Chelly Welly :-)

[dragonorchid]

well this is the place for my blog... let me see, I stayed up till 5 am preparing stuff next Rock Factory Studio gig. We alos got our lighting controller this morning so that we can control our strobe, lights, smoke machine and dimmer board properly now...

[Oliver Luck]

Lets not forget that Chells is one of the hardest working people I have ever met in my life and a constant inspiration for how to keep the passion in music and everything about it.   You ROCK Michelle Mucho Respecta to ya!  

[Kristie]

Lets not forget that Chells is one of the hardest working people I have ever met in my life and a constant inspiration for how to keep the passion in music and everything about it.   You ROCK Michelle Mucho Respecta to ya!  

I second that, don't know how she does it!  She is a legend and a half    

[dragonorchid]

aawww! you guys Rock! Thanks ...  my secret is GREAT FRIENDS and AWESOME PEOPLE I DEAL WITH that keep me going   ... ALL YOU GUYS The Rock Factory Community, and ofcourse Mark too... he's a constant support and inspiration.

[dragonorchid]

ooopps, I "exceeded my daily usage allowed" on myspace

[Mark]

aren't you going to write a blog chells?  I also second Ollies call on chells being the hardest working person I've ever met.  I still maintain that she is able to accomplish as much as roughly 5 mere mortals such as myself... and she doesn't stop.. she just keeps going.. 24/7 .. day after day.. always attacking the next task hours after I'm totally buggered.  She says its determination.. I really thinkits genes.. half dutch.. half chinese.  can you say hard working *2?
  not much kiwi "she'll be right.. lets throw another snag on the bbq and get a beer and watch telly" lazy operating system.  Although she does like going to the movies, shopping and coffee..  the later two which can be done while answering phone calls, and that is how they get done..  eh chells?

[dragonorchid]

 

your'e all so sweet!

I was gonna write something today... it was abit of a little rant... here goes.

as long as I can remember people have said things to me like "Go Home Asian", "Stupid Oriental"... blah blah. The latest incident was at a bar in Huapai on Friday night.
I just want to say to those dickheads, I AM Home, I don't even speak chinese, I probably speak beter english (but my spelling sux  ), and have more of a KIWI accent than them. I was born here. I'm half chinese and proud of it. RACISTS are dickheads.

anyway, rant off.

[simon_ishtar]

Unfortunately there is a lot of rascism in this country, particularly the more rural you go. Huapai is one of those typical places in a lot of ways, despite the developments that have sprung up round there in recent years.
 For what its worth anyone giving Huapai a wide berth is not missing out on much, its two big attractions being a bread shop run by one Greg Flutey, which is only ever open two days a week, and the chance to view inbreds in broad daylight.
 One night I was out that way (actually the Kumeu side of the bridge from memory) watching a womans 'pro wrestling' show- a mate of mine was the referree, and me and a mate were playing barfly making fun of this freakishly tall girl wrestler (approx 6.8", very small head, looked like Beetlejuice shrunken head person) one of the barmaids yelled at us "hey, she works here you know" to which I said "how lucky I bet you never have to get the step ladder out" before quietly going to sit away from the bar.
 Morale of the story I blame the Huapai bridge cause the people on the other side seem far less judgmental.  

[Kristie]

your'e all so sweet!

I was gonna write something today... it was abit of a little rant... here goes.

as long as I can remember people have said things to me like "Go Home Asian", "Stupid Oriental"... blah blah. The latest incident was at a bar in Huapai on Friday night.
I just want to say to those dickheads, I AM Home, I don't even speak chinese, I probably speak beter english (but my spelling sux  ), and have more of a KIWI accent than them. I was born here. I'm half chinese and proud of it. RACISTS are dickheads.

anyway, rant off.

Thats really sux.  You should have told me and I would have quite enthusiastically hit them with a chair.    

[goatboy]

Yeah, Huapai is a bit of a sh*t hole at the best of times. Unfortunately getting sh*t from the locals not something they reserve just for ethnic minorities. You'll find the local sh*t kickers who grew up there are mostly okay, it's the people who have moved into the district that now think they're a ruralite who hates all townies that you'll get the most flack from.

Most of these people have moved out of the popular suburbs for a reason, sometimes literally chased out of their former districts because of their antisocial behaviour e.g. heckling people because they're different.

Just keep in mind Michelle, you've achieved more in your short 27 years of life than most of these people will achieve in their entire lifetime.

Good gig by the way! I really like that solo guy...Mitchel?

[dragonorchid]

yeah, he was cool, I liked his rendition of that "Your Own Personal Jesus" song...

Well, I'm sick... again, and this time I think it's from spending too much time putting up posters allover town... the only band that has helped me so far on the street team efforts was inverse order. But I've been out and about for several nights now... and have the meaneast cough to show for it.  I made cool stickers for lamposts and traffic signals too...

we hit several uni hostels, k-road, ponsonby and parnell...

more posters going up via profile plus and phantom for the weekend... so hopefully its not all a loss.

[dragonorchid]

oh and its my birthday tomorrow...

i hope I feel abit better by then.

[goatboy]

Ugh! Stuff that! Not your birthday, putting up posters! We always get Phantom to do ours now. Costs a bit but when you're all working full time it's definitely worth it.

[Sturmbrynger]

Hey Michelle Have a great Birthday tomorrow!!!- And I'm sure you'll feel heaps better by then (just keep feet in big fluffy slippers and head in big RF beanie. (Ant and I were told today "those aren't NZ Post beanies!" - A "no sh*t sherlock" reply and that was the end of the matter).

Oh and we've photo-copied a shitload more of the flyers etc and have arranged a few workmates to help us deliver around Mt Eden (on the sly of course) - but not till a little closer to the date. As every postie knows where the cool people live (read as 'anyone likely to be the slightest bit interested in coming' - or "not the friggen resthomes or your granny's' place ok"  Pretty much  'target customer' stuff... About 700-1000 dwellings per run, 250-300 'hits' each postie, 6 x posties = 1500 - 1800.... @ 3%-5% success rate = 45-90 peeps ...... oh dear   (haven't allowed for the "got pissed and on the way and ended up somewhere elsesuz" or the "had an argument when we were getting ready and ended up sulking in front of the telliesuz"

oh and everyone mentioned what a wonderfully hard working woman you are but forgot to mention you're a spunk as well?! lol

Happy Birthday  

[dragonorchid]

for my birthday, I though I'd try mix some of my own stuff... something I've not done... much... well ever really, so here it is... this is MMMMEEEEE and friends Andrew Cochrane (drums and keys), Simon Whitlow (guitars) and Nick Jones (Bass.)

http://www.michelleklaessens.com/MichelleKlaessens_MovingAgain_Demo_Mixdown_A.mp3

Thanks Tim and Ant and goat Boy.... It should be an awesome gig!!!!!

I'm wearing a Rock Factory Beanie - it will help me the next time I cough and my head tries to explode.

[Mark]

 Happy Birthday Chells  I know you had a good day.. cause.. well I was hanging out with you all day as usual.

[dragonorchid]

I like hangin with you Snughams...

Man, I just need a universal remote control so I can pause time, then I might be able to have more time to do some of my own music

I have put a couple more demos up on my myspace. I don't think I will have time to mix/edit them to any more higher quality then rough demo mixes. Duty calls.

http://www.myspace.com/dragonorchid

[dragonorchid]

yay! the power is back! except the wind has blown an entire part of our roofing made of tin onto the power lines infront of our house, so it might be on for much longer at my house while they take it off. pity coz I need to mix and stuff.

[dragonorchid]

Michelle's Evil Gemini Twin here... I have secretly taken over to let Michelle Sleep... only you VIP's shall know... muhahahaha!

[dragonorchid]

Random late night rant... number 638

They say that growth is partly stimulated by the environment, and mostly by internal motivation. Well, I'm feeling kinda stuck. The current environment does not seem to stimulating any growth, I feel like we need to move on and improve things.

I want to lease another building and have found the perfect place... A Factory space with a mezzanine... it is within our price range too...  but Mark is hesitant, he wants to wait till we can buy our own place, not lease. This frustrates me, because between now and when we can afford to buy something could be like... forever!
It seems to me this seems the logical step stone between where we are now and actually owning something... you see our current situation would not allow us to get a mortgage very easily, but at least if we take this on we can Prove to oursleves and the bank that we can pay that certailn amount per week that would be required for a mortgage. I already know we can cover the extra cost per week, because I'm always making sure we have enough work to cover costs.

issue number two is the amount of work that would be required to get it up to "recording standard"... now I've no issue with hard work. i dont' see this as a great problem.

issue three is I've got a huge headache, and am coming down with that stupid throat infection... again.. the third time in the last two months. why does it keep coming back? Whats with that?

[simon_ishtar]

The mezzanine area, setting up as a living area?
 I think there are some definite possibilities about setting up a bigger complex (am presuming you are thinking something like 3 rooms etc?) Am guessing it'd also give you a good place to mix without having flatmates complain about the noise. It'd mean you were surrounded 24/7 by music (some might say trapped 24/7?).
 Regards $$s rental hasn't increased, in fact recently has dropped, housing prices have skyrocketed in recent years- either rents (and incomes) will have to come up or house prices will have to fall. they have stalled in certain places and it is a given a number of investors will lose the shirts off their backs (especially in central AK and areas like Nelson). Property might become more affordable in the near future.
 Maybe the question is would the increased overheads be balanced by the inceased income?

[that drummer]

When was the last time you had a weekend? maybe this is the cause of ure sickness...

[dragonorchid]

okay... we are waiting... waiting for the building to become available... The current tenant is looking for a new place double stud hieght, bigg enough to build 3 rooms and a mezzanine that is kinda half setup. Don't klnow how long it's gonna take for the current guys to find a place though. Gotta get $3000 together for bond and 1st months rent before movig in.

What else... I'm mixing 12 songs for a band called the "Marino Three", an urgent job for a Pacific festival or something next week, has to be done by Monday. On about song number 4.

I now know that there is a genre of music called "hula"... it's kinda cool. The rest of the songs are reggae, with three sisters singing, and there is one "valtz".

The producer and tracker were over at my house yesturday, seems they had 3 months to do it, started tracking a month ago, and have left mixing till the last weekend.   ... oh the joy of procrastination The two guys are older engineers who are used to working on Analogue equipment, decided to give digital/computer based recording a go, and were watching me yesturday. Today they have left me to "do my thang" and tomorrow night I go over to their Mangere studio and we do the final balancing and touches, and mixes get given the "ok". Sounds like the producer has done more than 100 albums on their older analogue equipment, tape and hard disk recorders. This album is the first they'd recorded in Protools. I wonder if they found the only engineer in Auckland willing to try mix a whole album in one weekend?

http://www.michelleklaessens.com/MarinoThree_SummerTime_Mixdown_C.mp3 (link disabled.. see below of r an updatyed one)
I think this one is getting close... maybe.

[simon_ishtar]

That sounds good. What area is this new place going to be in cause we might still be looking for a regular wednesday night?

[dragonorchid]

just down the road from the other one, the other rock factory will be freed up for practices in the weekend... but we have to build stuff in the new one first which could take a little while.

[simon_ishtar]

Cool.  

[dragonorchid]

I did a little remix of one of my songs:

http://www.michelleklaessens.com/MichelleKlaessens_Rearranged_Demo_Mixdown_B_TexturePlay.mp3

[dragonorchid]

I'm starting a full-time job tomorrow - Monday to Thursday 9 to 6pm. This is because we are soon to be paying a mortgage so i must have a steady form of income.
I'm hoping it won't effect rock factory too much as most of our work is nights and weekends. Mark is going to have to take on more admin/booking, mixing and pr work tho in my absence during those hours. and i also realise I will have to be strict on myself to take some time out so i don't burn out.

[dragonorchid]

abit nervous and excited. I better get some sleep.

[Geetadave]

I thought the rock factory was a fulltime job, and then some?!  good luck darl!! 

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