FRIDAY 9/8/02 - Perth

Although it might seem like it if you've never done it before, spending more than a couple of hours on a plane isn't a great joy. And its returns definitely diminish with repetition.

Just like last time (which was the first time I had been over here) it started raining (almost-sideways rain) about 3 minutes after we got off the planes, which means we'd had just enough time to get all our gear out from underneath any kind of shelter.

Extraordinarily coincidentally I run into, at the airport as soon as I exit the plane and enter the terminal, a sibling I barely run into in our shared home state, and who I have never run into in a far-away state. Sometimes it seems you'll always run into people in the most coincidental or unusual of circumstances.

I've been trying to read some philosophical-type books lately - it is an area that quite interests me. I am finding, though, that the books are written in such a way that I need to concentrate so much to simply absorb the words that I am left with not enough mental energy to think about anything. I am now a firm believer that philosophy is at its best when you think about it, and not read about it.

The show tonight was quite strange: the crown was big - almost a sellout - but was generously spattered with what Richo called undesirables. And when I though about it I desired not a single person in the crowd. One guy in particular seemed insulted by our music, so much so that when Ben acknowledged his presence at the end of the set by blowing him kisses, the fellow flipped out a bit and the completion of our set was not followed by raucous applause, but relative silence, with all in the room listening to this guy throw every verbal punch at us that he had in his repertoire.

SATURDAY 10/8/02 - Margaret River

Again, its raining miserably or beautifully, depending on how much sleep you've had.

Our accommodation last night had the feature of pipes in the rooms directly above yours that sounded, when used, like a circular saw.

Upon arriving at our Margaret River accommodation, we find that it is a house...with a dog and everything. Not quite what we were expecting, I knock and get no answer, so try the key. It fits. All the lights are off, it kind of spooky. The house is obviously lived in, but no-one is home at the moment. After finding our way around the house, we become less uncomfortable with the idea of inhabiting the house. But Ben's sleeping by himself, and something's under the bed...

I think I did go to Margaret River this time, but only just. The show seemed better for us than it did for the crowd, although some of the crowd had travelled impressive distances.

On par for Margarets, the far end of the night reveals the interesting stories. Everyone, this is Browny; Browny - everyone. Browny's done it again: become wrecklessly drunk, ripped his best mate Whale's shirt off (for whatever reason), which attracted the bouncer's attention. Browny was sent kicking and screaming out (he flipped one of the bouncers out, causing him a bloodied face). Of course Browny then simply staggered back around to the front entrance and made his way back in, only to be kicked out again (this time he argued to the bouncers that he should be allowed to stay because he has lost control of his bladder. Look at him!) One more re-entry and even Browny's mates wanted him expelled from the premises. Humorous in its bleakness, there must be, judging by tonight, at least ten or more Brownies here.

My last memory of this bitterly cold night is Browny number 7, writhing against a wall in an ally, trying desperately to hold himself up to talk into his mobile. There was probably no-one on the other end...

SUNDAY 11/8/02 - Freemantle

The best thing about the strange-house accommodation was that there was no check-out time, so for once we got to sleep in.

The drive up to Freemantle was fine. The show was good. The drive to the airport after the show was unrushed. Boarding was delayed because the flight home will have a 240km/hr tailwind, and we can't taxi in at Sydney before 6.30am. But boarding was fine. I'm so tired....