Haven't I met you before?

Déjà vu. It means Already seen in French. is the experience of feeling sure that one has witnessed or experienced a new situation previously (an individual feels as though an event has already happened or has happened in the recent past), although the exact circumstances of the previous encounter are uncertain.

This was taken from wikipedia.

Why bring it up? Because I'm a fellow who experiences this on a daily basis. Sometimes it's subtle. Sometimes it is so profound that I almost know what the next word muttered will be.

I experienced a profound instance of Déjà vu the other day. I was at a Singer/Songwriter competition with my friend Craig. We perform a duo act full of original, modern, Australia, folk music. There were many other performers there that evening. And while I'm quite active in the music scene in Sydney, I'm not as well connected as people are lead to believe. To top things off, the other performers there that night were totally unfamiliar. I had never met them in my life.

Yet, when staring at the lovely Renae, I swear we had met before. I knew her and her face was vividly familiar. But how? She was from a town 300 kms away. A town I've passed through but never stayed in. My circle of friends, even the ones up past her way are not part of her circle of friends. So how can she look so familiar. So familiar in fact that I swear I know her. I'd bet my house on it, I'm as sure as day I know her.

Another performer that got up to play was Ben from Narabeen. I've never met him either. I don't travel to Narabeen. It's just not a place I go to. Ever. Yet there he was, and I'm staring at him too. Trying to figure out why he looks like someone I know too well.

Renae ended up sitting at our table and my wife spoke to her. We still don't know how I know her but we exchanged business cards and got chatting. We still have no idea. But either way, she's a nice, young and pretty girl with a great attitude. It's refreshing to see there are younger people out there that aren't bored, glued to the TV. They're out there performing live music and going out of their own way to do it.

Ben was the best sounding person on the evening. Better than us. Better than the guy who won first place, better than the guys who won second place, and better than the trio that won third. In fact, when Ben got up on stage and started to play and sing, on his own with his guitar, it was as if the stage lit up. He really made the place come alive. With previous performs just playing by numbers, as I like to call it. It's when you go on autopilot. When you just go in there, play your bit and walk off.

Ben and I exchanged business cards also, and I like how he did it too. Japanese style.

This is where he hands you his card with both hands and bows. You bow while you take the card with both hands. Nothing is said, you inspect the card as a sign of respect, place it safely in your wallet and then continue the conversation. I've always loved this greeting, though never stepped foot in Japan, I found it yet another familiar and comforting experience to have taken part in an official exchange of cards.

I see a lot of cool experiences with Ben coming soon. So watch this space.

From all that in one night, the last few days since then has had me wandering around working at the music school, which I'll have photos of soon. Teaching music and talking to people, all the while thinking about Renae and Ben. Two people I connected with and somehow have already met.

Maybe it was a past life. Maybe it's just that they're such cool, laid back easy going, fun loving musicians that I just got along with them so well that everything just clicked.

Or maybe it's what I've read about Déjà vu. It's that you subconciously want to meet people like this that when it happens in real life, you feel as though it has happened before because you've almost or perhaps have dreamt about it.

Either way, I like the idea I once invented about Déjà vu....

... Meeting someone for the first time that you have a familiar feeling about is because you have already met them once before, maybe 100 years ago, maybe 1000 years ago. And in that life, you were both musicians, perhaps you both even met in the same exact spot you met in 100 years ago, when the club use to be a factory making glass jars. Or 1000 years ago in a battle for territory, maybe you were just two kids who met on the field to play.

Point Plomer

I've briefly mentioned a place I go camping every now and then to get away from it all. This is not the usual camping trip I take every year to Sofala.

Point Plomer is a place I discovered through a friend over 15 years ago. Sadly, my friend died in a terrible car accident that is a story on its own. Point Plomer is a secret 60's surf spot. Today it's still a bit of a secret. Mainly because the road into the place is shit at best.

I put my little girly sized car through a lot to get there, and return. But she's a good car, and makes it there and back with never a complaint.

This time around was a bit different. I didn't exactly camp at Plomer. I stayed there in a house about 100 metres from where I usually camp. Funny part is, I've never seen that side of Point Plomer in the 15 years I've been going there.

Because of that, I had issues finding the place when I got there on Sunday night. Doing about 20 minutes of driving up to the point where the road had a sign that says "4WD Only".

Turning back around, I found some small houses lined up and then I found the bigger place thanks to my wife jumping out and asking for "The Plomer House"

Arriving there, we unpacked and made friends with some people we didn't know and caught up with friends with did know.

Since most of us are musicians, we had all brought our gear. The friend who organised the whole thing brought in a PA, so we had mics and proper sound. Then this guy rocked up, known in the local area as "Happy Days". A large hippy who lives 30 minutes away in a community share property, however the vague details suggest everyone there lives for themselves rather than communally. Not sure. But what I am sure of is Happy Days is a brilliant musician.

He turned up, set up his drum kit, and while people were a bit "strummed" out with their guitar playing and singing, Happy Days brought in a new breath of life and while he set up his drum kit, I played my bass, providing some tasty low end. He turned his skins and we were off, a bit of drum and bass to get the others warmed up and back into the rhythm of things.

We jammed together for a good 30 minutes before giving up because no one showed up. They were too busy eating, drinking and smoking.

Happy Days played the drums really well. Some of the rhythms he brought out were really technical, but not over done. They were simple, yet intricate.

Later than night he played my bass while I played along to the guys who finally got up to jam. I had jumped on my cajon, which I took up on the trip with my acoustic guitar and bass.

Man, Happy Days played bass really good too.

Later than night Happy Days had a few drinks and got on the guitar, played, started singing and everyone stopped what they were doing to have a listen to him. He was great. What a talented musician.

I won't lie. I was jealous. But my wife told me I was like him too. I just needed to stand in the lime light some more, instead of always trying to take a back seat. She's right. So, I've made myself a promise that I'm going to perform more of my stuff and get it out there rather than kick back and just play along.

The following day was sunny, so my wife and I went on a nice walk on the beach, though there were some areas that we couldn't walk around on the beach because the rocks reached out to the water, and the tide was coming in fast. So we said we'd try again the next day, but leave much earlier. The other side of the beach had some caves and stuff, so we headed back and ate lunch, enjoyed the rest of the day in the sun and played some more music.

Unfortunately Happy Days had to leave. I would have loved to have had more time to jam with him and also talk about the lifestyle he lives, off the land and off the grid.

The following day was much the same. Breakfast, music, walk on the beach, lunch, music. We watched some DVD's of concerts of famous musicians. Eat dinner and then had some nice cake that one of the visitors also staying at the house brought with them, running their own cake distribution business. This was perfect, as it was my wife's birthday. And while the trip away was mostly about getting away and forcing my wife to get away from her job for a short period of time, it was after all a good birthday present. Well, I thought so. The trip was all about relaxing and taking time to clear the mind, regather and head back into town a week later, ready to clear up some mess.

I think the trip worked out great in that regard.

I saw a side of Point Plomer I had never seen. I met some interesting people I'd like to see again. I gave my wife a good present. I had a break and caught up with friends I hadn't seen in a while.

I'll post photos over the next few days.