onthebeatntrack

It has been a BIG week in football – and by football I mean both actual Aussie Rules football and also used as an analogy to represent my life.

Last weekend, the mighty Demons had their first win for the AFL season (go the Dees!) AND I too have since had something of a win myself. Let me talk you through it – I’ve even taken notes and posted them on this site for those of you who were unable to make it to class this week to hear this in person (yes, luckily for you my teaching methods are as modern as they are amateur).

I’d had an unseasonal and uncharacteristically quiet weekend (i.e. I don’t tend to have ‘quiet’ weekends – ever) anticipating a reasonable night out on Sunday care of tickets to see the great man Talib Kweli at the Espy, supported by the sassy spitfire that is Jean Grae. Just out of curiosity, what time would you expect the main act to roll out on a Sunday night, hmm? 9pm? Maybe 10pm? 11pm at the latest, would you think? Oh no no no, Mr Kweli brang his thang around 12.15 A-friggin-M.  Holler that my friends, it was a late-un for a school night that’s fo’ sho’. Want to know how the gig was? I’ll serve that dish up a little later to make sure we don’t interfere with the main meal that is this story’s real protagonist – me. Sounds like your meal might be served with a side of D-Rock’s self indulgence today …

Fast forward that night to 2am and I’m home, semi ready for bed and contemplating the working day ahead (mostly fantasising about its non arrival) over a small McChicken meal. Alas, morning did arrive and, needless to say, it was a bit of an ‘adventure’ getting out of bed on time for work (and when you think of this adventure, think less Bear Grills and more Norm from the Life.Be.In.It campaign – worryingly, the comparisons may not end there).

I did make it to work (the time is not of significance) but as I battled my way there I received an unexpected yet totally welcome call from Nova FM asking me to call them back urrrgently. “What on earth would a Melbourne radio station be calling YOU for?”, I can hear you ask despite ‘this’ usually working best as a one way conversation between us. Well, the weekend before I had submitted an application for the role of NOVA’s CEO – big job, but they say we’ve all gotta start somewhere, yes? To borrow the wise words of Cher from Clueless – AS IF! No, this CEO role was a competition held in conjunction with My Career for Nova’s Chief Entertainment Officer and the ‘job’ involves being flown overseas, with an ‘assistant’ of your choice, to attend 3 music festivals and documenting the experience for Nova’s website. Being possibly the best prize ever I said to myself “I am actually going to apply” and then, to everyone’s surprise, I actually did!

The application criteria wasn’t strict – the only hint of what might be important, aside from an obvious interest in the prize, was that the winner would be selected largely based on the most creative application. So, I submitted a cover letter and a CV that addressed a selection criteria semi relevant to the role, albeit one that I made up myself (you may not be shocked to know that I exceeded all of the aforementioned criteria).

Upon calling Nova back I was informed that my application made the Top 5 – oh my lordy wordy yes Chenille, it’s CRAZY I know! I had a bit of a chat with the two spritely and seemingly-very-well-functioning-for-a-Monday-morning reps from Nova and did my best to answer their questions supported by my uncaffeinated and still slightly comatose brain, which I suspect was located somewhere near my foot at the time.

That’s exciting though, huh? Top 5. Yes, I’m totally stoked.

But I’m even more stoked now after they called me the next day to tell me that I. ACTUALLY. GOT. IT. OMG. YES. I. AM. SO. SERIOUS. RIGHT. NOW. HENCE. THE. UPPER. CASE.

So, in August, I will be flying with my coattail riding ‘assistant’ named “Ms. Owesme Bigtime” (formerly known as ‘bestie’) out of Melbourne and onto the countries/ festivals below – you can click on the name of the festival to view the lineup:

• Tokyo to attend the 2 days of Summersonic (JAY-Z!)
• Hungary for 5 nights of camping at the Sziget festival
• Belgium for 3 days of Pukkelpop

So, that’s 4 countries, 3 festivals, 2 music loving besties, 1 most amazing prize that ever existed and 15 days of what is surely to be total awesomeness! How crazy is all that?!

I do hate to get all Halle Berry’s Oscar speech on yo’ ass, but the thing is I doubt that I would have even entered the comp if onthebeatntrack didn’t exist – and without your company, it would have slipped into a cyber coma some time ago. So, I do want to send a sincere thank you to you all for humouring me over the last 4 months and generously lending me your eyes, ears and words. Hopefully what started as a bit of a sympathy root has blossomed into something more meaningful, like a mutually consensual booty call.

A VERY special thanks to Kitty Cat, my purrrfect chief editor, for your time, encouragement and (at times brutal but necessary) honest feedback. I couldn’t have done it without you! I remember your review of the first draft of my first ever post (Introducing..) when you said something like ”did you actually write that? That doesn’t sound like you. It’s not very good …” – as I said, at times brutal but necessarily so.

If you’d like to read my application, you can click on this link to read OMG, how did HE become My Career & Nova’s CEO?

Gratefully and sincerely yours,

D to the R.O.C. (and K, but that doesn’t rhyme)

Anyway, let’s quickly finish this awkward hurried embrace and quickly change the subject.

 “You mean Talib lyrics stick to your rib? I mean that’s my favourite Cd that I play in my crib!” That little gem is from the track that introduced me to Talib Kweli – Get ‘em High by Kanye West and features both Talib and Common guesting. I really wish EVERYONE loved Hip Hop and then you’d all watch this link to that track and you’d all marvel in the crafty rhyming stylings of some of the best!

Since this introduction, Kweli and I have spent a decent chunk of one on one time together – first with the Beautiful Struggle (qualiteee!), followed by Eardrum (definitely some hit, but also a little miss) and even some face time at the Met in Brisbane back in 2007- a memorable gig that was. He has an impressive range which can span fierce (Say Something with features a savage Jean Grae, We Got the Beat) to the romantic (Hot Thing, Never Been in Love) and always unique (Broken Glass, Just to Get By). But more about Talib later …

I was only familiar with Jean Grae from her work with Talib Kweli as a sometime guest rapper, so I was interested to hear some more of her stuff. I was surprised by the first half of her set, which was almost doo-wop and totally excellent, just like her positively soulful supporting vocalist who rocked it out with her own solo track mid set – loved it! Then the Jean Grae we expected presented in the second half of her set. As she said “ok, so that’s my love him, love him stuff and now it’s time for my f#%! you, f#%! you stuff” (not a direct quote, but close enough for you to get the picture).

As Jean Grae finished her last track, she introduced Talib to join her on stage where they spat out ‘Say Something’, their joint effort from Eardrum and then immediately backed it up with Black Girl Pain (which I enjoy a giggle to as I sing it to my not-black-girl-but-actually-‘Mocha’ friend). So that was a good start – two of my faves! There were more than a couple of underwhelming tracks included (including a couple of disappointing new ones) and more than a few of my favourites omitted which had me scratching my head and incorrectly miming the lyrics less emphatically. Thankfully he came home strong and energetic with Listen!!!, Hot Thing, his own verse from Get ‘em High (“that birth control stuck to their arms like nicorette, are you really fucking that much you tryin to get off cigarettes? If she thinks that’s fly, she ain’t met a real nigga yet” – clever, yes?) and all capped off with possibly his finest moment Just to Get By. I’d recommend you click on this link and check out Just to Get By if you want to know what all of the fuss is about.

It was definitely worth the sacrifice of an early night, but it’s just been slightly overshadowed by the more recent events of the week. I am still drunk on the excitement (it’s a good drop) and I don’t plan on sobering up any time soon …