Gut Instincts

Ever had that niggling feeling in the back of your head? Your heart pounding in suspense because you can 'feel' that something is going to happen? Ever ignored it?

Don't.

I've found myself doubting things in my life lately and ignoring what my gut feeling was telling me. thinking with my head instead of with my heart but sometimes you've got to ignore what your brain is telling you and listen to your human instincts. 

the past few days i've doubted friends, i've doubting feelings and i've doubted motives and each and every one of my doubts was proven wrong. all my worry and emotions for nothing. don't waste your time here doubting things just trust those your gut tells you to trust and trust those niggling hunches. it's not worth your time not to.

Cheers Darlin'

Things I've learnt to love over the past 5 years....

- Friendships formed in unconventional ways.

Nearly every one of my closest friends are people I've met in unconventional ways. I have (about 10) friends I've met online via a musician's fansite, after years of talking online and discussing our love of music, we've met along the way at various concerts. 4 or so of these, I consider to be some of my closest friends in the world. One in particular, who although lives interstate, is my closest girlfriend.
I have another whom I also met strangely via a website discussion group, met up with at Jamie Cullum, Coldplay and John Mayer over the course of just over a year and never really talked until recently and now talk/hang out all the time.
Then there's the ones I've met really strangely. One of my closest friends, I actually met at a bus stop. Its a strange story to tell people and its always met with a state of disbelief. Who knew missing a bus could start a friendship?
Others, have randomly added me or someone I know on Facebook/MySpace at random and have somehow turned into close mates.
Point of this story? I don't really know... other than meeting people strange ways is great!

- Dancing/Dance Music and all its afilliated activities (minus the drug taking).

For years I never delved into it. Surrounded by people who were 'gig goers' and filling my weeks with gigs where I would do nothing but absorb lyrical content of music more than the melody, beats and rhythm. The average night consisted of a few drinks, talking with friends, sitting/standing, observing, tapping ones feet and occassionally singing along before heading home to be in bed prior to midnight (or.. depending on the company.. roaming around the city doing almost nothing until 4/5am). These days, I spend nearly every Friday at a club of some description and in recent weeks it's been the trend for my Saturdays and Sundays too..

- Alcohol

Not necessarily a good thing.. but until the end of February this year I was totally opposed to the stuff. It was so foreign to me that it scared me. I was scared of what I'd seen it do to other people and what its effect would be on me. I've grown up in the past year and discovered it's great... just.. not if you have too much... oops?

- Photos

There's a longer story behind this one than I care to share.. but being able to capture a moment with a picture is one thing. Being able to capture it nicely/properly is a true art form. Who of us doesn't like looking over photos? Who's mother hasn't said she'd save the family photo album in a fire? Thank god for flickr.com and deviantart!

MUSIC:
- MGMT

Awesome band. Loving the singles 'Electric Feel', 'Kids' and 'Time To Pretend'. Bought the album last week and can't tell you anymore how much you should go and buy it.

- Coldplay's New Album

Have loved all of Coldplay's albums and I was overly hesitant about this one. Bought it the day it came out and each track unravels a new layer. There's so many new and different sounds in this album for Coldplay. I certainly don't think it's their best (see my fave tracks: Amsterdam, Fix You, Green Eyes, Spies). However, tracks like Viva La Vida, Lost and 42 make my world a happier place.

PLACES TO GO IN SYDNEY:
- SoSueMe

I'm a little biased on this one.. I have to advise you all.. I'm part of the crew.. so there is slight bias in this. What you don't know though.. is that I only work for them because after going there a couple of times I fell in love with the place and offered my services. Think bands, djs, silent cinema (movies with subtitles so that you can watch them while being surrounded by music), pool tables, arcade games, a photobooth, cheap drinks, the occassional giant jenga, a ride on bull which can only be moved by physical force (its not electric) and an awesome bunch of people.
WHERE: Q Bar and 34b Stereo, Oxford St, Sydney
WHEN: 9pm, Friday nights
HOW MUCH: $10-$15 or.. $8 on discounted guestlist (email rach@clubhaus.com.au for guestlist)

- Purple Sneakers

Run by the genius that is PHDj. Purple Sneakers is Sydney's premier indie club. With their resident djs (phdj, dj fle, nick findlay, walkie talkie and vivienne kingswood) playing every week, as wel as guest djs (including members of some of the best up and coming indie bands). In a venue thats as shabby as it is cool, its always a great night out.
WHERE: Abercrombie Hotel, Broadway, Sydney
WHEN: 7pm till god knows when, Friday nights
HOW MUCH: Free before 8pm, $10 after 8 (i think..?)

WEBSITES:

I'm a social networking nerd. I was involved in the setup of a company a while back and it's main focus was social networking.

Twitter
- Microblogging.. there's no further explanation needed.. just check it out.

Facebook
- Nuff said

QTrax
- its still in development and is only really available in america but. its free, legal, php music sharing.

People Have The Right To Fly

If there's anything I could share with the world it's one simply philosophy:

'Do what you love and makes you happy. Don't let anyone hold you back.'

I'm one of the few people in the world who knew from a very young age exactly what they wanted to do and exactly where their passion lied. All my childhood home videos are of me doing 'concerts' with my friends from the age of 3 at friend's houses, my first christmas video is of me being given a Michael Jackson calendar for a present, my earliest memories are all of my dad taking me to Les Miserables, Phantom Of The Opera and Michael Jackson shows. Not to mention, the only things I enjoyed at school were art classes and recorder lessons.

I was the kind of kid, who didn't really have friends at school. I was the kid who sat quietly in the front of the classroom, got labelled the teacher's pet and spent most weekends and afternoons studying and doing assignments. I wasn't at parties, I wasn't out drinking or spending time with boys. I was however, spending every cent I earnt on gigs, festivals and musicals and out as late as need be whenever an event was on (school night or weekend). I met my friends through those circles and I built my networks and mingled online. I was a MySpace early adapter, joining the site in 2004.

Of course, I had the issue everyone would have. My parents didn't exactly approve, in their eyes, it wasn't going to get me anywhere or lead to anything of any importance but it was the only outlet I had of making myself really happy and it was the only thing I enjoyed. When my final year of school came up, I stopped the study routine and did nothing but drum up ideas and concepts for work, do work for free and offer assistance to bands/artists/managers in any way I could.

Since then, I've worked for an artist manager for 4 years, I worked for a large Sydney based management company with some of Australia's biggest acts for 2 and a half years,  I also worked with one of Australia's biggest pop/rock bands for 3 years and now I"m launching into events, clubs and touring. When I'm not working, I'm at a gig, when I'm not at a gig I"m at a club and when I'm not doing that I'm at home listening to music or researching new stuff.

I constantly meet up with friends who have studied subjects because their parents and teachers said to, have gone into jobs where they hate the work, they hate their jobs and everyday are miserable when they get home. They talk to me about their hobbies and about what they really love but the vast majority are too scared to persue it. 

Take it from someone on the other side of the fence, don't be scared. If the passion and the enthusiasm are there. It makes it all easier, because you want to do it and you enjoy it your more determined to launch into it. Everything will come to you easily and the opportunities that'll present themselves will blow your mind. You'll never regret it. I promise you.

I do what I do for the love of making people happy. Music makes me happy, I can't play it to save my life but.. if I can help other people who's stuff is great, who have the passion, who's stuff makes people happy, I'm there to spread it. There's nothing in the world better than that and that's a promise.

So get off your arse and do it.

Oh and for all you bloggers out there.. take note.. Pana is awesome. http://johnpana.blogspot.com