Returning

A photo I took on my day off to visit Namsan Tower

I thought that I better get around to writing, even just a quick post, about my trip to Seoul. Especially considering the other day I picked up my flights for my second trip to Seoul. Yep that's right, I'm going back. Ok, so I just looked back at my previous posts and I don't think I actually mentioned it. Oh well now you know. I went to Seoul in March to do some research for my thesis on Korean hip hop.

I fell so hard for that place. Seriously, within a few hours I knew I wanted to live there. I am 100% not exaggerating. I met up for my first interview after being in the country for like three hours and just walking around made me love it. Hongdae is the place to be. I was right in thinking it's a cross between Melbourne and Hong Kong. I think I would fit in well because it reminds me just enough of home with an Asian twist.

What I loved most were the people. Korean people, and even foreigners that have lived there for a while are just so lovely and that was just from every day experience. And in terms of people that I actually hung out with... I met some of the most amazing people and had some of the best conversations of my life. And it was so great to be surrounded by people who love music as much as I do. Yeah, that was one of my other favourite things. It's the kind of environment that I want to be surrounded by.

I also I really learnt a lot about myself on this trip, but I think the most important is that this music journalism thing is what I want to do, and I really think Seoul is where I want it happen.

I had such an interesting experience too because I was doing things I normally do like going to gigs, doing interviews, shopping, catching public transport and hanging out with homies. So I didn't feel like I was in another country at all.

Also I feel like people didn't treat me as a tourist, which is 100% what I wanted. I don't know if it was the vibe I gave off, the clothes, my ability to scrape by with the language or having a bit of an understanding of  Korean customs. Most likely a mixture of all those elements. #assimilationcomplete

Though I must say, and I talked about it in my diary (yeah I'm kinda betraying you and going old fashioned with a physical diary) but I'm not 100% sure if it was the experience that made me happy, and it just happened to be in Seoul, or it was Seoul itself. It's probably a bit of both to be honest.

I'm not going to mention much about my hip hop observations because I want to keep it for my article that I'm writing along side my article. So stay tuned for that bad boy to hear about that.
But I will mention that Hongdae is lit, I saw Simon D out while seeing Illa J, went to the Illionaire concert in which Zino looked at me and I got to sing "fuck these broke ass motherfuckers, peace out" at the top of my lungs with 4K other people and one of Korea's top hip hop music critics called me a real Korean hip hop fan.

But yeah, I loved it so much that I'm going back for 10 days this time. This time though it's more of a holiday. It's basically a completely selfish trip to make me happy. And you know what, I think I deserve it. I don't really do that many big things for myself, so I was just like fuck it, I'm going.  Also it's going to be the only real break I get till the 21st of October which is when I submit my thesis. So I probably really need it too.

What will I do there? Well I plan on doing what I do best (and love most) which is go to gigs, and I'm really gonna try a go to a different one every night. I don't know how I'm going to go, and how much it'll cost, but I'm just going to wing it. Winging it and going with the flow was the key to success for my last trip, so I'm going to try and do the same this time round. It's also going to be summer so I am so going to be in my element. I'm already getting excited just imagining the sun blazing down on me. It's going to be great.

Alright, I better get back to studying now; I've got a conference tomorrow where I'm presenting my essay on Kendrick Lamar and the messages in hip hop. I'm actually quite excited because it's something that I genuinely enjoy talking about.

Catch ya.

I’m never going to get over The Horrors.

It has been one month and three days since I saw The Horrors, did you know that? I’ve taken my time to write about it eh? Well doesn’t matter, I’’m writing now.  I’m currently watching, listening really, to a video of this song that I may or may not like called Scarlet Fields live. Yeah, no big deal.

My god. I can’t actually believe that I have seen the Horrors, let alone be in the same room, breathe the same air and be a few meters away from them, it’s too crazy, but it actually happened. None the less it was the best experience of my whole entire life!! I can even say it in Italian – Vedere The Horrors è stata la migliore esperienze della mia intera vita.

If you read a post from a whole back, I said I would cry, but I actually didn’t at all! I think I was too engrossed in the moment and so excited every time a certain song came on I just didn’t have time to cry. They went for an hour and a half but it felt like it went for ten minutes. There are two times, I must mention, in which I welted up.

One was when one of the support groups (Allbrook/Avery, of which I will talk of later) were playing and I could see Faris in the wings. I get butterflies even thinking about it. I had to try so hard not to not to flail about like I would have normally done in a secluded area. The second time was when Josh came in with that screeching guitar sound of Scarlett Fields…..my word. I think I must have been pretty close though because I get still get emotional watching the video, or even thinking about it. It’s just the best song in the whole entire world. I think I would actually punch someone if they said this song was shit. Yeah ok, I’ll stop now before I go on for millions of years.

I am so fortunate that they played at the Forum, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to go. I caught the train down to Melbourne and my cousin Krys was going to be my ‘guardian’ for the night. Oh I have to tell you of the security guard story of when we were entering -

Security Guard: (To me) I.D Please.
Me: I’m underage, so she’s my guardian.
Krys: Yes, I’m the chaperone for tonight.
Guard: How are you related?
Krys: We’re cousins.
At this point my hearts beating out of my chest because I think I might not get in and he’s staring us down. I’m half Filipino so I’ve got olive skin and Krys is my cousin on my dad’s side so she’s white. He looked like was going to say something, about our race difference but stopped himself and…
Guard: Come through.

Afterwards Krys and I had a laugh about it and she said he was racially profiling us haha.

It was actually cool after the guard indicient, I had to get this wrist band and another guard, a lady this time, was putting it on me said that my Pandora (a charm bracelet if you don’t know) was pretty. That put me in a brilliant mood. Kindness from a stranger is the best!

There were two support acts – Jack Ladder and Allbrook/Avery. Jack Ladder was alright and there is no doubt he is talented, but he was so boring. Thank the lord that the Forum is such a cool venue as it has these booths with tables (like the ones in old school diners) and we just sat in there while he played.

Now Allbrook/Avery is whole other story. We came down for this one so we - well mainly me - could get close to the stage, and we got a pretty damn fine spot too; two, including a security guard, from the front on the left. I’d gotten a few of A/A’s songs and I thought they were pretty good, but I was mostly excited to seem them as Nick Allbrook, the singer, is from Tame Impala! Well not only did I get to see Nick, but Dom from Tame Impala was there lending his bass skills! They were brilliant live, so much better than  the studio versions. They were more experimental and there was more distortion and I do love my distortion. I’m spewing that I didn’t buy their record when after the gig, but alas, I recently bought their record on iTunes (first time I’ve brought something digitally) and I encourage you check them out. 

When the Horrors finally came on I screamed so much – it was the only way to show my adoration alright! Yeah words cannot describe how amazing they were. Listening to their records wasn’t enough, I just made a playlist of the videos of the gig and listened to that over and over. I cannot stress how good they are live, and if ever you get the chance, please see them.

Now, I was right in front of Josh, just a few meters back, and he is that cute. He went crazy heaps of time and it was just the best. I had clear vision of Faris. Yes Faris, dear Faris… He is a billion times better looking in real life and yeah he’s a fucking babe. I couldn’t see Tom much, and I don’t recall seeing at all Joe; there was a thick veil of smoke machine smoke and if that cleared Josh was in the way. But I did catch a glimpse of Rhys and he was being cute dancing around with his bass. My cousin actually commented that she thought he was very cool the way he moved about and she said she could tell he was a garage fan, as she herself is a garage fan.

Ok so the setlist was…

Endless Blue

I Can See Through You

Changing The Rain

Scarlet Fields

Dive In

Mirrors Image

Sea Within A Sea

Still Life

Encore -

Who Can Say

Three Decades

Moving Further Away

I was actually surprised of the setlist as I had seen previous ones, but I liked it better as I didn’t know what song to expect next which was all the more exciting. Even though I enjoyed every single song they played, my favourites of the night were Moving Further Away, Mirrors Image, Sea Within A Sea, Still Life, Endless Blue, Three Decades and with Scarlet Fields coming in a number one, of course.

I was actually surprised how much I enjoyed Three Decades. It wasn’t one of my favourite tracks from Primary Colours, but after seeing live, it has now kindled a new found respect for the song.  Josh went mental, flipping his hair about and I don’t know, there was just a great vibe coming from the whole band that fed the crowd. It was just brilliant. They’re just brilliant.

Before I go and do my homework, I may as well mention Big Day Out. It was awesome. It’s always set to be a great day when it involves good music and good company.

I saw Bluejuice, Boy & Bear, The Vaccines, The Jezabels, Kimbra, Architecture in Helsinki, Kasabian, Foster The People, Art Vs Science and Kanye West. My favourite acts I saw were The Vaccines, Foster The People and Art Vs Science. And it was so cool for Art Vs Science, the two Marks of Foster joined them onstage for my favourite song, Hollywood. Here’s video footage of the event.

Oh and to read posts from polyvore (they’re very unrestrained and hyped up) straight after the events mentioned here – The Horrors and BDO.

Oh and garage fans, checkout my playlist.