Fortunately for us, Stirling Leisure Centres do allow tails, but with restrictions.
Beatty Park Pool looks like being the best choice out of nearby pools, in neighbouring Vincent.

Bunbury has been home to these merfolk for years, and they're clearly experienced user, so I hope something can be worked out.

They Might Be Giants only make it to Australia on occasion, and we're always very grateful when they make it to Perth. The last time was about 4 years ago. Going strong since their beginnings in the 80's they've continued producing albums of great variety and with their catchy tunes, bold brass and mind tickling lyrics.

This year they were originally going to the Amplifier Bar, but changed the venue to the Rosemount in the wake of the Amplifiers ill conceived statements on their female staff's dress code. This was laudable and they weren't the only band to cancel gigs there.

But while the Rosemount has great staff, and yummy food, (pretty good gf cheeseburgers and awareness to go with it, yay!) and even gave us our tonic and limes for free during the show, it fails in one respect and it's a big one. It failed four years ago and it failed last night.
Airconditioning. When it's a hot muggy night and there's a sellout show and everyone is hyped, standing shoulder to should and wants to dance to those oh so danceable tunes, you really need airconditioning. Why has this not been fixed? The poor band - they're exuberant performers and they just were melting but they were troopers and they didn't stint it.

The show itself was fantastic - there was no opener - TMBG played for an hour in the first set, and then, after a 20 minute break another set of 30 to 40 minutes or so. And with songs ranging from their earliest days like "Hideaway Folk Family" through the classics like "Why does the Sun shine" "Fingertips" "Birdhouse in your Soul" and "Istanbul (not Constantinople)" through to the more modern works like "Damn Good Times" and its compelling chiasmus, and even more recent, "Mrs Bluebeard" and "The Communists Have the Music". It was an excellent tasting plate of the capabilities of the dynamic Johns and their band.

With entertaining and highly proficient solo virtuosity on the various strings and brass, not to mention Marty Beller on the drums a They Might Be Giants concert is huge fun.

It would be huger fun in a more spacious venue with airconditioning.

With 22 albums under their belt they're still going strong.

10 out 10 uplifting and the finest handcrafted gelato icecream sundae (in flavours you can't usually get even though they're your favourite) outside on a wet and cold windy day on the Sid and Nancy Scale.

They're heading across to Melbourne and Adelaide now. Enjoy, and may you have airconditioning.

My head hurts.

Viola Dana, the band that plays live scores to silent movies is fantastic and they're playing in on the 9th of March. Two Buster Keaton movies! Outdoors! For free!

Indirectly, this has to do with Blak Yak and their splendid performances over the years of Terry Pratchett's Discworld works. The link below takes you to Luna' Camelot outdoor theatre, and the Flickerfest film festival's short works.

One of these short works is Troll Bridge, a labour of love short film made by Pratchett fans with Sir Terry's blessings.

The Director states:

"A WORD ON OUR PERTH SCREENING

OMGOMGOMG!
Lemme tell you a story…
In the late 90s I joined the Perth based Blak Yak Theatre, and one of the first shows I got involved with was the Stephen Briggs adaptation of MORT. I had never picked up Terry Pratchett before that point because it all sounded a bit silly. I had no idea. The script was amazing and that was pretty much the start of a very long and strange obsession. I’m very proud to have been involved with five of their Discworld shows. I am in great debt to Jarrod Buttery and the support and encouragement I received from the entire Blak Yak family… without whom there wouldn’t be any of this at all – not a film version of TROLL BRIDGE – not even this film company, I would have traversed down a completely different fork in the Trousers of Time. I fell in love with Terry there, I fell in love with directing there.

Anyway.

TROLL BRIDGE plays in Perth the Saturday after this (March 2) at the gorgeous Camelot: Outdoor Cinema in Mosman Park. I can’t go, I can’t make the finances work. But if you live in Perth, I hope you can make it on my behalf. And if you lived in Perth in the late 90s and saw a production of WYRD SISTERS or SOURCERY, you’ve seen my stuff before. It was with the best theatre company I know of.

Daniel"

Some religious type talking about the Bible knocked on my door just now. I asked her if she'd heard about the Wargul. She said no, and didn't want to hear about it or the people that'd been living here for 60,000 years and their beliefs. As she left at speed I said that was very close minded and not very ecumenical.

The Baden Street Singers were a huge mob of a cappella talented fun last year in Acapocalpse and this year they showed that they weren't resting on any laurels. With a number of games designed to put the singers to the most stringent tests - at the audience's very whim they came up aces every time.

First up, an audience member is given control of 5 lights - a scale of faster to slower. As the choir sings, the audience member hits the lights, slowing and speeding the choir at will. It's pretty funny to watch and hear.

Other activities involved using the lights to cut the various sections of the choir, nope, no bass wanted, whoops there go the trebles.

Some covers were requested with various singers volunteering to take them on, in various styles.

And my favourite -

A random chorist is selected via spinning the wheel and has 10 words thrown at them from the gleeful and on occassion positively malicious audience - "schadenfreude" "onomatopoeic" "antipodes" amongst the offerings. And, well, these people are skilled!

They also performed a couple of pieces for their opening and closing numbers. Lovely sound and lots of humour!

I must look out for these folks other performances.

10/10 superb and Postmodern Jukebox performing the Pinky and the Brain theme song on the Sid & Nancy Scale.

#fringeworld #fringeworld2019 #westernaustralia #perth

This extraordinary dance troupe Djuki Mala, combines ancient traditional dance moves with contemporary nous and creates something wonderful. These guys are from a tiny island in the far north, they're Yolngu folks from Elcho island and they became a Youtube sensation 10 years ago when their rendition of Zorba the Greek got a million hits in 2 weeks.

They're very charismatic, passionate, engaging, energetic and just full of wit and it's hard to watch all of them at once as each one is committing his own kind of mischief! Interspersed with footage of the history of the people and influencers of the group, sad stories and poignant, funny stories and sweet we are brought into the arms of Arnham Land's furthermost reaches.

These fellows are a fine thing to watch and learn and especially laugh with. Wonderful sense of comic timing.

Unreservedly recommended.

10 out of 10 still laughing and Jackie Chan meets Fred Astaire at the disco on the Sid and Nancy Scale.

After you watch this one, hunt up Zorba.

#indigenous #fringeworld #fringeworld2019 #dance

Dreamtime on the Derbarl Yerrigan is a very scenic voyage around the important waters of the area. Surrounded with an astonishing view of water and the city lights you are drawn into the charismatic storyteller's (elder Walter McGuire) description of the area before the British invaded.

It's a very interesting cruise, and informative too, looking at the various artifacts Elder McGuire had brought, particularly the 200 year old message stick. I was really taken with the two songs which Mr McGuire performed - I could have listened to them for much longer, they were so skillfully performed and very moving.

The one koora koora story he related belongs to his family to tell, but if you want to know one version of it, it's written on the wall of the Chevron Gardens facing the Derbarl Yerrigan. (Swan River)

The Crystal Swan was an excellent venue for this experience, and a very interesting experience all around.

8/10 Fascinating and a good tray of thali when you're peckish on the Sid & Nancy Scale.

#fringeworld #fringeworld2019 #nyungar #indigenous #nyoongar #noongar

Boorna Waanginy was a very impressive display! Taking the koodjal djinang (looking both ways - both the indigenous knowledge and modern science) it interweaves the nature of this region, the history of the movement of the Nyungar people on their boodjar and the serious concerns of environmental scientists, with a how you can help at the end. This is quite an immersive display, being projected on to great trees that are some of the tallest in the area. It's very impressive to walk amongst giant creatures and fish, as the 6 seasons flow around you. Very impressive, truly breathtaking, and should this event be repeated, a must see. 10/10 Moorditj! and Royal De Lux by night on the Sid and Nancy Scale.