talk about life getting back to normal.... we’ve still gotta make it through fire season, hurricane season, flu and COVID part 2 season, and then the elections.... and who knows what else....

[stainyourhands]

LET'S TRY THAT AGAIN i am very into your thoughts on lvett the reluctant TENNIS expert.

I promised myself I wouldn’t get into a sports au in this fandom but … okay, so, when L*vett’s growing up, his dad tries him in every sport - football, baseball, basketball, a horrible three months of swimming where L*vett refuses to get his hair wet and hates the little speedo he has to wear - until one day he drags L*vett to the JCC and dumps him into a tennis lesson while he has lunch with the guys.  The instructor pulls him aside because L*vett’s good at this.  He’s never quite gotten endurance down, but bursts of speed he’s good at, and angles he’s very good at, and reading his opponents’ weak spots he’s brilliant at.  

So L*vett’s dad puts him in tennis lessons and sends him to tennis summer camp, and it’s fine, it’s okay, as long as L*vett can still read his newspaper and his sci-fi books in-between matches.  When he gets to middle school, the tennis boarding school is almost even a relief.  It’s exhausting and feels a bit like a tennis sweatshop and he doesn’t really like the other boys, but it’s better than the bullshit he used to deal with back home.

He goes down to Boston for an intersquad game and he’s not really thinking about it much.  He demolishes everyone in his age group, usually.  But there’s this kid at the other end of the court, and he has this stupid, dopey smile and a killer backhand and L*vett can’t, for the life of himself, pass him at the net.  At the end of the match, L*vett’s still a little shell-shocked when the kid offers his hand and his name, “Jon, I’ll be seeing you around a lot more” and L*vett doesn’t know what he means until Jon shows up at his down Monday morning with a duffle bag and an Adidas sponsorship and that same, stupid smile.

L*vett tries to hate him, he really does, but Jon is smart and generous.  They’re paired together in almost every drill, and, afterwards, Jon sprawls out in the shade and shares his water bottle and will talk to L*vett about everything from politics to the merits of tennis strings to L*vett’s shitty dad and Jon’s not-at-all-shitty parents.  They come down to Florida for the Orange Bowl, and Jon invites L*vett to a fancy dinner and L*vett tries, but does not succeed, to be on his best behavior.  They both hug L*vett good night and he doesn’t really understand, but Jon’s smiling at him, “they liked you.” And L*vett snorts, cause no one likes him.  Tennis likes him.  He doesn’t like tennis.

Then they compete in the Orange Bowl and they’re seeded first and second and they make it through to the Final.  L*vett’s feeling incredibly awkward that morning, when he leaves their shared hotel room and pretends not to know him in the lockerroom.  Until Jon grabs the hem of his t-shirt right before they head out, pulls him close and, while L*vett’s frozen, his entire body humming, Jon kisses him. “Good luck,” he whispers, and then he’s gone, his name being called, and L*vett has to pull himself together.  L*vett narrows his eyes, starts the first game with two aces, but Jon just grins at him, slaps at his thighs and hits a wicked return.  They go five sets.  L*vett wins by sheer force of will.  Back in the lockerroom, with the trophy between them, Jon kisses him again.

When L*vett wins his first Wimbledon, Jon is in his box, his hair still wet from his doubles final, a giant flag in his hand.  He’s sitting next to L*vett’s dad, who’s covering his ears to block out Jon’s yelling.  Even L*vett’s dad is kinda smiling, though, when L*vett wins and climbs up to his box, wrapping his mother in a long, sweaty hug, letting his dad squeeze his shoulder, then pulling Jon into a long, not-so-appropriate kiss, but he just won Wimbledon, the tabloids be damned.

A couple years later, after L*vett’s got a room full of trophies he never goes in to and Jon has a very respectable shelf of his own, their hitting partner quits to have a baby.  They run through five different men and women, before their old school coach sends them a recommendation.  He’s blond and he walks with a little bit of a limp, but he can keep up with them. “My shoulder’s fine,” he rolls his eyes as L*vett eyes him skeptically. “It’s my knee I fucked up.  I’m Tommy.”  Jon’s mouth gapes open, “no, not- Tommy V*tor?” L*vett’s heard about him, too, the junior who was poised to be the next John McEnroe or Jimmy Connors, until he fucked his knee beyond repair.  Four surgeries and a dozen specialists later, he’d retired from the game and disappeared.  Until he’s shown up at Jon and L*vett’s training center and, within a week, in their box at Indian Wells and, within six months, in their bed.

The first time Jon wins the Aussie, he doesn’t think it through, just climbs into his box.  Hugs his parents and his brother.  Pulls Tommy into a kiss that has the entire stadium in twitters.  Then he arches L*vett into the most exaggerated, extravagant kiss, with Tommy’s hand still splayed wide over Jon’s lower back.  That’s the picture the papers run with the next day.  That’s the picture they hang over the mantel at their house.  That’s the picture L*vett’s dad snorts at, every time he visits. 

[puckyou-forpuckssake]

Bail—J. Vrana

Message me to request an imagine.

No request. Warning: drunk Capitals and a couple cuss words. Check my blog for master list or search for more in blog with #hockeyimagine

You stared at the sight in front of you: your fiancé and his teammates, Andre, Christian, Tom, Shane, Chandler, Nathan, Travis, Madison, and Devante sitting in a holding cell. You knew some of the other guys would be there too if it wasn’t for their wives, girlfriends, and a sense of responsibility. would probably be in there with them if it wasn’t for their wives, girlfriends, or sense of responsibility that had them leave the bachelor’s night early.

You told Jakub before he left with the guys to not get into trouble. “I am not setting bail money aside for you and the guys. Please, please do not get in trouble.”

They couldn’t see or hear you. “Where did you pick them up at?” you asked the officer.

“Trying to break into the players’ entrance at Capital One Arena,” the officer informed you. “Boys said they had been to Georgetown where a Willy bet a DSP that his guys could win a game of hockey. Losers would have to buy the next five rounds and go nude at next practice. It was a Willy, Burkie, V, Juice, and Shaney against a DSP, Stephenson, Mad Bow, Kangaroo, and Boyd Toy. I feel bad the Stephenson doesn’t have a nickname but they are wasted. I don’t know why they thought they’d be able to get in. That place is secured, and they drunk off their asses. They play in a pick up league?”

“Not a hockey fan?”

The officer shook his head. “Not a sports fan. Just never got into the stuff. I’ll watch a football or baseball game on occasion if it’s the only thing on.”

You pointed to the ten. “They play for the Washington Capitals.”

“The NHL team?” You nodded. “Oh. Well I feel bad now. No charges have been pressed. The one in the corner crying kept repeating your name. We found your contact in his phone.”

“I’m the crying one’s fiancé, and tonight is his bachelor’s night. The rest of the team was with them, but they are responsible.”

A tapping noise interrupted the conservation. Looking up, Jakub was at the window. “Can we mess with them? I told him not to get in trouble tonight.”

The officer nodded and hit the speaker. “What do you need?”

Jakub sniffled. He’d always been a sad drunk. “You gotta get us out of here. If Y/N finds out, she’ll be sad. I can’t imagine what she’d say.”

You hit the speaker. “I told you not to cause trouble, Jakub Vrana. I will call your mother, your real one and your hockey one.”

His eyes widened. Andre looked around and giggled. He was a happy drunk. “I think I just heard Y/N. She doesn’t sound happy, V.”

Jakub started crying again. “I feel like she knows that I’ve let her down.”

“Shut up!” Yelled Tom. “You aren’t helping us get out of this damn place.”

“You shut up, Willy,” Devante yelled back.

“Settle down, mates,” Nathan intervened. “Let’s calm down.”

They were all quiet for a second before Tom and Devante started yelling again, Jakub was crying, and Andre was giggling. Nathan looked to be meditating on the ground and making strange noises like a didgeridoo. Christian had joined Andre in laughing, and Shane was now trying to console Jakub. Madison and Travis had fallen asleep on the ground. You had no idea how they were sleeping through this. Chandler was quietly sitting on the bench.

You pointed to him. “How’d he act when you picked them up?”

“Quiet,” the officer answered. “We assumed him to be the quiet drunk.”

“Bring him here.”

The officer retrieved Chandler and brought him to you. He smiled at you before noticing the anger look on your face and let his smile fall. “You don’t look so happy, Y/N,” Chandler commented.

“You are sober.” Chandler stayed quiet. “I know you are sober because Ovi texted me when he left that you had only had two beers so they designated you in charge of those idiots in the holding cell. What the hell happened, Chandler Stephenson?”

He was about to answer when someone banged against the glass again. It was Jakub once more. “Officer,” he cried, “I don’t know what you’ve done with Chan, but it’s not his fault. Don’t punish him. Call Y/N. I’d rather face her wrath.”

“He’s been crying for you most of the night,” Stephenson added.

You glanced at the officer, who opened the holding door and let you in. The boys all quieted down and looked at you when you walked in. “Y/N!” Jakub ran and hugged you. “Please don’t leave me. I’m so sorry. It was Willy and DSP’s fault.”

“Snitch!” The two yelled, causing Andre and Christian to start laughing like hyenas again.

“What happened, Jakub?”

“Willy said his check was better than DSP’s. Then Chan said his slapshot was better than Andre’s. Then Djoos said he was the better defenseman between him and Bowey. Aussie said he could be a goalie and Shane called bullshit. So Boyd suggested we go settle this,” Jakub explained. “All the guys thought it was a good idea but they said I had to approve since it is my night.”

“So because they all thought it was a good idea, you decided to go along with it?”

Jakub nodded. “I may have been drunk.”

“You still are, darling,” you chuckled. “Come on, let’s go home.”

Jakub followed you out. The rest of the guys followed you but you stopped them. Turning to the officer, you asked, “Is it possible for all these idiots to spend the night here,” pointing to Chandler, “Including that one, without it being an arrest or get them in serious trouble? I’ll take this one home and post bail for the rest, but I think they need to learn their lesson.”

The guys started yelling at you. The officer nodded. “There is no bail. Just come back for them at 8 am.”

You nodded and walked out with Jakub. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled again. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Jakub. Just don’t be a pushover idiot next time.”

“There won’t be a next time,” he grinned, “Because I’m only getting married once, and that’s to you.”

[artificialqueens]

Cupid’s Blind Arrow (Group fic) Chapter 2 - Ginger Nut

A/N: I’m back back back again, hope people enjoy thanks again to Mistress for being beta!!! Xx :))

“This is so stupid” Pearl said as she made the finishing touches to her costume. She took one last look in the mirror. From head to toe she resembled a sexy, modern-day knight. she’d made most of the costume herself, and to her mother’s surprise, she’d actually finished it, and on time as well. Her silver dress gave her an hourglass figure, accentuating her waist. Pearl had added small metallic shoulder pads and lots of thrift shop silver jewellery scavenged from the many secondhand shops around her house. With the necklaces she molded a chunky yet flattering belt, giving her garment a unique touch. The Pearl touch she thought as she smiled back at the girl in the mirror. Pearl had straightened her hair for once, giving her natural waves a time out for the night. “Pearl, honey, you’re going to be late,” a voice from downstairs called, Pearl loved her mum, she really did, but the last thing she needed was to be the first person to arrive at her first high school party, and not dressed as a sexy version of an animal, but as a knight. “It’s fine mom, I’ll be down soon, ok?” Pearl didn’t hear a response but she took that as a yes. Why are you so nervous? The girl could only wipe her sweaty hands on her bed duvet so many times. Just be normal, be cool. She was the one who invited you, Pearl, she must want you there. Or maybe she feels bad for you. Maybe everyone does. what if they all talk about me? “Get out your head, Pearl” she told herself, fixing her hair one last time so it was just perfect.

Over at Alaska’s house, she and Willam were getting ready together so they could adjust each other’s headpieces. Plus, Willam felt like Alaska needed all the company she could get right now. As she bobby-pinned part of Alaska’s crown into her hair, Willam could feel the stiffness in the girl’s shoulders. “Cleopatra,” said Willam. “A strong, independent, woman.” “Hardly” Alaska tried her best not to chip her fresh set of acrylics, but couldn’t resist picking at them. “She had so many affairs.” “Who didn’t in those days? Hell, who doesn’t now-“ Fuck. Willam squeezed her eyes shut as she mentally kicked herself. “Shit, sorry I didn’t mea-“ Alaska gave out a pathetic laugh turning to face the other blonde. “Don’t worry ‘bout it. Not like it was a person anyway. Just some lousy downers for a lousy person– dammit.” “What?” “My nail,” Alaska whimpered, stomping her foot. Once. Then twice. Then she started whining. Then came the frustrated screams drowning out any background noise. “Hey, hey, hey” Willam tried to restrain Alaska from levelling up to a tantrum, gripping onto Cleopatra’s forearms and forcing eye contact. “Don’t worry, we can–.” “But they shouldn’t have chipped in the first place. Why do they always chip, every single time!” Alaska’s eye started to well up. Willam felt a surge of strength – she was not about to witness strong and beautiful Cleopatra turn back into the Alaska who turned up a week ago at her front door. “Don’t let your nails ruin your night lask, they don’t deserve to. Why don’t we get you a new pair, huh? You can get them red to match my loub’s yeah?” Willam had nothing left other than to hug Alaska, but if she did that right now she’d crease both her and Alaska’s costumes, I don’t care if the girl’s about to die. I didn’t get this pressed for nothing. Willam heard sniffling; “God Alaska.” Willam looked at her friend again and was taken aback. Stood before her was a defeated, harmed, shrivelled soul, an antonym to the girl who was captain of the cheerleading squad, nailed the roll of Sandy in the school production of Grease, and smiled at everyone in the hallways. Her pouted lip didn’t compare to the true solemnity in her eyes, Alaska was hurting really badly and Willam didn’t know what to do. What would Courtney do if she was here? Well she’d be having the time of her life getting railed into next week- no no how would she comfort someone? Willam sighed, suddenly forgetting about the creases in her dress she was about to welcome. “Come here,” She stretched out her arms and welcomed Alaska into a hug, they stayed there for a while until Alaska sobs had quietened. Willam pulled away looking at a way to resolve Alaska’s now smudged makeup. “We’re gonna need to fix this.” Pulling her over to the vanity Willam tried to wipe away the winged eyeliner without touching anything else, her mind started to drift elsewhere; ~~~ “Hey court,” Willam instinctively smiled as she opened the door for the Aussie, the being before her radiating beams of warmth and happiness. Courtney lead herself to the dining room and presented Willam with a question; “So, what did you think?” Willam was leaning against the worktop her mind wandering to places it shouldn’t. Her eyes compliment her face so well, the beautiful colour works akin to her sun-kissed skin, I want to kiss her skin. Her ears are so little, that’s a cute dress, is almost too pretty to rip off. Almost. “Wills?” Willam shook herself back into the real world with no recollection of what she’d been asked “uh, yes” she proclaimed, pretty confident in her answer. Courtney giggled, making Willam blush ever so slightly. “No, what did you think of the book I gave you?” “Oh sorry, yeah yeah I just couldn’t get my head around a lot of the stuff though. Like who’s gonna attack a ham in the middle of the night?” “I think if that’s the most challenging scene for you to understand in To Kill a Mockingbird, you’re doing alright” “Gee thanks.” There was a pause of silence as the two girls looked at each other, taking all of them in. “Listen Courtney,” A stranger to feeling nervous, willam became aware of her pounding heart and started to worry. “Summers almost over, and you’re gonna move back soon, at least I’m guessing and you’ve really helped my grades. Like a lot. And I just – really – want to – I guess I’ve just realised,” Willam rambled. It made Courtney smile, and this in turn only made Willam more rambly. Courtney walked over to her, leaving a trace of a gap between them. Looking up at Willam, she could see the whole world in them. “Wills, what are you trying to say?” Willam was speechless, inhaling Courtney’s scent and thinking about her drove her crazy. “I just want you to know, that this,” she motioned between them, “Is real to me” Courtney closed the gap and gave a soft kiss on Willams hollow cheekbone, leaving her lips barely connected to her face before moving to Willam’s ear. “Now let’s go do analysis” Courtney began to giggle again and Willam jokingly pushed away from her “fuck all the way off” Courtney pulled Willam to sit down who begrudgingly obeyed because it meant she got to listen to Courtney talk about something she was passionate about. Willam could listen to her all day. ~~~ The Chachki household was in full swing, with a DJ set up in front on the grand staircase and coloured lights set up in every room. Violet and her helpers were getting snacks arranged in the kitchen. But, as usual, Violet was too picky for anyone, but her, to be arranging anything. “No no no no,” she hurried over to the countertop where Fame was putting assorted crisps into a bowl, Violet threw her hands out to stop her friend immediately, “What Vi? What’s wrong?” “Why would you put different crisp flavours into the same bowl? Fucking dumbass.” Fame raised her arms in surrender and just let the other girl take over. “Uh just go help Katya make a playlist, I’m gonna die if the DJ starts to play some fucking Russian bullshit” Fame didn’t hesitate, running away to find Katya, who had shown up a couple of hours ago in a full on Neil Armstrong costume. ~~~ “And you are….” “I’m an astronaut.” Violet paused as if Katya didn’t just answer her question, furrowing her brow even further “Why though” “Okay hear me out, I took a buzzfeed quiz online, like what I should be according to my personality, or was it my zodiac sign? Actually it might’ve been a mix of both because, n-never mind. I just answered a bunch of questions and it told me an astronaut.” “You didn’t think to make it in any way, appealing?” Katya slapped Violet on the arm, “Hey! Who are you trying to fool dressing as an angel anyway?” “None of your business. Now we’re going to have to do something about,” Violet motioned all over Katya with her hand “this.” Violet grabbed both of Katya’s shoulders and directed her upstairs to her room. The pair returned around forty minutes later, Katya’s space suit had been turned into a strapless skater dress. Wow, thought Katya. Violets like one of those mice in Cinderella. ~~~ Around an hour later guests started arriving in costumes varying from Barbies to Victorian gentlemen, to the football team who had come as a squad of sexy firemen. Everyone was mingling and dancing, floating into different rooms of the big house. Thankfully, the playlist was a huge success, everyone shouting out all the words to the classic tunes. Sharon, dressed as a nondescript Roman came up to Violet looking carefree and drunk. “Chachki!” Sharon stumbled over, almost tripping over a stray shoe. “Hey Sharon, care to explain your costume?” Violet found herself having to shout over the music “I’m Caesar, get it?” “Like the salad?” “No, fuckin moron” Sharon leaned in closer to Violet and the host almost gagged smelling Sharon’s breath. “As in my man Julius!” Violet sighed as if to say And? Sharon groaned in frustration, “Because I’m a powerful bitchhhhhh Vi” Sharon posed before the girl giving her a full view of her cloth-like play suit and leafed flower crown. Her hair was styled in beach waves and Violet had to admit, she looked pretty good. “Y’know it didn’t end too well for that guy.” “Yeah and take a look at how my goddamn life is going at the moment.” Sharon looked stone cold sober for a second, the reality of what she’d just said sinking in. “Sharon” Violet subsided to a more sympathetic tone, “Cheer up, don’t let them see you cry. Save it for your pillow” “Y’know Vi, people just think you’re a real bitch, but,” Sharon stretched her arms out wide and did a full turn, “you throw a great party” Sharon went to waltz back into the crowd before turning back and whispering one more thing: “If you tell anyone I’m dressed as a salad I’ll curse you”

Bianca couldn’t stand the crowds of people anymore, stepping on her shoes and pushing into her. She hated costumes, she really did, but she’d begrudgingly come as a sexy priest. If I’m gonna have to put on a costume might as well make something that will remind these people of how much of a disappointment they are to God. She bought a LBD with flared white sleeves and a pair of black stilettos – which she’d never tried before. Her feet were killing her so she’d abandoned them after her third drink. She made her way outside to one of the balconies to get some air before noticing a silhouette before her. “Hello?” The silhouette turned around to reveal Adore dressed as some eccentric being with a top hat that Bianca couldn’t get past. “Hello,” She repeated with wide eyes and sarcastic tone. Adore gave a single laugh before turning back to face the open air which had a slight breeze to it. “Are you here to force me to purge my sins?” This time it was Bianca who laughed and came up next to the girl. “All is forgiven if you can give me even the slightest idea of who/what you are tonight” “I’m the album cover of Marilyn Manson’s “Smells Like Children.” “Never heard it.” Adores face became masked with displeasure and determination. “We’ll have to change that” Adore took Biancas phone out of her hand and typed in the password she’d figured out a couple of weeks ago. She started to play the album and Bianca clenched her jaw in an attempt to keep her mouth shut. Offending Adore was the last thing she wanted to do but the music was fucking awful. Instead Bianca tried to change the subject completely, “Your makeup looks good” it came out at a much higher pitch than anticipated causing Adore to smile and drop her head a little. “Thanks B” a comfortable silence emerged, the two girls overlooked the city listening to (blocking out in Biancas case) the music playing at a low volume– low compared to inside the house. After a few minutes Adore brought out a joint and lighter from her blazer pocket which was decorated with rips and frayed fabric. “Wanna smoke?” “If you think I’m gonna put that in my mouth you can think again, chola.” Adore just looked over at her and Bianca became intrigued, “What? What?!” “Y’know B, you’re always so worked up, so tense. Like… you ever just wanna let go?” Adore took a drag and blew out the smoke a moment later. “It’s more about I don’t want lung disease.” “Or you just love being in control.” Adore looked Bianca dead in the eyes even though her own were starting to become a little hazy. “Maybe too much.” Adore’s fingers started to trace Bianca’s hand, slowly circling her palm. Bianca was lost, lost in the girls touch, her scent, her eyes, but she didn’t want to be found. Not just yet. “I don’t need drugs to feel calm.” “Neither do I.” “That’s because you’re never off the stuff.” She took a smoke and raised her perfectly arched eyebrows. “Touché.” Adore wanted to get through to her so bad, see inside her soul, knowing hidden in there was a compassionate, loving human being. “Bianca.” “Adore.” “Stop caring, what is it that you need to hold on to so bad. Nothing is that important, just take a joint. You won’t die, trust me.” “You’re asking me to trust you?” Adore nodded and offered her pinky, “I promise.” Fuck it, Bianca thought and took Adores pinkie, tipped with chipped nail polish in one hand and the joint in the other. She inhaled and immediately started coughing, feeling like her lungs were burning up. Adore started laughing loudly, mesmerised by the picture in front of her. “Don’t worry, we’ll work on that together.” “If you get me sounding like a 40 year old man by the time I’m not even 20 you’re getting it” “I’m getting what exactly?” Adore leaned in closer to Bianca. “You’re getting drop kicked into next month, that’s what.” Of course that only made the girl laugh more.

Pearl had been talking to a couple of girls, complimenting them on their outfits. Pearl had actually received lots of praise on her own costume tonight, everyone taken aback when she’d told them that it was homemade. The whole night Pearl was looking for Violet, flying from room to room. Entering the kitchen Pearl spotted Violet across the room, admiring the way her white dress was hugging her figure. Be cool. Pearl walked up with all the confidence she could muster and snuck up behind Violet. “An angel huh?” Without even looking up Violet spoke; “Fucking Phi Phi O’Hara came as the devil and people think it’s a fucking couples costume, that little bastard I swear-“ “Just be glad that you’re costumes arent switched and you’re not making Phi Phi O’Hara look in any state angelic, anyway I think it suits you. The white almost bounces off of your black hair.” Violet tilted her head slightly and smirked, hiding an honest smile. “Thought I’d do something different tonight, you look pretty good yourself. Are you trying to be my knight and shining armour, Pearl?” “If I tried to fight anyone in this getup I’d be done for.” Violet turned fully to face Pearl and gazed over her silver dress that matched her glitter eyeliner. She pouted in approval the girl’s got taste. “Well you’re not wrong.” Violet smiled and Pearl’s heart fluttered at the genuine smile she’d earned from Violet. “You look great Pearly, looks like we have something in common.” Taking a step closer Violet could smell Pearls perfume, it smelled musky with just enough spice and Violet thought she could get high off of it. “I guess we do, who would’ve thought?” Pearl caught on to the invitation and took a step closer in return, grazing her hand across Violets. “Do you want to kiss me Pearly?” breathed Violet, barely audible. “Well that depends Vi, would you want me to?” “I’m not gonna stop you if that’s what you’re asking.” Pearl leaned into Violet and locked lips with her. They didn’t move, but stayed for a few seconds letting all the social anxiety of the past few months slip away. Violet gave herself to the kiss, letting her walls crack just enough to let Pearl through. Pearl pulled away, taking in Violet as all she was. A beautiful, perfect being. Violet looked left and right, a sigh of relief as she realised no one was in close proximity. Sharon and a couple others were elsewhere in the kitchen but they were all were too drunk to remember it happened in the morning anyway. Pulling Pearl to her ear violet whispered to the girl, “Listen, I’m gonna leave and go to my ensuite. Count to 60 then meet me there.” Violet had an essence of authority and it plastered a smile on the knight’s face, excited to play. “Up the stairs, on the left, 3rd door along. Don’t keep me waiting too long Pearly”

Back in the living-room-turned-dance-floor Trixie was dancing and singing along to one of the songs from the Hairspray soundtrack, laughing with all of her cheerleading friends. But out of the corner of her eye she saw a lone character scrolling on her phone at 70 miles per hour. Trixie pulled herself away from her group and walked up to the Astro-girl, wiping her palms dry on her Viking-styled dress and straightened her horned hat. Her fell in two braids all the way down to her hips. “Katya?” The other girl looked up, revealing her beautiful cheekbones and red lips. “Oh, hey Trixie” “Why aren’t you dancing?” Katya pulled at her dress, twirling Violets unfinished hem.“I don’t dance” she scoffed. Trixie wasn’t giving up. “Yeah you do, everyone dances.” “Not me.” Trixie offered her hand and a small smile “Come on, dance with me.” Katya turned a shade of crimson before meeting Trixie eyes which made her smile. “If anyone laughs, it’s your fault Barbie.” Trixie led Katya to the middle of the dance floor away from her friends. She started dancing effortlessly, moving so flawlessly. Katya tried to move her body in the same way but came off stiff and regimented. Realising this, Trixie took both of Katya’s hands and twirled the Russian before turning herself. They started jumping and using each other for moves, and Katya took everyone by surprise when she did a jump split as the beat dropped. The other girl toppled over in laughter and both danced the night away together, forgetting about everyone else in the room.

[placetobenation]

  Our Australian Place to Be Nation Members, Stacey O’Laughlin, Dave Hall and Michael McDonald, all attended the WWE Super Show Down in Melbourne this past weekend. Here is their live review of the event, as only a group of Australians would see things.

Match of the Night

Dave: In my opinion the match of the night was Buddy Murphy vs Cedric Alexander. I must admit that I don’t watch 205 Live, and have seen very little of the cruiserweight division, but this match absolutely rocked live. Both guys worked hard, had no slow spots, and pulled out some great athletic moves, that kept the crowd involved the whole time and reminded me of some of the great cruiserweight matches from back in WCW. Buddy Murphy looked like a genuine contender for any title this night, and the crowd treated him like a legend. His reception and the pop for the win were the loudest of the night.

Stacey: Cedric Alexander vs. Buddy Murphy – Cruiserweight Title. The crowd support for Buddy was incredible, way beyond my expectations, and the match was HOT from start to finish. Buddy and Cedric came with their flippy cruiser goodness and built it into something special, I fell for a bunch of near-falls, and the finish was spectacular and heart-warming.

Michael: Murphy vs. Alexander. Styles vs. Joe was a very close second and probably only doesn’t get the spot for mine simply due to other factors. Those being this is the biggest spotlight Australian wrestling has had since the 70s and that version of WCW. You had two incredible athletes giving a high octane contest in front of a RABID crowd (seriously, TV doesn’t do the crowd justice here) who were not just invested in the home country guy winning but the entire match itself. It’s also arguable that this is the biggest platform the cruiserweight division has had since they stopped having them on RAW, which basically ensures no one looks bad here. It was crisp wrestling that just stood out over the other matches around it. And that Mickinoku Driver off the spot was beautiful.

Worst Match of the Night

Dave: Sadly, I have to give this to Daniel Bryan vs The Miz. I was expecting this to possibly be the match of the night, and sadly I was “treated” to a three minute match that never felt like it got started before it finished. The crowd was totally caught off guard with the finish, which was why there was no initial reaction to Bryan’s victory. The short time and shock result really left the crowd underwhelmed. I hate giving Daniel Bryan this “award”, but there was little option. While there has been no reason given for why the match was kept short (no news of injuries etc), but immediately after the match the ring crew spent about five minutes working on the ring, which made me wonder if something had happened to the ring and an audible had to be called either before or during the match.

Stacey: Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz. Harsh because nothing was particularly bad on the show, but more than anything it was just… odd. I wasn’t even paying attention when the finish happened.

Michael: Iiconics v Naomi/Asuka. Unfortunately, the other Australian act on the card has to take the worst match of the night. It just felt like Peyton and Billie were visibly overawed by the occasion and Asuka and Naomi had to slow down to keep it together, plus the entire match just appeared to be clunky and awkward, it was just. flat.

Moment of the Night

Dave: No doubt about it from a live perspective: Buddy Murphy winning the Cruiserweight Title was the best moment of the night. It was a great match, and his win got an amazing reaction from the crowd. Buddy seemed genuinely overwhelmed with the response he got, which just added to the moment.

Stacey: BUDDYMANIA~! Buddy winning the title – the first Australian to do so in WWE as I understand it – at home in front of 70,000 people going completely mental for him was just a beautiful moment. And so well deserved after being the MVP of 205 Live this year.

Highlights

Dave: Apart from meeting up with Place to Be Nation members in person, there were a few good highlights in the night. Seeing the entrances for the main event was a major highlight, especially the arrival of the Undertaker. He has an aura that captures the entire arena. Triple H’s entrance was just a notch below, but was also an amazing sight. The post-match beatdown of Triple H and Shawn Michaels was also great to witness live. Another highlight was the moment when Roman Reigns speared Braun Strowman through the ringside barrier. From my vantage point, I could not see Roman set up for the move, and it looked amazing, and the crowd went off, which shows that Roman is not as hated as people want to make him out to be. The AJ Styles vs Samoa Joe match was a solid match, that would have been match of the night if Buddy Murphy and Cedric Alexander didn’t decide to totally steal the show. Elias’ pre-match segment was really good too. He tried to get heat by disparaging one of the local football teams that lost a grand final the previous week. Unfortunately for Elias, in Australia if you are not a supporter of that team, you probably hate them, and the crowd popped huge for the comment, making Elias come across as a massive babyface. Ronda Rousey was also great to watch, it’s just a shame that the rest of the women in her match sucked the life out of the crowd. Ronda’s double armbar finish was great live, and really popped the crowd. I could go on and on, but one last highlight for me was the finish of the New Day match. The finishing move looked amazing in person, and painful, and credit goes to Caesaro for taking the move. 

Stacey: New Day vs. The Bar was a fun opener. Becky Lynch did not lose the SmackDown Women’s Title. John Cena debuting the Sixth Move of Doom Lightning Punch finish. The IIconics got to win and seemed over the moon. AJ vs. Joe was fantastic and almost a co-MOTN for me, another awesome match. People popped for Liv Morgan coming in and beating on Brie. Ronda’s hot tag and double armbar finish RULED and she officially redeemed herself in Melbourne for the Holm fight. Roman’s POUNCE-like spear on Braun through the barricade, amazing. Shawn Michaels somehow took about 37 bumps before his hat came off.

Michael: Buddy Murphy vs. Cedric Alexander.  Styles vs. Joe was a gritty match that was probably the best of this run. Actually seeing Shawn Michaels involved in a WWE event which I had resigned myself as to never happening was a nice personal highlight. Shield vs. Strowman/McIntyre/Ziggler was a fun six-man that had a lot of nice little moments that teased the Ambrose turn again but thankfully didn’t do it.

Lowlights

Dave: There were very few lowlights during the event, but there were a couple. The finish to the Becky Lynch vs Charlotte match was horrible. Becky was over huge, but it is clear WWE want to keep trying to make Becky a “chicken-shit heel”, and so we get a lame DQ that the crowd shit all over. Becky grabbed the belt and barely touched Charlotte with it and the ref called for the bell. The crowd rightfully chanted bullshit and were booing the finish. As mentioned before, the Daniel Bryan vs. Miz match was a big lowlight, as was having to watch Bobby Lashley take most of the tag match. I get that John Cena needed to not take bumps, but Lashley looked terrible during the match. Another lowlight for me was the tepid reaction that The IIconics received in their home country. I think we were all waiting for them to go heel on the mics, and so there was a cautious reaction to them. On top of that they were facing Asuka and Naomi, and everyone likely expected them to lose. Speaking of Asuka, her entrance was cut off and she was made to look second-fiddle to Naomi, and this was just awful to witness live. All in all, it made for a tepid crowd response to this match, which is unfortunate for Peyton and Billie, who looked very emotional when the scored the win. They got a decent reaction the win, which I think surprised most of us.

Stacey: The bullshit finish to Becky vs. Charlotte, the people hated it and they still haven’t learned their lesson about forcing Becky into the heel role. Lashley having to work face in peril for ten minutes. The IIconics tag wasn’t too crash hot and with weird dynamics the heat dissipated too. Bryan and Miz I guess got cut for time and we got short-changed out of another good match on paper. In the main event, Shawn Michaels was interfering freely and Kane would just stand there doing nothing like a dork. I hated the Curtain Call moment before DX got beat up at the end too.

Michael: The two drunks to the right of me who constantly yelled out some of the more vulgar requests of the night during the women’s matches. The Finish to Becky vs. Charlotte was clear as day the moment the belt went into the ring. I get why they did it, just disappointed. Cena/Lashley vs. Owens/Elias… except Lashley. Honestly think that could have been left off the show and it wouldn’t have affected show quality. The lack of a pre show match was a bit of a surprise as it is usually a staple of pre shows.

Most Australian

Dave: A couple of really Aussie moments happened during the night. The “You are a Wanker” chant got an early start when Sheamus drew the ire of the crowd for not allowing us to count along with him. This chant is as Australian as you can get (for those who don’t know, a Wanker is an Aussie term for masturbation, and is usually reserved for sportsmen who are annoying a live crowd). There was another attempt to do this to Kevin Owens later in the night, but it never got going. At the end of the Miz vs. Daniel Bryan match, the crowd on my side of the stadium got involved in watching a “match” between two kids on the floor of the arena, which drew massive pops.

Stacey: Many contenders for this. The upgraded seats gimmick being sponsored by meat pies. “You Are A Wanker” chants. Elias trying to get heel heat by dragging Collingwood and most of the crowd cheering in agreement because everyone hates the Pies. The crowd running the gamut of Aussie chants during Buddy’s match, all the way up to singing “Horses”. Jojo becoming an honorary Australian by pronouncing Melbourne correctly. The “height” of drunk bogan comedy, shouting “50!” and “Deliberate!” at things that aren’t footy games. But the winner is probably the floor seats not being traditional folding chairs, but rather white plastic lawn chairs from Bunnings.

I realise that none of our non-Australian friends will not understand literally any of this. 

Michael: Elias mentioning Mick Malthouse and Collingwood’s choke job of the Australian Football League Grand Final was probably the most Australian part of the night, close though was one section of the crowd’s impassioned rendition of “The Horses” by Daryl Braithwaite (an iconic Australian song from the late 80s/early 90s era) during the six woman tag goes right up there.

Did that Really Happen

Dave: Before the event started, WWE ran a promotion to get upgraded to ringside seats. When the camera was on people, they were to wave the wrappers from their meat pies (if they purchased one). The crowd cheered this one guy who had a foam finger in his mouth and waving wrappers with both hands. Then when the camera moved to someone else, the crowd would boo. The camera kept returning to our foam fingered hero, and the cheers got bigger. Then the camera switched to this young 10-12 year old who got boo’d as the crowd wanted to see their hero. The reaction seemed to catch the production crew out, but they did adapt. Only in Australia does a crowd boo a 10 year old kid in favour of an adult biting on a foam finger.

Stacey: This is where I have to talk about THE GREATEST MATCH OF ALL TIME taking place during Bryan vs. Miz out on the floor behind the seats. Two little kids were getting their Ospreay on and went absolutely BONKERS with this epic spotfest, a match so legitimately good that we all started watching them instead and missed the whole Bryan/Miz thing. One kid eventually jobbed to an AA and LEAPED UP and hit a SHOOT SPEAR on the winner because he was shoot hot that he’d lost the greatest match of all time. Wouldn’t you be. Then they hugged it out like they knew they’d just had a workrate classic. Then they had a rematch a minute later. Security did pretty much nothing to break this up by the way. A modern classic. *****3/4

Michael: Miz vs. Bryan ending so quickly. No one saw this match only lasting three minutes, if it was that long. Part of the reason I think lays in the fact you couldn’t actually hear any of the referees counts all night. Most of the people around me only thought it was a two and it just caught everyone off guard. Crowd was happy Bryan won, and there wasn’t a HUGE uproar from where I was sitting but can totally understand if some people walked away feeling slightly jipped there.

Also, I told Dave that Bryan would win.

    Dave’s View                                                      Michael’s View

Stacey’s View

Overall Experience

Dave: I had a great time at this event, and it was totally worth the money spent on travel and accommodation, and the lack of sleep for two days, to be a part of the event. The matches were all good in the ring, save the Bryan vs. Miz match, and the crowd was into everything that happened. My view was great. While a little high up in the arena, I had a front on view of the ring, and could see all the entrances, plus I had a view of the video screen, so I did not miss anything.

Stacey: I had a blast. I feel like the card delivered, with a couple really good matches, a lot of solid matches and really nothing remotely bad. It moved quickly from match to match and never really dragged watching live. We got the special hometown moment with Buddy and the fun clusterfuck of Legends in the main event. And being in a GIGANTIC crowd like that, in such a gigantic stadium was a fantastic experience, and to their credit the crowd was really good and kept the energy up all night (regardless of however the sound translated onto TV). The only downer of the live experience was not being able to see entrances and not having them up on the screen.

Michael: Incredible, personally driving three hours to Melbourne and three back afterwards left the entire event physically exhausting but totally worth it. The show went for four hours but being live it actually didn’t feel that long overall which is a great positive.

How did this event compare to other events you have attended?

Dave: This is my third live event in Australia, and it was certainly the best one I have been to. The event felt bigger than previous house-shows, and seemed to have more meaning than the 2002 Global Warning Card, which was just a glorified house show. We had a title change hands, and a main event that actually meant something. Most of the matches had genuine, on TV storylines, that were either concluded or advanced, so you felt like what we were watching matches that had a purpose. I hope the WWE comes back down under again next year to do another PPV level event… but, next time make it in my own city of Sydney rather than Melbourne.

Stacey: This is an unfair question after I went to WrestleMania six months ago, but it was the best live event I’ve attended in Australia for sure. Having an actual, honest to God WWE PPV in Australia is absolutely incredible and a dream come true for us long suffering faraway fans. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. And again I think the card delivered and we got a lot of good wrestling up and down the show. I’m definitely a happy camper.

Michael: Most events I have attended have been basic live show events so this far and away blows this out of the water. From production to the quality of matches this was by far the best event I have attended. Above all I know there will be some who viewed Super Show Down as a “throwaway” event that had to consequence to them, but make no mistake for the audience that attended this was a big deal. Australian audiences have never had a show that even comes close to having any significance as far as outcomes/ story advancement and Global Warning to be honest was a glorified live event that they filmed for a chopped down DVD release. This was a show that MATTERED to what happens to storylines and a show that was hyped on worldwide TV beforehand. That makes going and enjoying the show a lot easier because it mattered to those in the crowd.  Hope they do another one.

[mikeyd1986]

DREAM ON DREAMER (ALL AGES & 18+ SHOWS) @ The Evelyn Hotel and BANG! July 2017

On Friday night, I planned a Movie Night at my place for the first time in months. As expected, it turned out to be a massive flop. It wasn’t for a lack of trying though. I tried hard to keep my expectations low and not get myself upset or depressed if nobody showed up but slowly those negative, depressing thoughts were breaking down the walls inside my head (Why can’t I get anyone to hang out with me? Why is it so hard for me to have successful social events? Why do I even bother? Nobody comes anyway).

I guess the silver lining was that some people did RSVP and a few really did want to come. It just never seems to get any easier hearing the same reasons why people can’t make it. Still, I’m glad that I stuck to my guns and went ahead with it anyway. I ordered myself a large Aussie pizza, drank a can of VB and a bottle of pink moscato and watched a few DVDs including Warcraft: The Beginning, Inferno and Rings. I guess there’s nothing wrong with having a night in and trying to enjoy my own company.

Today was a rather ambitious day for me, covering two different gigs over the course of 12 hours. My biggest concern was being able to remain conscious, alert and awake the entire time. Thankfully, I didn’t have to resort to taking no-doz but I did consume a coffee and a couple of beers throughout the day to keep my mind active and ward off any sleepiness.

The good news about today was that I didn’t seem to feel pressured by time. Of course, my plans were all based around what time each gig started but besides that, I didn’t feel like I was in any immediate rush. At the Evelyn Hotel gig, I made a deliberate effort to keep my expectations low when it came to social interaction. Sometimes I really struggle to articulate myself clearly but that doesn’t stop me from trying.

I’ve too often emotionally attached myself to my friends but these relationships often shift and change so I have to adapt to that which is difficult for me. Being an All Ages show, the bar was off limits but they did supply free lollies and jugs of water which I took full advantage of. Despite the modest turnout of 40-50 people, I actually bumped into quite a few people and hung out with Chris Greber and Ursula Kay in between bands.

CAUTION:THIEVES...The last time I saw this Melbourne-based Post-Hardcore/Alternative band was quite some time ago. I honestly can’t remember when but it would have been a couple of years back. There’s been a couple of lineup changes since then including drummer Taylor Douglas and guitarist Chris Meekin (ex-Left For Wolves). Despite best intentions, vocalist Nic struggled to get people to move closer to the stage even though he was quite polite about it. He was more successful at making jokes about being stuck in “football traffic” and delivering some engaging cleans and yells. They played several songs including Years on the Precipice and And You’ll See The End. https://cautionthieves.bandcamp.com/...

CHASING GHOSTS...I’m so fortunate to have caught Jimmy Kyle aka singer-songwriter Chasing Ghosts at this show as I missed out on his recent tour. A couple of weeks back, Jimmy actually reached out to me via social media as I was going through a tough time mentally. I really appreciated it even though I had no intentions of harming myself or suicide. An act like that demonstrates how caring and selfless this man truly is and I was very lucky to have him as a sound board for my issues.

The thing I truly admire about Jimmy is that he has this rough-around-the-edges, no bullshit approach to his lyrical content. He is very much a storyteller, touching on personal real life events from a cousin’s suicide attempt to toxic feelings about his ex-girlfriends. It’s extremely bold and yet he delivers these songs with a sense of black humour to take the edge off them. When he’s playing his acoustic guitar and singing, my attention is instantly drawn to him because his stories are deeply engaging and worth listening to. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/i...

FOXBLOOD...I believe the last time I saw this Progressive Metalcore band was earlier this year at Your Local. The boys are really accomplished with their sound now from quality melodic samples, passionate vocals and backing vocals and a tight, dynamic stage presence. They have been noticeable quiet in recent months, however some new material is on the cards which is very exciting. They played several tracks from their debut album including Hurricane Hearts, Timeless, No Heroes and Die Young. https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/t...

DREAM ON DREAMER...So part of me had lost interest in this Melbourne-based Post Hardcore band after the release of 2015’s Songs of Soulitude album. It wasn’t a bad album as such but the new musical direction was challenging to get into for me. However, there are so many good songs in their back catalogue that I always manage to get back into them again.

The crowd had a rather lukewarm response initially when the band opened with The World in Front of Me though a few people were bobbing their heads along. It was good to see them blend the old with the new, playing tracks including Darkness Brought Me Here, Hear Me Out, Downfall, Stay and Don’t Lose Your Heart. The set gradually improved though with plenty of hand claps and a few people throwing down towards the end. https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/s...

After the first gig, I had a really good chat with Steven Powell outside the venue before heading off back towards the city. I decided to grab a bite to eat at Chiquito & Co with a burger and a beer. Killing three hours between gigs seemed painful especially since I have a short attention span and remaining mentally focused can be really tough. I met up with a couple of the boys from The Avenue Project outside BANG! and walked back with them to Southern Cross railway station where we hung out at the Public Bar with Ryan, Hayden, Ellen and Bree.

I was beginning to feel a little anxious and bored by the conversations about drugs, sex, relationships and footy though I was too polite to leave the table. I’m at my most introverted whenever I’m with people I’ve only just met and so I didn’t really contribute much at all. Plus I really just wanted to wait outside the BANG! venue with the others. Eventually I made my move and again bumped into Tim Lucas, Chris Mercuri and Bob Corka in the queue.

Being my second time at BANG! for the year, I actually enjoyed myself tonight mainly because I was surrounded by lots of good friends including Mitchell Rawlings, Michael Poida Probst, Jake Mandaliti, Shaun Fuller, James Proctor and members of the bands Spectral Fires and The Avenue Project. The vibes were all positive tonight and I’m glad that I made the effort to come out to both gigs today.

PARKWOOD...This was my first time checking out this Melodic Hardcore band and honestly they weren’t too bad but for some reason, they didn’t maintain my interest for very long. They did manage to get some movement happening in the crowd though and the energy from the band was pretty tight. Make sure you check out their most recent singles “Sin” and “Four Years” here: https://parkwoodau.bandcamp.com/rel...

SPECTRAL FIRES...I don’t think I’ve seen this local Melodic Hardcore/Punk-Rock since late last year. The boys put on a really entertaining set with vocalist Jack getting really loose with the crowd and delivering powerful vocals. Their stage presence was also very impressive and loaded with energy. They played several songs from their Wayfarer EP including New Resolve and Left Behind. https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/w...

THE AVENUE PROJECT...This was basically the band that I was at BANG! tonight for. It was their official launch of their debut EP Havoc. I was extremely humbled and grateful that they give me a physical copy of it. The band were absolutely incredible tonight. The crowd went off from the beginning with people throwing down and mic grabbing. Even bassist Tim and guitarist Bob were getting amongst it and building up that fierce energy. https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/h...

DREAM ON DREAMER...So I didn’t end up staying to see Dream on Dreamer play for a second time as I was buggered by this point and just wanted to head home.