Turkey!

I've done both types of bowling recently the one with fluro lights and funky shoes as well as the one with octogenarian fans. 

My friend held a goodbye party recently, before she went to Melbourne to get ready for Uni. Bowls and Beer was the game, and it was time to show our skills. Unfortunately, that didn't happen too well. My first bowl banked and everyone's bowls were scattered everywhere across the green. One actually managed to stop on a parallel lane's standing mat. We were naturals I tell you. It is actually pretty fun to play, and it didn't hurt to have booze or the glorification of the sport by Mick Molloy's "Crackerjack". As expected, we were the youngest group by about 20 years at least, but I believe this is an underrated game by our generation. A lot of fun for a decent price and can get many people to play.

Yesterday, I went Ten Pin Bowling at North Strathfield AMF. I have to say, I have a soft spot for this game, even though I'm pretty shit at it, it's awesome. Gutter balls, Strikes and flukes are a few ways to describe how we played. We had a look at other people's scoring screen, and we were the only ones to have nicknames. Instead of being sensible writing Lloyd or Jenny like the lane next to us, we had Aid1, Papa, BigB and Akong. Oh so gangsta, AMF didn't see it coming! We also played pool afterwards, again, a great game to play. Last time we bet 2 bunches of Mee Goreng noodles, just because we're such high rollers. I'm yet to get this still, but I'm sure the Pro G driver that owe's me and Bouzo will get it soon. =) . Mee Goreng, the golden prize.

Good Vibes 2010

A cold and rainy forecast for a very muddy centennial park. A festival in the pouring rain, a mixed blessing.

This was my first time going to a music festival and I was so excited to go. Busta Rhymes, Gym Class Heroes, Kid Cudi, Naughty by Nature, Salt N Pepa....awesome. The Killers were meant to headline but a close family member became very ill causing them to pull out of the Sydney and Perth shows. This meant that Basement Jaxx were the final artists to play.

The park is flooded by the keen masses of Urban and Dance music fans. I went with my friends Daniel and Zarah and the first thing we do..... hit the bar. A prerequisite to a thing like this. We decided that we would see 'Kid Cudi' first, so we shuffle into the crowd of "Roots" tent. Surrounded by the smells of body sweat and alcohol we await the nu-skool rapper to take the stage. Playing songs like the David Guetta infused "Memories", "Made Her Say" with the Lady Gaga hook and the 2009 party anthem "Day 'n' Night". He surprised me, because he was much better than I was expecting. I don't know if it was the people around me or not but he was fun to watch.

Next, we get to the front of the mosh for the New York band 'Gym Class Heroes'. These guys were my favourite act of the day. The main singer Travis McCoy has such an alluring quality while he's on stage. He's got a great stage personality, making it easy for him to hype the crowd up. I guess you could describe his segues into the songs a little corny, but whatever. After watching this amazing set by this live, alternative Hip-Hop band, i bought their 2008 album "The Quilt". I dunno why, but there's something about hip hop acts that play with a live bands, that i find really enjoyable. Snoop Dogg did this too in 2008 for his 'Smoked Out' tour (awesome gig btw) but with DJ decks on the side. With that being said, decks are such a huge part of Hip-Hop culture that it's almost blasphemous not have them. The guitarist had a wailing solo or two and the bass player got to have a jump around while the back up rapper waved a Gym Class Heroes flag around the stage. They played the Supertramp inspired "Cupid's Chokehold", the incarceration contemplation "Guilty as Charged" and Radio Killahh, Killah "Cookie Jar" [such a cool song!].

After this we saw the end part of the 90's classic Hip-Hop group 'Naughty by Nature'. They did the 'old skool' section of the festival getting everyone to show their inner 90's gangsta playing songs like Snoop's "Gin and Juice", 2Pac's classics "Hail Mary" and "California Love" and other assorted famous songs of rap's golden era. The mosh was packed, so we had to stand just outside the tent in the sprinkling rain, that left little droplets on our clothes. They finished off their set with their first major hit "O.P.P.".

Once this finished we bummed around the Main Stage area with Armen Van Helden playing before we went to go see Busta Rhymes. Busta to some people's surprise, actually has a lot old school respect in the rap game. He made his name in the mid 90's with rap classics like "Woo Hah!!, Got You All in Check", "Turn it Up (Remix)/Fire It Up" and "What's it Gonna Be". He played all of these for the "fans from '92". He got become more commercially famous for songs like "Break Ya Neck" (My fav of his), "I Know What You Want [Feat. Mariah Carey]" and "Touch It". Now, this rep that he's built made me really eager to see him perform. However, I found his set only mediocre and irritating. For those who don't know, Busta does speed rap which, like Twista, has been his gimmick since he started. He played a lot to that, and as you would expect, ran out of breath because of the blurted syllables. So he kept stopping and starting as well as rapping really softly and getting louder as he went along, for 'tension'. He re-started "Break Ya Neck" 4 times, because after his verse he wouldn't be able to do the chorus. It was such a bummer.

To finish of the night, we wonder towards the flashing lights of the Good Vibes Main Stage for Basement Jaxx. The rain was pouring, making every last cm of clothing drenched with water. By now we'd been standing, dancing and jumping for 6 hours straight. Dead tired but it was great fun. Admittedly, i didn't really know any of their songs except for "Where's Your Head At?" but it was still a fun way to finish it off.

I really liked this festival, it's the only one I've ever really considered going to (Maybe 'Days Like This') because Big Day Out isn't really my sort of thing and neither is 'Homebake'.

If the US Hip-Hop tour 'Rock the Bells' ever came to Australia that would be the ultimate festival to go to for Hip-Hop Lovers. It'd be a dream come true.

Check out what the 2009 line-up was:

Wu-Tang Clan

Nas

Common

Ice Cube

The Roots

Big Boi (Outkast)

KRS-One

Mos Def

Charlie 2na 

MC Supernat

Styles P

Slick Rick

Cypress Hill

Dilated Nu

(Back: Daisuke, Takuro, Yosuke. Front: Leo, Nao)

These guys are an amazing, Sydney based, hip hop dance crew. There are many people in it but the main ones are Daisuke, Nao, Leo, Takuro and Yosuke. They have a very intricate and innovative style, featuring a mixture of soft and slow steps into sections bursting with intensity.

Each time they perform they build up to a climax, making their anticipated swagger and amusing tricks that much better. Their unity isn't perfect but they still have spectacular precision. All their hits are strong and profound but can be subtle when needed. When they are smooth, they glide so easily and when they are rough they really rock it, which makes them such an entertaining group. As a crew, their choreography usually employs a variety of levels e.g. Complicated footwork, floorwork etc. This well rehearsed and disciplined style that they put to the table I find astounding and incredible to watch.

All of them teach at Dancekool, the place where I learn to dance =). At "Dancekool Vol. 24 Style King" the top 8 Hip-Hop finalists were all from Dilated Nu, showing each of their individual, freestyle prowess. Along with the recognisable Daisuke bowler hat or Nao's familiar, felt tracksuit pants they are a well respected dance crew in the Sydney Hip-Hop dance scene.

Dilated Nu showcase at "Hyped Up '09" (Daisuke, Nao, Leo and Yosuke)

#1

Word verbs that deserve the right to be heard,

they reserve the first verse and stay sounding ubsurd, 

cos the scheme and theme is an alliterative dream,

with picture perfect punches, a punctuated gleam,

of shining loquacity that's hitting capacity,

so it explodes into hard shards of linguistic veracity,

A sensory overload that explodes KABLAOW!

like the 'Wu-Tang' style, uncut and buck now. 

Flourishing from fountains of a ferocious mind, 

like a deluge, seeking refuge on the paper lines.

So absorb with your senses, present or past tenses, 

the way it wrenches will surround you like white fences.

In the house of rhyme, they continue to tell time.

There's chain's with fat clocks, cos Flavor Flav's on the grind.

A lot of talent sounds tricky cos they're talking so glorious,

We were blessed in this biz by Pac and Notorious.