Sunday, 25 July 2010

Europe & Foreigner @ iTunes Festival

Yup, I did it again, I won more tickets to an iTunes Festival gig. As Toni loathes Europe and Sam wasn't supposed to be around this weekend I offered my spare ticket to Armitage Smith (he of Paranoid Squirrel podcast fame, and one time Howling Mad guitarist). We met at London Bridge and made the journey to Chalk Farm where we stopped off for a quick snack, I only had chips as I was still pretty full from the noodles earlier on. When we got to the Roundhouse they still hadn't opened the main area doors so we had a quick drink at the bar and then skipped the enormous queue (naughty naughty!)

EUROPE
Gone are the poodle perms but these guys can still rock. They played a very mature set with most of the material taken from their later albums. It was material that I was unfamiliar with but it was very enjoyable and I shall definitely be going to see them when the tour properly in February 2011. Needless to say the final number of their 50 minute set was The Final Countdown. Knowing how much Toni loves that song (NOT) I tried to call her so she could hear it but sadly it was a communication fail in the wind up stakes LOL







FOREIGNER
I have to admit that the reason I applied for tickets to the gig tonight was to see Europe and I was not really bothered about Foreigner so it was with an open mind that I waited for them to hit the stage. I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. I never really acknowledged how many good songs they have in their catalogue (other than THAT song) as they rolled out hit after hit all mixed up with some very old and also new material. The sound was superb and they delivered with great energy. By the end of the night I was left wanting to go and delve into their archives and listen to more of their stuff.






And hear is THAT song, played at the end of their set (surprise surprise)


They put on a great show and took the time to thank the fans:



All in all it was a fantastic night out spent in good company (thanks for tagging along Armitage)

Greenwich Park, doing something different

We did something different today, we went to Greenwich Park for a walk around. The weather was lovely and it was nice to just get out in the fresh air and have a walk in nice surroundings.

I managed to get some really good photos while we were out.





We stopped off at a noodle bar for lunch and had some delicious food. Some of the menu items were interesting *sniggers*:


We ended up in a bit of a rush due our parking ticket being about to expire so Sam and I helped polish off Gemima's meal. Aaron was still taking his time so it was all hands on deck with straws to help finish his soup!



See all the Greenwich Park pics here: 250710GreenwichPark

Saturday, 24 July 2010

Washing, Hollywood Doll song writing and more washing

Bit of a busy day today. We got up and had a cooked breakfast before heading back to SWF for the day.

I had to re-install some recording studio software in preparation for a HOLLYWOOD DOLL song writing session and Toni had lots of washing to do, and using HER tumble dryer that is still at my house.

Matt and Graham came round and we made some good progress on a couple of songs. Marie and Steve then turned up and we added a third song to our productivity. Writing songs with these guys is so easy and we get so much done, it's great.

Washing continued and we chilled out while Sam played (and completed) the king of all cut scene games, Metal Gear Solid 4. I don't think I've ever seen so many consecutive, and long, cut scenes in a game. While visually impressive it did get a little bring after a while LOL. In the midst of all this we managed to fit in some chicken kebabs and cheesy chips before we headed back to Eltham.

Friday, 23 July 2010

Window fail & YouTube silliness

Despite our efforts to get Toni's house ship shape ready for the windows to be replaced it all turned out to be a spectacular fail in the end.

The workmen turned up and had to announce that their supplier had failed to deliver everything that was needed and so they would have to do the whole house on Monday rather than over Friday and Monday. The poor guys must have been really cheesed off as it meant that they won't get paid for today and will have to work longer on Monday to make up the time even though it wasn't their fault.

The evening was spent indulging in some YouTube silliness. So here's a few snippets from the mass of junk that we watched....



This one is my personal favourite

Thursday, 22 July 2010

Productive, X-Men, moving furniture, X-Men 2

Had a surprisingly productive day at work today. Our inter-network issues are not resolved but we have at least found a way of getting some work done and with today being, thankfully, meeting free lots got achieved.

Today also felt a little more settled and I didn't feel quite as much of an alien as I had been. The only real downer was that we were informed that our servers won't be getting moved this weekend so we'll be experiencing issues for at least another week *grumble grumble*

Got back to Eltham after a good journey and we all sat down and watched X-Men accompanied by a lovely home made curry that Toni had cooked. After the film it was all hands on deck as we started shunting furniture around in preparation for the workmen coming tomorrow to start replacing the windows.

Following the shunting we then watched X-Men 2 before having an early night as the workmen started on a flat above at 06:45 the other day.

Wednesday, 21 July 2010

Tiredness, stir fry and True Blood

Was absolutely shattered after work today. The change in travelling and extra walking really takes it out of you. Am sure I'll get used to it soon but I was seriously flagging.

It was an interesting day, the way WSS and CF do things are a billion miles apart and I wonder if we'll ever find any common ground to walk upon.... watch this space.

Journey home wasn't as bad as I went back to Eltham rather than SWF. I got in and crashed out while waiting for Toni to get home (with Sam who she was picking up from NG).

Evening consisted of a yummy stir fry and then chilling out and watching two episodes of True Blood season 3.

Tuesday, 20 July 2010

Meetings, meetings and Hollywood Doll preparing for gigs

Second day and so far so good I guess, travel has been thankfully painless. I think I might need to arrange a meeting to plan my blogs from now on as pointless meetings seems to be the order of the day at WSS. We managed to have lots of them today, which was nice! It's a wonder that anybody gets anything done at all here with the number of meetings that they have, most of which don't even end up with a proper plan of action to carry forward. Even the great global machine that was IBM had sussed out that you should only ever hold a meeting if you actually need to have one!

Thankfully trains have been running well and so I got home in good time to get changed ready for a HOLLYWOOD DOLL rehearsal. This is the last one before our next three gigs and we seem to have everything bolted down very well now. I can't wait to start gigging again next week and don't forget that new songs are coming soon!

Our current gig schedule is:
Wednesday 28th July - The Twist, Colchester
Friday 13th August - Chinnerys - Southend
Friday 27th August - The Box, Chelmsford

Please try and come along if you can

Last.FM listening post

Here's last week's top picks music lovers!

Top weekly tracks:


Top weekly artists:


Overall top tracks:


Overall top artists:

Monday, 19 July 2010

My first day at Wall Street Systems

It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's time to start work in London *sigh*
Nick turned up for the use if my drive way and we did the wonderful trip to Liverpool Street together. Sadly it was as grim as I remember it!
Met up with Mike and Stuart at Liverpool Street and we then all skipped together to the Wall Street Systems (WSS) offices (or something like that!)

As expected, my first day was pretty much a write off, my machine was out of action for most of it. We did manage to get in lots of meetings though, you gotta love meetings for the sake of meetings!

One positive though is that I do at least have permission to get in early and leave early (like I used to at Shenfield) so at least I won't be getting home really late every night. Sadly it does mean I will have to get up MUCH earlier :o(
The evening was spent just slobbing out and Sam and I caught up with our wrestling fix, including the Money In The Bank PPV which was really good. Go Kane!

Sunday, 18 July 2010

Much needed chill out

Following the rehearsal, recording and fun at the Specimen gig it was definitely a day to do very little. We got up at a reasonable hour and did very little. In the afternoon we went over to Gail's (as she was home alone and bored) and had a bit of a chill out. I did take some time out to review my new contract which was interesting to say the least! Methinks some amendments will be in order!

We then had a lovely chicken and salad dinner before heading back to SWF. It was pretty late by the time we got back but Toni very kindly did my roots and generally made me look presentable ready for tomorrow.

Saturday, 17 July 2010

BBQ in the sun

Despite being knackered from back to back rehearsals and then recording we were up quite early and headed off to Eltham. The journey took forever as there was a nasty accident on the motorway which brought everything to a stand still. Multi car pile up and burnt out wreck was a very sobering sight for us. When we did finally get back we had a quick rest before going over to Gail's for some BBQ fun. Lots of lovely food although Toni and I took is easy and didn't drink as we were off out later in the evening. We left Sam and Aaron to it and went off to get dressed ready for a gig in London.

Friday, 16 July 2010

Hollywood Doll in the studio recording

The location: Midnight Studios, Southend.

It's been a long time coming but this was one hell of a night. There is something very satisfying about working with a good sound engineer/producer and getting some tracks laid down. Michael Lawrence was fantastic to work with and he not only knew his stuff but also managed to really draw out the best of all of us.

We started at 18:00 and finished at 01:00, seven hours well spent and four tracks in the bag. Michael will be mixing them over the next couple of weeks and then we'll be able to unleash them on the world. The rough mixes sounded fantastic so I can't wait to hear what the finished mix is like.

End of an era

Today was a very sad day. For the very last time we all entered the Shenfield office. Not a lot of work was done before we all boxed up the last of our equipment and waited for the removal men to arrive. Turned out we were on a half day which was a bit of a result.

Thursday, 15 July 2010

HOLLYWOOD DOLL rehearsal

HOLLYWOOD DOLL were back at Midnight Studios this evening for a rehearsal prior to having a recording session tomorrow night.

It was one of those nights where we just didn't want it to end and we would have quite happily gone straight into recording after the rehearsal if we had been able to. All the songs are sounding very polished now and I can't want to start recording them and letting people hear what we sound like properly, rather than audio ripped from dodgy live video.

All our gear was locked in the studio when we left which was a really strange experience as we are so used to having to pack it all away at the end of rehearsal. It would be really nice to have a place of our own that we could rehearse at and always have our gear set up and ready for us. Maybe one day............

Work contracts and how to SPARKLE!

Well work FINALLY started some movement on the new employment front. Contracts are STILL nowhere to be seen but at least we have now had notification of what the salary uplifts will be so that is one worry out of the way. Wonder how long it will be for the actual contracts to turn up?

This little gem appeared out of the corporate machine today.............. corporate bollocks!

How to Reduce Stress - SPARKLE

We all encounter stress in our day to day lives and a small amount of stress is good to keep us motivated, but we also need to learn how to deal with it when it becomes too much. Using the ‘sparkle’ advice below is a good place to start!

S – Sleep well.
Your bed is for sleeping. When your head hits the pillow, it’s time to sleep, not think. Your bed should NOT be for: watching television, balancing your checkbook, planning the next day, arguing with your spouse, checking your e-mail, or making phone calls. When in bed, books are OK, laptops are not.
P – Plan every day.
Create a to-do list every morning. This gives you a) a roadmap of what you need to do at the beginning of the day, b) a reminder of what still needs to be done throughout the day and c) a place to check off your accomplishments at the end of the day
A – Anticipate less.
Recognize the false assumptions you make that lead to anxiety. Will things really turn out to be as bad as you think? Probably not. When you look to the future, visualize success rather than failure. After all, you really don’t know which it will be. So why not expect the best?
R – Relax.
Breath deeply when you feel stressed. Get up and change your environment, if only for a short time. Go for a walk at lunch. Relaxation means taking a break from what you were doing, not just “vegging out.” For instance, watching television isn’t always relaxing; it can be dumbing and dulling. Find activities that calm your body and stimulate your mind. Create a time for your own kind of meditation. Find a quiet space and a quiet time that’s just for you.
K – Keep Anger under control.
Be empathetic and forgiving to others when they make mistakes. Like you, they’re trying to do their best. Learn to give constructive feedback rather than destructive criticism. When someone makes you angry, remember that you have a choice in how you react. Instead of yelling at that bad driver who cut you off, do a running play-by-play on his erratic driving techniques. It’s more fun.
L – Laugh.
Use positive affirmations to keep yourself on track. Affirmations should use the 4 P’s; personal, positive, passionate and present. For instance, “I am a confident and successful manager who always runs an amazing team.” Find time to share a joke. Laugh at the curves life throws at you rather than fretting over them.
E – Eat Well and Exercise.
Your body needs to be a well-tuned machine to manage all of the stresses that act on it. Avoid eating packaged snacks – anything that comes in a wrapper or plastic bag. Try natural fruit instead. Add more colored vegetables to your meals. Reduce caffeine in your diet. It’s a stimulant and can exacerbate physical symptoms of stress that you may already have. Choose water instead. Avoid the escalator or elevator and take the stairs. Find opportunities to go for a walk. Ideally, get exercise that causes you to sweat for twenty minutes at least three times per week.


What a load of old shite. One of my colleagues rewrote it and came up with this.......

How to reduce stress- SPARKLE

S - Schaudenfreude.
Find someone who's worse off than you and have a f*cking good laugh at them

P - Pornography.
Wank yourself to death. You know you want to ! You might go blind though, and make sure you clean up afterwards. No one likes a person with jizz down their trousers.

A - Anger
Go on ! Reach out and communicate !! Especially with the c**t who's wound you up all day.

R - Resignation
Tell your friendly HR department to stick their job and their acronyms up their arse !!

K - Kleptomania
Help yourself to the contents of the stationary cupboard and make a killing on ebay. They could spare a few computers as well, I'm sure...

L - Lager
Drink yourself into oblivion. Makes you feel crap in the morning, but hey, when you're starting off in the gutter, the day can only get better

E - Excitement
Mind you, you're not in any danger of getting much of that round here.....

I Need A Handjob!

Now these show some awesome advertising............


Wednesday, 14 July 2010

Tiredness & the Meaning Of Life....

..... was flagging abit today after the excesses of last night.
Managed to struggle on through the day, still no sign of new contracts!

Met Toni at North Greenwich after work and we headed back to Eltham, I had a brief nap before waking up for chinese and then we laughed our butts off to Monty Python's Meaning Of Life!

Girl - Hollywood Tease

The next installment of "Those Were The Days: Glam/Sleaze/Trash Blasts From The Past".

It's that Phil Lewis bloke again, this with Girl performing Hollywood Tease

Tuesday, 13 July 2010

The Last Supper

After a less than motivated day we all headed out for our Shenfield Last Supper. Friday marks the end of an era as we are all leaving the comfort of the bunker that is Whitegates and moving to the 'delights' of the static and sterile environment that is Wall Street Systems in London.

We all headed to The Hutton where we met up with Dave and Shaun who sadly won't be part of the London adventure. Lots of drinks and laughing before we staggered up the road to Lot 75 for more drinks.

As Steve announced that he was going to pay for the curry (with his 30 pieces of silver) we changed location from The Shenfield Tandoori to the more up class Tandoori Nights LOL.

Meal was good and the stories and laughter continued. Although the move to London could well be a positive event for us it was still sad as we drew a close to the Shenfield era. We are all quite a close group and so the change will be odd.

It was a great night out though and I'm glad we did it.

After the meal Mike gave me a lift home, after a detour to deposit Mr Whalley safely back in Blackmore.

As Mr Manson said, bring on the 'New Shit'!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Railway Parade,Brentwood,United Kingdom

The Gunslingers - Shake Some Action

The next installment of "Those Were The Days: Glam/Sleaze/Trash Blasts From The Past".

The Gunslingers on ECT perfoming Shake Some Action

Last.FM listening post

Here's last week's top picks music lovers!

Top weekly tracks:


Top weekly artists:


Overall top tracks:


Overall top artists:

Monday, 12 July 2010

Back to the gym, knackered!

Today was a big day for me as I went back to the gym for the first time since way before my operation. It was a bit of a slog when I started but I was soon back in the swing of things. I even managed to do my longest ever run on the treadmill which amazed me. Really glad I went and although I am knackered now I have resolved to make it a much more regular thing.

As an added bonus it turned out I was also less heavy than when I did my last review which was a serious boost for me as I thought that I would have put more weight on.

On the way back I bumped into Mark Grimwood in the SWF station car park so stopped to have a chin wag and a catch up before heading home for food, a shower and relaxation.

The Ghosts Of Lovers - That Girl (live)

The next installment of "Those Were The Days: Glam/Sleaze/Trash Blasts From The Past".

The Ghosts Of Lovers perform That Girl. This is a great song although I'm sure about that drummer (eh Mr Doll LMFAO)

Sunday, 11 July 2010

Sometimes it is nice to do.....

.... absolutely nothing and that weekend trend continued today.

Got up early and watched The Exam, this is a fantastic film and it's amazing how well it works with eight people in one room for the whole film.

We then had breakfast and watched the original 1981 version of Clash Of The Titans. It was as fun and cheesy as I remember from my youth.

Following a brief trip to Asda we then watched the 2010 remake of Clash Of The Titans. Not sure why this received such harsh criticism as I thought it wasn't a bad film and actually seemed to stick a little closed to mythology than the 1981 version.

The evening was rounded off with a nice dinner and Stardust before Toni and Gemima had to head back to Eltham.

Sadly I then had a load of chores to do so I couldn't relax completely before bed LOL

Torme - Star

The next installment of "Those Were The Days: Glam/Sleaze/Trash Blasts From The Past".

Phil Lewis with Torme singing Star!

Saturday, 10 July 2010

Busy doing nothing, free money & films

Today was spent blissfully doing nothing, just as well really as it was too bloody hot!

I did end up earning some free money today as I was on standby for work (with a client doing a live upgrade) so had to stay in anyway to monitor my emails. The downside of this meant that sadly we were unable to attend a party that we had been invited to.

To make up for doing nothing we lounged around, ate ice cream (and some real food) and watched films and TV shows: Daybreakers, The Gates, South Park, and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus followed by True Blood.

Sadly the temperature is not going down and I am getting really annoyed with it now, it's boring, not comfortable and I would really like for it to get cooler again and soon!

Tarazara - Behind The Mask

The next installment of "Those Were The Days: Glam/Sleaze/Trash Blasts From The Past".

Tarazara performing Behind The Mask on ECT! Singer Danielz is also Mr Bolan in T-Rextasy

Friday, 9 July 2010

Angry Birds, kebabs and Up

I have a confession to make. I appear to be addicted to the iPhone game Angry Birds! Ryan introduced me to it yesterday and I haven't stopped playing it since. I got in from work and ended up playing it for a couple of hours without even realising what the time was. I was amazed when Toni arrived to find that I had been playing for so long.... oooops!

Due to the heat, and lack of desire to go to Asda, dinner consisted of kebabs, cheesey chips and watch Up which turned out to be quite an amusing film!

Glamour Punks - Hollywood Holocaust Babies

The next installment of "Those Were The Days: Glam/Sleaze/Trash Blasts From The Past".

Glamour Punks - Hollywood Holocaust Babies

Thursday, 8 July 2010

HOLLYWOOD DOLL rehearsal

Had a great HOLLYWOOD DOLL rehearsal tonight. Things are sounds really tight which will be great when we get in the studio to record next Friday night. Although we hadn't rehearsed for 3 weeks we only really had to work on two minor parts of our arrangements which was very encouraging.

We even managed to knock out a half decent version of I Hate Myself For Loving You by Joan Jett, which wasn't bad as not everyone had practiced it LOL

More rehearsing next week, including two new songs and then recording on Friday, I really can't wait!




Dust In The Wind

I love this song and I love the Scorpions so it seemed fitting to add this one into the mix today. OK it's not strictly in the "Those Were The Days: Glam/Sleaze/Trash Blasts From The Past" category but I couldn't resist slipping it in there!

So here we have Scorpions performing a wonderful acoustic version of Kansas's Dust In The World as part of their Acoustica performances.

Spot the difference!

Oh my god this is awesome.............

Matt discovered that perhaps the £1 coin that he had been given by the Co-Op was perhaps not a genuine one. Not only is one of the coins below a fake it is a very BAD one! The font is crap, the finish is crap, the engraving round the side is off centre.........

Can you tell the difference? LMFAO



A Song For Absent Friends

I would like everyone to raise their glasses as I dedicate this song to all our lost friends, family and loved ones who have left our side

Wednesday, 7 July 2010

Football has been and gone!

Well that's me out now! Germany excelled and got much further than anticipated in the 2010 World Cup for such a young team and enjoyed some sweet results against England and Argentina.

After a fairly stressful day at work I rushed home to tidy up a bit and then settle down to watch the Germany v Spain semi final. Sadly, armed with JD, I had to witness my boys exiting at the semi final stage thanks to a VERY dominant Spain. Although I had hoped Germany would make it to the final I can't deny that the better team won tonight albeit with a slim 0 - 1 scoreline. I can't wait to see what Germany serves up for the next European Cup and World Cup.

For now, that's me gracefully bailing out of any interest in football and normality will once again be restored for a couple of years. My parting wish for the 2010 World Cup is for Holland to beat Spain!

Those who do not..............

..........remember the past are condemned to be twats (and repeat it!)

Blimey. Sometimes people can be so fickle! If you have disagreements with, fall out, have a big bust up or even get screwed over by someone then just deal with it. Don't go all bitter and dwell on things as this just ends up warping you into an ugly person. Have recently experienced a group of people turning on someone they have felt hard done by over the years and to be honest the hate and disrespect that they are showing kind of matched the very same thing that they claim happened to them and makes them appear just as bad as the person they are bitching about. A dose of double standards perhaps! It is even funnier when people who worshipped someone suddenly turn against them when there is no real reason to do so other than being, or wanting to be, in with a crowd that have decided to bash that person.

You can't change what happened in the past so don't be a dick about it. Life is too short for grudges and certainly venting your spleen publicly about someone you are supposed to dislike intensely just makes them seem all the more important and notorious. It also makes me wonder if they are still under that person's thrall as they feel the need to keep him/her in the limelight when surely it would be better to say nothing, not fuel the propaganda machine and just let things, and that person and associated memories, fade away.

OK, rant over, I feel better for that!

Keel - Because The Night

The next installment of "Those Were The Days: Glam/Sleaze/Trash Blasts From The Past".

Keel cover the Patti Smith classic Because The Night

Tuesday, 6 July 2010

New offices, PC restored!

We popped up to the new offices in London today to have a look around and have a pseudo induction. We also had the good news that our new contracts should be ready for next week prior to us actually moving offices. Spent some time networking with some of the Wall Street guys and the general consensus is that perhaps they will be OK after all.

Once I got home I continued my PC restoring which has now been done 100% which I am absolutely delighted about. All my critical data has safely been recovered and a couple of backup plans actioned from now on to ensure any issues are less painful in the future.

Beau Nasty - Shake It

The next installment of "Those Were The Days: Glam/Sleaze/Trash Blasts From The Past".

Shake It from Beau Nasty

Last.FM listening post

Here's last week's top picks music lovers!

Top weekly tracks:


Top weekly artists:


Overall top tracks:


Overall top artists:

Happy Birthday Emily Williams

Happy Birthday Emily Williams

Hope you have a fabulous day

Monday, 5 July 2010

One of those days, Hollywood Doll website and PC recovery!

It was one of those days today. You know the ones where you just don't want to get up in the morning but you have to!

Work was pretty hectic in the morning which at least helped the day move quickly although it did slow down a bit in the afternoon.

After I'd got home and had something to eat I then proceeded to update the HOLLYWOOD DOLL website and also start my PC data recovery. Thankfully the tool I am using is fantastic and so far everything seems to be going well which I am obviously delighted about!

Smashed Gladys - Legs Up

The next installment of "Those Were The Days: Glam/Sleaze/Trash Blasts From The Past".

Smashed Gladys were another band who never quite got there. Legs Up is a great anthem!

Sunday, 4 July 2010

Taking it easy, chilling and talking

Today was a much more civilised affair. No getting up early thank goodness.

Once we had all risen we had a lovely breakfast and then the rest of the day was just spent hanging out, chatting and chilling. It was a great way to spend the day.

A wonderful evening meal was sadly followed by goodbyes as Dren and Emma had to head back to Stafford.

It was a fantastic weekend though and a much needed escape from the real world!

Lita Ford - Kiss Me Deadly

The next installment of "Those Were The Days: Glam/Sleaze/Trash Blasts From The Past".

Kiss Me Deadly by Lita Ford

Saturday, 3 July 2010

Fantastic day in Camden

Despite not going to bed til 3am we were up bright and early to go to Camden. I had arranged to drop some hats off to a photographer first thing so everybody else had to suffer with an early rise *grin*

Dren drove us which was a novelty as we usually get tubes and trains. Thankfully we arrived in plenty of time. Dren and Emma went and did a couple of things while Toni and I met up with Tina and hand over the hats.

It was now time for shopping! Emma started the proceedings with a sequinned cowboy had that was very her LOL. We stopped to look at some really nice clothes on a stall and Toni started grumbling that they wouldn't have anything in her size. The assistant overheard her and then proceeded to prove her wrong. End result, I bought Toni a lovely top and skirt that she was VERY pleased with and everyone agreed she looked gorgeous.

Next stop was Wagamama for some yummy food and then it was back to the browsing again. Toni bought me a fabulous pair of trousers which I can't wait to wear out somewhere. As it was hot we then popped into a cafe and had milkshakes and ice cream to cool us down a bit.

As we had to wait around for Tina to finish the photo shoot and bring back the hats we then decided to find a pub to have a drink and watch the Argentina v Germany game! We hit the Oxford Arms and I was delighted to find that we stumbled on a pub with lots of Germany fans in it. It was a thoroughly enjoyable game with the pub filled probably 50/50 with people supporting Germany and Argentina. Needless to say I was delighted with the game and the result!

After the game Tina dropped the hats off and we headed back to Eltham. We then had lots of chatting, a little drinking and a massive chinese to finish off the day.

Shark Island - Paris Calling

The next installment of "Those Were The Days: Glam/Sleaze/Trash Blasts From The Past".

Shark Island and Paris Calling. Richard Black is the man whose dance moves Axl Rose STOLE unashamedly!

Friday, 2 July 2010

Screaming Banshee Aircrew @ New Cross Inn

Well there was a plan that didn't go quite as expected! We were supposed to go to see Screaming Banshee Aircrew at the New Cross Inn with Dren and Emma. Due to some issues they ended up not meeting us at Toni's but instead we ended up meeting at the venue.

Imagine our surprise when we arrived to find that the gig had been delayed a bit due to the Uruguay v Ghana game going into extra time and then penalties! The gig eventually get underway! There were lots of bands on although we only ended up staying until the end of Screaming Banshee Aircrew's set.

It was an interesting mix!


STAVIN' CHAINS
These guys were OK although everyone else struggled a bit. There was nothing really originally about it at all. They just came across as poor imitators of bands like The Birthday Party and Psychic TV. They had a very bare punk industrial sound.




COLD IN BERLIN
COLD IN BERLIN were kind of punk by numbers. They had VERY repititious choruses so it was easy to sing along! The singer had a very Siouxsie/Hazel O'Connor stylee. A strange photographer appeared who was REALLY up herself. and actually seemed to pose when she was taking pictures. It was almost as thought she wanted to be the other side of the camera. Her outfit left something to be desired too:


The singer kept doing some strange zombie/mummy movements which seemed a little odd as they didn't seem to fit the band's style or lyrics. Don't get me wrong, they weren't a bad little outfit, they just lacked that little spark.





SCREAMING BANSHEE AIRCREW
Such a damn shame that this was SCREAMING BANSHEE AIRCREW's last London gig. They put on a fantastic show and will be greatly missed!



Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers - Chinese Rocks

The next installment of "Those Were The Days: Glam/Sleaze/Trash Blasts From The Past".

Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers delivering their classic Chinese Rocks

Thursday, 1 July 2010

Scissor Sisters @ The Roundhouse (iTunes Festival)

Sam and I went to The Roundhouse tonight, as you might have gathered from my pink wristbands post. The iTunes Festival is such a great concept. Choose some bands, fill in a form, win tickets, no charge, RESULT!

And so it was that we went to see Scissor Sisters, a band that I love but have never seen live.


THE DRUMS
I'd never heard of THE DRUMS before tonight and to be honest I won't be rushing out to get better acquainted. They were OK. Bouncy indie guitar pop but the songs all started to sound very samey all too quickly. The singer was like a cross between Brett Anderson and Morrissey (voice and moves in that order). Not a bad warm up band I guess. Their one redeeming feature was bringing in Scissor Sister Ana Matronic to sing for one of their number which was fine by me!




See all THE DRUMS pics here: 010710TheDrumsTheRoundhouse#


after a short break and some interesting videos it was time for..............


SCISSOR SISTERS
WOW! What a show. The SCISSOR SISTERS were awesome and blew everyone away. The songs were there, the show was as camp as a camp thing. It was gay disco night and I loved every minute of it. There are many bands that could learn a lot from watching this lot. Go on stage, entertain the crowd, enjoy it and look like you are having a blast while you are at it!






See all the SCISSOR SISTERS pics here: 010710ScissorSistersTheRoundhouse

Pink wristbands for the win!

At the Roundhouse in Camden to see the Scissor Sisters as part of the iTunes Festival. Pink wristbands rule!


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Location:Camden Town,United Kingdom

Madam X - High In High School

The next installment of "Those Were The Days: Glam/Sleaze/Trash Blasts From The Past".

High In High School by Madam X