Attend all the events!

After a few, quiet, post-pandemic years during which Nadia and I didn’t attend many events, the start of 2025 has been quite busy for us!

I’ve already shared photos from the Australian Open tennis tournament we attended in January and the Avalon Airshow I attended in March. So for completeness’ sake, here a photos from the other events we went to.

These photos aren’t great, but that’s on purpose. When I attend concerts, plays, and comedy shows, I don’t make an effort to take good photos and I deliberately try to take as few photos as possible. I realised several years ago that focusing on photography and videography at events like these takes away from the overall experience of being there and makes the events less fun to attend. So now I just go there to have a good time :)

Bryan Adams

This was a huge, fun, straight-up rock concert that was gorgeously produced and a joy to attend with thousands of people who were happy to sing out loud with you.

Rocking out with the band

Photo of a four-piece rock band performing on a large stage with a massive video projection behind them.

Inflatable convertible steered by drones – because why not?

Photo of a rock band performing in a stadium. Above the general admissions crowd (the people standing in front of the stage) is a large, inflated, white convertible car with the words, “Bryan Adams” written in black market along one side. This inflatable is being steered by drones attached to each corner.

Getting closer to the folks at the back

Adams ended the concert by walking to a mini-stage set up at the very back of the stadium and performing a couple of acoustic songs from there.

Photo of musician Bryan Adams standing on a small stage that’s been assembled at the very back of a stadium. Adams is playing an acoustic guitar and is singing into a microphone on a stand. Many of the attendees are taking photos and videos as her performs.

Hania Rani

Both the opening act (Xani Kolac) and Hania Rani were fantastic. Being enveloped in layers of sound and light is a magical way to spend your evening :)

Hania Rani doing her thing

Photo of a woman on stage surrounded by an upright piano, a grand piano, and two large electronic keyboards. Several small spotlights are arranged in a curve around this set-up. A dynamic visualisation is being projected on massive strips of curtains hung at the back of the stage.

Anna Akana

I’ve been following Akana and her YouTube, stand-up, film making, and music career for a very long time, so it was great to finally see her in real life.

Stage is set for Anna Akana’s stand-up routine

Photo of a mostly empty stage with just a microphone stand with wireless mic and stool with canned drink on it. Projected on the screen at the back of the stage, in all capital letters, is the name, “Anna Akana”.

Goo Goo Dolls

I haven’t kept up with the Goo Goo Dolls over the last few years, but they were a massive part of my university years. Unlike the high-production Bryan Adams concert, this was a stripped-down, classic rock show. It wasn’t any less fun, of course, and how can you not be moved by thousands of people around you singing Iris along with the band?!

The Goo Good Dolls doing their thing

Photo of a five-piece rock band performing on stage.

Roxette

This was possibly the least impressive of the concerts we attended, though it was still fun. Roxette isn’t the same without Marie Fredriksson, but Lena Philipsson did an admirable job. And again, it’s difficult not to be feel something when you have thousands of people around you singing their hearts out with the band!

Roxette doing their thing

Photo of an eight-piece pop/rock band performing on stage.

Dua Lipa

On the opposite end of the spectrum from the stripped-back Goo Goo Dolls concert was this Dua Lipa performance spectacular. In spite of the massive production that it was, Lipa has a way of connecting with her audience that made the event feel much smaller and more intimate than it was – while still being hugely impressive to watch!

Dua Lipa, her band, and her dancers doing their thing

Photo of a singer and several dancers performing on a large, multi-level stage in a stadium. There is a catwalk in front of the stage that leads to a circular performance area in the middle of the venue. Massive screens above the stage show a close-up of the dancers and the singer.

Dua Lipa and her band performing in the middle of the crowd

Photo of a singer and her band in a circular performance area in the middle of a stadium. This performance area is connected via a catwalk to the main, multi-level stage.

Dua Lipa rising to the occasion

Photo of a singer on a circular platform that’s been elevated above a circular performance area in the middle of a stadium.

Favourite music in 2024

I also have three honourable mentions, two of which were released at the end of 2023 (though I listened to them mostly in 2024) and one of which is an EP:

Songs

These are the songs that got stuck in my head most often and for the longest time in 2024 (in alphabetical order):

Shout-outs

Production

I can’t remember the last time I listened to a song on a constant loop as much as I listened to St. Vincent Sweetest Fruit. The layers, the soundscapes, the loops – there’s so much to unpack, enjoy on its own, and then repack and enjoy as a whole in this song. Phenomenal. (Here’s a production breakdown of that song, in case you’re interested.)

I love that Dua Lipa released two versions of her Radical Optimism album: a regular version and an extended version. It’s great having access to longer, more groovy, more atmospheric, and less radio-conforming versions of all her latest songs. (Reminds me of Peter Gabriel releasing two versions of his i/o album in 2023 – a Bright-Side Mix and Dark-Side Mix – each produced by a different mixer.)

Live versions

Half of my favourite albums this year here live albums, which is great to see. I love a good live album.

Chris Stapleton and Dua Lipa performed a live duet of Stapleton’s Think I’m In Love With You that at the 59th Academy Of Country Music Awards. I also love a good live duet :)

Haniya Aslam

One of my favourite people died last night. Haniya Aslam was a friend and fellow musician, and I can’t believe she’s not going to be around anymore.

I’m not one to grieve in public, but today is difficult. So let’s celebrate instead.

In 2005 a bunch of us in Islamabad got together to form the F-10½ Acoustic Project. We jammed at our place for a few weeks and then, over two weekends, performed a bunch of covers and originals at Civil Junction.

A flyer that reads “On Saturday 27th August at 9:00 PM in the first of two performances at CJ the F-10½ Acoustic Project presents original material by: Zeb & Haniya, Sheheryar Mufti, Sarmad Abdul Ghafoor, and Natasha Ejaz. And pays tribute to (among others): Suzanne Vega, Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, B.B. King, Little Richard, Bob Dylan, Alice in Chains, U2, Coldplay, Crowded House, Blind Melon, Beach Boys, John Mayer, Simon & Garfunkel, Lisa Loeb, and The Beatles.”

We don’t have any photos from those jam sessions, rehearsals, and performances, but fortunately Sarmad Ghafoor recorded the entirety of our first show :)

Here’s some of what we performed that night.

This is Haniya Aslam performing Aitebar, with me on drums, Sarmad Ghafoor on lead guitar, and Shehryar Mufti on bass guitar.

And, on a more celebratory note, this is us performing Simon & Garfunkel's Mrs. Robinson with Haniya Aslam on vocals and rhythm guitar, Natasha Humera Ejaz on vocals and tambourine, Sarmad Ghafoor on bass guitar, Nadia Niaz on shakers, and me on drums :)

Music discovery and listening

How do you keep up with the latest music releases? More generally, how do you discover new music to listen to? (At least music that’s new to you.)

Are you beholden to whatever Spotify and commercial FM radio stations are paid to promote to you? Do you get recommendations from people whose taste matches your own? Or maybe whose taste doesn’t quite match your own? Do you let your streaming music provider’s algorithm decide?

Or do you just not listen to new music?

Here’s how I do it: every few weeks I switch between music discovery mode and music listening mode.

Screenshot from YouTube Music’s music discovery playlists. There are songs and albums listed under two headings: ‘New releases’ and ‘Mixed for you’.

Music discovery mode

In music discovery mode I listen to lots of songs I haven’t heard before, regardless of whether they’re old or new releases.

I do that by actively seeking out music from a range of sources, like:

  • YouTube Music’s various discovery, new-release, ‘mixed for you’, and auto-play playlists,

  • commercial FM radio stations in Melbourne (only when I’m in the car),

  • David Byrne Radio,

  • recommendations from podcasts (like the Women of Rock Oral History Project),

  • music from the movies and television shows I’m watching, and

  • full album listens based on whatever random song I’ve heard or music-related thought I’ve recently had.

That last one is possibly the most fun, by the way. I love listening to full albums and this lets me listen to both old and new albums, from both current and past artists.

Like recently ‘I’m Not Over’ by Carolina Liar popped into my head, so I went and listened to their whole ‘Coming To Terms’ album. And most recently I listened to Michelle Branch’s new album, ‘The Trouble with Fever’, which I really liked.

Anyway, if I like any of the songs I hear – or I at least want to give them a second listen – I’ll add those songs to my ‘current’ playlist.

Screenshot from the website of musician David Byrne, showing his radio station page – where he compiles and publishes playlists on different topics, mood, and type of music.

Music listening mode

After a period of discovery I’ll move into music listening mode. That’s basically me listening to my ‘current’ playlist, usually on shuffle :)

Eventually, when/if I get tired of a song, I’ll remove it from my playlist. And, if I really liked it, I’ll add it to my YouTube Music ‘library’.

So that’s what works for me.

What system do you use? Did you put much thought into it? How have you tweaked it over the years? And how is all that working for you? I’d love to know.

Musical mash-ups with cats

I love musical mash-ups with cats! Here are some of my recent favourites.

Meredith Bull

The first person I saw making these types of mash-ups was Meredith Bull on TikTok back in 2020. These are my two favourites from her.

Sick of this empty cup

I don’t want to embed the original TikTok video in my blog, so here’s the YouTube version. She’s since released a full-length version of this that’s available from all music streamers.

I don’t wanna be touched

Here’s her initial mash-up (again, not the original TikTok).

This one she first developed into a full song and then just released a music video for!

The Kiffness

The other person who’s been doing fun mash-ups for a while is The Kiffness on YouTube.

Alugalug Cat (International Symphonic Mashup)

His original version of ‘Alugalug Cat’ is nice, but then he collaborated with a bunch of musicians from around the world to create this international symphonic version — which I adore.

Alugalug Cat 2.0 (Please Go Away)

This week he’s back with a follow-up.

Sherzod Ergashev

Finally there’s Sherzod Ergashev, who has done two mash-ups I love.

Barchaga a’lo kayfiyat (good mood for everyone)

This song certainly puts me in a good mood every time :)

Funny Cat cover

I love both The Kiffness and Sherzod’s mash-ups with this cat :)

Let me know if you have any favourite musical cat mash-ups. I’d love to hear them!