Top 8 of 08: Destinations

Warning: This post is going places - or went them, at the least.

So I went a few places this year. A fair few. Everywhere from the local supermarket ("Super Tamade") to Vegas. I also attended my share of musically-orientated assemblies - where much fun was to be had.
Here's a bunch of lists.

Top Places I Went of 2008 (grammar intentional)

1. San Diego - Wonderful city. If I can get past the aging hippies and the gange infatuation, this may be the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

2. Melbourne - More crazies than SD, but even more fun. Saw more bar fights in one night than I have in my other 24 years. Beautiful & (essentially) friendly though.


3. Hong Kong - The insane town that it is. Hotter and more bustling than anywhere I've ever been - and this was in autumn. Always makes me feel very very poor.


4. Sapporo - I was in Hokkaido for less than 24 hours and didn't see much more than Dora's apartment, an izakaya and the bottoms of a very large number of Kirin bottles, but it seemed like a wonderful place. Plans to go back have already been made (and shelved due to lack of time & money).


5. Wellington - Can't beat it on a good day huh? Was nice to be back home, especially for long enough to feel sad when I was leaving.


6. Bali - Bar the rubbish and the extreme UV, was very beautiful, and the hotel our boss had us up in for the 2 nights on a company vacation was exorbitant and fantastic. Hagglers were a bit of fun too - if irritating eventually.


7. Morioka - a small town in northern Tokyo, my 3 nights in Morioka consisted of drinking, karaoke, sleeping and beginning the cycle again. Wonderful town from a part of Japan I almost couldn't imagine - the attraction lies in that it has no "attractions".


8. Tokyo - well who doesn't love Tokyo? I've been there 5 times this year; twice I stayed less than 6 hours (flight transfer), twice were only for an evening, and once for a whole weekend. That's kinda how we stay friends - moderation. Plus I don't want Osaka to think I'm cheating on her.

Top Gigs/sets of 2008


1. Mr. Oizo @ We Love Sounds (Melbourne, June) - I think enough has been said about this, but it was a defining hour of my musical life. I think I kissed a man too.


2. Boys Noize @ Ganban Night, Makuhari Messe (Tokyo, October) - 3.30am, I'm about to pass out, and this guy mixes up a storm. Noone else could have kept me on that dancefloor and leave me feeling more genki than when he started.

3. Radiohead @ Osaka Municipal Gymnasium (Osaka, October) - The lights, the sounds, Thom Yorke's giant, drunk-faced screen projection, all of them in rainbows.

4. Jason Mraz @ Namba Hatch (Osaka, July) - Finally. The most happy-feeling concert I've been to since Ben Harper.

5. Soulwax @ Black Chamber (Osaka, October) - Dressed in suits with undone bow ties like they're playing at an after party, Soulwax took the evident (re)merge of electronica and rock one step closer to fruition.

6. South Central @ Summer Sonic (Osaka, August) - hard and dark and irresistible. Yum.


7. Cut Copy @ The Forum (Melbourne, June) - This is the kind of music that feels like neon lights and avante garde photography. Seeing it up close with a bunch of fanboys in the band's hometown only made it more beautiful. Worth the trip to Melbourne alone.

8. DJ Hype @ Triangle (Osaka, July) - While Triangle had many a fantastic gig this year, DJ Hype stood out as being something rather special. I don't know what it was - the long hiatus of drumnbass, the superb mixing skills, or just a nice level of drunkenness, but those involved all agree it was quite intense.

Other: Gigs I wish I'd gone to:
- Digitalism + Shinichi Osaka (February)
- Modest Mouse (March)
- kap10kurt (May)
- Simian Mobile Disco (June)
- The Black Ghosts (July)
- Underworld etc. @ Fuji Rock Festival (July)
- The Prodigy (Tokyo, August)
- Ladyhawke (Tokyo, August)
- Autokratz (September)

Other: Places I'm Glad I didn't go:
- Zimbabwe
- Sudan
- The coast off Somalia
- Walmart on Black Friday
- Sichuan on May 12