Southern Mel
Daily Mercury, October 6 2010
Lengths sports fans will go to
“MAYBE you could call work and say I’m in hospital and tell them I have some kind of injury, say from a car crash?”
The prospect of flying back to Mackay, after 10 days and two great games of AFL in Melbourne, and missing the Grand Final replay was more than I could take.
But my mum just shot me a look which said “nice try you idiot”.
I actually seriously considered faking some kind of ailment so I could stay in Melbourne for just one more week to see my beloved Pies have another shot at premiership glory.
But the guilt got the better of me and I, reluctantly, got on my early morning flight back to Mackay. Part of me still regrets that choice.
However, we have all seen those television advertisements where poor Johnny is caught out in a television crowd shot at the cricket, which, unluckily, is viewed by his boss.
Ok, so scamming an extra week’s stay in Melbourne probably wasn’t a good idea.
But some sports fans do go to extreme lengths to show their support for their team.
Take Collingwood tragic Bob Ward who, at finals time, cruises around Melbourne in a van decorated with photos of Magpies players and speakers on the roof which pump out the club theme song.
And who could forget that South African fan at the World Cup who dressed in canary yellow Lycra and tortured crowds with a vuvuzela horn which made a horrific noise?
Closer to home, Wests Tigers fan Geraldine Wolfe loved her team so much that she named her five sons after five of the club’s greats. And for good measure, her two daughters have middle names of Eels greats to mark the family’s split allegiance between the two teams.
One fanatic worth a mention is Collingwood supporter Justin Witcombe who tattooed a magpie and the number 35 on his “manly parts” because he “ran out of room”.
That reminds me, I am one of those crazy sports fans.
Better make that date with the ink man for that premiership tattoo.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Rockin' with some top acts
Southern Mel
Daily Mercury, September 29
“WILL you be getting married soon after tonight?” I could have sworn he was looking at me (or possibly my friend standing next to me) and it made me almost spit my beer out onto the floor.
Something for Kate front man Paul Dempsey was searching the crowd after he announced that some corny, ok and sweet guy, had vowed to propose on stage if the band played their track ‘You only hide’.
And no I wasn’t proposed to, but after the concert at Melbourne’s Forum Theatre I had well and truly fallen for Dempsey and the band.
We have had a couple of encounters since then but it has been a while so I am pretty excited that Dempsey, currently solo, has chosen Mackay as one of the few places he will open for Powderfinger’s farewell tour.
Melbourne band Jet will also play at the Mackay Showgrounds on Sunday which makes for a pretty sweet line-up. It’s not very often you get three class acts in Mackay on one weekend.
When you live in a metropolitan city each weekend presents a plethora of musical talent that you can go along and see, whether it be a home-grown or international act.
It’s something you don’t really take much notice of until you move to a regional city, like Mackay. Let’s be honest, there is pretty much no chance you’ll see Muse or Foo Fighters in Mackay. You’ll have to fly to Brisbane or another capital city for that.
But while the chance of an international super-band gracing us with their presence is scarce, there have been quite a few good Aussie acts that have played here during the year: John Butler, Ash Grunwald and Bluejuice just to name a few.
And there’s a few more on their way: British India, Sarah Blasko and Grinspoon are among them.
But it all starts on Sunday with Brisbane rockers Powderfinger, Jet and Paul Dempsey. If you haven’t already for Sunday’s concert at the showgrounds, I suggest you do.
Who knows, if we fill out the showgrounds Dempsey and Jet may fall for Mackay and include us on their next tours.
Daily Mercury, September 29
“WILL you be getting married soon after tonight?” I could have sworn he was looking at me (or possibly my friend standing next to me) and it made me almost spit my beer out onto the floor.
Something for Kate front man Paul Dempsey was searching the crowd after he announced that some corny, ok and sweet guy, had vowed to propose on stage if the band played their track ‘You only hide’.
And no I wasn’t proposed to, but after the concert at Melbourne’s Forum Theatre I had well and truly fallen for Dempsey and the band.
We have had a couple of encounters since then but it has been a while so I am pretty excited that Dempsey, currently solo, has chosen Mackay as one of the few places he will open for Powderfinger’s farewell tour.
Melbourne band Jet will also play at the Mackay Showgrounds on Sunday which makes for a pretty sweet line-up. It’s not very often you get three class acts in Mackay on one weekend.
When you live in a metropolitan city each weekend presents a plethora of musical talent that you can go along and see, whether it be a home-grown or international act.
It’s something you don’t really take much notice of until you move to a regional city, like Mackay. Let’s be honest, there is pretty much no chance you’ll see Muse or Foo Fighters in Mackay. You’ll have to fly to Brisbane or another capital city for that.
But while the chance of an international super-band gracing us with their presence is scarce, there have been quite a few good Aussie acts that have played here during the year: John Butler, Ash Grunwald and Bluejuice just to name a few.
And there’s a few more on their way: British India, Sarah Blasko and Grinspoon are among them.
But it all starts on Sunday with Brisbane rockers Powderfinger, Jet and Paul Dempsey. If you haven’t already for Sunday’s concert at the showgrounds, I suggest you do.
Who knows, if we fill out the showgrounds Dempsey and Jet may fall for Mackay and include us on their next tours.
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