THROUGH THE BEST OF TIMES (and the jarring realisation that I've grown up).

Poster designed by my good friend Nikki Taylor.

I got the INCREDIBLE opportunity to try my hand at organising a punk show with a dear friend (you know who you are - thank you for this). This was the first time for me and my hand felt, well, little. I called it 'THROUGH THE BEST OF TIMES' as a personal tip of the hat to Baby, I'm an Anarchist by Against Me!

This is how I remember it: excitement/last minute line up changes/stress/no sleep/phone bill/emails/learning/saying no/saying yes/sweating the small stuff/sweating/letting the small stuff go/sticking to my guns/seeing the bigger picture/manners/sentences punctuated with fuck. fuck! fuck?/the importance of the double stamp/backstage/band rooms/R10 shots/plus ones/clinger-ons/friend requests/kind words/true colours/charlatans/DIY photo booth/distracted conversation/familiar faces/high fives/good sound/pretty lights/frozen computer/one CD on loop/tequila bottle fun starter/nostalgia/new-age crusties/whiskey/neo-punk-hipsters/evolution/stagnation/furrowed brow/fun/pride/music saved my life/tears

the same but different. this time i was in high heels.

i'm proud to say i did this.

Copy from the facebook event:

THROUGH THE BEST OF TIMES

Through the best of times, through the worst of times, through epic shows and venues closing down…

…And we’re still standing, still going, still loving the music which brought us all together in the first place.

True love (for the music and an unexplained love for anti-clockwise circles).

True love. The kind that gets your feet tapping, fists thrown in the air and summons that smile on your face… you know THAT smile, the one that curves upwards in a peculiar way because of the lyrics you’re singing with all your heart. 

This show is a tribute of sorts to honour the bands (some veteran, some new) made up of all the gems who have always played for the sheer passion, the love. No fancy pay checks, no rock star attitudes, no god complexes. 

Just raw, genuine music. 

Let’s recreate the memories we hold dear and make some new ones. Let’s bask in the nostalgia we’ll feel watching the legendary ATFN (All This For Nothing) and The Slashdogs – both reforming on the night – and get amped for the new generation, raising our glasses to Pistolwhip 45, The Stella’s and The Mean Streets.

Let’s give them some glory. 

Let’s put them on the main stage.

Let’s give them the best sound.

Cheers to them. Cheers to the good times. Cheers to friendship. 

THROUGH THE BEST OF TIMES.

Line Up (upstairs):

9 – 10 The Stella’s

10 – 11 Pistolwhip 45

11 – 12 The Slashdogs

12 – 1 The Mean Streets

1 – 2 ATFN

DJs (downstairs):

The Klassikist

Bryan Pieters

Ian Moran

Doors open at 8pm.

Entrance is 60 bucks.

R10 tequila and Jagermeister ALL night!

SPONSORS:

Free T.U.K vouchers and Smells Like Psycho merchandise up for grabs.

Free tattoo vouchers from Letter Thirt13n Tattoo Studio (formerly Living Art Tattoo Studio). 

PHOTO BOOTH

By Christy Aviendha Raper (Risky Raper Photography)

Screen Shot (yes I'm sentimental and want to record this):

Thanks to all involved. I used to be the little girl concocting big plans and fancy lies to get to (and into) shows like these (see my piece entitled 'Mad Circle'). It was surreal being on the other end of it, as a 24 year old working lady (with a fully valid ID). It truly is a gift to witness life coming full circle.