Wow what a weekend. I'm still on quite a high from it all. If you 'like' our page on Facebook, you'll probably already know most of what I'm going to tell you but I'll include lots of details so you don't get bored (and if you still get bored, then you don't need to read on and we'll still be friends, maybe).
Warning: this blog contains Amanda Palmer. Here she is eating my face, I hope it tasted good.
I don't really know where to start so I guess I'll let you know about our album preorder while you're still paying attention. Last week, we put our album 'Talk Back Baby' up for preorder on our Bandcamp page. You can order a digital copy for $8, or you can order a physical copy for $15, and we'll ship it to you. It's all very exciting, and your money will go to paying for mastering and printing the album, which is nice because then we don't have to put all our personal funds into it. If you're thinking about getting a copy, have a think about doing a preorder, as you'll be helping us out AND we'll also know how many to print (AND if we get suddenly famous, you're guaranteed a piece of music history). Win win!
This is the album artwork, Kelsie Trainor drew and designed it. Rad!
So some of you may be wondering what 'AFP' stands for. It stands for 'Amanda Fucking Palmer' and she was IN MY HOUSE on Saturday. Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up. Amanda Palmer put a $5000 package on her Kickstarter for her latest album, if you bought it she would come and party/play at your house. A bunch of cities decided to band together and pitch in for a joint party. This is what happened here in Melbourne and when someone pulled out because the tour dates changed, I took their place and paid the necessary contribution. Then they didn't have a venue, I was all like 'I've got a rad little house with a cute backyard' and suddenly I was hosting the Amanda Palmer Melbourne House Party for 2013.
Look at all the people in my yard!
With a LOT of help from my wonderful friends (old and new) we set up for the party on Saturday. We had streamers, signs, pink flamingos and garden gnomes (see example A). We set up a band area, an eating area and a filming area for Guy and his crew who are making a documentary about the house parties. It was a lot of work, but my pals helped me pull it off and I am very very grateful, they rock and I would have been a slobbering jittery mess lying on the ground in the foetal position without them (too many to name, they all know who they are. All the loves to you all xxx).
Example 'A'
Example 'B'
Honeybone played and it was glorious (see Example B). Amanda and her bandmates Jherek Bischoff and Chad Raines liked us, which was totally rad (I, in a weird fit of self-confidence, actually asked Amanda what she thought if the band. I hope I didn't put her on the spot, considering it was in the middle of my interview with Tom Dickens for Guy's doco lol). There were some gorgeous dogs who came and one of them kept barking at my kick drum, which was hilarious (although initially worrying when I first saw people laughing during our set). Some other wonderful people played also, including William Robin, Becca Tilley, Brendan McClean, Tom Dickins and Amanda herself with her band. I got to play snare and brushes for her song 'Want It Back' (see the video at the end of this blog) and the grand finale 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'. I still can't believe she asked me to play with her, it was unbelievable. Also she played with a few other people, who were all stoked to play, including another cool drummer called Lisa who played Blister In The Sun with her.
Here she is with The Jane Austen Argument's Tom Dickins.
As well as asking me to play with her, Amanda also took a photo of me with my drums with 'Hi Dave' and our Bandcamp link sharpied on my hand, and she is going to show it to DAVE FUCKING GROHL when she hangs out with him soon. Since he's done house party things before I guess she'll have a chat to him about it and she will be totally telling him about my band. Squee indeed. I cried on her after she took the picture, what a baby. She's awesome. She also recorded a quick message for our promo videos. She's the bees fucking knees and I'm so happy to have met her and her amazing fan community.
Chad played my drums after we moved them off the staging area
The tarp matches my top.
A sneaky AFP watches the Honeybone set
Passion during The Killing Type
The band minus Thor Harris
The party went so very smoothly, 'Take A Walk On The Wild Side' was played and the neighbours poked their head over the fence (to listen and not to complain about the noise). Amanda played ukelele on the garage roof with Drew sitting by her feet, and I was super happy she didn't fall through the roof, because that would be just my luck for my garage roof to kill Amanda Palmer. Everyone was safe, don't you fret.
Ukelele Anthem on the roof
Drew in awe
Sunday morning was clean up day, and then straight into filming promo videos for the album. I don't want to give too much away but they involve me dressed up as an old lady and our friend Sam Blissett spitting out blood (tomato sauce) at Coburg Station (we were promptly asked to leave after that). And of course Amanda Palmer. But just you wait, it's going to be legendary. These videos aren't music videos, the best phrase I can come up with is 'promotional videos'. You'll see, you'll all see.
I've got the old lady DOWN
Filming at the train station
And now because I really like to live it up and not have any rest, a week of working overtime lies ahead of me and then I fly to Wellington to hang out with my twin sister Kelsie and my awesome Mum (who told me she wants Amanda Palmer to tell Dave Grohl about her too, and how awesome she thinks he is but alas, it was too late). This weekend will be awesome, but Wellington has a lot to live up to considering the weekend I just had.
Bring it on.
So if you want to check out Amanda's music, please head to www.amandapalmer.net and you can find all her stuff there (for pay what you want, which is nice). She's also a rad blogger. Word up.
And if you are new to Honeybone, please go to www.honeybone.bandcamp.com and you can download free music and even preorder our album, if you feel so inclined. You can also like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (and you can follow me on Twitter too: @raq_hell).
Oh yes and we've started booking shows for our NZ tour next February, keep an eye out, we'll be making the announcement when all the dates are confirmed! Yay first tour ever!
Thanks for reading, and stay classy, world.
Xxx
P.S. here is the video of Amanda Palmer, Chad Raines, Jherek Bischoff, William Robin and I playing 'Want It Back', which is a song off Amanda's latest album. I get a drum solo and I grin like a total noob.
