The Theme

One good thing about Auckland is Real Groovy. Aside from the fact that they have thousands of CDs to purchase, they stay open late every day. So when you have nothing better to do in an evening, you can pop in and spend lots of money - or a little, or none, whatever you prefer. Or you could hang out down the road at Borders which also stays open late for the sad and lonely and bored.

As a result of my visit to the former last Tuesday after a really hard days work (i.e. immensely tedious and boring), I have a new theme song. It's called "Cakewalk". It goes like this.

I, I wanna live on the stage,
I wanna play the guitar,
And I wanna get paid.
But no responsibilities please.
I wanna do what I want,
And I wanna get paid.

You repeat the lyrics a few times over some nice American indie rock kinda music.

It's by a band called The Snake The Cross The Crown and it expresses everything I am currently feeling - every thought, every emotion, my very soul and being.

Yes that's right, I'm giving up on my path of photography and picking up my guitar (or ukulele) again to become a rock star. Someone who just wants to play the guitar, and wants to get paid.

Here for your amusement are some shots of the first time I wanted to be someone who just wants to play the guitar, and wants to get paid. Back then, as now actually, I did play guitar. And back then, unlike now actually, I did get paid. As I said when I mentioned my band in an early posting, our one and only gig was opening for The Bats at the Old Bodega. From memory we got paid $100 for the gig. There were four of us. We regularly used a special practice room which cost money to hire. Plus there were all the strings and picks and petrol, and the guitars and amps and pedals. So I spent a few thousand dollars and made $25.

Odd. That's pretty much the way my finances work with photography too. Maybe there's a lesson here. Maybe. If so can you please tell me what it is cos it's clearly beyond me.

Anyway, I know you're all dying to see the photos so ...

That's me doing the rock'n'roll thing in my room in Stokes Valley. Put the point'n'shoot on the floor with the self-timer on. Press go. Run back put the guitar on and strike ultradumb pose. Hold it until the camera fires. Relax. Awesome.

These two weren't taken by me. You may be able to tell. You may not. They were taken at Michael Bass Player's flat in Kelburn. Self-consciously strumming away, pretending I'm not being photographed. Oh how times have changed. What with getting photographed being an occupational hazard/requirement these days.

And the get up. And my feet. Sadly that amp (which was bloody beautiful) and that guitar (which was my brother's, but still bloody beautiful) were both stolen when I was in the UK. Very sad.

And you may have seen this before. You may not have. This time it's from the negative. Just in case you were wondering. And if you're wondering where or why you might have seen this before go here.