Bullhorn @ Beetle Bar

Here's another shot from my trip to the Beetle Bar last weekend. This band is called Blowhorn. It consists of a drummer up front leading the whole thing. He is then backed by a baritone saxophone and a sousaphone, two trombones, another saxophonist (switching between different sized instruments), and two trumpeters (also switching to include a french horn and a cornet). There was a bit of funk and some soul, which got people dancing, and some more mellow stuff including cracking instrumental versions of Groove Armada's At The River and Stevie Wonder's Ebony Eyes.

Grim Tiller and the Diablo @ Beetle Bar

 

Brisbane's live local music scene is huge. I hardly ever get out to see gigs but I managed it on Friday night and really enjoyed it. Two bands in one night for $10 and they were both great. And being a smaller music venue, they didn't confiscate my camera at the door - how refreshing! The crowd was small but energetic and everyone looked like they were having a ball.

Green Machine

This car was spotted on Park Road in Milton a few days ago - maybe it's all this rain!

Thanks to Sandra and Chris for the photos.

Traffic Stopping Art (number 59)

This traffic signal box sits on the corner of Milton Road and Park Avenue in Milton and depicts the pretty little McIlwraith Croquet Club just down the road. The artist is Frances Rowland Wregg, creator of the previous signal box in this series. Find out more about the painted signal box project here. And if you fancy popping down to the croquet club  for a spot of mallet fun or just want to know a bit more about it, visit the club's website.

Traffic Stopping Art (number 58)

I really like this newly painted box on Milton Road in Milton. The artwork is really bold and eyecatching - most people looking at them are in a car so the more bright and colourful the better. Also, the box is interesting from every angle. Two thumbs up from me! The artist is Frances Rowland Wregg and as you can see she has depicted John Milton for whom the suburb we are in is named.

Here's the back:

You can look up any painted box in Brisbane on the Urban Smart Projects website. They also show information about painted boxes further afield now in other parts of Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania and even London.

Europe "Lite"

Park Road in Milton has a distinctly European flavour to it with French, Italian and Spanish restaurants all spilling out onto the pavement. During the World Cup, this is the place to come - thousands of football lovers from near and far gather for the big matches and party all night. There are Roman-style statues on the street and there's even a miniature Eiffel Tower replica on top of one of the buildings.

Castlemaine XXXX Brewery By Night

This is a shameless rip-off of a postcard I saw in a bookshop a few months ago. I don't think I've got it quite right but you get the general idea. I took it at about 5.30am on Wednesday morning which was a public holiday here and so I had to hang around in the cold waiting for the odd car to go past.

The things I do for this blog.

Dinner at Alegria

We went out for tapas last night in Milton at Alegria and the highlight for me was this salad. There was goats cheese, baby beetroot, radicchio, "petite herb" (I don't know what that is but it included fennel), green beans and really crunchy garlic croutons. 

 

Absolutely top notch!

 

There's An Aussie-Coloured House And Matching Tree on Caxton Street

Weekend Reflections on Suncorp Stadium

Suncorp Stadium is waiting patiently for Wednesday's 'State of Origin' Rugby League decider. In Brisbane, this is a very big deal and it's likely to be a tad busier round here on the day of the game.

The stadium itself is in the Milton area and very close to a couple of neighbourhoods (you can see some of the houses reflected in the glass). It hosts big sports games but also music concerts and is often really loud. If the wind is right, you can hear it in my back yard in West End  - across the river and several kilometres away.

I heard once that if you live in one of the neighbourhoods in the shadow of the stadium then you get free tickets but I think it might just be a rumour. 

Part of Weekend Relections

No, no, no.

Entering Suncorp Stadium is a bit like going through an airport. And woe betide you if you brought a camera with a detachable lens.

Bitter? Moi?

The Origin Species

 

If you're not from Queensland or New South Wales, there's every chance you don't know or care about the State of Origin competition. It's a good-humoured rivalry if the atmosphere on Caxton Street is anything to go by. Queensland versus New South Wales in a three game Rugby League play-off. Players' "state of origin" is based (I think) on the first team they joined as a professional.

Last night's game was the first of the three and was held at Suncorp Stadium. The next game will be held down in Sydney in June and third back up here again in July. I didn't manage to catch the game. It was a preventative measure as my eyes usually get sore from all the eye rolling.... but it sounds like it was a nail biter. Queensland won! Hooray! 

(This is when you adopt the bulldog stance and loudly growl "QUEENSLANDER!!! RRRRR!")

Drift

This is the aptly named "drift" restaurant in Milton. After being Oxley's on the River for years, new management took over only a few months ago. It prided itself on being "Brisbane's Best New Restaurant". The dramatic images and videos of it breaking up, heading down the river and crashing into a bridge have become iconic.Click here to see it on the move.

I went down there last night and had a look around. It's looking very sad.

Evidence of the destruction is all over the bike path and the restaurant itself has been torn apart and now lies open to the elements...

I'd say those cleaners have had their work cut out for them.

They've got a huge task ahead of them.

A Welcome Distraction

After Australia's painful 4-0 loss to Germany on Monday morning in the World Cup, it's nice to focus on something else for a day or two. Brisbane is gearing up for the State Of Origin Game 2 of 3. Incase you care, New South Wales need to win this game tonight to stop Queensland from a 5 series whitewash.

Tonight's game is at Suncorp Stadium (aka Lang Park), close to Caxton Street where all the hard core revellers will be heading. It's a great atmosphere with bars and restaurants brimming and the street closed to traffic. It might even make you want to like Rugby League a little bit. Maybe. This house is within spitting distance of the ground. The picture was taken last year at the start of game 3. Hopefully they'll set it up again tonight. As you can see, they built their own grandstand, big screen, signs and everything. A great effort, if you ask me! All they need is a nice heater.

Pizza last night in Woolloongabba

Our family verdict: Vespa is in joint first place with Arrivederci's in Milton. Mmmmm!

Is it a bird?... is it a plane....?

This picture was taken on Wednesday morning from Highgate Hill looking west. You can see the Suncorp Stadium, Merivale Bridge, the Sky Needle, the big red church in Red Hill. Also, you might have to click on the picture to enlarge it but one of those balloons appears to be a giant box of Libra (that's a box of tampons).

February Theme Day: Wood

There's this beautiful old house in Milton. It's got a wood frame, wood gables, a wood balcony and these rustic looking wood shingles all over it. It stands stoically on one of the busiest intersections in Brisbane braving the weather, pollution, thundering trucks and stadium crowds who file past regularly in their thousands.

This picture is part of the City Daily Photo theme day which happens on the first of every month.
Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Raise Your Glasses!

Brisbane Daily Photo is 1 year old today! I thought I'd celebrate with one of Brisbane's most recognizable celebrities, the FourEx Beer bloke on the side of the brewery in Milton. His perpetual neon wink is enough to put any Brisbanite in a good mood.

As for me, I'd like to thank everyone who has visited over the past year... your comments and encouragement are what keeps me going - Cheers, you lot!

Fourex Gold

This is the front of the Castlemaine Fourex brewery building in Milton. Probably Brisbane's most famous building as its image is printed on the cans of beer that get exported around the world. In Australia, the mid-strength beer that they brew is called Fourex Gold and is a huge success across Australia despite its enigmatic flavour.