that's it

I've had enough.

This is getting so fucking insane and ridiculous.

Today's the pits.

Come hell, highwater or hopeless tiredness -

I want the fuck out.

if i were island marooned... [1]

Which 10 CDs my island cave feint festoon?

And what in them doth maketh mine spirit croon?

01 Achtung Baby ~ u2
- not their greatest but its the overall edgy popish quirkiness mixed with trace poignancy that got to me

02 Amplified Heart ~ everything but the girl
- nothing missing at all here at first spot, simply soul searching lyrics, simple soulful tunes

03 Comme Çi Comme Ça ~ janet seidel
- what can i say: je t'aime la voix, l'humeur and tout français

04 Diva ~ annie lennox
- the voice of english pop tries her hand at divine lyrical craft with tongue in cheeky vids to boot

05 Duality ~ lisa gerrard
- first spotted in 'The Insider', a range like gargantuan waves, from deeply eulogic to highly euphoric

06 Ingenue ~ kd lang
- if elvis, cash, tennyson, auden, van gogh, chagall made art vocal, it would sound like her

07 New Moon Daughter ~ cassandra wilson
- shivers down me spine as i stood listening to 'Harvest Moon' one innocuous noon at MWhse

08 Night Ride Home ~ joni mitchell
- again one of the non-hit low-key breezy-comfy album trips that stood out ever since catching that curious and endearing rendition in a sesame street episode, plus Shai's fave too

09 Quiet Is The New Loud ~ kings of convenience
- spa for the ears

10 Ray Of Light ~ madonna
- 'nuff said.

And if a bonny trunk came floating by, in it these tricks be snuggly tug and lie:

American Beauty ~ thomas newman
Grinning Cat ~ susumu yokota
Made In USA ~ pizzicato five
Memory Of Trees ~ enya
Mind How You Go ~ skye
Out Of Africa ~ john barry
Songs in Red and Gray ~ suzanne vega
The Beekeeper ~ tori amos
The Collection ~ stacey kent
Three Colours: Red ~ zbigniew preisner

(Now, if only I can find a CD player and some batteries on this island...)

'and so it is'... 37 candles

Yup, counted and recounted all the tealights on the stage of Damien Rice's sold-out concert on Thursday night at a limited seating Suntec City 600 seat theatre with lots of leg room.

A very Druid, New Age-y effect to a rather cosy affair. Just a couple of tall smoldering candelabras and jars of candles, a short table, a piece of carpet and 1 guitar on a stand.

We waited and waited and waited. And when he came on, there was hardly any fanfare or introduction and he just plain launched into it. And wowed everyone away.

The way he strummed and sang and hollered, he made it sound like there was a backup band somewhere behind.

Very rousing and steady vocals. Not much of a talker but wry humour here and there and a bit of slapstick at some junctures. It was pretty much quite an amazing experience. After feeling foul throughout the day, that voice and those songs were quite a cool outlet. And quite a blazing encore finale too.

But the neat part was when Gene and Wee got backstage to meet him!

My - never knew Gene is suuuuuch a shameless groupie. Made the poor Irish fella sign loads of CDs which he did obligingly. The icing being he had his pink shirt doodled and sketched by Damien Rice. He even came this close to naming their son after him.

Wee was sooo starry eyed - once in a lifetime, up close and personal with Someone like him, a rather quiet down to earth guy - in a blazer made up of different coloured patches and materials - despite freely cursing on stage, chatting and joking and staring at his blue eyes.

And Gene collecting snapshots and TAPING their chatter with him. Gosh - envious all around from the rest of us.

Will be cloud nine for a whole month for some folks.

And quite some tales to tell the little boy when he gets older...