Wednesday, January 23, 2008

The Baby Animals

Picture this, its 1991, you're under age, the internet has not made it to the mainstream and Australia's Wonderland is a hot place. And I don't mean temperature. At the tender age of thirteen years old, my best friend and partner in crime, Caroline and I were to attend the first rock and roll concert I was to ever experience. Ok, so the location was a roller coaster park in between the Australian Sydney western suburbs and farming land, but none the less- no parent of ours was going to be present. Well, not counting the ones that drive you there and back.

It was the first time I experienced live music that made me feel like I could be anything, do anything and most importantly, be anywhere. The event gave me a passport to the land of freedom, independence and absolute joy. Not only was rock and roll to be the instigator of what would then follow, my endless search for years afterwards for that same high, but Suzi De Marchi, the lead singer of The Baby Animals became my rock goddess. She was the epitome of nineties cool. With her fashionably cut hair, her hard edged yet feminine attire and her husky voice, she was unstoppable in my eyes. Her songs made references to subjects I was just starting to become intrigued by at thirteen- love, superficial guys and a painful world. All the "rock inspired" fashion that exists today- in my version of the world- Suzi started it all. Suzi was rocking shiny tight pants before Kate Moss knew breakfast was the most important meal of the day.

As you can tell, I have a strong sentimental attachment to The Baby Animals. Even more so today. After almost twelve years since their break up, The Baby Animals are back!!!! Currently on a small tour in Australia only, their last gig is on this weekend on the Central Coast, the day after Australia day (27th January). They will also be re-releasing their old stuff and bringing out some new material. Check out http://www.myspace.com/thebabyanimals for more details.

So the inevitable has arrived and it is due to that first concert I went to so many years ago, in my home country. That concert spawned a now age old quest for finding amazing music, people and events. Today I find myself living in New York City, far, far, far away from Redfern and Suzi's first performance in Sydney in thirteen years. I saw her first when I was thirteen and now seventeen years later, because of that inspirational concert, I would say, that indirectly influenced my need for adventure and excitement, has lead me to to living overseas and not attending their amazing comeback. The irony is obvious. She was a very cool lady and, while I humbly sing to Youtube clips of a concert that I am heartbreakingly missing out on, she is still very, very cool.

1 comment:

Angela Adriano said...

She is still so hot. This performance is part of their current comeback tour in Melbourne.