ENTERTAINMENT
MANDY NOLAN’S
SOAPBOX S E E M O R E O F M A N DY O N E C H O N E T DA I LY W W W. E C H O. N E T. A U /S OA P - B OX
THE TO-DO LIST I make lists. It’s what I do. It is not unusual for me to wake in the middle of the night, my head buzzing with things that I would have otherwise forgotten. ‘Order serviettes. Do I need buckets? Count chairs.’ I scrabble for a pen and by the light of my iPhone I scratch out another list. Blessed are the list-makers. They will inherit the earth. They will inherit the earth because they would have put ‘save planet’ on their to-do list. I think there are two sorts of people: people who write lists and people who live in
unmitigated chaos. There is even a word for these slovenly people: listless. No wonder they are lacking energy and enthusiasm and suffer from spiritless indifference. They have no list.
Hall and Oates were on to it. They even made sure ‘your kiss was on my list’. While I’m a passionate list-maker, I tend not to list acts of passion on my to-do lists. ‘Kiss, bit of a through-the-clothes genital fondle, followed by awkward undressing and removing of shoes, delicious full-naked body contact, conclude with act of penetration. Orgasm.’ I don’t
know, it seems a little overly officious. Although when I think about it, I have to admit, I really would enjoy a post-coital ticking off the boxes. Lying naked across the sheets with my pen out. I like to tick the things I have done. Other people like to cross out. I find the crossing-out tends to obscure your acts of greatness. The point of making a list is so you can enjoy how much you get done. I’ve been self-employed for nearly 30 years. The list is how I ensure that I meet my performance outcomes. The Tick allows you to really appreciate the task you have achieved. Sometimes I go back and look at old lists, and ‘carry over’ list items that may have slipped through my fascist regime. I make several lists a day. Sometimes a list item requires its own list. Kind of like a list that branches off from a list. I wouldn’t suggest people new to list-making start attempting
these more complex listing manoeuvres. I make a list for the week. Then I make a forward projection on another list of what has to be done within that month. Sometimes six months. And yes, I have a list for the year. That list is always the same. It usually says: ‘Do tax, update website, lose weight, get fit, put the pool in’. People with lists get shit done. Schindler had a list. God had a list – called it the ‘ten commandments’. Basically it was the guideline to effectively manage some sort of social cohesion so we weren’t coveting our neighbour’s ass. Or murdering people when they pissed us off. ‘Thou shalt not kill’ is one of the all-time great list entries. Many governments around the world would do well to revisit that particular list item. Comedians and musicians would be lost without the List. If you’ve
ever found one of our ‘set lists’ you would think us insane. They generally have random entries like ‘sack my chef, Grafton, Big Prawn, Botox, Yoga, sex with strangers, picking up dog poo’. These are not the ramblings of a crazy person; this is merely a list of key words required to remind us what comes next. Where you write your lists and how you write your lists is a personal taste. My friend Ellen goes for the whiteboard. There’s no mixed messages regarding what she’s up to each week. While I can see the benefits of the whiteboard – namely being the impressive public broadcast of one’s daily activity to the less active members of the household – I don’t like the rubbing-out. Honestly, there’s nothing more fulfilling than flipping my diary back to 1 January and re-reading my list entries. In fact, when I die, instead of a eulogy, I want someone to read out all of my
totally done to-do lists. I think list-making is genetic. My mum is such a prolific list-maker that she even makes lists for my dad. This is where she cleverly outsources the more unpleasant list items from her ‘to-do’ list to his. It says things like: ‘re-thatch Bali hut, build new deck, move 10 cubic tonnes of mulch’. Mum then crosses out things on Bill’s list. It’s genius. She gets the joy of ticking off list items without having to actually perform the task at hand. I did feel a bit sorry for my dad though. I remember seeing him once holding his list, shaking his head. I said, ‘Come on, Bill, why don’t you write a list for her? Why don’t you just put “suck my cock” on it?’ I didn’t think he’d actually do it. So now he’s living in the shed. Which coincidentally only exists because it was on his list three weeks back.
Live Music MISSION MOROTAI, POSITIVE CHANGE FOR MARINE LIFE PRESENTS GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP AND GLOBAL AMBASSADOR ADVENTURE LAUNCH AT THE TREEHOUSE IN BELONGIL ON THURSDAY. PRIZES INCLUDE A SURF SAFARI IN THE MENTAWAI ISLANDS
POSITIVE MISSION Join in Mission Morotai – the launch of Positive Change for Marine Life’s Global Partnerships Program and Global Ambassador Adventures (with A Liquid Future – Indonesia). With music by renowned artists Nick Cunningham, Dallas James and Jordan McRobbie, giveaways and raffles including a surf safari in the Mentawai Islands with Mentawai Joy and three nights for two at Moro Ma Doto resort
on Morotai Island plus more than 30 others, live art auction with art gallery of pieces, presentations, guest speakers, great food and a chance to travel to Morotai with Positive Change for Marine Life to work hands on with the local community to determine an environmental strategic plan for the island! Tickets $10 (including free raffle ticket) available via Eventbrite and on the door (if not sold out). Doors at 6pm. Thursday at the Treehouse on Belongil.
WINNERS OF LAST YEAR’S BELLO WINTER MUSIC YOUTH MENTORSHIP, THE BROTHERS. THEY SO IMPRESSED THE FESTIVAL ORGANISERS THAT THEY ARE NOW ON THE BILL FOR THIS YEAR’S EVENT. IN THE MEANTIME, APPLICATIONS FOR THE YOUTH MENTORSHIP FOR BELLO WINTER MUSIC 2016 IS NOW OPEN. GO TO BELLOWINTERMUSIC.COM FOR DETAILS.
BELLO YOUTH Applications are now open for Bello Winter Music festival’s Youth Mentorship Program where emerging artists under 19 years of age are paired up with established artists on the festival bill. The selected young artists from each category will receive a rehearsal session with their mentor, a 20-minute performance at the festival with their mentor backstage, the opportunity to watch their mentor perform
from backstage and a weekend pass to the festival. This year’s mentors include former Youth Mentorship winner Merryn Jean (now with more than two million YouTube views for her recent track Aloha with French composer and producer Møme) mentoring the Under-15 category; Miss Eileen and King Lear of Perch Creek mentoring the Singer/Songwriter section; soul/ blues legend Jo Jo Smith mentoring in the Vocal category, and local musician and drummer extraordinaire Kai Tipping coaching the Band category.
0$59(//286 MAY AT CLUB LENNOX
LIVE MUSIC MATT ARMITAGE SUN 29TH ,4PM MULTI INSTRUMENTALIST & SINGER SONGWRITER
GREAT MUSIC MUSICAL QUESTIONS HEAPS OF PRIZES
SUNDAY CARVERY $18 ADULTS $8 KIDS
BYRON BAY BOWLO EVERY WEDNESDAY NIGHT FROM 7pm ro
n • ‘’ T h
e
•
ES
•
w lo’ Bo
Club B y
Asking questions about all the greats and playing some great tunes inbetween Contact: 02 6685 6202 www.byronbaybowls.com
T 1927
32 May 25, 2016 The Byron Shire Echo
KIDS MEALS $8 WITH FRE
E ICE CREAM
THURSDAY’S FROM 7PM
TRIVIA PIZZA SPECIAL - $18 FUNCTIONS AT CLUB LENNOX
PRIVATE ROOM CATERING WEDDINGS, BIRTHDAYS, MEETINGS
CONTACT EVENTS@CLUBLENNOX.COM FOR MORE INFO
RESTAURANT OPEN WEDS-SUN FOR LUNCH & DINNER
FREE WIFI | COURTESY BUS | AIR CONDITIONED THROUGHOUT yourclublennox | clublennox.com.au | P: 02 6687 4313
LIGHTBODY COMMUNITY DANCE CELEBRATION WITH DECOR BY ZAKAY GLASS & CODA, AT DURRUMBUL HALL ON SATURDAY 11 JUNE Applications at bellowintermusic. com. Bellow Winter Music – through the township of Bellingen 7–10 July.
DANCING WITH YOUR LIGHTBODY Saturday 11 June marks the next epic series of LIGHTBODY Community Dance Celebrations, featuring DJs Pob, Jason Lewis, Miles Jackson, Strange Planet & Asaf, with incredible decor by Zakay Glass and Coda and sound and lights and video by Crystal Grid. Brilliant music, live art, installations, bonfire and delicious food! $25. 6pm till midnight. Durrumbul Hall.
HAPPY BOBDAY It’s Bob Dylan’s 75th Birthday. Nimbin School of Arts will host a big fundraiser and Tribute Concert at Nimbin Hall on Saturday, featuring 20 performers including Willie McElroy, Luke Vassella, Sarah Stando, Phil Levy, Jimmy Dowling and Jolanda Moyle. Proceeds will go to the 7 Sibley Street project and the School of Arts. Doors open at 7pm, verandah cafe, tickets $15/$10.
PICKING THE EYES OUT OF YOUR POTATO Local Celtic band, Hide the Potato, have picked the eyes out of Celtic and Australian folk music to present a repertoire of dance sets for bush-dancing. The band began in 2000, and hosts bushdancing once a month in Brunswick Heads with the assistance of Belinda the dance
caller to guide you through the steps. Those not wanting to dance will enjoy listening to the happy and uplifting tunes. Come along to the RSL Hall, Fawcett St, Bruns, 2.30 till 4.30 pm this Sunday, all welcome.
CLUB DUCK More than 40 years since Galapagos Duck first formed to play the winter season at The Kosciusko Ski Chalet, the band still performs in Australia and overseas. Along with trailblazers such as the late great Graeme Bell and then stars like Don Burrows and George Golla, Galapagos Duck put Australian jazz on the map. As part of a northern NSW and Queensland tour the band is delighted to have the opportunity to play in Mullumbimby and is looking forward to performing at the ExServices Club on Sunday. Audience members at this performance will witness a vibrant and exciting Galapagos Duck.
THE PIANIST Alex Raineri is the pianist and co-artistic director of ensemble Kupka’s Piano, and pianist with the Southern Cross Soloists. After the concert patrons are invited to enjoy a three-course Mediterranean dinner by Nadine Abensur on the BCC balcony. Dinner is only available to concert patrons. Sunday 12 June at 3pm. Byron Community Centre. Concert and dinner $100/$95 members and seniors. Concert only $35/$30 members and seniors.
Byron Shire Echo archives: www.echo.net.au/byron-echo