We all have a lot of issues with Facebook. Many, many issues. But occasionally it can be useful. Yesterday Facebook memories showed me it was 10 years ago exactly that Peter and I were off to see Meow Meow. Life can be funny and filled with coincidences as we were once again off to see her perform. It was only months earlier in 2009 that Peter first took me to see Meow Meow in a show called Wunderschon. I was still a little broken from my relationship breakup with me ex. Peter and I were feeling our way, learning more about each other and being introduced to newness. I'd never really been to the theatre before and didn't know what to expect. The show was sung entirely in German, with lyrics translated in English projected on the backdrop. Songs of heartbreak, loss and yearning. It was raw and hit a raw nerve for someone going through a terrible break up and trying to forge a new life. It was quite a memorable night.
We have seen Meow Meow many times since. Whatever the incarnation, her constant gift of pure car crash cabaret mixes humour with heartbreak. Taking moments of comedy, self deprecation, bossiness (screaming 'Schnell' at people she has dragged on stage) and absurdity (crowd surfing the length of a theatre, clambering over the audience's seats or making men climb on stage to hold her legs and be mic stands while she performs) and turning within seconds into quiet, introspective and heartfelt intimacy between her and us. I have cried with both laughter at her comedy and at the beauty of her interpretation of songs. In 2009 hearing the lines 'it wears her out' from Radiohead's Fake Plastic Trees at a time when I felt like a worn out husk had tears streaming down my cheeks.
Peter will even concede that she is the only person allowed to cover The Smiths. Check out her version of Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me.
Hers was the first version I heard of the wonderful Dresden Dolls song Missed Me. An utter joy with extra crowd participation.
Last night, again at the Malthouse she performed. This time the Christmas themed 'Apocalypse Meow: Crisis is Born', performed at the cheaper pre-Christmas month of November. Again, in the midst of a stage in crisis (being torn down to make way for apartments) she mixed larger than life comedy with quiet intimacy. From laying on her back on stage making snow angels because the band was playing too long, to asking a member of the audience to blow up an inflatable sheep she 'birthed' from her prosthetic pregnant belly. Only Meow Meow could sing such a diversity of songs for a Christmas show, including Red Right Hand by Nick Cave (sung as a storybook tale to orphans) and Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill penned Ballad of the soldier's wife. Watch it here performed by PJ Harvey.
But Meow Meow proves she can conjure up magic. Pulling an A frame ladder across the stage, draping battered green material haphazardly over the top and then adorning it with cascading fairy lights, turning building supplies into a Christmas tree. These quieter moments are when Meow Meow's star shines brightest. Her song choices and delivery ensure both beauty and heartache. From the indie king of Christmas Sufjan Stevens' Christmas in the Room to Patty Griffin's Kite Song.
She spoke of the miracle it is that we are born and breathe. The wonder that life is, she sang of what it is to be human. To be connected to those around us in a meaningful way. And the importance of little moments of magic in the everyday. My heart hurts just thinking about it. Perhaps at Christmas or any time really, this is what is important. How wondrous it feels to hear this when you're surrounded by fairy lights and it's raining gold tinsel.
I love Christmas. Not for the gifts or commercial aspect. But because it makes me focus on that feeling. Reminding me of the people I love and how lucky I am to know each of them. And I'm a sucker for Christmas music and lights.
We have seen Meow Meow many times since. Whatever the incarnation, her constant gift of pure car crash cabaret mixes humour with heartbreak. Taking moments of comedy, self deprecation, bossiness (screaming 'Schnell' at people she has dragged on stage) and absurdity (crowd surfing the length of a theatre, clambering over the audience's seats or making men climb on stage to hold her legs and be mic stands while she performs) and turning within seconds into quiet, introspective and heartfelt intimacy between her and us. I have cried with both laughter at her comedy and at the beauty of her interpretation of songs. In 2009 hearing the lines 'it wears her out' from Radiohead's Fake Plastic Trees at a time when I felt like a worn out husk had tears streaming down my cheeks.
Peter will even concede that she is the only person allowed to cover The Smiths. Check out her version of Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me.
Hers was the first version I heard of the wonderful Dresden Dolls song Missed Me. An utter joy with extra crowd participation.
Last night, again at the Malthouse she performed. This time the Christmas themed 'Apocalypse Meow: Crisis is Born', performed at the cheaper pre-Christmas month of November. Again, in the midst of a stage in crisis (being torn down to make way for apartments) she mixed larger than life comedy with quiet intimacy. From laying on her back on stage making snow angels because the band was playing too long, to asking a member of the audience to blow up an inflatable sheep she 'birthed' from her prosthetic pregnant belly. Only Meow Meow could sing such a diversity of songs for a Christmas show, including Red Right Hand by Nick Cave (sung as a storybook tale to orphans) and Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill penned Ballad of the soldier's wife. Watch it here performed by PJ Harvey.
But Meow Meow proves she can conjure up magic. Pulling an A frame ladder across the stage, draping battered green material haphazardly over the top and then adorning it with cascading fairy lights, turning building supplies into a Christmas tree. These quieter moments are when Meow Meow's star shines brightest. Her song choices and delivery ensure both beauty and heartache. From the indie king of Christmas Sufjan Stevens' Christmas in the Room to Patty Griffin's Kite Song.
She spoke of the miracle it is that we are born and breathe. The wonder that life is, she sang of what it is to be human. To be connected to those around us in a meaningful way. And the importance of little moments of magic in the everyday. My heart hurts just thinking about it. Perhaps at Christmas or any time really, this is what is important. How wondrous it feels to hear this when you're surrounded by fairy lights and it's raining gold tinsel.
I love Christmas. Not for the gifts or commercial aspect. But because it makes me focus on that feeling. Reminding me of the people I love and how lucky I am to know each of them. And I'm a sucker for Christmas music and lights.
"No gifts to give, they're all right here
Inside our hearts, the glorious cheer
And in the house we seek a light
That comes from what we know inside"
(Christmas in the Room - Sufjan Stevens)
"In the middle of the night
The world turns with all its might
A little diamond coloured blue
In the middle of the night
We keep sending little kites
Until a little light gets through"
(Kite Song - Patty Griffin)
Thank you Meow Meow for making me smile and cry. For making a November night in Melbourne sparkly and special. For bringing the feeling of Christmas back to basics and for being part of the last decade of my relationship with Peter. We relayed this story to her after the show while she signed a poster and CD for us. She beamed saying she clearly needed to keep performing for the sake of our relationship, even if this meant coming to our living room! You're welcome any time Meow Meow.
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