Day 290
Sunday 22 June 2014
The exploration of Australia continues and I took a quick holiday to…Tasmania! Easy two hour flight from Sydney. Got a roundtrip ticket for $200 in and out of Hobart. And I’m off on a a little excursion.
After grabbing a coffee at Pilgrim Coffee, I spent Sunday exploring the Farm Gate market, outskirts of the city, went on a great hike and of course the obligatory vineyard, Frogmore Creek. Then, I am not sure I was quite ready for what I was about to experience…
Hobart holds a festival every year called DARK MOFO. It’s a winter festival of music, art and lots of food and drink. I caught the last day of the event, so I got tickets to the one show that was going on that night. Diamanda Galas.
I heard about the show from Peter Bridges, our press agent, and he said it would be out there but worth checking out and to see the Theatre Royal. And he was so right on the theatre – just this beautiful little old jewel box of a space. Three levels. Really special. See the beautiful domed ceiling here.
Then the show.
Diamanda was nothing short of terrifying in Act One. Singing in many ranges. SCREAMING. Screaming over tracks of herself screaming. Banging on the piano with her full arm. Did I mention SCREAMING? With vibrato at times. It was the debut of her new work – Das Fieberspital. I am hoping the debut and final performance of it!!
ANYWAYS…it’s not that I expected something mainstream, but I don’t think anything could prepare me for this. I was texting my friend Alice before and at intermission and she was dying of fright and laughter.
Act Two was much more tame and was some of her greatest hits – not that I had heard any of them before.
Interesting stuff…DARK MOFO indeed!
Never a dull moment people.
randy down under 