Orkut invitations for all!

I need more Orkut friends, so please email me if you’re interested!

liane.chan at gmail.com

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My year in review

2005 was 99% worth living.

In 2005, Liane Chan did 125 things, went 88 places, met 9 people, and consumed 134 products.

What made 2005 so special for me? Had to be meeting lots of new people through the BRMC forum and MySpace, chatroom sessions with other fans, great community with FreeCycle, 43 Things, and my BRMC forums. Learning a lot at City College, despite not finishing classes, learning lots of crochet and computer stuff. Hanging out a lot with family and friends has also been great for me!

I had a great 2005, and 2006 should prove to be even better with another BRMC tour and meeting tons of other fans! I plan to take classes in Audio and Video Production at CCSF. I’m planning a trip to Chicago, Cincinatti, Columbus, and Slippery Rock. I’m going to bring a bunch of SD cards to record video of the shows.

Learn more about Liane Chan

My 2005 Concert Calendar/Top 10 Albums of 2005

Here are some of my year end lists copied from MySpace:

Current mood: contemplative
Category: Music

My Top 10 Albums of 2005

1. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club "HOWL"
2. The Raveonettes "Pretty In Black"
3. Garbage "Bleed Like Me"
4. The Caesars "Paper Tigers"
5. British Sea Power "Open Season"
6. Echo & the Bunnymen "Siberia"
7. Kaiser Chiefs "Employment"
8. Ash "Meltdown"
9. Feeder "Pushing the Senses"
10. Architecture in Helsinki "In Case We Die"

2005 (A=Amoeba)

12/31: Warlocks, Icarus Line, The Living Things @ Little Radio Warehouse
12/29: Dresden Dolls @ Henry Fonda Theater
12/16: Giant Drag, The Like @ Shrine Auditorium
12/15: B.R.M.C. @ Hotel Cafe

11/30: Super Furry Animals @ HOB Anaheim
11/28: The Subways, The Living Things @ Spaceland
11/13: Dressy Bessy @ the Echo

10/8: B.R.M.C., Mark Gardener @ Henry Fonda Theater, Los Angeles
10/7: B.R.M.C., Mark Gardener @ Brick By Brick, San Diego
10/1: Dungen @ A (SF)

9/29: M83, The Double @ Mezzanine
9/27: The New Pornographers, Destroyer, Immaculate Machine @ Bimbo's 365 Club
9/12: B.R.M.C. @ A (SF), B.R.M.C., Mark Gardener @ GAMH
9/11: Sons & Daughters, A (SF)
9/10: Garbage, The Start @ the Warfield
9/1: Pine*AM @ Isotope Comics

8/24: New Pornographers @ A (SF)
8/13: 2nd Sonic Summer Bash - Mark Gardener (Ride), Rob Dickinson (Catherine Wheel), Adam Frankilin (Swervedriver) @ M Theory Annex, San Diego

7/31: SF Opera @ Stern Grove
7/30: Maya Azucena @ Shattuck Down Low
7/24: The Caesars, The Sights, The Golden Republic @ Slim's ($15)
7/24: SF Symphony @ Dolores Park

6/16: Electrelane, Deerhoof, Lavender Diamond @ GAMH
6/10: The National, Menomena, TalkDemonic @ Cafe du Nord
6/9: Kasabian, Mad Action @ Popscene, 330 Ritch, FREE!
6/2: Of Montreal, Tilly and the Wall, Numbers @ GAMH ($13)

5/31: Bloc Party, The Noisettes, Death Of A Party @ Slim's (Popscene) $11
5/25: Architecture In Helsinki, Still Flyin', DJ'S from AIH @ Café Du Nord, $10
5/25: Wed. And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead @ A (SF)
5/7: Thievery Corporation @ Fillmore ($35)
5/6: Monade, Zincs, Guilty Party @ Bottom of the Hill ($12)
5/2: The Raveonettes, A (SF)

4/30: British Sea Power, The Heavenly States, Kelley Stolz @ the Independent, $14
4/28: Eisley, A (SF)
4/8: Hot Hot Heat, A (SF)

3/26: Pretty Girls Make Graves, Dios Malos, Kill Me Tomorrow @ Cafe du Nord

BRMC "Rise or Fall" + Flickr Photo Sets in San Diego

Here is my BRMC concert video of Robert Been and Nick Jago during "Rise and Fall." Carolinka linked the file to me on MySpace!

http://www.youtube.com/?v=rPjVPiCPn8c
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From San Diego, Brick by Brick on 10.7.05

http://www.flickr.com/photos/porcupiny/sets/1483922/



BRMC photos/press/merch, etc.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/porcupiny/sets/1484087/

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at Hotel Cafe 12-15-05

I arrived at Hotel Cafe at around 5:30 PM after a brief adventure of riding Metro Red Line and the 721 and 25 buses from Orange County. I heard a sound check for "US Government" at around 5:37 PM. According to KevinK, BRMC are such perfectionists that they sound check for 4 hours before every show. At around 6 PM, I met Kevin and his wife Michelle. They were waiting for their friend Lacey who we later met walking over to Vine Bar, which was closed when we got there. We all ended up going to a bar called Three of Clubs. It was happy hour and I got a Midori Sour. The music was really good at that bar, and we sat and talked until around 7:30 PM when we all headed back over to Hotel Cafe. Most people were already inside when we got there, but Jackie (who I'd met in San Diego) had some problems with not having her name on the list. She had taken Greyhound from San Francisco just to be here, so Kevin called David to get it all worked out. Eventually, Kevin's calls worked and she was inside the venue.

Setlist:

Grind My Bones
Faultline
Devil's Waitin'
US Government
Love Burns
Howl
Sympathetic Noose
Rifles
Ain't No Easy Way
Shade of Blue
Still Suspicion Holds You Tight
Mercy
Weight of the World
Shuffle Your Feet
The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll
Restless Sinner
Too Real

Hotel Cafe is a really nice intimate venue with a bar and small seating area in front. Peter and Robert were walking around a little before the show. At around 8:30 PM, Peter took the stage and played "Grind My Bones," the cool slide guitar b-side of "Ain't No Easy Way." I saw Robert standing near by and he was standing right next to me during "Fault Line" (during which, Peter had a major sound problem) and "Devil's Waitin." Then, he went up on stage and joined Peter for the slowed down version of "US Government." Next, they played "Love Burns" with cool alternating lyrics between Peter and Robert. Here are some more highlights:

"Howl" always heartfelt and lovely with new lyrics.
"Sympathetic Noose" more like the album version also with new lyrics.
"Rifles" - a crowd favorite, Kevin recorded it on my digital camera.
"Ain't No Easy Way" the rabble rouser that got the party started!
"Shade of Blue" beautiful and just as I imagined it unplugged!
"Mercy" - the b-side to the upcoming "Weight of the World" single, a beautiful song with Peter playing some odd harp-like instrument
"Restless Sinner" - Peter mostly did this song solo, then Robert joined in on the chorus
"Too Real" - a gorgeous version of this song off the first album, one that they've played so well recently.

At the end of the set, Peter exited backstage while Robert stuck around to chat with fans. Me and Alexander took pictures with Robert, but unfortunately he's closing in eyes in both of them! The one that he might have had his eyes opens was blurry! During the show there were plenty of smiles from Robert, though I couldn't see Peter from the far right side of the stage where I stood. I could occasionally see Peter's hair, nose, and the neck of his guitar.




Kevin, Michelle, and Lacey headed out to Vine Bar right after they started kicking people out. Me, Alexander, and Chris stuck around a little while Alexander chatted with friends. S)uzanne (donnaaudrey) spotted me at the door, she was at the front of the line. We chatted a little bit and I told her a little about the show. We left her to enjoy the late show and were off to Pink's for chili dogs. The line was really long, but we got through eventually. I got a chili cheese dog and a Yoohoo and split some chili fries with Alexander. We finished eating and went to Vine Bar at around 11:30 PM. By then, I was a little sleepy so I went up to the bean bag chair room with Alexander. We sat and talked for awhile, but there was a lot of smoke in there. We went back down stairs and

Chris ordered me a Red Bull, which was only $3 and it woke me up a little. I walked outside for some fresh air and this guy asked me about the BRMC show. He said he heard some of the late show from outside, but didn't have a ticket. I told him about the early show and we discussed the gospel influence of HOWL.  Nick Jago walked by and I said "hi" though he didn't know who I was, he still said a quick "hi" back. I kept talking to the guy until I heard "Rescue" by Echo & the Bunnymen playing. Eventually, I got up the nerve (and volume) to ask Nick if he'd gotten the book on stars and planets from some girls in Italy (for Ornella). He said yes and asked if I was the messenger. I said no, not really knowing what he meant and he said it was a good book and he had it on his bedside table.

I kept getting tired, so I followed Lacey and her friend out as they smoked. There were a couple other smokers outside who introduced themselves, Adam who provided fire and high scores on arcade games (AMR). There was a girl in a short skirt with no nylons named Kelsey outside smoking too. Later, Suzanne came by and told me that BRMC played El Paso, Mercy, and The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll. She wanted to request Nick to play Renegade Soundwave, but he didn't have any with him. We kept talking until the last call. Alexander chatted with everyone from BJM's manager the Yeti to Dave from Little Radio. Sharin Foo of the Raveonettes was there too. We left after last call and dropped everyone off at their car/homes.

Songbird75's BRMC in Luxemburg photos, 20-11-05

http://photobucket.com/albums/y216/songbird75/BRMC%20Luxemburg%2020-11-05/

Les Pattinson, Echo & the Bunnymen's original bassist + Reindeer quiz

You Are Dasher

You're an independent minded reindeer who never plays by the rules. Why You're Naughty: That little coup you tried to stage against Santa last year Why You're Nice: You secretly give naughty children presents.

Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

I was actually just watching my Echo & the Bunnymen DVD this morning and reading a little about Les Pattinson, the original bassist of the Bunnymen. He reminds me a little of Robert Been of BRMC, not for the showmanship, but for his hat, coat, and excellent bass playing!  If you've seen the video for "A Promise," they're all standing on a boat and he has a hat just like Robert's. Les was a boat builder by trade and amateur photographer (which he used with the Bunnymen later on), but also a leader of 2 imaginary bands. His alter ego was Geoff Lovestone and he used to frequent Eric's, the legendary club in Liverpool where all of those amazing bands like Echo & the Bunnymen started out. The imaginary band he fronted was called the Geoffs and after they disbanded, Les went on to form the Love Pastels. By the summer of 1977, they had already disbanded and the Bunnymen wasn't even a concept yet. Les had already fronted 2 imaginary bands and never played an instrument in his life! Here's a photo of Les Pattinson in Iceland during the filming of the Cutter:



Here's another photo of Les with Pete, Will and Mac in the background:



One last one of Les on the left side of the stage with his Blue Fender Jazz classic:

Hanging with the Morales, More photos and video from my camera phone

I was hanging out with Jed, Noel, and Tristan on Sunday. I decided to make a separate entry since the message of the service had nothing to do with our hangout time. Anyways, we started out having lunch at Tapioca Express, though Jed and Tristan brought food from In & Out nearby.

We watched cartoons for awhile and when Pokemon came on, I regaled them with my knowledge of Pocket Monsters! Yeah, I doubt it was that impressive to anyone, I've always been kind of embarrassed by being such a Pokemaniac. I haven't played my Nintendo DS in ages or even played my Emerald game once, even though I pre-ordered it on ebay!

After lunch, we all went to my house and watched "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" after I gave them the grand tour of my house and showed them some old family photographs. Jed was kind enough to tune my guitars and let me know that my piano was out of tune. I finally got my AC Adaptor for my new Yamaha Portatone keyboard, it has MIDI outputs but it seems like a toy!

Here are more photos from my camera phone. The first two I took alone since that's what I do, and the next one is Jed, then Noel and the video is Tristan and my own whiny voice:

View Slideshow | Order Prints at Retail

Message:

Down here they say there's a game to play there's a place to go where you learn how to pray no one seems to care but they'll give you a stare

You Are an Old Soul

You are an experience soul who appreciates tradition. Mellow and wise, you like to be with others but also to be alone. Down to earth, you are sensible and impatient. A creature of habit, it takes you a while to warm up to new people. You hate injustice, and you're very protective of family and friends A bit demanding, you expect proper behavior from others. Extremely independent you don't mind living or being alone. But when you find love, you tend to want marriage right away. Souls you are most compatible with: Warrior Soul and Visionary Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

Too many good blogthings at the same time!

I want to quickly let you know how to pray, since that is the subject of Pastor Kevin's message yesterday. The week before was about secrecy and the importance of not revealing too much. This made me not want to mention last week's service at all! The topic yesterday continued with how a community of faith brings you out of dark places since you will have others to support you. I see this as a community in general that helps bring you out of hiding, and I love the fact that you can find community so easily on the internet. For me, it's been BRMC boards, MySpace, Xanga, 43 Things, Orkut, Ryze, and FreeCycle (which is more like a physical community also).

The topic of prayer was to pray in secret and to forgive others (Matt 6:7-15). We went through the Lord's Prayer verse by verse, starting with verse 9: focus on God vs. yourself, 10: give up control to God so you allow yourself to be an instrument of God's will, 11: request what we want/need rather than try to get it on your own, remember our daily dependence on God, 12: be full of grace, forgiving those who don't even deserve it, 13: God leads us into temptation, but not painful things, and we have nothing to fear when God is with us.

Kevin added that prayers should be kept simple. The Lord's Prayer is a guide on how to pray and not a template of what to pray. He compared it to paint by numbers vs. spinning paints which moves naturally and is different each time.  Then, he made a U2 reference saying Bono and the Edge lead the band, but the drums and bass give it movement. Now I doubt Kevin has heard much BRMC, but the drums and bass are like the total lead of their music! He would be surprised and amazed if he ever saw Robert and Nick playing their instruments.... sorry I couldn't resist slipping a BRMC reference in there!

You Have a Sanguine Temperament

You are an optimistic person who is easily content. You enjoy casual, light tasks - never wanting to delve too deep into anything. A bit fickle, it's easy for you to change plans or paths when presented with something better. You enjoy all of the great things life has to offer - food, friends, and fun. A great talker, you can keep the conversation going for hours. You are optimistic and sure of your success. If you fail, you don't worry about it too much. At your worst, you are vain. You are obsessed with your own attractiveness. A horrible flirt, you tend to jump into love affairs and relationship drama easily. You're very jealous - which just magnifies the craziness around you.

What Temperment Are You?

Super Furry Animals @ HOB Anaheim

So last night me and Christine went to the House of anything but Blues in Anaheim for Super Furry Animals. We got there at around 10 PM since she had to pick up her dad from the airport at 7:30 PM. It was an absolute comedy of errors when we got there. Starting with my camera, I didn't know recording was not allowed so I had to check it in for $3.

Inside, SFA were already onstage in their glowing costumes. I had my new camera phone, but didn't take any photos since it was so dark inside. They played lots of great songs like Ice Hockey Hair, Do or Die, Receptable for the Respectable, (Drawing) Rings Around the World, Juxtapozed with You, and ending with a stirring rendition of "The Man Don't Give A Fuck" complete with George Bush video throughout... not to mention their own amusing home video and tribute to the good City of Anaheim.

SFA are a total multimedia experience complete with celery chomping and throwing as well as lots of interesting masks and cosumes. Me and Christine ended the night first by walking in the wrong direction to the car and then reaching the car to get our parking validated by HOB and then returning with validated ticket after they told us we only needed the wristbands as validation!