Who Do You Think You Are - Nadine B

This is Nadine. She's amazing, knows her music and I'm pretty sure she could bust out some sweet Bollywood dance moves... if she wanted to. Say hi!

Ah, Wednesday. I'm still loving Wednesday because I keep getting to read these incredibly interesting insights (boom) into (yep) imaginations (that's all I've got) other than my own and how people view the music they listen to. The delightful Nadine B is our next Facebook liker to run the gauntlet of questions and her responses were absolutely brilliant. Enough of my chit-chat, let's hear from Nadine!

NADINE B

Q. What music are you listening to at the moment?

Nadine: Right now? Right this very second? Well, that would have to be "You Me Bullets Love!" Think the golden era of Bollywood, 60s surf, masked bandits, mayhem, dance moves that will make you dizzy, and a rickshaw full of fun. It’s the debut album from The Bombay Royale released on Hope Records.  Get it on vinyl! Get it on CD! Get it anyway you like. Just get it!  There are also two bearded men in this band. I like that.

Q. What's the first album you ever bought and do you still have it?

Nadine: The first album I ever put down money for was Björk’s Homogenic and I’d gladly spend my hard-earned $4.70/hr wage on it again. I was in year 11 and studying music at school. We were delving into the world of 20^th century composers. You know, Debussy, Toru Takemitsu, Björk. My memorable and beautifully excitable music teacher, who I credit with fuelling my passion for music, was obsessed with her creations. He showed our class a documentary about the making of Homogenic (full documentary posted below - Nadine was kind enough to send the link!). It was filmed in Spain and every time I think of it I get goose bumps when I remember the endearing way in which she describes the sound of strings as being like blood travelling through veins. I love her humility and the poetic rhythm she lends to her descriptions of music. I love the way this album holds together so beautifully. I love the strings, the voice, the beats. I love the way it can shift my mood and make everything seem so rich and incredible.  As a frustrated teenager, I would shut my door, skip to 'Pluto', get my rage out, skip back to '5 Years,' deal with the boyfriend issues, skip back to 'Hunter,' realise I could always keep hunting and then listen through to 'All is Full of Love.' I was then human enough to then deal with my family (and for them to cope with me). Oh and yes, I do still have a copy but it’s not my original. I traded in my original standard jewel case edition for a second-hand (in the days of Rocking Horse upstairs), limited edition, gatefold version complete with the Homogenic cover poster.

Q. What are your best and worst festival experiences?

Nadine: Best? How could anything compete with confetti explosions, giant balloons, a convulsing rat-girl collapsing on strobe lighting, Wayne in a ball, gigantor laser hands, the stoic Soviet guitarist, the rest of The Flaming Lips, and realising I have the most beautiful friends in the world? Nothing. Oh, but did I mention Harvest [Festival, 2011]? And the bats circling down into the botanical gardens at sunset while Mogwai meandered along?

Worst? Seeing Lamb at Livid at the RNA showgrounds at 2pm in a dingy room surrounded by animals that had peaked too early. Enough said.

Q. What are some of your music guilty pleasures and why do you love them?


Nadine: Music guilty pleasures? No one should ever feel guilty for listening to music! Hmm... but when no one’s around I do like to dance to a bit of old-school bangara.  Maybe some think I should feel guilty for that. Think Bollywood but with a hell of a lot more drums and earthiness. And deliciously bearded men in turbans. (I put the video below because it's, for lack of better words, super cute. Not because it's a good example of this bangara music. You try finding one! P.s. I seriously hope you didn't mean Bhangra!)

Q. What are your go-to karaoke songs?


Nadine: Dusty! Springfield that is. Whether you’re male, female, donning a wig or not, Dusty Springfield is the one. She’s 60s, a touch of soul, a range my voice feels comfortable with. And what’s more, if you’re a little shy of being the only one with a microphone in your hand, a Dusty song can only get better with more back-up ladies (or gents). Oh, and if “Do You Know the Way to San Jose” is on the list, the page turning stops. Ahh Bacharach. You are the master of the sing-a-long.

A massive thank you to Nadine for some really fun answers! Oh, and convulsing rat-girl... I saw you on the stage at Harvest too; jumping around one minute, passing out the next. Hope you're ok and don't do drugs when on stage with Wayne Coyne. You will lose your mind like convulsing rat-girl. She was dressed up as a rat. She was not a rat-human hybrid. Just to be clear. Thanks again Nadine!