Ideas 4 - Lisa Herrod
Here’s the second video from Ideas 4 from last week. In this one, Lisa Herrod from Scenario Seven gives her “Usability is More Than Skin Deep” presentation.
Once again, there were a few teething issues with the camera. I framed it using Harriet as a guide, but it turns out that Lisa is a little bit taller, which means there’s a little bit of wandering camera action going on for the first minute as I play with the tripod.
Ideas 4 - Lisa Herrod from AWIA on Vimeo.
It was a great night. I wished I could have hung around a little bit longer at the end, but I had to rush home (sick children and such - all is good now) so I missed out on the trip to Fast Eddies.
The Police - February 1, 2008
I’ve been waiting about 24 years to see The Police. I’m going to write a longer post about the whole event later, but I just wanted to get a song by song, blow by blow account down.
Message in a Bottle
Ahh. Even though it’s the first time I’ve seen them live, it feels like I’m putting on my favourite coat on the first cold day of winter. Feels like home.
Synchronicity II
Even though I knew what the set list was going to be, this took me a second to work out what song it was. It was good, without being great. Certainly at the right point in the show. Allows everything to get stretched out and ready for the long haul.
Walking on the Moon
One of a number of highlights of the night. The musicianship on display during this song was just astonishing. Stewart Copeland is a man possessed. Paul (one of my friends at the show) said that there just couldn’t be another band who could pull off a song like this. Just awesome.
Voices Inside My Head / When the World is Running Down
Done as a medley. Stings bass playing in this song was beyond compare: he was finger picking the bass with all five fingers. The highlight of the show for me.
Don’t Stand So Close To Me
A duet with Fergie. I had heard that she came out in Adelaide, which filled me with a bit of dread, but it actually worked kind of well. She didn’t try to hog the limelight, and her vocals were a bit low in the mix, so her tendency to shout didn’t overpower the song.
Driven To Tears
Another highlight for me. One of my favourite police songs for years. Brilliant.
Hole In My Life
It’s funny how you can listen to something for 20+ years, and never quite listen to it. Here is a guy, he’s 27, he’s married with one kid, and he write lyrics like
“There’s something missing from my life,
Cuts me open like a knife,
It leaves me vulnerable
I hate this disease,
I shake like an incurable
God help me please
There’s a hole, in my life.”
I wonder if he was trying to tell Frances (his first wife) something at this stage.
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
A cool start on the guitar, and a great singalong song. And it sounds happy, even if it isn’t. A great buildup at the end of the song.
Wrapped Around Your Finger
Another drumming master class. A full percussion set appears on stage and Stewart goes to town. And another song that, if written by my partner, would make me sit them down with a cup of tea and say “Are you happy? Do we need to talk?”
De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
Slightly low key … not in a bad way, just gentle.
Invisible Sun
A song about the “troubles” in Northern Ireland gets transformed into a song about troubles of a much more global scale through the use of photos of children in war torn countries, stricken with disease, misfortune and poverty.
Walking In Your Footsteps
This song threatened to blowout into a funk explosion at one point. I felt kind of disappointed that it didn’t, but it was still great.
Can’t Stand Losing You
You can tell that they’ve been playing this song for a while. It just rocked. As they broke into Regatta De Blanc in the middle bit, Sting used the floor pedal synth (that he used quite a bit throughout the night to add some extra power to the songs) and unleashed the deepest note I’ve ever heard. It just rattled through my soul. I defy anyone to remain seated during this song.
Roxanne
An ambling (in a good way) excursion through the song, wandering down many avenues, exploring and enhancing. I’ve seen it performed about 8 times by sting as a solo artist, but this was truly great.
King of Pain
Never my favourite Police song, this was good, but not a standout by a long stretch. And the normally subtle backing vocals on tape were a bit obvious at times.
So Lonely
Bliss.
Every Breath You Take
A song that just haven’t ever done it for me live (I think the original recorded version is unadulterated magic), but this performance transcended all of those and became something special. Fantastic.
Next To You
A good song to finish on, even though the previous one might have been a better place to call it quits. A good rock song. The first song on their first album, and the last on the concert.
Ideas 4 - Rachel Cook
Last night, AWIA (the Australian Web Industry Association) held one of our semi-regular “Ideas” nights, Ideas 4 to be specific. Rachel Cook (minti.com) and Lisa Herrod(Scenario Seven) each gave fantastic presentations to a great crowd (about 85 people by my rough count).
Here’s Rachel’s talk. There were a few teething issues with the video, mostly to do with lighting and sound (lol), but it’s definitely watchable.
Ideas 4 - Rachel Cook from AWIA on Vimeo.
Lisa’s presentation will be posted next week (there’s an upload limit, and I shot this in HD, so it’s pretty sizeable). I’ll post a link when it’s available.
A positive memory from the Sydney Test
In all the noise, rancor and recrimination that comprises the fallout of the Sydney Test between India and Australia, it’s very easy to forget the good things that happened.
© Getty Images
Can anyone say "X-Box 360"?
Xerox have revised their corporate design, which in current times means a new logo. With a new mission of course, that the obligatory new logo doesn’t say ‘Copier’
And the new logo?
Which immediately made me think of this:
As Myles Eftos said on twitter: “Nothing says ‘copier’ more than pirating someone else’s logo”
LOL.