there was a cowboy. he died. so did the other one. as did the sailor.

First serious trip out post flu (of which at least two people I am acquainted with have been hospitalised, so I'm hoping I don't relapse), was to see Brillig at The Wheatie. Great show, their entire performance was all the new songs they've spent the last few months writing. Unfortunately, whilst two are already available via various means (Port Misery and The Hearse Song), they won't be recording the new CD until they have had a lot more experience playing them live, so you'll have to wait for the other eleven. They were quite good ballads/laments, with a much more Western theme than their previous work. Still with the appropriate amount of death and despair for Brillig songs. You can get a taste at their new song blog. They were aided by Tristran Newsome (formerly of The Self Preservation Society and now striking out on an even more solo career than as TSPS [and much more Western than Blues-Country, so the dog may not die any more*]), and Kelly Menhennett who took the Telstra Best Songwriter prize this year (and is off to Nashville as a result), and whose album might well have been worth getting if she had actually remembered to bring any to the gig. She at Higher Ground on Thursday 19th ($5) and The Gov on Friday 20th (?). They also had awesome cup cakes to celebrate Elizabeth's birthday. Now hopefully I haven't made my cough wosse and will get to Spiral on Sunday Arvo. [* You know what happens when you play a country song backwards - the wife comes back, the dog lives, and he gets a new truck...]