Friday, January 25, 2008

Character Links

This is the first draft of a jointly written background connection between Jack Frost's Voodun Priest, Samide, also known as Mr Saturday, and Tarlach Doherty my Hero of the Circle of the Crone character.


Haitia Summer of 1971 Tarlach had just assisted in the assassination of the Dictator Francois Duvalier, also known as "Papa Doc" and was being hounded by the Tonton Macoutes (Secret Police) under the direction of Francois's son and heir Jean-Claude Duvalier (nicknamed "Baby Doc"), on his last legs and running out of blood Tarlach ran to the last place that he had a chance of safety in the area, a large Swamp reputed to be haunted by dark and malignant spirits.

After a while of slogging through the swamp Tarlach notices that the sounds of pursuit have faded, replaced by the sounds of the warm swamp night, He turns full circle trying to get his bearings and there standing in front of him where there was naught but a patch of bear earth a moment before stands a man. He is tall well over 6 feet, dressed in an old suit jacket and black pants, his face is masked and he wears a top hat, he stands there twirling a silver handled cane seeming to be taking the measure of this intruder to his lands...

"Evnin Mr Doherty, de Loa said I would be havin a Visitor this eve" His accent is heavy and his english broken,"I got many a name in these parts but you can call me...Mr Saturday"

Dressed in studded blue hipster jeans, a glow weave lime green shirt with a red tie, and some now worse for wear platform shoes, Tarlach still manages to not look out of place in this swamp, even with the Great Sword that would reflect the moonlight but for the coating of blood..

“It would be a good evening Mister Saturday, if things had gone a little more to plan after the assassination – finding good help on this island though has not been as easy as I had hoped. Still… “

Tarlach pats the Colt .45 at his right hip and he tenses slightly, the perceptive would realize he is listening for any last sounds of pursuit.

“…some things are reliable and I still manage to put the fear of their gods into each one of the local’s eyes.”

The corners of Tarlach’s mouth turn up and some small wrinkles form as he smiles.

“I heard rumours that a creature both powerful and helpful lingered in these swamps – and that the locals venture in for aid; though it always comes at a price…I am guessing the rumours are about you, unless you represent something more powerful in this swamp?”

Mr Saturday grins a wide toothy grin “there be power in this swamp and help ta those who pay da price for it, but I not be know’en why ya put fear of god’s in people, Gods and Loa be notin ta fear” Off to there right comes a scream followed by something crashing through the undergrowth, one of Tarlach’s pursuers comes bolting through the clearing eye’s wide with terror and blood coursing down his face. He completely ignores the two in the little clearing and continues past into the swamp again, after a few moments the noise of his frantic passage subsides.

Saturday had not even flinched, the man might as well have not existed “Sun’s comin up soon my fren’ come, ya welcome ta stay wid me for a spell, we can talk about price tomorrow, come” He starts walking back further into the swamp, from far off in the direction of the fleeing man comes another scream this time cut short. Mr Saturday talks as if making idel conversation “my children safeguard dis place, and will guard us in de day time” they come into view of an old shack built atop a raft floating on an overgrown river “dis is my little place, it safe from de light of day” “you stay here a while, be good to have another ta talk to, I be needin ta work on the Traders tung, Im sure ya be noticing my British needs workin on”

Over the next few Months Tarlach stays in the swamp with the very strange Mr Saturday, they converse and get along fairly well, Tarlach teaches Saturday of the world outside of Haitian and the islands immediately surrounding it (his knowledge seems to be decades out of date) and how to properly articulate the English language and Saturday tells him of the occult, spirits and Loa and his particular take on them (as well as how to make a killer Gumbo stew). Then came the day that Tarlach decided it was time to leave and the two rarely saw one another for almost forty years.

Until one night Tarlach receives a phone call from a small Haitian village requesting that a debt be paid, Mr Saturday needs to leave Haiti in a hurry, and he needs to go a very long way.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Practice Gig Review for FasterLouder

The Basement

The Basement was in sync with the rest of Canberra for early-January. An expanse of emptiness with a few bright spots of activity that gave hope to those in search of music, entertainment, and some sort of fun life amidst the post-apocalyptic movie set that Canberra becomes from the end of December to late-January.

For those who have never been to the Basement. A few orange couches grow out of the carpet in front of the stage, there are bashed wooden tables and plastic chairs scattered to the left of the stage – do not sit there if you want to see the band. Stools and bright pool tables are towards the back of the venue next to the bar, the lighting is bright enough to allow ease of navigation but dark enough to give the place a comfortable feel. The stage is high and deep enough to give you a good view of the band, but still keeps the band within comfortable contact with the crowd.

On this night little knots of people filled up some of these furnished areas, and provided some hope for the night. Gathered on two orange couches in the middle of the room the headline act, the Resignators, had taken up residence and provided needed energy to the room, around the edges of the venue small numbers of friends, partners and committed fans promised a friendly, familiar and maybe intimate night ahead, and on stage the sound check promised a night with more rock and roll loudness than the twenty to thirty people in the room would ever need.

The Australian Kingswood Factory took to the stage amidst the empty expanse of the Basement and proceeded to rock and roll. And they did not hold back. While not a polished gig, the delivery by girlfriends and barmen to the stage of a solid amount of alcohol probably detrimental to this, the Australian Kingswood Factory still delivered a combination of Rock and Roll, Rockabilly and one gunfight song that earned them applause and was enough to make three people who had not seen them before want to see them again. Maybe energized by playing for the next band, the Resignators, and with a level of self-gratification that an empty venue allowed, the group launched themselves onto tables, impersonated classic rock and roll moves on the carpet, stage and tables, and still kept the rock and roll flowing. The highlight was the mentioned tale of bank-robbery, shoot-outs and death done to a rock and roll tune with a western flavour, this stood out amidst some quality Aussie Pub Rock and Roll and Rockabilly.

The Resignators though put on the engaging show of the evening. With the assistance of Australian Kingswood Factory members dragging the crowd up to dance, and making sure they did not run off, The Resignators quickly adapted to the crowd that they had, discarding their set list they took the crowd and their new drummer through the old and new of their material. Engaging with ska, punk, touches of reggae and some old rock and roll, the only let up was for more alcohol from the bar, the group kept giving the crowd songs that they could dance to and enough dialogue that we felt that despite the movement away from the polished gig the crowd was actually getting something special. One of the interesting things about The Resignators was that each member had stage presence, as the group moved through their material everyone on stage had a chance to give something to the small crowd.