Hard Rock Hell: The bands, day 2

So here we are for another day of Hard Rock Hell!
Dan and Laura:


Toni and I:



THE GLITTERATI
The plan had been to watch THE GLITTERATI after a quick squint at Dumpy's Rusty Nuts. We had decided to give them a chance after their appalling behaviour at The Gaff recently. We saw one number as we walked through to see Dumpy's Rusty Nuts but that turned out to be it................


DUMPY'S RUSTY NUTS
Toni was intrigued by DUMPY'S RUSTY NUTS because of the name. Dan and Laura had been told to go and see them by some friends and so we did. It was incredible, there were more people watching Dumpy's Rusty Nuts on the small stage than there were watching The Glitterati on the larger one. Dumpy hasn't changed, the set was almost identical to ones that I was watching him play 20 odd years ago. His well crafted blues rock is as catchy today as it was then and the onstage banter/heckling and humour is thankfully totally intact. We were enjoying Dumpy so much that our plans to pop back and see The Glitterati were ditched and we stayed and watched all of the Dumpy's Rusty Nuts set instead. No photos cos the place was packed and we couldn't get a clear enough view.


GIRLSCHOOL
Another bunch of oldies, but goodies, GIRLSCHOOL kicked ass (Hysterica should watch Girlschool and takes on how things should be done!) A good mix of old and new tracks drew a large crowd. Whilst they have never been major players on the rock scene they certainly proved that they are as relevant and entertaining today as they were many moons ago.




See all the GIRLSCHOOL pics here: 051109GirlschoolHRHIII


TIGERTAILZ
WOW! TIGERTAILZ were on fire. They were just ripping it up and taking no prisoners today. This was best I have seen them recently. Bezerk album back to back once again followed by Girlschool joining them for a cover of Ace Of Spades, RESULT!


See all the TIGERTAILZ pics here: h051209TigertailzHRHIII





THE QUIREBOYS
It were just like back in the day! THE QUIREBOYS brand of Stones/Faces style rock n roll swagger is alive and kicking and the crowd loved it. Barring the personal changes this could have been a gig back in the 80s again. They were good and it was great to hear the crowd singing along to some classic tunes. Red lighting does NOT a good photo make but here are some anyway........




See all THE QUIREBOYS pics here: 051209TheQuireboysHRHIII

After The Quireboys we headed back to the chalet for some food and to get changed into different outfits for the evening!

Bitty Grim, Toni, Dan and Laura:


Toni and I:



W.A.S.P.
Blackie Lawless and co were on fine form as W.A.S.P. hit the stage. We didn't even try and get close to the stage as the place was packed. Once again we were treated to a great mix of old and new material with Mr Lawless (completely with trademark buzz-saw armbands) leading his cohorts through W.A.S.P. classics like L.O.V.E. Machine, I Wanna Be Somebody, The Idol and Blind In Texas. It was metal mayhem and the crowd loved it.




See all the W.A.S.P. pics here: 051209WASPHRHIII


QUEENSRYCHE
Unfortunately QUEENSRYCHE weren't as good as I hoped. I guess I had forgotten how I can only cope with Geoff Tate's voice in small doses! It was actually weird because he sings in a very charismatic high voice and yet talked in a very low dreary one. His crowd interaction just sounded like the most boring half arsed effort to communicate that I have ever heard at a gig. The crowd seemed to enjoy the band but they just weren't for me on this occasion. No photos of Queensryche as I just couldn't be bothered as we were too busy talking and drinking LOL


NEW YORK DOLLS
The NEW YORK DOLLS were another band that I had really been looking forward to seeing. They started with a bang and two great old tracks and then just seemed to fizzle out. The new material just didn't seem to have the trashy class of the old stuff and even when they played more older material they just never seemed to get their spark back again. That said, it was great to see them and it's just a shame that a certain Mr Thunders is no longer with us.




See all the NEW YORK DOLLS pics here: 051209NewYorkDollsHRHIII

Toni and I watched the New York Dolls from the seated area at the back of the arena, we just walked through and went and sat down. Dan and Laura came to join us only to be turned away. We looked around and saw that everyone in the seats had VIP passes on. We also noticed that the security guard that turned Dan and Laura away was only checking the passes when the people coming through were either men (or men with women), he didn't once check single women or women in groups. We can only assume that we got through because Toni led the way and I was in my tutu and so he probably didn't get past my legs as we walked towards and passed him! Dirty git! I felt really bad although it was OK as Dan and Laura went and watched some growly bands that weren't really out cup of tea.


LAUREN HARRIS
Wasn't very impressed with LAUREN HARRIS. Musically the band were pretty good but unfortunately for me Lauren's voice was all a bit High School Musical. Apparently she is the daughter of Iron Maiden bass player Steve Harris. She did announce that in 2010 they are not going to be called Lauren Harris any more but will adopt a band name. Wonder if it's because she wants to make it based on the talent of the band or because the "name" isn't working? Lauren didn't seem very comfortable on stage and had some really dire "stage moves" that showed her lack of confidence. They seemed to have a loyal following so good luck to them!




See all the LAUREN HARRIS pics here: 051209LaurenHarrisHRHIII


SPiT LiKE THiS
Sadly, the end of Hard Rock Hell was upon us. I couldn't think of a better way to end it all than to see our friends SPiT LiKE THiS blasting us out.





See all the SPiT LiKE THiS pics here: 051209SPiTLiKETHiSHRHIII

We had some photos taken by official HRH photographers at the event:

The Gang:


The Glitzes:

Hard Rock Hell: The bands, day 1

Due to our later than expected arrival we unfortunately missed Die Apokalyptischen Reiter but from then on in we did manage to see LOTS of bands.

Dan and Laura:


Toni and I:


Dan, Laura & Toni:



KORIPLAANI
Finnish folk metal band KORPIKLAANI were really entertaining. Unlike most folk metal bands they actually started off as a folk band before adding the metal elements so the folk influences are for more obvious. Most of the songs are about drinking and partying and they, and the crowd, had a real blast. The played the wonderful "Beer Beer" which was the soundtrack for Swedish Chef Heavy Metal 3 (look it up on my blog later if you have missed out on this classic)




See all the KORPIKLAANI pics here: 041209KorpiklaaniHRHIII


DELAIN
Dutch symphonic metal band DELAIN delivered a mighty fine set of Nightwish style tunes. I have since discovered that keyboard player Martijn Westerholt used to be in Within Temptation so it is no wonder he went on to form another female fronted outfit. We missed them at the Rock Of Ages festival so was really glad we got a chance to catch up with them here.




See all the DELAIN pics here: 041209DelainHRHIII


HYSTERICA
Swedish all female outfit HYSTERICA had to be disappointment of the weekend. I have their CD and its not bad, nothing special but not awful wither. Their promo photos has a very "metal" image and they seemed to be portrayed in a very Manowar "bitches of meral" style which I thought would translate well onto a live stage. WRONG! Instead of coming out looking all Goddess Of Metal they came out looking like a combination of WAGs dressed a rock chicks, sluts and dominatrixes (not all my terms but let's go with them)! As if the confused image wasn't enough the music wasn't that great either with one of the guitarists being barely able to string a complete solo together. It was shame but hopefully they'll learn from it. Then again, the males in audience drooled like there was no tomorrow so I guess lots of people left happy!




See all the HYSTERICA pics here: 041209HystericaHRHIII


RATT
Following on from our disappointment with Hysterica (and a few more drinks) we went to the main stage and watched 80s hair metal oldies RATT tear things up and give us all a good time. Even though they have been around forever they were superb. All the classics came out, You're In Love, Round And Round, Back For More etc. Stephen Pearcy still has an amazing voice and as they just cancelled their UK tour I was very happy that they honoured the HRH date as they were definitely worth seeing.




See all the pics here: 041209RattHRHIII


EDEN'S CURSE
Not being overly fussed with either Terrorvision or Monster Magnet we drifted back to the smaller stage to watch EDEN'S CURSE. Another band that I knew nothing about but they were really good. Their guitarist was fantastic and they put on a really good show.




See all the EDEN'S CURSE pics here: 041209EdensCurseHRHIII


WINTERBORN
Another new band for me, WINTERBORN had some good power metal tunes done in a very European style (but then they are from Finland!). I have added this mob to my list of bands to check out further.




See all the WINTERBORN pics here: 041209WinterbornHRHIII


SONATA ARCTICA
And so we came to our final band of the night, the might SONATA ARCTICA. They were absolutely superb. All members of the band were giving it their all and the vocals and harmonies were perfect! A good mix of songs from across their ten years of existence and it was a shame that there was no chance for encores. Their UK tour date clashed with Eddie Izzard so once again HRH saved the day!




See all the SONATA ARCTICA pics here: 041209SonataArcticaHRHIII

The road to Hard Rock Hell

Toni and I got up early to complete our preparation before heading off to Southend to pick up Dan and Laura and then head off to Prestatyn, Wales for Hard Rock Hell III: The Viking's Ball.

We decided that rather than get fleeced by service stations en route we would have a large breakfast before we hit the road. There was a cafe over the road from Dan and Laura's but unfortunately it didn't open until 10 and we wanted to get the journey under way rather than wait.

Instead we found a cafe in Basildon to grab breakfast. It was a proper builder's cafe and so it was almost tumbleweed city as four goths walked in LMFAO! Following a LARGE breakfast we then hit the road. Much amusement was had with Dan's Sat Nav (until the battery ran out anyway!). 8 odd hours later we arrived in soggy Prestatyn and checked into our chalet. After a brief rest and some mild preparation it was time to indulge in our first experience of Hard Rock Hell!

Hard Rock Hell III preparation

After the wonders of Eddie Izzard at the O2 Arena, Toni, Sam and I gave Mark and Sam a lift back to Wickford before heading back to SWF.

When we got home Toni and I had to prepare for our trip to Hard Rock Hell III. Packing, colouring, washing and straightening hair was the order of the early hours of the morning. We were shattered by the time it reached 3am and we had to get up early to go and pick up Dan and Laura.

We're off to see the Izzard!

Went to see the mighty Eddie Izzard tonight at the O2 Arena. Started out with dinner at Nandos before meeting Sam, Mark and Sam (and friends) plus Robin and Ellie (and Ben and Nancy).

Eddie Izzard was totally brilliant, completely hilarious. Even though a lot of the material was the same as last year (this being a continuation of the Stripped tour) there was enough variation (plus time to allow us to forget) to make it seem like new.

If you like Mr Izzard and have never seen him live before then I would recommend you do so!

This made me chuckle!

Apparently Craig David is quitting his career as a pop singer to join the London 2012 archery team.

He's gonna be the bow selector.

Witch hunt (continued) .....and RELAX

Well the suspicions of a witch hunt proved to be true as more questions were being asked although thankfully busy schedules meant that any further "chats" had been postponed. As a result of this we spent the morning putting into place a load of silly "cover your arse" procedures just in case. It was really a waste of time but something that we felt HAD to be done as there nobody had been listening to our concerns up until them point of everything going tits up! We'll see how all this pans out!

Things did settle down in the afternoon then and it was almost back to business as usual by the end of the day which was a great relief.

After work I headed to North Greenwich to meet Toni. A trip to Halfords, Asda and then Gail's was followed by some absolutely yummy stir fry. Toni decorated the Xmas tree with Gemima and I relaxed on the laptop catching up with some Capitals stuff. By the time we went to bed I was wonderfully relaxed and chilled (which felt great after a shitty couple of days).

Stressy day followed by amazing soup

Today was one of those horribly stressy ones. It all started quite well until it became apparent that there was a potential witch hunt going on. Some people figured it was nothing sinister but I have a feeling that the comments that were being made were indicative that this could be heading towards looking for someone to blame for something that went wrong! It totally sucks when things get like that as more time is spent mitigating and trying to cover butts than if we were just left to get on with things and accept that occasionally things go wrong especially with unrealistic and ever shrinking time scales. Tomorrow will either be a good day or a complete bitch.

On the way home I got a call from Sam saying that he was cooking me dinner. Had to wait a while when I got in but boy was it worth it. He made a carrot and onion soup that was totally amazing, one of the most delicious soups I have ever tasted. I was so proud of him.

After the yumminess Sam and I watched Monday Night Raw and then a couple of episodes of South Park.

Exciting week to follow, seeing Toni tomorrow night, seeing Eddie Izzard at The O2 Arena on Thursday and then it's off to Wales for Hard Rock Hell on Friday and Saturday before returning to London on Sunday for the Nightbreed Records All Dayer!

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 Nicola Hardy

Happy Birthday to Nicola Hardy

Hope you have a great day

It's Poke A Boob Day

Today is apparently Poke A Boob Day!

The object is to poke as many boobs as possible.

I wonder how long it will be before I get a slap in the face LMFAO!

Rude awakening, early start and chilling with 40K

Had a rude awakening in the wee small hours. I thought I had heard the front door go but had disregarded it. Then not long after that Toni and I heard whispering in the hallway. It was Sam plus six of his friends. Seems they hadn't thought through their plans to go and get drunk in a field as it absolutely chucked it down and the person bringing the tent didn't show up! Fortunately (for them) Sam decided to drag them all back to ours. I wasn't overly impressed but there wasn't a lot I could do as I wasn't prepared to have them walking the streets at that time in the morning. Sam supplied them with towels and some dry clothes and I told them they could stay after setting a few ground rules. Thankfully they kept the noise down!

Woke up at 9am and went downstairs to start eviction proceedings, thankfully Sam was already ahead of the game and had everybody up and starting to get ready. Had to do some emergency tumble drying as their clothes were still soaked. They were all very greatful though and I did earn the status of legend with Chris telling me he would build a shrine to me LMFAO! Sam left when they did as he was going to Livvy's with Connor.

After the departures Toni, Aaron, Gemima and I grabbed some breakfast before heading into Chelmsford to pick up the last few bits of Sophie's from Shane's flat and then visiting Games Workshop to pick up a few Warhammer 40K things. Once we had returned to SWF Toni put dinner on and then we all started building Warhammer models. It was very relaxing and a nice way to chill out for the afternoon.

We then enjoyed a very lovely roast pork dinner before the sad moment came when Toni had to return to London with Aaron and Gemima. It is very strange now with her not staying over on a Sunday although it makes sense for her to do it because of the travel problems on a Monday morning but that's not to say that I actually like it very much.

Once they had gone, Sam and I sorted out some of his Xmas arrangements before talking some Warhammer and then catching up on TNA Impact and WWE Smackdown and then heading to bed.

Dinner with dad and Stephanie, webcast and stuff

Got up early-ish and we all headed off to North Greenwich to meet up with dad and Stephanie. We hadn't seen them for an absolute age so this was long overdue.

Went into the O2 and after an initial wander we opted for Frankie And Benny's for somewhere to eat. Had a lovely meal and it was good to catch up and have a chat.

We then shot back to SWF so that I could deal with the Capitals webcast (and a very fine 2 - 1 victory over the Cardiff Devils)

Sam buggered off to a party in a field (in the rain) after having a major strop because he was rushing things and then things went wrong but he got there in the end!

Starting building some Warhammer 40K models but had to stop cos the super glue that we had left was more like super poo (well super diarrhoea as it was very runny and only useful for sticking fingers together rather than anything practical!)

Mad day

Today was crazy at work. Lurching from one crisis to another but we did get there in the end! One day hopefully the madness will end but I am not holding my breath as we have more aggressive time scales waiting next week LOL.

Got home, had spicy mince and rice and an early-ish night. Fell asleep listening to a Terry Pratchett audio book. It was on a loop and Toni kept waking up at the same bit *hehe*