FAP Melbourne!

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Okay, time to get it all started. ;-) So -- I fly into town this Saturday, and while I wouldn't mind a small dinner or something somewhere, doubtless I'll be fighting the jet lag tooth and nail, though we'll see. So I'd like to suggest something for Sunday afternoon and/or Monday evening if we wanted to do something major, whoever all is out there in or near the city. Post thoughts, suggestions, whatever here. Also, can anyone direct me to a good spot online with info on public transport around the city? I have some leads already from Jim...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 26 August 2002 00:48 (twenty-three years ago)

http://www.victrip.com.au/ is your place for Melbourne public transport. Go crazy!

As for Sunday, let me get my thinking cap on.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Monday, 26 August 2002 01:41 (twenty-three years ago)

I won't be back in town until quite late on Sunday night, I think, so I'm very much down for Monday...

― OCP, Tuesday, 27 August 2002 01:19 (twenty-three years ago)

Do you mean this weekend as in 31-08-02 and 01-09-02? I thought you were coming the weekend after? Anyway, Monday sounds good. Sunday might be okay, except it's Father's Day and my folks are over from Tassie and I don't think you want to meet them.

― toraneko (toraneko), Tuesday, 27 August 2002 02:25 (twenty-three years ago)

Yup, this weekend! :-) Jim's up for something on Sunday, but I'd definitely have no problem with doing two separate get-togethers if Monday is better for some folks. OCP, can you drop me a line directly about it? I'm assuming that's not your real e-mail (but if it is, y'all rock). Toraneko, check for a general mail I'll be sending tonight, thanks!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 27 August 2002 02:28 (twenty-three years ago)

Monday night is cool for me as well

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 27 August 2002 02:48 (twenty-three years ago)

Ned,

I'd really like to meet a fellow Marc Almond fan. I'm the only one I know of in Melbourne. I would prefer Sunday although either day would be OK.

― Amarga, Tuesday, 27 August 2002 05:16 (twenty-three years ago)

What time do you get in on Saturday? Jet lag shouldn't be a problem if you party hard the whole time.

― toraneko (toraneko), Tuesday, 27 August 2002 05:34 (twenty-three years ago)

I'd really like to meet a fellow Marc Almond fan. I'm the only one I know of in Melbourne.

Why, we shall have to meet then! :-) I will shoot you off a quick mail later today!

What time do you get in on Saturday? Jet lag shouldn't be a problem if you party hard the whole time.

Very tempting. ;-) My Saturday is very screwy -- I arrive in Auckland 5 am their local time, then after visiting with Damian for a few hours will head back to the airport and fly to Melbourne, arriving at around 6 pm your folks' time. I'm hoping some combination of coffee and other things will put me on a vaguely accurate track so I'm not completely out of sorts on Sunday! But it might be a valiant effort. ;-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 27 August 2002 11:14 (twenty-three years ago)

Okay, I'll send an e-mail out tonight, but here were some thoughts from Jim on things to do record-shopping and barwise ;-):

In Melbourne i recommend Cherry Bar and the Gin Palace. If you're going down to St Kilda (my end of town) then do go to Acland Street. If going north, go to Brunswick St. My favourite pub, the Empress, is slightly northwest of Brunswick St, and is very much worth a visit.

If you're going record shopping, give the following a look:

Heartland (peel street, north melbourne - just slightly north of the CBD, over the road from the Victoria Markets)

Au Go Go (just off little bourke st, near the Elizabeth St corner, heading west)

Missing Link (flinders lane, in between elizabeth and swanston streets)

At this point what I was thinking was spend Sunday morning and early afternoon a bit in the center of town wandering around and checking out things, perhaps hitting up the record stores just to get them out of the way (assuming they're open on Sundays?). Should anyone want to join me, please do. ;-) Then maybe we all meet at a particular pub -- the Empress sounds fine! -- and take things from there!

Monday I think I'll make my way from the CBD down towards St. Kilda, hitting up some of the Sights along the way -- maybe the Aquarium? Eventually I'd like to have dinner somewhere in St. Kilda, I gather there's good places to recommend, but I'll talk with folks about that on Sunday or else with you separately if Monday was going to be the better day for you anyway.

Anyway, more thoughts on all this later, as mentioned!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 28 August 2002 13:30 (twenty-three years ago)

Hey Ned, I'd skip the Aquarium if I were you, I was not impressed with it, especially for the cost. The Art Gallery (National Art Gallery of Victoria - also around the Southbank area) would be far more worthwhile - unless you've got some special thing about fish!

― toraneko (toraneko), Wednesday, 28 August 2002 21:48 (twenty-three years ago)

I didn't think the Gallery had reopened at Southbank yet?

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 28 August 2002 22:22 (twenty-three years ago)

Hmm, the temporary gallery has closed but I'm not sure if the new ones are open yet. There are some pretty good jobs going there at the moment. http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/jobs/ Almost tempts me to start resume writing.

― toraneko (toraneko), Thursday, 29 August 2002 10:24 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh, I like aquariums, what can I say? I could be spoiled by the one in Monterey, though. If it's rub, I will consider elsewhere (I am bemused at how the Southbank in Melbourne seems to be the exact equivalent of the south bank of the Thames -- newly revived/revised industrial area, 'center' of city just to the north across the river, etc....I'll compare and contrast when I am there).

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 29 August 2002 13:34 (twenty-three years ago)

The art gallery is still closed. Even the temporary mini version of it is closed. I haven't been to the aquarium. It's fairly new. When it first opened it hit the headlines as being the supposed source of a number of legionnaire's disease cases.

See ILMers and others on Sunday.

― Amarga, Friday, 30 August 2002 01:25 (twenty-three years ago)

Will be flying off to Melbourne in a few hours. Shall be calling you all as I can!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 30 August 2002 18:25 (twenty-three years ago)

Okay, called, left messages, left the motel phone number = get a hold of me! ;-) Will call around again tomorrow morning. Post here if you all decide on a place and time on your own -- but join me for record shopping at least, dammit! ;-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 31 August 2002 08:01 (twenty-three years ago)

Ned, hopefully I'll be along for some shopping tomorrow morn'.

― Andrew (enneff), Saturday, 31 August 2002 08:34 (twenty-three years ago)

Great! Um, get a hold of Tim or Jim or somebody, if you haven't already -- otherwise you can call the Formule 1 motel at the airport and leave a message (there's no direct phone access to my room). I was planning on heading into the city around 9:30 or 10 am.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 31 August 2002 19:03 (twenty-three years ago)

Wheee, I haven't been to sleep this evening so I'll probably be just about as wired as you, Ned :)

I've spoken to Keith McD, who I think is going along (and is in contact with people). I'll see how I feel at 10ish.

― Andrew (enneff), Saturday, 31 August 2002 19:30 (twenty-three years ago)

Woah, man. I didn't sleep until about 8:30 this morning, at which point I decided to get into bed and try to get a couple of hours. At about 10 I got out of bed, stumbled downstairs, and plonked myself down in front of the Simpsons, at which point mum came in and said "Andrew, aren't you going to say happy fathers day to your dad," and I began to question my existence. Somehow I got back into bed and woke up a couple of hours later. I still feel strange.

― Andrew (enneff), Sunday, 1 September 2002 00:18 (twenty-three years ago)

Well I'd just like to report that the meet was a great success. Ned bought quite a few new cds and we had a nice long chat about the shoegazing years and many other things. All in all, about nine people showed up throughout the day and the weather was amazingly good for a change. A beautiful Sunday in Melbourne.

― Marco Mattiuzzo (Psycho Ant), Sunday, 1 September 2002 12:09 (twenty-three years ago)

We met, we talked, I photographed.

Here is Ned with some Melbourne ILX people: Marco, Keith & ?Amarga?

http://www.geocities.com/tora_ko_neko/tora5.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/tora_ko_neko/tora6.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/tora_ko_neko/tora7.jpg

NEway, we had fun!

― toraneko (toraneko), Sunday, 1 September 2002 12:43 (twenty-three years ago)

are we still doing monday drinks?

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Sunday, 1 September 2002 20:53 (twenty-three years ago)

i am amarga!

― minna (minna), Sunday, 1 September 2002 21:01 (twenty-three years ago)

minna, when I spoke to you on the phone (yes, that was me) did I hear you refer to your sister as 'minna'? Or am I insane?

― Andrew (enneff), Sunday, 1 September 2002 21:04 (twenty-three years ago)

actually, i referred to myself as 'keith'

― minna (minna), Sunday, 1 September 2002 21:11 (twenty-three years ago)

so yes you are insane

― minna (minna), Sunday, 1 September 2002 21:21 (twenty-three years ago)

A grand time indeed! I wibbled on a bit on my travels thread -- but to say it again, thanks to everyone, I really had a great time! And welcome to Marco! :-)

Jim -- yep, Monday drinks and dinner are on! I'll call you and leave a message sometime in the afternoon -- Andrew is interested as well, so I'll get you his mobile number since I won't be near a phone after I leave here in a few minutes from the motel. My goal was to be in St. Kilda one way or another by 4 pm -- some sort of get-together maybe around 6 to 7 pm start time? I'd like to be back at Spencer Street Station by 10 pm or so so I can get back to the hotel and get a good night's sleep before having to leave earlyish tomorrow morning. See you then, and anyone else who might want to show up! :-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 1 September 2002 21:43 (twenty-three years ago)

Ned look like a cheeky lil squirrel in that second photo.

― Graham (graham), Sunday, 1 September 2002 21:58 (twenty-three years ago)

Well well well. Might I first off state that Ned certainly deserves all the praise he gets. A charming and fine gentlemen, and a true conversationalist of the best kind. I've just finished up having some delicious vegetarian food with him, and he is now on his way back to the motel before he departs for Auckland tomorrow.

Having met Tim, Amanda, and Jim and having heard many good things about Minna and Toraneko I proclaim that we must, must, must have some more ILx get-togethers in Melbourne. This whole experience has given me such a warm and fuzzy feeling, and that's not just the two pints talking.

― Andrew (enneff), Monday, 2 September 2002 10:42 (twenty-three years ago)

Sorry everyone and especially Ned about not being able to come out tonight. I had a serious emergency involving among other things a digital camera that had me panicking and destraught between the hours of 4 and 9.30.

I second the motion for more regular Melbourne goings-on. I'm really quite interested in meeting Toraneko (who I chatted to v. briefly on the phone) Jim and Minna.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Monday, 2 September 2002 11:17 (twenty-three years ago)

Also I forgot to mention how cool Ned was! He speaks like he writes! (this is good thing BTW) Best moment: when he demolished Black Rebel Motorpsyche club with a sneery giggle.

And he got me a gift! Ned I will be mailing you something in return never fear.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Monday, 2 September 2002 11:23 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, I've heard the 'speak like I write' thing before -- I very much take it as a compliment! :-) A sneery giggle? Sounds like my usual reaction to the existential void.

Another fine day was had, thanks to both Jim and Andrew for a grand evening! Now some sleep...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 2 September 2002 12:16 (twenty-three years ago)

Ha ha, I normally get the "write like I speak" thing. I'm not so sure if that is a compliment though.

Anyway, it was lovely to meet up and I'm sorry I couldn't make it on Monday night either. All my preparation for school today paid off well though as my lecturer was very pleased with me.

Melbourne ilx meetings sound like fun.

Hope you have a good time in NZ, Ned. I'm sure the beer won't taste as good though.

― toraneko (toraneko), Tuesday, 3 September 2002 07:04 (twenty-three years ago)

Noooo! I can't get those photos to work! ... Minna referred to herself as Keith? Strange. ... Best moment? Marco's pronouncement of Oasis as creators of 2 of the greatest albums of the '90s and the subsequent terrifying look on Andrew's face deserves a mention surely. And then the way Ned used this moment to get his head around the characters of these two crazy friends of mine. But Toraneko had some fantastic deadpan one-liners too. Hahaha good times had by all.

― Keith McD (Keith McD), Tuesday, 3 September 2002 08:27 (twenty-three years ago)

It's OK folks, the photos work now.

― Keith McD (Keith McD), Tuesday, 3 September 2002 08:44 (twenty-three years ago)

our beer won't taste as good for sure, it'll be BETTTTTTER!

― di smith (lucylurex), Tuesday, 3 September 2002 20:30 (twenty-three years ago)

one month passes...

Cheeky l'il squirrel, arf.

― Graham (graham), Tuesday, 8 October 2002 13:25 (twenty-three years ago)

The page is unavailable for viewing, you wastrel Graham.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 8 October 2002 20:28 (twenty-three years ago)

Refresh it, Ned.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 11:55 (twenty-three years ago)

Delete the .jpg, Ned.

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 11:58 (twenty-three years ago)

Get a haircut, Ned.

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 11:58 (twenty-three years ago)

Such abuse. *cries*

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 12:26 (twenty-three years ago)

I do like Minna's look in that photo!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 9 October 2002 16:39 (twenty-three years ago)

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