Bruised and Beat Down.

The title of this post is the first song ever written by Attack of the Mannequins. It would also have to be one of my favourites right now (both the band and the song).

(left to right:) Harrison Frued, Austen Kosasih and Jackson Freud - 01/01/2012 at House Of Rock

It's not often that I find myself so completely drawn in by a band to the point that their music is all I want to listen to. I suppose that's not so strange alone. In our lives we often come across things that we fixate upon, that consume us and in a weird way almost make us forget what life was like before it was a factor. There's nothing at all wrong with that. It means we've found something tangible. Something that we can connect to, that can - in our darkest hour - offer comfort and solace from the demons and monsters lurking in our minds and lives. It's actually really amazing when we do find something this powerful, this significant.

I suppose what serves to make it strange, is the fact that the bassist of the band Attack of the Mannequins (Austen Kosasih) has become one of my closest friends over the last couple of months, and the singer and guitarist (Harrison Freud and Jackson Freud respectively) are also friends of mine.

A lot of people I've mentioned my fandom to, have found it hard to distinguish the line between band and band-members. As amazing as Harrison, Jackson and Austen are, alone, they're three dudes who I can talk about comic books and Watchmen, and Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings with. They're the guys who make fun of me, and invite me to hang out with them after their gigs, that ask me random philisophical questions at stupid hours of the night. They're just friends. Just guys. But as a band, they're something else. It's the music I connect with. That being said, the fact that I do know them so well as people, probably helps in reaching this connectivity.

I'm proud of my friends for everything they've accomplished, for the energy they've poured into this, for the commitment, and their genuine appreciation of their fans. I'm so darn proud.