I am gradually working my way through the backlog of housework that had built up over the weeks leading up to the EP release. My lounge floor is littered with guitars, shoes, cups, a disassembled piano.
It feels like the end of an era. It was as far back as 2005 that I began mucking about with home recording on my computer. Decided I wanted to write songs that felt right to sing along to in the car. Many of the songs on the EP have been sitting about half written for a few years, a couple are newer, some we even played in Amperzahn even though they’d always been written for Transit of Venus. I never intended to put a live band together, it was always just a little recording project. Anyway, after all that time, all that writing and recording, wow you should see all the demos I have. But yes, whittled down to the five favourites that were finished off with Miscreant Recordings and released through Black Doris Music. And we have it. A product. A little plastic square containing a little plastic circle upon which five songs have been etched with the magic of laser beams. The first Transit of Venus EP. The pre-EP era is over and the post-EP era begins haha
The EP release party was incredible in itself. It was so much fun, but the piano playing bit was scary! I have to tell this little story… When I was a kid, maybe 10 or 11 or thereabouts, I used to play in these piano competitions in Tauranga every year. One year I’d left learning my piece for the Memory class till the last minute. I basically crammed it the day before the performance. My teacher advised me to pull out of the class but I was cocky and adamant I could pull it off. Played through the piece at home on the morning of the performance, went fine. Got to the performance, walked up took my bow, walked over and sat down at the piano. Started playing. About 8 bars in my mind goes BLANK. I’ve stopped playing and I’m sitting at the piano in front of an audience made up of fellow young pianists, their moms and teachers, and worst of all a small panel of judges. My mind is spinning, I’m thinking “what do I do? what can I do?” over and over in my head. Eventually I get up, walk to the front and take a bow then leave the stage. Everyone claps and I am UTTERLY HUMILIATED. It’d be nice to think I had a laugh about it years later, but I’m an oversensitive child at heart, and even now I cringe when I remember it. Ouch. So when I decided to play piano at the EP release party, I am getting all these flash backs to that moment. I am sorry I was so nervous, my knee was shaking under the piano and I felt like that stupid little kid again. But thanks everyone for being so supportive, it felt good to play piano for you all even though I was a little terrified. It was a huge relief to get up on stage with the band. Mike was the one who talked me into getting a band together for TOV, when Tory agreed to come on board it really became a reality. For the EP release gig we had Tim on bass who is also a wicked drummer for a band called Turning Tricks. My highlight of the gig was Tim and Tory dueling on drums, it’s a point where I can take a back seat and enjoy their playing. I am in awe of good drummers!
My phone won’t stop ringing. I have lost many trains of thought today!
I’m gonna write some more about stuff later, lost my writing mojo haha. Thanks to everyone who came along and made it such an awesome night. Special thanks to Plum Green,Turning Tricks, Jester Events, Black Doris Music, Smoove (Clothing), The Dogs Bollix, all the wonderful contributers to the EP and the Meatmarket Music video. Just, thanks everyone. I could never have done this on my own.
Great post, and great show Kristie, keep up the good work