New Year’s Eve

I had a fantastic New Year’s Eve.  I didn’t expect to; in fact, I expected to be home by 10pm.  I was annoyed at the Squeeze who mostly treats me like a mate – which was fine when we actually were mates, but every so often these days, I’d like to think I could see a glimmer of something inside him.  He of course is too damned stupid to realise that all is not well in the world; and too damned self-centred to read my “frosty” signs.   If the word FROSTY was a flashing neon across my forehead, he still wouldn’t see it.

We went off to the Caravan Club in Oakleigh for a blast from the past.  We had been meaning to go there for at least the last year and keep our eye on the website and the acts that are coming; but hadn’t got there until last night.  Now we will be joining as members.

Sean Kelly, Billy Miller, Stephen Cummings (plus more) were on for a New Year’s Eve gig and since I loved the Models when I was young, I figured it would be a good night.  Let’s face it, no matter what came of the night, it was certainly going to be better than last year’s sitting at home with the kid, waiting for midnight to come and go so we could go to bed.

We swan in only to discover a dusty old hall which I have to admit, had a band ambience; tables scattered about with lots and lots of old people.  WTF?  Maybe it’s just me, but I’m off out to see the Models for crying out loud; I’m not expecting to see comb overs.  Strangely, I just figured most people would be about my age since most of these ancients musos were playing the pubs when I was twenty.

We take up our position at the back of the hall, against the wall, corona with lemon in hand – and wait.  We had seen Bob Dylan earlier in the year and he looked as though he’d been bathing in embalming fluid for years.  It wasn’t pretty.  There comes a time where you just don’t have it anymore.

Sean Kelly and Billy Miller were not in that ilk.  In fact Sean Kelly, bearing in mind the lighting was “old hall”; didn’t appear to have aged at all and had this extremely cute beret thing going that looked so cool that the Squeeze mentioned he may have to get one.

They rocked on for hours while we sang and swayed.  Suddenly, they are counting in midnight and I actually got a New Year pash from the Squeeze who strangely enough, has a somewhat noble/weird reaction to me whenever we go to a similar event.  It is as if he sees me as a different person and realises why he liked me in the first place.

The top of the night was Billy Miller doing his old Ferret’s hit, Don’t Fall In Love.  It was brilliant.  I was dancing and singing (amazing what alcohol will allow you to do….) albeit, still in position at the back of the hall. 

For those that are struggling to remember Billy Miller, you can watch the 70’s hit here:   The Ferrets - Don't Fall in Love