Sing a Song for Us Tonight is a segment where people choose a song that is special to them and explain why. Today’s guest is Mad Cat Lady. She’s chosen Augie March and their stunning song One Crowded Hour. Thanks MCL - here is her story
I heard One Crowded Hour by Augie March for the first time 21 April 2006. One of the cats had woken me up early and I think I was feeling a bit hung-over and too sick to go back to sleep. I remember I was sitting on the floor of the lounge room about three feet from the television with Rage on, but not really listening, until my attention was snagged by the song. It was like a switch had been thrown in my head.
I have always been relatively timid. I didn’t move out of home until I was 28 years old. I’ve never particularly followed a band before or gone out of my way to get albums or had any urge to see a band play live because I hate crowds.
At the ripe old age of 34 I’d never travelled on holidays on my own, or gone away on a trip that did not involve visiting family. Suddenly I was flying from Perth to Sydney to Melbourne to Brisbane and coach rides through flood waters to the Gympie Muster - just to see a band. I yell out things from the audience. I posted them underwear when I wasn’t going to make it to their Christmas Show (I thought it would be funny - I keep trying to convince new fans that they like stuffed toys and flowers, but nobody falls for it).
Because of this song I have:
1. Braved the internet.
2. I had one friend and now I have many.
3. I had not written anything for pleasure since I was 12. Now I blog
compulsively and write little stories and silly poems that make me and other people laugh.
4. I have done things and gone places I have always been too scared to do before.
5. I don’t feel quite as much as a freak as I used to.(P.S. it was clean underwear - bought specially for the occasion)
Sorry this video has been disabled by request (gosh that is SOOOO annoying) so you will have to click on this link to see it
14 responses so far ↓
1 jay net // Jul 17, 2008 at 11:18 am
Lovely story and great song.
2 squib // Jul 17, 2008 at 11:29 am
That’s a wonderful story MCL
I’ve only seen them the once, in 2006, at the Fly By Night in Fremantle (maybe you were there too?!!). I didn’t recognise Glenn Richards at first because he had a beard . I remember they came on incredibly late and it was a real struggle to stay awake (old age!)
I was just reading that Glenn doesn’t like cats or photos of cats
3 Mad Cat Lady // Jul 17, 2008 at 2:21 pm
lol - yes the wiki entry has been getting a work out from fans - I’m not sure who added the bit about not liking cats
First time I saw them was in Cairns October 06, then flew to Perth to see them play with WASO *sigh* that was beautiful and then I kind of went nuts for a while there
4 squib // Jul 17, 2008 at 3:54 pm
I love that bit about prison ‘If the other kids found out you didn’t know your Milton from your Wordsworth, you’d be dead by the end of the week’ (wiki)
lol!
5 lill // Jul 17, 2008 at 7:26 pm
Lovely story MCL - really made me smile. I’ve never seen them but my daughter has that album and I love that song too. Perhaps not to the same extent that you do! It’s great to have a passion that you can share with others.
6 evie // Jul 18, 2008 at 10:55 am
Excellent story! I remember being a little bit obsessed with ‘Asleep in Perfection’ in about 1998 I think and on rage it was always played right before another amazing song by VAST ‘Touched’ (thanks for reminding me, must go find immediately!). I went to see them not long afterwards at the The Grovesnor in Perth. I was surprised that what looked like a bunch of country hick bogans from Victoria (complete with flannelette shirts) could produce such beautiful music . They took ages to get organised to start playing and the lead singer took exception to just about everything. They didn’t look like they got on very well! But I bought Sunset Studies and loved it.
7 Perseus // Jul 18, 2008 at 12:33 pm
When they first started out, Augie March supported my band a couple of times. They got mega-famous, we didn’t. But when they got famous did they bother to invite us to support them? No! Cunts. Members of Augie March sometimes come to see my band - we ignore them.
Richards annoys me live. He’s always whining about how things aren’t right and apologising and shit. He needs to man the fuck up.
But I will say this: When they launched their second album at Queenscliff Festival (we were playing after them on a different stage) they did The Train Song at full volume and it was probably on my Top 10 ‘Live Performances of a Song’ I’ve ever seen.
I went on stage an hour later, drunk, and said to our crowd: “Did you see Augie March? Those complete bastards were fucking awesome!”
8 Perseus // Jul 18, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Oh, I forgot the punchline. When I said “Those complete bastards were fucking awesome” I was not aware that they were all actually there, in the audience, watching us play. My girlfriend at the time said that most of them laughed, but Richards walked out. Again, I say: Man the fuck up.
9 squib // Jul 18, 2008 at 12:40 pm
@ evie I’ve never heard of VAST
@ Persey I didn’t know you were in a band? That sucks. I feel a bit that way about JK Rowling
Richards did seem a bit neurotic when I saw him - he kept muttering apologies into the microphone and I remember evie you told me he always does that. Someone in the audience told him to chill out or something
10 Mad Cat Lady // Jul 18, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Richards does indeed always seem to be apologising - and something always seems to go wrong with the equipment. My current theory is that one of the other band members sabotages something before every show, just to watch Glenn sweat. They were AWESOME when I followed them about last year, but gather that prior to this their live shows have been a little hit and miss. Perhaps I am not fussy. I kind of like it when things go wrong.
Didn’t invite you to support them: I could be cruel, but I won’t, cause you are a smart little cookie and I like your book reviews.
11 Perseus // Jul 18, 2008 at 1:03 pm
“Didn’t invite you to support them: I could be cruel, but I won’t…”
Nope. You just were.
12 Mad Cat Lady // Jul 18, 2008 at 1:11 pm
I am a bad person.
It’s very sad.
I shall meditate upon my faults.
You’re probably not going to tell me which band now are you?
I am a pestilent fan anyway. I rewrote the lyrics of a couple of their songs to be about ducks. Probably it is better not to chance it.
13 MrSquib // Jul 22, 2008 at 10:03 am
The single “one crowded hour” has (according to my ears) been overplayed.
There are far better songs on the same album.
Perseus - send your band details to MrsSq by e-mail - I wouldn’t mind a listen
14 squib // Jul 22, 2008 at 10:04 am
I’ve already tried that MrS. His lips are sealed
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