I went to the Sydney Festival opening day events yesterday and felt like a stranger in my own town. Which is my own fault because I left some friends in Martin Place when the waiting around, crowds and distorted music got to me and on the way home decided to look around on my own.

Saw weddings on Macquarie St, didn’t watch for long but hearing the celebrants solemn words booming out over the wandering gawking crowds was odd.

Then went to the domain where I caught the last few songs by Paul Kelly. I like his songs but don’t count myself as a fan, still when he and Kev Carmody sang From little things big things grow I got goose bumps hearing the melody and watching the crowd against the Sydney skyline.

The blue fibre optic things everyone was waving were handed out by a bank (one with a blue logo as seen on the stage tent). At one point the MC asked everyone to wave their sticks on behalf of the bank, the concert wasn’t free they expected payment - we were to wave for the camera, everyone obliged. I like that they waved harder though when the MC said “wave if your scared shitless of interest rates”.

I stayed for the first few Brian Wilson songs then walked home. The sound carried a long way and I could still hear him singing from my loungeroom - Good Vibrations sounded good.

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