2008 wow it went by quickly!

(Shaggy at Christmas Fluffy Friday)

(Shaggy Monkeying around)

Another year is almost over. I thought I would take some time out from preparing tomorrows Christmas dinner and complete Casa’s last blog of the year. Its been a pretty eventful year for me and Casa. The start of the year was pretty stressful, having had Casa landed solely on my lap was not what I had thought would happen when I was helping Geoff and Munk organise the opening night way back in November 07.

(RockRhythm Thespian)

The original plan was that Munk would do all the building, scripting etc, Geoff would run the club on a day to day basis and I would help out wherever I could. But like all good plans that didn’t happen. So there I was slowly losing the will to live in SL over Casa. By February I was just about ready to pack it all in.

(Shaggy plays at my Birthday Party)

In mid-February I was sitting on the bar in Casa – as I do – thinking about what to do, when I got a notice off one of the music groups, a new guy called Shagpile Spyker was gonna do a short set. I figured I had nothing better to do and the name “shagpile” made me laugh. My first impression was “what a nutter and wtf is he saying?” then is started to sing and I though “well he might be a nutter but he can certainly sing”. So I did what every self respecting, broke club owner on the verge of a minor breakdown would do……..I sent an IM to him, begging him to do a set for free in casa hahaha Anyway he agreed, and that was a turning point for Casa and for me in SL.

(Hayduke Schnook - the dominante turtle, who talks to people in sl even though they dont exist :P)

(Shaggy Crashes a plane into Casa)

I can honestly say Shaggy changed everything in SL for me. What was stressful was now fun. Instead of trying to keep Casa the way it had been I decided to change it. Djs are great and they certainly have their place in SL. But my first love has to be live music in SL. I got rid of the usual djing schedule in Casa and concentrated on holding more live music whenever I could.

(Matt!!!)

St Paddys weekend music festival was fantastic!!! A full weekend of live music. Awesome fun. My RL Birthday in Casa at the end of March, again really great fun, and it was the first time I sang on SL. It helped that I was drunk of course lol

(Mad, Marvellous Mason)

Another event that sticks out in my mind is Casa’s Summer festival. 13 hours of live music over two days. If anybody thinks that there is no hard work involved in SL then I would have to disagree. Making sure musicans are booked, events are listed, stream details are correct, keeping up with local chat, a million IMs and sending group notices does get tiring after a while BUT its also so much fun, if it wasn’t I wouldn’t do it.

(Donny Doobie - one of my closest SL friends)

It was during the summer that one of the best things that happened in Casa started, Fluffy Fridays. Madness, mayhem, craziness, and lots of fun fun fun, that just about sums up the goings on on Fluffy Fridays. Each week has a different theme, and the theme is chosen by pretty much anybody. There is a minimum of 5 hours of back to back live music, often there is more! And I am looking forward to more of the same in 2009.

(Norris Shepherd! - the bike losing, mould fighting, discombobulated canadian!)

(Trouble aka Angelwithastooopidlongfuckingname)

There are lots of people that really do deserve a mention and thanks. Firstly, Angel, she is one seriously crazy woman, I worry for her liver, I constantly have to remind her to have her inhaler at hand, she makes me laugh until I am crying and cant breathe, and then I am asking her for her inhaler! She has been so much help to me running Casa this year. She really is my bestest mate on SL and I am fortunate that she is also one of my closest RL friends now too. I cant wait to have a RL drinking/singing session with you in the new year mrs!!!!

(Angel Pole dances at Fluffy Fridays Christmas Party)

Also Matt needs a vote of thanks. He is not on SL as much as he use to, I guess he is busy with college and important RL stuff. But he has been really good to me and Casa during the year. He’s also a crazy and one of the funniest people I have met on SL. And he organised my surprise Rezz Day party at Angel and Dak’s place, The Deck.

(shaggy on the bike shed roof)

(The Many Faces of Shaggy)

Shaggy………he’s fuckin nuts! I mean, seriously he is! We have had some great times on SL this year. We’ve built things,……well ok that’s not strictly true, Shaggy has built things, I sit around and watch, we both “poof” things. Shaggy made Casa disappear…….and he couldn’t fix it! Harry Potter he is NOT. That’s what happens Shaggy when you start waving that wand about :P hahahha. I made the Terrier Pub Shaggy built disappear. I also made all the furniture move from inside to outside and still don’t know how exactly I did that. Oh yeah, and also we had the case of the disappearing fridge…….We never did find that did we Shaggy? He’s killed me while he has flown a magic carpet, an X-Wing thingy, and other things. But most of all he has made me laugh, and encouraged me do things I never thought I was able to do. We wrote a song between us this year too. “Worth More Than Here” means more to me than I can put into words. I am very grateful to Shaggy for taking the time to put to music the words I put on paper. So, thanks Shaggy for making my club disappear, killing me on several occasions, letting me bug the crap out of you while your building, building things for me when I cant (which is most of the time), waving the flexi dick around lol, sharing your music with me and everybody in Casa, and being the bundle of fun you always are. You’ve become a very close friend, you are and always will be the original Geordie NUTTER!!! I hope 2009 is even better to you than 2008 has been, and that your music goes from strength to strength, you deserve every success.

(myself and shaggy chillin and nattering)

Thanks also to, Stella Silvansky (SL’s biggest Diva, you are fantastic!!), Norris Shepherd, Mason Thorne, Hayduke Schnook, Donny Doobie, Jon Bazar, Friendly Fire, Winston Ackland, Avvy Barzane, RockRhythm Thespian, and every other musican who took the stage in Casa during 2008. I really do appreciate all your support. Thanks also to those who have Dj’d in Casa during the year, Lizzie, Ty, Alli, K, Angel. Thanks also to Tinka Tinka, for hosting Friendly Fire’s set every Thursday night for me, it’s a huge help to me, I only wish I could move Ireland closer to the US so the time difference was a little more friendly and I could attend these sets myself lol

(Stella, awesome awesome awesome)

Special thanks to everybody who came to Casa to hear the fantastic live music and join in the fun. Thanks to those who vote and always vote, who tipped Casa and who shows the musicians great appreciation. I can’t wait to see what happens to the most disFUNctional club in 2009.

I hope you all have a fabulous Christmas and an even better 2009!!! You all ROCK!!!

Fluff xx

*Fluff has a girly moment* I lubs youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu hahaha!

Friendly Fire

(Friendly Fire's First Performance in Casa)

The GLAMTASTIC Friendly Fire have been playing in Casa since its opening night. Mack and Case play every Thursday in Casa at 6pmslt. If anything strange is gonna happen, or if anything is gonna go wrong, it will in Casa. They have survived Rolling Restarts, and griefers! They have premiered songs, named their cat Go-Go, and rezzed the awesome Friendly Fire christmas tree for the first time in Casa. Recently they have started to play every second FluffyFriday too! Mack and Case are great friends of Casa, the place wouldnt be the same without them. They both took some time out to answer questions for us, have a read and get to know Casa's favourite duo a little bit better :)

(Friendly Fire @ Casa's Paddys Day Party)

MacKenzie Rasmuson



1. Who are you and where are you from?

MacKenzie Rasmuson, Pompano Beach, FL

2. How long have you been playing?

10 years

3. Which instruments do you play?

bass, keyboards, guitar

4. What was the first tune(s) you learned?

Shit, my mind is mush right now, but I know it was a Rod Stewart tune

5. Is your family musical?

Yes

6. Which famous musicians do you admire? Why?

I admire Sheryl Crowe because she's a well-repsected woman musician in a rock and roll, man's world.

(The guys celebrating Valentines Day in Casa)

7. Do you write everything yourself?

Case Munro and I collaborate on our music.

8. Who was your first teacher? Other teachers?

My first music teacher was an old man named Mr. Kirchner, who taught me piano. I was afraid of him. Case has also been a great teacher. I'm afraid of him too :)

9. What are your fondest musical memories?

Case and I were able to play with two of our all-time favorite bands...Fortress of Attitude (on Myspace) and The Genders (also on Myspace). Anytime I've been to a concert or have seen seen a great band is up there too.

10. Were you influenced by old records/tapes? Which ones?

I love Johnny Cash, and also Robert Johnson as well as Louis Armstrong.

11. Who are your favourite musicians? Groups?

I'm a Van Halen girl, but I also love the Stones, Sex Pistols, and The Clash. I think those would be the groups I would listen to if I could only pick four. Don't make me pick just one please :)

12. Do you perform in RL? If so where?

We used to perform in first life all the time, all around south Florida.

13. How do you handle mistakes during a performance?

Mistakes? Just blow right past 'em!

14. Do you get nervous before a performance?

There's always a sense of excitement just before we go live, but I don't get nervous.

15. What advice would you give to beginners who are nervous?

Just remember, you're going to fuck up and really, only you'll know it. So don't worry!

(Mack and Case at the Half way to Paddys Day Party Sept 08)

16. How often and for how long do you practice?

We play so much that most of my "practice" is done while we're doing a performance.

17. Was this your life long dream?

No! The music industry is awful! But, I do love it and Case needed someone in the band who wasn't going to quit or that he couldn't fire. He's tried! Oh, how he's tried...but he's married to me :)

18. If you won an award for your music, who would you thank?

Case Munro, my family for supporting me, and all our fans as well as all those who believed in us along the way and helped us in anyway they could.

19. Where can people find out more about your music or keep in touch with you?

http://www.myspace.com/friendlyfiremusic

Just for fun:
- Person or thing you would most like to be reincarnated as
A cat in a household like mine.

- If your house was on fire what one thing would you take with you as you ran out? (NOT a person)
Our four cats count as people I guess, so it would probably be my guitar or pictures.

- If you were on a desert island and could take two things with you what would they be?
My bass and my ipod shuffle

- If you could go back to a particular period in history when would it be?
The Renaissance

- What is your favorite food and drink?
All food is great! Beer!

- What’s your pet hate?
People who are phony and liars

- If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
I already live in Florida, but I would also love to live on an island, in a nice bungalow with internet service and people on the other side who would deliver food and such when I needed.

(Case - looks like poor Mack had crashed again)

Case Munro

1. Who are you and where are you from?
We are Friendly Fire (Case Munro/guitar and MacKenzie Rasmuson/bass) an all original rock band from Pompano Beach, Florida

2. How long have you been playing?
I have been playing guitar for almost 30 years, Mack has been playing bass for around 8 years. Friendly Fire was formed in 2004

3. Which instruments do you play?
Electric guitar and bass, along with pre-programmed drums

4. What was the first tune(s) you learned?
Country Roads Take Me Home, it was the only sheet music in the house

5. Is your family musical?
My father and grandfather played the guitar a bit, my other grandfather played the organ

6. Which famous musicians do you admire? Why?
too many to count, but my favorite guitar player is Jeff Beck, because he plays things no one else could think of

7. Do you write everything yourself?

yes
(The guys at Casa's First birthday party!!)

8. Who was your first teacher? Other teachers?
Self taught

9. What are your fondest musical memories?
too many to count, although playing the Hard Rock was cool

10. Were you influenced by old records/tapes? Which ones?
Albums that had a big impact- The Clash, Never Mind The Bollocks, It's What's Inside That Counts by Critical Mass, Get The Knack, The Beatles Rock and Roll music

11. Who are your favourite musicians? Groups?
off the top of my head- Beatles, Stones, Clash, Pistols, Cheap Trick

12. Do you perform in RL? If so where?
not since we found SL :) we used to play all over Florida

13. How do you handle mistakes during a performance?
small mistakes we just plow ahead, usually we notice more than the audience, major screwups we point out and joke about

14. Do you get nervous before a performance?
every time

(Rockin it out @ Casa)

15. What advice would you give to beginners who are nervous?
channel the nervous energy into your performance

16. How often and for how long do you practice?
don't really practice per se, but we work at music for 3-4 hours a day, writing songs or recording or promotional stuff. I noodle on the guitar a lot while watching tv. when we first started the band we rehearsed 5 days a week for an entire year, which really built the foundation

17. Was this your life long dream?
yes

18. If you won an award for your music, who would you thank?
everyone

19. Where can people find out more about your music or keep in touch with you? http://www.myspace.com/friendlyfiremusic

Just for fun:
- Person or thing you would most like to be reincarnated as
one of our cats, they have it made

(FIRE FIRE - Mack is HOT HOT HOT)

- If your house was on fire what one thing would you take with you as you ran out? (NOT a person)
if it was just one thing it would have to be my computer, but I would try and grab a guitar or two if I could

- If you were on a desert island and could take two things with you what would they be?
a guitar and a pot seed

- If you could go back to a particular period in history when would it be?
I would have liked to have been born 20 years earlier when rock and roll was starting out

- What is your favorite food and drink?
tacos and beer

- What’s your pet hate?
willful stupidity

- If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

wouldn't want to live anyplace else :)
(The guys complete with Santa hats)

Thanks Mack and Case for answering the questions. You can catch the guys in Casa every thursday at 6pmslt. And every second Fluffy Friday @ 2pmslt!!!