Thursday: My favourite band, a long goodbye.

Another blog I’ve been going to write and been putting off.
I know that generally, I sound like a raging fan-girl. I like music and I get enthusiastic about it. This time I wanted to avoid it, because this band means a lot to me. They changed me.
Given that last sentence/statement I doubt I’ll be able to avoid my raving, no matter how indulgent it seems. So here we go… 

Thursday are on an “indefinite hiatus” and the next few weeks is the last time that Thursday, as a band, will probably set foot on Australian shores. I’m a little bit miserable and I know how ridiculous it sounds - BUT the person I am today relied on how their music changed my perspective on music, art and life. (Feel free to switch off now.)

Before Thursday, I was listening to Hanson. And Nsync. And the Backstreet Boys. But mostly Hanson. I liked music back then but the music never really meant much to me. It was catchy but the shallow songs about endless summer loves, dancing and being cool & carefree never resonated with me. It was noise.
I started delving into early Linkin Park and digging up old Silverchair to find some songs with substance. On the right path, not quite right.
With faster internet and Google caches of forums came my chance to explore & find songs or artists that the radio wasn’t playing at a reasonable hour. 
After hitting 20 or so links, leading to shoddy commercial top tens & porn (Google safe search was terrible back then) I came across a dark moody looking forum for guitarists. Somebody had already asked the difficult question for me “Artists like Linkin Park, Marilyn Manson”.
People on the boards scoffed at Linkin Park the OP had mentioned, but sure enough, way down someone compiled a MASSIVE list of the songs and artists to listen to. There was at least 100 songs and the names littered all over thescreen meant nothing to me. I left it to uncoordinated muscle spasms. I closed my eyes, extended my index finger and let my finger randomly land on the screen. I opened my eyes.
“Thursday - Jet Black New Year”

I fell in love with that song the first time I heard it. It was so wildly different to anything else I had heard and it screamed passion. The lyrics were poetic, but not in a pop derived “Everything needs to rhyme” sort of way. It was aggressive and that agonizingly great mix of raw and polished. It was the way music should sound.
Everything thing I knew about music fell away. I had to know who this band was. I needed to hear all their songs. I needed to know the lyrics and get wrapped up in gripping melody, sharp and sweet, angry and undeniable.
It felt obsessive but I felt complete.
That was the tail end of 2002.

I didn’t tell my friends a lot about this new band I had discovered because I didn’t think they’d like it. I remember playing it in my music class in Year 11 as a part of a song dissection project. I remember the look of utter shock from both my teacher and fellow students after they heard it, trying to piece together how the song and I had ever crossed paths.
Thursday’s music made me realize the true importance of the art weaved into music and gave me an appreciation that had nothing to do with how well an album or a song did on the charts or how much money they spent on marketing.
I started listening to rockier and darker sounding bands.
I started listening to Australian music. 

I interviewed Geoff and Steve back in 2006. Seeing my idol, Geoff Rickly relaxing on a sofa in front of me and answering my questions with gusto I realized that at the age of 19, I had completed a big dream. It was my first ever interview - so it sucked, but Geoff & Steve didn’t mind. The hotel lobby littered with bands from the Taste of Chaos festival didn’t mind either, I got a few gentle nods from some notable band members on the way out. Nothing could compare to the fear I felt first seeing them approach me, nor the feeling of elation when Geoff congratulated and hugged me. 

And… every year since 2002, on New Year’s Eve just a few minutes before midnight, I excuse myself and go listen to Jet Black New Year. I can’t start the new year without listening to it. I’ve never told anyone about it, because it’s my tradition. I need to hear Thursday. I start my year with them, each year, without fail.

Geoff Rickly is still my idol and a huge inspiration to me. Thursday’s music changed me and eased me through somewhat difficult transitions of my life, my safety net, the music I could listen to and instantly feel whole.
2012 will be 10 years. 10 years and I have to say goodbye. 

I won’t get to see them on Sunday at the Soundwave Festival (No money, no Soundwave :( ), but I’ll be seeing them, for the last time on the 27th at the Metro.
If you see me wondering around afterwards quietly crying and an absolute mess, you’ll know why.

Thank you Thursday for the last 10 years of my life. For opening up my eyes, adding the fire to my heart and giving me something to aspire to. Your music will never leave me. I hope one day I can make music that will change and inspire someone just as much as you’ve done for me.

Guess I’ll see you on Monday.


xx 




Ten seconds left until midnight
Nine chances to drown ourselves in black hair dye
Eight faces turned away from shock
Seven windows and six of them were locked
Five stories falling, forever and ever
Three cheers to the mirror and now there are two of us
Can we have one last dance?