Don't trash Garbage Oh...my .... God... I have just come home from one of the best nights in my entire life!! I have just come home from seeing Garbage live in concert in Sydney... I am truly blown away, hence my need to write about it right now.. Of course in true Norris fashion it wasn't an entirely smooth course. Yesterday my flat mate Elle, calls me and asks if I want to go and see Garbage play, I'm like "hell yeah". She says "it's free" and I'm like "heeelllll yeah!" Firstly, how many times do you get to see Garbage? Second, how many times to you get to do that on the other side of the world? So I\'m there! She arranges everything and we hit the box office to pick up the tickets. She explains that she couldn't remember my surname so put them in my first name and Tilly's surname. Not a problem I reckon, as they will be under Elle's name, er, wrong! We get to the box office, pick up the envelop to find only one ticket. We head back to the box office to pick mine up, they ask for ID so I search my wallet, only to find I've got Tilly's and funnily enough the photo ID doesn't resemble me in any shape or form. I shudder and pretend that I don't have any ID, but my name is Katherine Pobee. Well, actually it's Matilda Pobee as that's what her bank card says. The guy looks at me like he knows I'm having him on. He consults someone else and says we can't have the other ticket - I'm gutted. We plead, we beg, we do everything and he says to come back at 9 and maybe we can go in then. So we wander around and I pretty much resign myself to not being able to go in. We head back at 9 and convince the guy that how on earth would anyone know to pick up a ticket in that name and how common is that surname anyway?? He seems convinced and asks for a signature... I grin and do my best at forging Tilly's signature; thankfully he doesn't ask to see anything that resembles the real one. I feel slightly bad as I don't want to get done for fraud, but at the same time I know that the ticket is mine by rights so the guilt quickly passes. Especially as when we hit the security gates they explain that Garbage has only just hit the stage - so we run in. The place is quite small and there is loads of room so we settle in just in time to hear them start their first song - "Queer"; it felt so apt for the moment. It takes me about 2 seconds to forget my worries and I'm moshing with the best of them to an amazing track. The song comes to an end and there is still loads of room so we shuffle forwards, a little more, a tiny bit more until we have the perfect view of the stage, loads of room and really close too. Absolutely amazing!! Now I've been a Garbage fan for about 10 years, about as long as they have been around and I've loved everything they have done. Version 2.0 being one of the most influential albums of my young life. The lyrics, the music, the attitude speak volumes to me and this gig did nothing but raise the bar and make me wonder why I hadn't seen them before. After an amazing "Why Do You Love Me" Shirley starts talking with the crowd. Saying how much they love Australia as they were the first country to ever play their music and that they always have a great time here. They also explain that they are not breaking up, but they are going to take a long break - what an amazing time to see them, their last gig!! It just kept getting better and better. Of course to cap it off she is Scottish and hearing her talk, well... her Scottish lilt washed over me in ways that would make most blush! I'm also stunned cos I couldn't remember a single time I had heard her speak and it was so unexpected, so full of joy for me. But she is so sexy, so unconventional in most senses. She doesn't dress up to be sexy, doesn't try to win people over by being their best mate, she just sings what's in her to sing and I can't think of anything more attractive than that - someone willing to say f*** it, I'm gonna do it my way and I'm gonna have a good time whilst I do. She held everyone captive as she continued talking before launching into another set of songs. They played everything from "Bleed Like Me" to I think I'm "Paranoid" to "When I Grow Up" to "Sex Is Not The Enemy"... *sigh* just too many great songs to remember and if I went on about all of them I would be here all weekend!! I was just so impressed at how well they interacted with the crowd. There was this classic moment as they started a song and a few moments later they realized no one really knew what they were playing so she tells them all to stop playing and apologies for the gigantic c*** up. It was hilarious, her just telling them to f*** off and stop being stupid and how awful that it is that they've f***ed so badly. But then she just stands there and adlibs this inspiring speech... she basically says who gives a f*** that they screwed up? everyone makes mistakes and its fine to do that. In fact its fine not to be perfect, not to be beautiful and its fine to make mistakes as everyone does - all you need to do is stand your ground, get back up and start again. The crowd went nuts, like who really cares if you're perfect or not?? Who gives a f*** if you screw up? It's not a perfect world and we're not perfect people. So anyway, to get over it they ask for requests - "Super Vixen" is played and then they ask for another. This guy asks for some random B side and they have no idea how the f*** to play it. More laughter and swearing so they ask for another request. He of course requests an even more random song to which they bring out the lyric folder hoping it will jog some memories; they spend the next few moments trying to ad lib the song before calling the guy an a****** for picking such awkward songs. Truly fantastic. I haven't been to many gigs (growing up in Devon doesn't really do much for one's gig score card) but this one just blew me away. The whole setup drew you in, made you want to scream along with each song, jump up and down and ultimately lead to the most fantastic night ever. The crowd added to the ambience as they were true hard core Garbage fans who were there to be entertained by their idols and bask in their presence for a little while, hoping to get a glimpse into such intriguing lives. To top it off the stage and lighting were brilliant; they were nothing... basically there was no back drop, no fancy light sequences, nothing to distract you from the performance. Some groups look crap without fancy s*** backing them up, but Garbage just shone even brighter. The occasional colour change and lights sequence but that was it. It was just all about the music - as all good gigs should be. So before long I'm looking at my watch and an hour and a half of totally rocking out, jumping up and down and shouting myself hoarse to songs has passed and they round up the night. Everyone goes nuts as they head off stage, knowing that each and every one of us has been privy to something very special. They of course come back for an encore, but Elle and I decide to beat the rush for a cab and head out. All we can do is grin and exclaim how f***ing brilliant the whole night was and go on and on about - I guess a little bit like now, hehe. But oh my god... It really was one of the best nights of my entire life and something I will remember for the rest of it too... If you do ever get the chance to see them play make sure you do!