Hubby and I were there last night and thoroughly enjoyed the show. I was not expecting to hear "Alice" as I knew from this wonderful site I joined years ago that he does not play it any more. Funny how people expect artists to stay the same.

I loved all the preamble and talks about icons of the 60's. My husband and I both reflected on how few of those people he told us stories about were still alive today or were still recording.

Personally we felt it was a fascinating walk with Arlo through his career and a number of experiences.

Was surprise to see that he smoked! and as luck would have it we parked our VW Kombi right opposite the stage door and suffered some embarrassment as the old girl stuggled to start in cold.

Must say though the audience was like some dead fish! Very little life in them. I would hate to perform to an audience like that. I am so used my audiences being involved, clapping in time, cheering etc that I thought eww glad I am not up there.

In all it was a lovely night, nice and mellow. The opening act did not thrill me but they I got to see Arlo after years of waiting.

And for those who felt their expectations were not met........ If you have no expectations then you don't suffer disappointment.

Thank you Arlo for coming to Australia and sorry to hear that you are not 100%

Regards
Idell
Blunderite School of Belly Dance

Idell, I'm so glad you reported in! And you're right, you know, about not having expectations. I finally learned that about 10 years ago. Now I'm just happy with the "being there" part of it.

As for the smoking, funny you should mention that. During that fabulous weekend in May at The Church, I spent a lot of time with Arlo and Gordon and Abe, out back whenever I wanted a cigarette break. And I noted that Arlo did NOT light up, not once. I remarked to my son and later to Lance that he must have quit. Lance said he didn't remember Arlo being a smoker. So I thought maybe my memory had failed me, as I thought I rememberd seeing him with cigarettes over the years.

And since my voice is shot from years of smoking, I was glad Arlo'd quit, wondering how his voice is still usable.

Arlo had quit & I was so proud of him. He started back up tho. He was smoking at Staunton. I remember I told him I thought he had quit smoking & he said he had. I told yeah right you look like you quit smoking. <g> LOL!

Glad you had a good time at the show & hope you get to go to more of the Oz gigs...

Sadly, no more Oz gigs for me they are all too far away and we are in the middle of moving 500 miles away. One concert was enough. Something I have always wanted to do and now it is done.

It would have been nice to be able to have a conversation and I could have walked across when my hubby was starting up the Kombi but I know when I have just finished a concert the last thing I want is people crowding me so I just left him be (Plus 3 of them smoking would have made for a stinky visit)

Well back to packing

Regards
Idell

Hi all,

I was at the IPAC show in Wollongong and I'm surprised by Idell's "dead fish" comment. I thought the crowd was very into the show. My experience with Australian audiences is that it is very hard to get them involved and have only ever been to one concert where the audience absolutley went wild uniformly - Brian Wilson in 2002.

The type of audience I'm talking about is for artists that probably started in the 60's and early 70's. Maybe we go to different concerts.

It's an interesting issue where we expect the artists to continue to do songs from almost 40 years ago. I knew that "Alice" wasn't likely to be performed, but some of the folks around me were expecting it. My wife and I and some friends saw Boz Scaggs last year and all thoroughly enjoyed the show, but a large majority of the audience at the show were unimpressed that he was mostly playing new songs and were very vocal. By the end of the show a third of the crowd had left. Mind you, I knew his new work and liked it.

Do we have the right to expect a performer to keep playing the same songs... as James Taylor says "people pay good money to hear fire and rain.... again and again and again"

I don't think so, but lots do

Hi,

I didn't write that the crowd weren't into the show just that they weren't very expressive. That is merely a point of view. The only concerts I have been to for some time are the ones I perform in and the crowd is much less conservative and much more demonstravtive.

People sitting around me were not really applauding and some were even talking through the show, asking questions, passing judgements. It seemed as though they had little clue who ADG was.

It was a wonderful evening regardless and now my husband understands and appreciates my adoration for ADG. He now talks about the concert to others were before he looked at me with an " I don't see what all the fuss is about" face.

Have a wonderful day every one.

Regards
Idell

Idell....how did the blunderite belly dancing go??

Arlo,while you are there in the southern hemisphere perhaps you could help educate we blunderites still here on the top of the globe with science and culture reports.

Do the toilets down there REALLY flush clockwise and not conterclockwise like they do here in the northen hemisphere?

Can Aussie blunderites REALLY bellydance?

Thanks.

Well Larry it is the oddest thing. There we all were sitting in row W already to dance with our tinfoil beanie bras and not a word from Alro!!!!! Not invitation to come on and dance nothing!

Personally I think he was intimidated by our brilliance and didn't want to be outshone. That and the dart throwing had some people concerned but hey we were down to only injury per performance!

In a few weeks I am hosting a cultural night as a farewell to the area and there will be many dancers there. I am having it recorded and I will upload some clips to our website for you to see. Be warned .......... The clips will contain gorgeous women girating!


Regards
Idell