Detention & Music: Uncomfortable Bedfellows

Well, after a couple of weeks of flat-chat lobbying, writing, emailing, talking, interviewing, explaining, praying and general preparation for the reforms to go to Parliament this week, I thought I would re-devote this page to the purpose for which it was created... My thoughts about detentiony stuff.

Tuesday night saw me and 2 of my friends - James and Paul - arriving at Maribyrnong with 2 guitars and a little Peavey amp. We went through a rather rigourous security check involving the X-ray machine, the guitars, Paul's belt and a lot of loose change, but finally made it through to the centre. We set up on some plastic chairs sort of in front of the wall they use as a projector screen, plugged in, the detainees arrived and we started to play.

The guy who's in charge of keeping the detainees entertained switched out the lights, and brought out an electric disco ball. It was just plain strange. There we were, in the dark, in a detention centre, coloured lights playing brightly on the walls, with 25 or so miserable, bored, depressed, lonely and scared individuals, all sitting around wearing their stupid standard-issue detention tracksuits, folded awkwardly into plastic chairs and remembering the times when they were free to hear music played in their own space, in their own time, on their own terms- in freedom.

The boys (and I, from time to time) sang and played a lot of favourites, but towards the end of the set someone requested Kasey Chambers. I don't really know much Kasey Chambers, but Paul began to play True Colours, and I started to sing. We had never done that song before, but it just WORKED. Pretty soon, I was finding it quite emotional. I had been at Maribyrnong on Saturday and Sunday, and was back again on the Tuesday night. I'd been talking a lot to those guys, they've all been struggling recently, and I had just spent a day at "work" dealing a guy whose child had been killed last year, having him sitting in the office, crying and raging against the horror of what has happened in his life.

As I was singing, I couldn't help but think of the words, and their power in that situation. I had to hold back a tear. I can't bear to think of what we are doing to these people. And if the changes to the law pass... I don't know what I will do... I'm speechless just thinking about it...

JT x

TRUE COLOURS

You with the sad eyes
Don't be discouraged
Oh I realize it's hard to take courage
In a world full of people
You can lose sight of it all
And the darkness inside you
Can make you feel so small

But I see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
True colors are beautiful,
Like a rainbow

Show me a smile then,
Don't be unhappy, can't remember
When I last saw you laughing
If this world makes you crazy
And you've taken all you can bear
You call me up, because you know I'll be there

And I'll see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
True colors are beautiful,
Like a rainbow