>*JOB INTERVIEW + PAT PAT & DIRTY PROJECTORS}\

This afternoon I had my first ever serious job interview. I had done two before, one for a call center and one for the cinema where I worked as a volunteer, but those I consider not that important. This one, however, was a bit more serious. It's not like I really want the job and it means the world to me when I get it, wouldn't go that far, but if I get the job it would be nice at the least. I'll be hearing from them in about two weeks so that leaves me with enough time to do things that I'm no longer able to do if it happens that I have to start working 4 days a week. But it's not certain yet if I get the job so I might still be without one after two weeks. It did go pretty well though. I was very relaxed and the two women I spoke with were really nice and normal. I liked the atmosphere. It didn't feel like this big official thing. It's not that I had to appear in a complete suit or anything. I don't like it when they want to turn these things into something more than they are 'cause at the end of the day it's just a simple conversation in which you tell about yourself. So it was definitely a good thing they were very laid back and didn't put any pressure on me or something. In two weeks I'll know what will happen next, whether they choose me or not. We'll see...

Last night there was Patrick Wolf and as I expected a little and was a bit afraid of the audience was pretty lackluster. I had felt this a bit before at Lowlands and it happened again. It's like some people are a bit afraid to show their massive love for Mr. Wolf because he wears these outrageous costumes and at times bump and grinds the stage with last night him even grabbing his crotch and rubbing his butt showing it off to the audience. :p I can understand if you happen to take a friend of yours with you, one that knows his music a bit but isn't that familiar with Mr. Wolf the performer, and he starts dancing Beyoncé style, you might feel like you have to defend Mr. Wolf as well as yourself a bit, telling your friend he's not always like this and even though he might show up half naked showing off his nipples he's still an awesome performer. So I can understand that completely. I have found myself doing the same, defending him by making clear that whether you might like his nipple touching or not, underneath all of that he's still a very talented musician. But Patrick is Patrick and his craziness and silliness comes with the package. So that response of the audience is okay if, that is, he's performing at some kind of festival where people aren't especially coming to see Pat Pat. But when I'm going to see Mr. Wolf in a sold out Paradiso I expect it to be filled with fans and enthusiasts, or at least some crazy fans at the front row. But this was not at all the case. The entire show I saw those front row people (I was standing something like row 5 or 6) just standing as if they were waiting for the bus to arrive. Okay they applaud and yes, you're allowed to experience a gig entirely the way you want. But don't tell me that as a Patrick Wolf fan the way you connect to his music is by standing still especially to his upbeat songs like Vulture or Bloodbeat. That's how you show your appreciation? That's what his music does to you, makes you feel? When he performs a song like The Sun Is Often Out, a very sad song that asks for the audience to be completely silent, it's perfectly alright. I loved that and I was touched by it the same way as when being at a Beirut concert where it's just all about the music and I don't feel like having to jump and go completely wild. I still loose myself in the music completely, but in a different way. But when songs like Tristan come up or Hard Times you just feel like dancing to that infectious and catchy beat. Those songs ask for that. But these people were still standing fairly still even during those songs. Fortunately I was surrounded by some people who were dancing and enjoyed themselves a lot and I guess those people saved the gig for me. To me the audience adds so much to the atmosphere and is able to hype up the artist performing so when that's not the case it starts to become rather dull. I've read that some people felt at the beginning Patrick didn't seem that much into it but what do you expect when you make your first appearance, you even get real close to the audience at a distance from where they are able to touch you, but nothing happens. I expected girls and boys screaming holding up their arms trying to grab a piece of Pat Pat. But no. It's like they weren't interested. And it's not like you have to be like that, wanting to touch the performer that you came to see, but at almost all concerts I've been to that's what happens when the artist gets that close to his audience. Arms reaching up for Alice Glass of Crystal Castles, Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand, I've seen it happen. But not when Patrick does the same. At least not at Lowlands or in Paradiso. It should make for an exciting moment, but here nothing happened. I remember my first Patrick Wolf show at Shepherds Bush Empire in London where this crowd of mostly teenagers went completely wild. Most of them dressed up, some having their hair dyed Patrick Wolf style and during the show even starting a mosh pit! Where are those Dutch crazy Patrick fans?! I would love to see them at his shows. Perhaps they just don't exist? Still Patrick was in great form and he even played Pigeon Song as well as The Libertine. Didn't expect that to happen. It made me crave for more of his old stuff. But when he played Tristan and I even held my arms up I felt a bit stupid considering around me the enthusiasm was completely lacking and it made me seem a bit weird like I'm being this outrageous fan when all I was doing was holding my arms up just a bit. Those people need to know they almost completely drain the performance from all its energy nomatter how hard Wolf and his band are trying. Luckily Patrick started to get really into it especially after such songs as The Sun Is Often Out and Pigeon Song which did get really enthusiastic responses. Maybe the Dutch fans like his slower stuff more, the darker sound, those songs in which he shows his great musicianship. That has to be it else I just can't explain. But like I said, Pat Pat found his groove and started to make some jokes and even took some shots of some kind of liquor :) Someome I guess ordered it for him 'cause all of a sudden I saw this guy walking towards the stage with these small glasses on his tray. First I thought he was the empty beer glass collector, but turned out he was on his way to bring Mr. Wolf some alcholic beverage. Mr. Wolf changed outfits two times, each time wearing cool black boots, just like me :p Unfortunately his song The Magic Position couldn't really interest me that much anymore, maybe because I've seen him play it before and it's the obvious favourite amongst a lot of his fans, but personally I don't think it's one of his best or most fun songs. I much rather prefer Tristan or A Boy Like Me when I want a Patrick song that can really make me dance and jump around. Apart from the lackluster audience I had a good time and thought the show was great. Patrick has a really strong voice, knows how to play instruments well and is able to entertain his audience in a fun tongue in cheek way. I would love to see him again although I would really like it if he did a show playing only old songs. I recall reading once that Bloc Party did a surprise gig somewhere in Australia where they performed the entire first album live. That must have been a great experience. I would love for Patrick to do the same though I doubt that will happen, unless he once again decides to retire. But I don't see that happening anytime soon and don't want to see that happening either. Unless of course he then decides to unretire like he did before. Then it would be great. :D

This is why I love Dirty Projectors soooo much. Watch them perform on Jimmy Fallon's show. Thanks to Stereogum!



Also they did a very intimate performance of the song for The Roots before they recorded the show. It's even more amazing than the performance on Fallon.
One person even had to say this about it:

'This video makes me feel like I've wasted my life. It's that beautiful.'



That's quite a big thing to say, but I feel there's some truth in that. It does kind of make me feel that way. I either want to be in Dirty Projectors or start my own band a la the Projectors. They have one of the best jobs