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Yey, they turned the lights on!

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Went to the Live Earth Sydney gig yesterday with 3 friends and I must say that we all enjoyed the day. The weather was behaving itself for once, putting on a pretty balmy 17C winter’s day (yes, I know that’s not winter).

Apart from Jack Johnson everyone else on the bill were Australian acts, which was good to have. Quality was a bit mixed, some acts that I expected to enjoy I just didn’t (like Wolfmother funnily enough), but the acts I did like were Missy Higgins who really has a wonderful voice and stage presence, John Butler Trio who absolutely rocked, and my sentimental favourite Crowded House who I love seeing because they have the ability to make whole stadiums break into song.

Not only that but they’re such consummate performers that they’re completely unflappable, even when the stage lights failed mid-set! Neil Finn (the singer) just commented ‘They must be making a statement’ and then encouraged everyone on the side of the stage to come on and dance and for guys to snog their girlfriends! Lol!

Though we were in the rafters we had good seats, so I got a few good shots out of it.

Here is a slideshow:

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Firebird

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One of the loveliest additions screenwriter Sandy Welch made to Jane Eyre was a play on the colour red and the description of the firebird, Rochester’s metaphor for Jane.

So when I came to write a song inspired by the series (something I had wanted to do for sometime, only my damned muse always lets me down) I thought it would be wonderful to base it on this scene.

Firebird, do you cry?
Firebird, do you dream
To spread your wings
And soar into the sky
Into the heart of things?

You little thing,
Quiet and calm,
Caged inside yourself,
I sit and stare and wonder
What’s underneath that mask:
Firebird, dare to fly.

A flash of red
Your lightning smile
Reveals the soul within:
I am mesmerised.
And those who catch
A glimpse will say
They’d caught a glimpse
Of heaven.

When days are dark
Do not fear;
Nestle in this nest
I have made for you;
And rest your tired wings
Until the day
You set the sky
On fire.

The song is here.

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Got the Can’t See Toby Blues

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So lovely Toby’s been on stage in London for over a month now and getting smashing reviews in the process. He’s also looking mighty, mighty fine, as you can see. Well, there’s only so much titilation a Tobette can stand before she bloody well explodes!

On the forum, this erupted in the wailing of the blues, first from the deft pen on MrsDanvers, who penned the following lyrics:

I’m sittin’ on my front step
It’s near a hundred-five,
And I got the blues so badly,
I don’t wanna be alive
Got the can’t see Toby, miss my Toby blues

Oh my Toby he’s a struttin’
On the London stage
Ain’t no way I can see him
And my heart’s just full of rage.
Got the want my Toby,need my Toby blues

My old man, he’s a hound dog,
A no-good waste of space,
He’s ugly and he runs around
Don’t wanna see his face
Want sweet Toby, he’s the handsomest man in town

Those lucky gals in London
They don’t worship from afar.
They ride the train so easy
And they go to the Donmar
Oh they see Toby, while I sit here with the blues

My mean ol’ dog’s a sniffin’ round
Like a sailor with an itch,
An’ I’m sitting here a-wailin’
Feeling hornier than a bitch
I got the need my Toby, want my Toby blues

Gonna go down to the river
Gonna weep an’ wail an’ sigh
Cos I miss sweet Toby oh so bad
I’m fixin’ right to die
Toby Toby, got the miss you, want you blues!

And then from the twinkling ivories of wylib.

Well, it wasn’t long before I joined the fray with a heart-wrenching rendition of the blues!

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I’m Going Back to the Start

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Warning: The following may cause hyperventilation and faintness.

Still examining Toby Stephens’s body… of work (almost got you there, didn’t I?), I’ll cover three of his earlier offerings from 10 or so years ago. I’m afraid there won’t be much objective analysis on his performances here, because I’d have fallen to the floor in a faint!

First of all, Onegin. It’s the Fiennes family treatment of this Russian tragedy, and admittedly Toby only has a small part in it, but he sure does shine.

As a film it is beautiful, but these Russian stories are never very uplifting – Toby’s Lensky is definitely the most uplifting thing about it.

He does a very fine duel scene though.

But I’m pissed off that he lost!

Now, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was the first time I noticed Toby. I saw it when it was first aired (in the wake of my newfound love of period dramas following Colin Firth’s Mr. Darcy) and I admit that I kept my recording of this for 10 years because I thought Toby’s Gilbert Markham was adorable!

It’s a good series, based on Anne Bronte’s novel. Quite confronting after Pride and Prejudice but I liked its realism. Gilbert is not exactly the most sophisticated romantic hero on the planet, but he was earnest, handsome, and passionate.

Also, the first time I saw Toby’s impeccable kissing technique!

Quick! Pass the smelling salts!!

And from my first Toby find to one of my last – Twelfth Night!

Why, oh, why didn’t I know about this film earlier? Toby again doesn’t have a huge part in it, but oh gawd, was he gorgeous! It brought us some memorable moments such as:

The strut.

The love song.

The bath!!

The near-kiss! Gaaaaaah!

After all that, I think I need a long lie down. Preferably in front of the TV, with a bottle of red wine, and my entire Toby collection!

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Monkeying Around… Again

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Been wandering again, this time to Bali. And despite visiting both terrorist bomb sites I came back whole, and even only experienced a very mild form of “Bali Belly”.

It’s funny going there because it was the first time I visited the country where I was born in, oh, almost 20 years? So unlike Japan it wasn’t exactly foreign, since I knew enough of the language to get by (although I definitely have an accent) and most of the food was familiar. But Bali had a particular culture all of its own since unlike much of the country it is the only island that’s predominantly Hindu.

So aside from the usual tropical holiday activities such as swimming, day spas, shopping, parasailing and whitewater rafting, I also visited Hindu temples, saw traditional dance performances, and even went to a cooking lesson.

In my pursuits I was joined by my aunt, who knew how to haggle at the markets, that’s for sure! And were helped by my distant aunt and uncle and their intrepid driver. As you can see, Bali is a very pretty place once you get away from the city and the tourist beach.

But one thing I couldn’t get away from was the bad-ass monkeys. I ran into them twice – once in Ubud at the Monkey Forest, and the second time at Uluwatu at the temples.

Don’t be duped by their cuteness. Unlike the polite Japanese ones from my last holiday these guys aren’t afraid to snatch anything (food, bags, cameras, bottles). Or display everything.

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Being 20 flying hours away sucks

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Since it was Toby’s birthday this week (hmm, another Taurus), it’s fitting that I write up another Toby Post!

Last post I talked about the virtues of Toby’s performance in The Rising. Well, as I watched The Last Samurai for the first time last weekend, which was a very good film by the way (with a good story and very detailed production values), I kept on thinking, ‘How good would it have been if had been Toby instead of Tom Cruise?’

There are a lot of similarities between the two films. Both dealt with uprisings, the military and Westerners living in an Eastern world. Both had a good portion of foreign language, plus sword-play and battles. Both had very exquisite, detailed productions. So the differentiating factor for me was the acting.

Consider…

Exhibit 1: Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai

Now compare this with…

Exhibit 2: Toby Stephens in The Rising

Now, how good would The Last Samurai have been if it was Toby in the lead? Unfortunately, the audiences would have been helluva lot smaller too, and we know that the studio bosses put bank balances first when it comes to large productions.

Still, I’ve watched almost all of Toby’s back-catalog now and I’m still astonished by the gems I find. Last week I saw him in an episode of Waking the Dead, the British equivalent of CSI/Cold Case. I was totally in love with his performance as the deceitful but sad and pitiful Dr. Nick Henderson. I liked him playing a (relatively) normal, modern guy too.

Lastly, there’s been lots of news about Toby’s newest theatre role. Apparently the theatre is so small that Toby is within touching distance. Argh! Now I really wish that I was living in London and not 20 flying hours away.

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Learn Hindi in One Easy Lesson

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I know you’re getting sick of these Toby posts, but tough, because I can’t get enough of this guy. And this time around I’m talking about The Rising: The Ballad of Mangal Pandey.

Yes, it’s a Bollywood movie. No, he doesn’t sing or dance. But he does speak Hindi, and very well, too!

And he acts his heart out as Captain William Gordon, a good, Scottish officer, who is compromised in a very painful way when his friend Mangal Pandey leads a rebellion against the British.

Toby looks absolutely gorgeous in an officer’s uniform, moustache, and hair in its natural golden state. So here’s a bit of picspamming in dedication.

Such intensity…

Such intensity

Such emotion!

Such emotion

Seriously delectable in uniform.

Still delicious in a cravat!

Delicious cravat

Wish Captain Gordon would save me!

Save me

Ho! This is tougher than WWF wrestling!

Wrestling

That sexy half-smile will be the death of me.

Smile

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The Embodiment of Sexiness

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A couple of posts ago I wondered whether I was in love with Mr. Rochester or Toby Stephens or both. Now I know that without Toby there would be no Hot Rochester so it must due to the Toby Effect! Then again, Toby Stephens is such a talented, charismatic fellow that I could sit riveted while he reads the Yellow Pages. I am not saying that because he’s hot – that goes without saying – but he really is a wonderful actor, one of those who can completely disappear into his roles. He is consistently good, even when the project isn’t, but thankfully he chooses to work on more good projects than bad. Believe me, I know because I’ve watched more than half a dozen of them in the past month!

Let’s see…

  • Jane Eyre (no need to say anymore about this – I pay complete and utter homage to it)
  • Cambridge Spies (brilliant series in every respect)
  • Best Man (confusing piece of drabble but Toby is so very hot in it)
  • Terkle (a cartoon and he voices a smooth, hippy substitute teacher – unfortunately the cartoon itself isn’t so amusing)
  • The Rising (absolutely incredible as the Hindi-speaking Scottish officer in this Bollywood epic)
  • Die Another Day (crap, except for Toby and the fencing scene)
  • The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (where I first noticed Toby with a Yorkshire accent, ultra yum)


The fact that I’ve bothered to seek out all these movies is very telling. It means that I’ve crossed into ‘fangirl’ territory where Toby is concerned and have become (gasp) a ‘Tobette’!! That’s the term favoured by self-confessed Toby Stephens obsessives – appreciators – like myself!

Unfortunately being a Tobette can be a very isolating experience. Can you believe that out of 8 million people in this city I am only one of a (known) handful that knows the true worth of this man? Even my own friends don’t seem to see where the attraction is, either preferring Darcy to Rochester (duh, Darcy needed a lake to be sexy in; Rochester just needs that delicious smile), or failing to notice him at all!

Which led me to ask, why is it that women have a bias towards either dark-haired (of the Hugh Jackman kind, for example) or fair-haired men (Brad Pitt as an example)? Why can’t guys of an autumn complexion (as Toby definitely is) be classed as sexy? I mean, look at this photo – who cannot fail to call him delectable here?? Not me – I nearly fell off my chair when I first saw it and I’m still recovering. Corr…

Well, I can take consolation in the fact that I am not the only person on earth who finds him attractive. 2,000+ blog entries and a 600 member forum can’t be wrong!

So as a final homage to this amazing man, I present to you this video. I posted the link before but this really needs to be embedded and truly enjoyed.

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Fanvidding

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The sister of fanfic is of course the fanvid, and the advent of You Tube has boosted this art form. The quality of course is variable, but when they are inspired they are truly awesome. I haven’t figured out how to do fanvids so thank gawd for You Tube! Since I am well and truly obsessed with Jane Eyre and Toby Stephens, here are some of my favourites.

The Scientist and Far Away are lovely videos that focus on Jane and Rochester’s relationship.

Friends is a great video that focuses on Jane’s journey.

If you like the best of Jane Eyre, Pride & Prejudice and North & South in one place then Some People is a bit of heaven.

But my favourite relationship videos are:
Sophia, an absolutely perfect Jane Eyre relationship video (and Yorkshirewench has many brilliant Richard Armitage-based videos as well).
Heaven on Earth, a really lovely Toby Stephens vid featuring some absolutely magical scenes.

Lastly, these two come with a health warning – I’m warning you, watch at these your own risk (hahaha):
The Seduction of Jane Eyre – you’ll never watch Jane Eyre in the same way again after this one.
Turn me On – a rather risque but scorching look at ‘Tobes’!

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Puddles, Puddles Everywhere

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Oh dear, I’m a puddle this week because I have fallen in love… with Mr. Rochester! Or is it with Toby Stephens? I’m not exactly sure, but Toby as Rochester is a very, very lethal combination.

I’ve been anticipating the arrival of the Jane Eyre DVD for weeks now, and last Friday it came. Squeeeee…

Of course I had to view it in one sitting, and never had 4 hours gone so fast. I was entranced by Jane, could wholly empathise why she fell in love with Mr. Rochester because – bloody obvious really – because he’s HOT. Irresistibly hot (not just mildly so). I’ve never had the hots for a screen Mr. Rochester before, and it’s a beautiful, beautiful thing.

The Rochester StareReally, the whole series was beautiful. What made this version by far the best version of JE I’ve ever seen? Well, aside from Mr. R being hotter than a thousand suns, it was also because Jane was portrayed as being much more his equal. Sure, that’s how it was in the book and what the majority of versions probably attempted to portray, but strangely enough only this version succeeded. In the versions I’ve seen, Jane was too annoying or too insipid to the point where I couldn’t see how Rochester could ever fall for her the way he did. And since this is Jane’s story, if I didn’t like her then the whole story didn’t ring true.

That’s why Ruth Wilson was an absolute genius. Being just out of drama school and then pulling off a performance like that was incredible. She had a knack of being able to communicate what Jane was feeling just by her expression, and with great subtlety. She gave Jane real strength, so that I could definitely see what attracts Rochester to her.

As for ‘Tobes’, did I see anything beyond the hotness? Of course I did, I’m not so shallow! His Rochester seemed more real to me too, perhaps due to the starker, pared-down dialogue, perhaps because he truly showed Rochester in all his complexity – strong, damaged, humorous, stern, and passionate. You can see him gradually opening up to Jane, see how he really grew to love her. My favourite scenes of course involved the two of them – their first two interviews when Rochester was so stern and cynical, and yet you could see his vulnerability, and how he empathised with Jane when she told him of her childhood. They empathised with each other even then and it was great introduction for things to come. I was so inspired by these early scenes that I’m writing a little vignette about it.

Then of course there’s the fire scene that I wrote about before, but the most touching for me was the reunion, when Jane returned to find Rochester wasn’t, well, the man he used to be. That scene never failed to make me cry when I read it, and its effect on screen was exactly the same.

Making me a virtual puddle…