The Batblog by Photobat

Melbourne Day 7

Up at 6am to catch a boat back to Melbourne. I’m not sure about you but the prospect of spending 10 hours on a floating RSL love boat does not excite me all that much. This was my 25th trip across bass strait, the first time I crossed it was exciting for a few hours but was all downhill from there. And has been downhill for the next 10.42 days worth of travel since that first trip. At lease this trip I had some work to do on a laptop and also a few books to read, again, not the Lord of the Rings as I accidentally (maybe) left that in the car. All m yplans did again fall into disarray as some nice people I had met throught the Hobart Comedy festival were on the boat, Liv and her mum were good to spend some time catching up with and procrastinating from my work. I did do some but a vital program had not been installed. (3 coffees, bringing it up to 11)

So, I did eventually arrive in Melbourne and was greeted with a wall of muggy warmth, after spending a lot of time at sea I’d forgotten that it was going to be warm in Melbourne. I had no idea where I was going to stay that night, so I headed into the city and the Comedy Festival, I caught up with some people, saw Charlie Pickering’s show “Revolver”, quite a solid show, I had seen a lot of it at the Hobart Comedy Festival, but it was good to see it all in it’s new structure. I noticed there was a photo that needed to be taken to improve this show and Charlie was already thinking the same thing so that is all being organized.

A couple of beers later, I headed up to Duckboard House to find Mick and give him a lift back to Janet’s (and to the couch that I was to be sleeping on). At duckboard I also saw Frank Woodley and mentioned an idea for a photo to him, he liked it and I’ve now got to get planning. I took Mick to a nice little pizza place in Windsor and then to my springy couch.

Melbourne day 6.

Today I am still in Tasmania, but had a rather nice wedding to take photos of, plus had a good catch up breakfast with my friend Frog, down at the seaport with almost perfect reflections of the autumn colored willow trees on the other side of the river.

Melbourne day 5

Today I went to Tasmania.

Melbourne Day 4

After 2 months of planning the Comedy Festival Exhibition, I woke up this morning with the task of finally getting it up on a wall. Of course the fact that I was given no walls to hang the photos on was a minor point that I had to over come along with the lighting and portability. If a big crowd is going to be in the foyer, the exhibition had to be moved so it didn’t interrupt the flow of the audience. I had planned this elaborate hanging system with lights that folds up and is on wheels, but in the end I just bought 6 interior doors, some cloth to cover them with and some picture hooks. There was a very handy little alcove with lights in the foyer and when the 25 watt globes with 75 watt globes it had a good lighting. So to simplify it all, I just leant the doors up against the sides of the alcove and it was done.

To get to that point I had help from my friends Kristy and Scott, Scott helped with a lot of carrying of things, like 6 interior doors 3 inner city Melbourne blocks. Kristy lent a hand in getting the images ready for the walls. It all managed to be up and hanging at 4.40pm, 1 hour 20 minutes before it opened.

From there I headed down to CPL, the lab that, along with Fuji, are sponsoring the exhibition. Picked up a print. Back into the city where I bumped into Dave Gorman, who was supposed to call me earlier in the day so I could take his portrait, but he didn’t call me. So he apologized a lot and I then dragged him away to Chinatown where I did take his photo. I then went off and saw the Big Howard, Little Howard show, with Howard Reed and his fully interactive 6 year old cartoon, little Howard. Was a good show, very technically challenging and probably not the best show to see on it’s first night, but it was very good.

I then went home, talked to Bec, had a coffee (8), showered and then back into the city for the festival opening night party. Saw some stand up, drank some expensive beer and then went up to Duckboard House where Mick, Andy and Justin were hanging out talking and drinking cheaper beer. I then went home and slept.

Melbourne Day 3

Did some computer work this morning and finished up the day with more computer work now.

After my meeting with Meredith King last night, I had to get her some images so she could get them to The Age newspaper. As I was tramming it in, I got a call and diverted myself directly to The Age, I put the CD in an envelope and gave it to someone who hopefully will put it in the right box so it can reach it’s destination. So all fingers are crossed.

I then met up with my friend Kristy, heard tales of Asia, ate, had a coffee (no 7 of my trip), then went and got some desert, another coffee (8). We parted ways then and will meet up again tomorrow when i set up my exhibition.

My faithful Gutter Monkey / builder type person Scotty Pollard was taken ill with a stuff coming out of two separate holes all the night before. So the plans of getting the exhibition stands set up today were all quashed. So I rang Mick, got on a tram and went and saw “Mona Lisa Smile” in Gold Class at he jam factory. I didn’t mind the movie, it was ok, not brilliant but worth seeing. Then some dinner and home to write this. I have an exhibition opening tomorrow. I have a lot to get done as I have no walls, no frames, no matts and not many images. Big day tomorrow. I may explode around lunchtime but will put myself back together as I have my first comedian to shoot, Dave Gorman.

Still no accomadation

Melbourne Day 2

I spent a bit of time reading today, I found a copy of Spike Milligan’s “Hitler, my part in his downfall”. I believe this is reading procrastination, I have started reading the lord of the rings but I’m not in any hurry to continue. I will one day.

Most of the reading was done while waiting for a supplier I use, we were having a meeting as we were both just voices on a phone for a year and it was about time to meet. So after 2 hours of waiting in the area for a phone call I gave up and went down to pick up some prints. To my surprise the Fuji/CPL sponsorship deal was a bit better than I had first expected, getting my prints supplied at no cost. Very happy about that.

I ended up back in the city after that, meting with my Graphic Designer to get a proof of my postcard to show the Comedy Festival Marketing Manager. Then it was more waiting for my great friend Tori to finish work and to drink exotic beers like “Cascade 4 seasons” which was on tap at a funky new bar called Cookie. So that filled up my time till I had my meeting with Meredith King the marketing queen. OF course I had to wait around a bit, but alas no reading this time, there were comedians to talk to. Lots of comedians. I was at a live broadcast for ABC AM Radio and a lot of familiar and new comedians were talked to and agreeable to let me shoot their portrait for the project.

SO things are moving forward… just need to find a bed now (Tori has ofered some emergeny shelter later in the festival but not right now).

Melbourne Day 1

5.20am isn’t a proper time to be getting up, so naturally I didn’t. 5.50am is not a good time to be late and rushing to an airport to catch a plane, but was the natural thing to do after not getting up on time. I did make the flight, was a bit sleepy but the muffin I purchased was truly a muffin worthy of a supermarket shelf more than air food.

It was good to see the sunrise above the clouds and then minute’s later plunge into the murky greyness beneath the clouds and above Melbourne. My rather lovely friend Bec did manage to get out of bed and come pick me up, getting up at 6 just for me. She did manage to stay well hidden under a hat; even it was not really hat weather. (I guess the hat was just hiding the bed hair from the general publics’ eyes)

I’m staying at bec’s for a few days till I head back to Tas on Friday, I even got my belated birthday present, an ultra cool marble chess set bought at the taj mahal. So that is ultra cool, I’ve now gone from no chess boards 24 months ago to owning 3, meaning I can now loose to three people at the one time.

From Bec’s I ventured into the comedy festival offices to get all the things I need for a festival, my participants pass, 2 opening night party invitations and 2 festival club season pass’s. All which will come in very handy and also increase the money.

I also visited Token and received some overdue money, had some coffee, caught up with the street press, checked out a photo lab I’ll be using for the project, Took Mick Lowenstein for a walk in the city and purchased $100 worth of stuff for my exhibition stands. And now I am here in this highschool-esk internet “lounge”, well, there is a couch, I wouldn’t sit on it but it is there.

Time to go meet other Tasmanians and eat, drink and get ready for a month of hardships to the liver and wallet in the name of comedy.

In bad news i discovered that the accomadationat my friend Frog’s place has all fallen through, i will be homeless at the end of the week, i must do some calling about.

Melbourne Day -1

A day spent running around trying to get everything done and to some kind of lesser extent actually doing it all. Of course things will be missed like not writing down email address I need to contact people, the laptop not being what it was supposed to be (I think it was a cooking implement) so it had to go back to the shop, most things packed and lots of stuff burnt to cd so I can do some work while I’m over here.