Below is a list of my favourite songs, and why they hold their special place in my memory.  What makes a song a favourite? Personally, I have about five or six songs that I can easily rattle off as personal 'must haves', with another 10 or so spaces reserved for a rolling list of preferred tunes. What is it about a specific song that draws us in and sets it apart from others? How do we remember all the lyrics to a song from our youth, but cannot even name the album title of something we listened to yesterday?

1. Venice Queen - Red Hot Chili Peppers.

On November 26th, 2002, I sat in the Brisbane Entertainment Centre giggling like a little girl in spring time. It was the third time I had been to a Red Hot Chili Peppers show - a band I had adored since 1992 when my father perhaps misguidedly bought me the Blood Sugar Sex Magik album. Two and a half years earlier, I had sat at the same venue with my now wife watching the Californication tour. I had purchased two tickets prior to having even met Peta, but feeling optimistic, I was sure in the three months between purchase and show I could convince someone to come along - who'd have thunk I would marry them.

But I digress, Venice Queen had already been a favourite from the By The Way album; I am a sucker for a song that feels or sounds like it is two or more songs in one. When the song started to play I was transfixed by John Frusciante, eagerly looking forward to the switch from electric guitar to acoustic guitar. As the moment approached, I notice in the background an acoustic guitar nestled on a stand, not resting vertically, but in playing position - and it was at this point John moved in behind this guitar and with a singular movement swung the electric guitar he was playing to his back and instantly belted into the commencement of the acoustic bars. I lost my shit - coolest thing I had ever seen on a stage.

Years later I was reading Anthony Kiedis' autobiography and came across the story that prompted the song. It had been written about Gloria Scott, a recovered heroin addict from Venice Beach who in turn had become a drug councellor and helped Anthony through his addictions. When later in life she developed terminal cancer, the band supported her and ensured she would be able to die in her own space in Venice. This background only enhanced the meaning of the song and I am grateful for that (note; this is my recollection of the background and may not be 100% accurate - I'm too lazy to fact check).

2. Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town - Pearl Jam       

When I was younger, I used to spend school holidays with my grandparents in the regional NSW town of Batlow. Now, many of you Australian folk will be familiar with Batlow apples, but maybe less so with Batlow. It is a sleepy little hollow, with not many more than 1000 residents, many of whom are employed through the fruit industry. And it is with great pride that I can acknowledge I too was one of these apple employed folk when my grandfather secured me my first ever job as a 15 year old one summer holiday. What does any of this have to do with this song? Not much, other than I would listen to it on repeat every night at bedtime on a pink boombox borrowed from my cousin Vanessa. I remember everything about those six weeks, the meals prepared by my grandmother when I got home from work; the bet made with a shift supervisor that he never paid up on and games of alphy (bingo with letters) with the old ducks at the bowls club. It was a truly magical summer and every time I hear Elderly Woman it immediately takes me back there.

Addendum: on my first day picking fruit I was hit in the head by an apple being thrown between friends. As I was, and still am, socially inept, I allowed the apple to rebound off my head some 5 metres into the air without saying a word. Two days later the unprovoked attack was acknowledged by my colleagues and we became friends - if only more people would throw apples at me.

3. Everlong - Foo Fighters

In 1997 I was completing my final year of University. As my last exams drew closer I made the decision that as soon they were done I'd be on a plane to the USA to work as a ski instructor in Colorado. Being somewhat like a small child at Christmas, I couldn't wait to embark on this adventure so I moved all my final exams forward by two weeks, sat them in the space of three days and signed a stat declaration stating I wouldn't share the content with my peers. Four hours after that final exam I was on a plane to LA, and then subsequently Denver Colorado.

After about two weeks of teaching toddlers to ski, I set myself the lofty goal of transitioning to snowboard instructor. Later that week I snowboarded for the first time. The next week I went and bought the snowboard video (yes it was a VHS) 'Simple Pleasures' by Mack Dawg productions. The soundtrack featured this song, and it immediately became a place of solace. I remember watching and rewinding again and again, to the point that the tape became stretched and worn. Not only was the song amazing, but the accompanying footage was on point - and forever since I associate this song with my favourite winter past time.

P.S. About a week after starting snowboarding we were short instructors and I got the call up. Remember kids, so long as you are marginally more experienced than those you are mentoring you will still have something to offer.

4. The Cynic - Kashmir

Growing up my parents had what I considered a pretty good record collection, and I would spend many an hour sitting in front of the record player listening to assorted favourites and oddities that it included. Amongst the Pink Floyd, Neil Diamond and Cold Chisel was a strong presence of David Bowie; Diamond Dogs, Young Americans, Alladin Sane and Scary Monsters. I still remember a nightmare I had about the Diamond Dogs album cover when I was a five-year-old, it was weird as hell.

When David Bowie passed away in 2016 I was devastated, not because I considered myself a huge fan or an aficionado, more because it was such a great creative loss. I immediately went and downloaded Blackstar and was amazed by how relevant and ahead of the curve his music and vision remained, even in the shadow of his imminent death David Bowie was creating masterpieces - adding to his legacy and giving to his fans. Much of my affection for Bowie came from the collaborations he was involved in, his presence always lifted a song - as artistic genius is likely to do. Some of my favourite examples were:

•   All The Young Dudes - Mott the Hoople

•   I'm Afraid of Americans - w/ Trent Reznor

•   Reflektor - Arcade Fire

•   Bring Me The Disco King - w/Maynard James Keenan and John Frusciante

But the one that stands out the most to me is The Cynic by Kashmir. I don't really have a story or reason why - it just sounds good and that should be enough with music sometimes.

5. Futile Device - Sufjan Stevens

For those of you who may not be familiar with Sufjan, he is prolific, eclectic and wonderful. From his ambitious 50 states project where he intended to record an album for each of the US's fifty states, through to 'The BQE' - an album created entirely from sound samples recorded at the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway he is following a vision. Sufjan switches from upbeat to melancholy, electric to orchestral, pop to experimental as if no genre is diametrically opposed to another - I am truly envious to witness somebody so genuinely good at what they do.

With such a diverse range of music it can be somewhat polarising at face value, the unpredictability of what will come next can result in frustration. Subsequently choosing a favourite or stand out song is difficult, however the one that I always come back to is Futile Devices from 'The Age of Adz'. In a single verse he is able to perfectly articulate that which for me had previously been beyond articulation.

6. Ready to Start - Arcade Fire

"Now you're knocking at my door

Saying please come out again tonight

But I would rather be alone

Than pretend I feel alright."

I once had a fridge where I painted the door with blackboard paint and wrote this lyric on it. My father visited and saw it and instantly worried - I guess it was my nonverbal way of saying I'm okay with not being okay. This lyric was empowering, it gave me permission to be who I needed to be; which a lot of the time is someone who just needs to be alone with their thoughts. It may not be a productive way to spend my time, but often it is.

Special Mention - Ataxia, Automatic Writing II (AWII). The entire album is heaven and everyone should listen at least once...... my little girl Charli did yesterday, and she approves.

And a shout out to my old mate Joe and his dad Tony who played a significant role in introducing me to a huge range of music that I'd never have been exposed to without them.