the birm*

It all started when Mike told us he was playing at the Central Coast’s premier live venue Lizottes. The date was the 6^th of July, in my holidays. Doorbell and I had originally planned to go down with a car load. Plans change and, since he was going to be in QLD, I decided to kill a few birds with one stone (4 to be exact). The thing is I have some great friends down on “the coast” but never get to see them (even though it’s only an hour’s drive south). This time I made it happen.

It started with brunch at Tim and Kate’s place at Norah Head. Great company, good food, amazing coffee and an excellent “catch up”. After some eggs and b., we were off to check the surf. It looked amazing. We donned the wetties and were in the water: cold, crisp, glassy and off-shore. Due to my lack of surfing in the last 5 months (none since easter) and my thick-and-not-so-stretchy-steamer (which made for hard and tiring paddling) I was a little apprehensive to take off on these 4-6ft sucky screamers. But just sittin’ on the board chatting and admiring God’s power and beauty was pretty cool. After frostbite set in we went back to Tim’s to have another coffee and some salmon sangas.

After bidding this great couple farewell and went back to where we’d surfed to meet my friend Carissa, at the take-away in front of the small Norah Head beach. After a hug, some smiles all round and a brief chat, Carissa had a coffee (having already had 2, I just watched) and we chewed the fat. The people around us were getting excited, pointing to the sea and getting up…”whales”, so we went to check out these beauties frolicking in the ocean (which Mike described later on that night as being like kids playing…the only difference being they’re the size of trucks…) and then went off to meet Gavin, Carissa’s fiancé, at work. From there, Carissa n I hung out for the rest of the arvo in and around Gosford shopping centre. We went to pick Gavin up and were off to Wagamamas (or something like that…a Japanese restaurant chain). After some delish food we headed to Lizottes to see Mike play.

What a gig! Mike played with “his” band (the guys he recorded his new album calm wind with) and were absolutely superb. The ambience was terrific, the company excellent and the music beautifully relaxing. After an hour or so set and a bit of a chat I left with a signed poster and album in my hands. I said good bye to Gavin and Carissa, hopped back in the brown boar and drove home, getting back in time to see the end of stage 4 of the Tour de France. Calm wind has been on high rotation in my house ever since…