FRAMING HANLEY plus MY PASSION

Wednesday June 1st 2011

FRAMING HANLEY plus MY PASSION

Wolverhampton Slade Rooms

I had been looking forward to seeing Framing Hanley again as I really love their music.  We had seen them on the Kerrang Tour and they were fab, but this time they were headlining.

My two cherubs and I headed off to Wolverhampton and we had a nice quick trip with no problems.  I parked in my usual place which is a multi storey car park right next to the Civic Hall.  I had assumed that the Slade Rooms were in the same building as the Wulfrun Hall ... I was wrong.  There were lots of other people milling around looking for the place too so I clearly wasn't the only one who had made that mistake.

We wandered off into town before deciding to head back to where we started.  There we saw a map on the door telling us where the Slade Rooms were and Aimee directed us via her mobile phone.  We would never have found it otherwise - it felt like miles away and the kids were not particularly impressed.

We joined the back of the (by now) huge queue and as usual I got picked on and abused while we waited ... well it keeps them amused I suppose.  Once inside I paid my regular visit to the ladies and both of the kids disappeared inside.  I reckon the Slade Rooms are similar in size to the Sugarmill ... a little wider but not as far back.

First on were My Passion.  Aimee had seen them before at her first unsupervised gig and she had her photo taken with each of the band members outside the venue.  I had only seen one of their videos and I like their stuff but I wasn't sure Luke would. 

We took up our usual places - Aimee at the front, me at the side and Luke somewhere in between.  There was lots of raucous screaming as soon as they appeared.  The first thing I noticed was a bleached mohawk.  The singer was chatting away to the crowd and I thought he sounded just like Olly Murs of X-Factor fame ... he didn't sound like him when he sang though.

They were very good indeed.  My initial thoughts were that they were a bit camp (having seen their gold-plated video) but they were really quite heavy.  A couple of songs in and the singer removed his shirt and he had obviously been working out!!  Excellent stuff, and I think even Luke approved.

Framing Hanley were simply brilliant.  I remember thinking that Wolverhampton was probably as far removed from Nashville as you could get, but having never been to Nashville, who knows!

The crowd went mental, everyone was jumping up and down and singing along to everything. 

I'm surprised they're not more well known really - I would expect them to be performing at bigger venues, but I'm glad they don't.  I would definitely see them again given the chance.
Filming as usual was done by Aimee >>Aimee's Videography

Once the music had finished, the lights went up and I noticed the hall had some spectacular chandeliers, which I thought odd.  The kids decided to head off to the merch desk and see if they could get more pictures taken with My Passion.  I bought Aimee a tote bag and got out of the way as it was a bit of a crush.

Their waiting was well worth it though as they both met the band and had photos with them so they were happy.  I was happy too until I tried to get onto the M6 to go home and it was closed ... why me?  It always happens to me!  Ggrrrr...

OK so my next review is of the Download Festival which may take a while...

TTFN x

PANIC! AT THE DISCO plus LOVE LETTERS

Monday May 16th 2011

PANIC! AT THE DISCO plus LOVE LETTERS

Manchester Academy

Back to Manchester again and this time Aimee's friend Jess and my friend's son Sam came with us.  We had a good journey but when we got there, there was already a massive queue.

Sam was a bit nervous to say the least - he said he didn't like crowds!  Perhaps a gig wasn't really the place for him. 

I tried to calm him down by telling him that actually this queue looked quite safe compared to some of the crowds I'd seen ... I don't think it helped!  What really didn't help was the homeless guy accosting us for cash with the fabulous quote of the night
"Put a smile on a homeless person's face?"
I apologised to him and said I didn't carry cash, and when he'd gone I told the kids that homeless people really shouldn't be smiling anyway!  They all laughed ... teenagers are so heartless.

Love Letters were on first and sadly I haven't managed to find a picture of them ... I did Google 'Love Letters' but I could have been on there days before the right picture appeared.  I also don't remember them, especially as I have no picture to remind me...sorry!  I was spending most of this time trying to keep Sam calm.  I have never met anyone quite so stressed in a crowd of people.  He was desperate for a cigarette but didn't have any, and I was convinced he was going to hyperventilate.

I bought him a drink and we both stood at the side by the wall, as far away from people as we could get.  We had been given some leaflets showing forthcoming gigs and I folded these up beautifully to create a couple of handy fans for us to waft ourselves.  It was incredibly hot in there.

By the time Panic! At The Disco came on Sam wanted to leave, bless him.  I managed to get him to stay and I think he enjoyed it.  Both of the girls loved it - no surprise there.  I would have enjoyed it far more if I didn't have Sam to worry about, but I still sang along and they were brilliant.  They hadn't been to the UK for ages and their fans were really excited to see them.

Aimee did her job brilliantly as usual - see her footage here>>Aimee's Videography

It has become tradition now that when we exit the Academy we head straight to the Sainsburys Express across the road to get cold drinks.  Despite hating the idea, I bought Sam a pack of ciggies in the hope it would stop him from keeling over.  He had a smoke on the way back to the car and I could tell it had helped.  Shame..  Somehow I don't think he'll come to another gig with us.

Framing Hanley in Wolverhampton is next.
TTFN x

TWIN ATLANTIC plus FIGHTING WITH WIRE and LAFONTAINES

Thursday May 5th 2011

TWIN ATLANTIC plus FIGHTING WITH WIRE and LAFONTAINES

Manchester Academy 3

Wow its been far too long since I last updated my blog, and we have been to a few gigs during my absence.  I know I should really do a write up the day following a gig as my memory isn't what it was - sadly this means that the next few reviews will be shorter than normal.

First up were the Lafontaines, and when Aimee told me it was a Scottish rapper I thought 'Oh dear...'  I think the rest of the crowd thought the same before they came out too.  The frontman started by having a bit of a chat to the audience, which included him taking the mickey out of his own accent.  That helped them warm to him.

Someone threw a silver thong onto the stage which he then put on his head ... as you do ... and suddenly everybody loved him!  Everyone started to bounce around and there was even a bit of a mosh.  Two girls crowdsurfed all the way onto the stage ... I plan to do that someday.  Anyway, I thought they were great and was very impressed at how they won the crowd over.

Second on were Fighting With Wire who are from Derry in Northern Ireland.  I am very sorry to say that I don't remember very much about this band, but it has been a while and I'm afraid the umpteen million bands I've seen in between have blurred my memories.  I'm sure they were very good though ...

Finally Twin Atlantic appeared.  I have seen them before supporting My Chemical Romance, and I wasn't sure about them.  However, as headliners in a small cosy venue they were amazing.  They were heavier than I expected and extremely Scottish, and very good looking!

Aimee, as ever, has done some filming here>>Aimee's Videography  so you can check them out.  Plenty of crowdsurfers again, and just great music.

Next on the agenda is Panic! At The Disco.
TTFN x

HIT THE DECK FESTIVAL

Sunday April 17th 2011
HIT THE DECK FESTIVAL
Nottingham Rock City

This was my first festival since V97, the day after which I went into hospital to have my gall bladder out.  Aimee was a little baby and Luke was a toddler at the time ... this time they were in charge.

The day started early as Steve and I had to pop over to Macclesfield to pick up a hire car.  The reason for this being that Aimee had a friend joining us and Luke had six, meaning we had one too many bodies to fit in two normal sized cars.  Luke had done a collection amongst his friends and raised enough money to hire a very nice Dodge Journey for the day ... and I got to drive it.

We came back home and collected the troops and headed off to Nottingham.  I must admit I'm not a big fan of the place ... well not the town itself, but driving around it ... I find it far too confusing.  I also made the mistake of following Steve and the boys when I'd have got there quicker on my own.

We eventually got to the car park, where I was shocked to find that it was going to cost us £13 per car to park up for the day.  Not a lot we could do about that though.

Then we joined a very long queue only to discover we had to get in another queue first - this would be to get our wristbands, which in turn would gain us entry into all of the venues.  Luckily for us, when we got our wristbands we skillfully side stepped security and went straight inside instead of being sent around to the (even longer) queue.

Once inside Aimee and her friend Jess went into the main stage area and got straight to the front - they decided to stay there for the rest of the day, and in fact didn't move all day.  I had no clue at this point if Luke and his friends were inside, but I knew I didn't have to worry about them.

Now to be honest, Steve and I didn't watch very many bands.  We mainly went along for the kids anyway and as they both had friends with them we managed to have a bit of time to ourselves.

I'll put a full set list towards the end just for historical correctness but I can only comment on the bands I saw, the first of which being We Are Fiction.  I had never heard of them but they were first on the main stage and there wasn't much of a crowd, but they weren't bad.  We hung about and got the girls drinks before Tomorrow Brings Giants came on - I thought they were OK but Steve wasn't keen.  We sat at the back for a bit and then went in search of food.

We went downstairs and found someone selling home made toastie sandwiches for extortionate prices, but we were very hungry and so endulged ourselves.  I was quite shattered at this point so I bobbed back to Aimee just to let her know I was going for a sleep in the car.  This just shows my age I suppose but I really wanted to see Deaf Havana, We Are The Ocean and The Blackout who were on later.

So Steve and I went back to the hire car, reclined our seats and had a bit of a doze.  I set my alarm to go off 15 minutes before Deaf Havana were due on but I was awake before then anyway so we went back.  I saw a chap snogging a girl against a lamp post and I thought to myself that he looked very familiar ... as soon as Deaf Havana came on I realised it was James Veck-Gilodi, the lead singer.  Duh!

We caught the end of Exit Ten's set and I thought they were really good.  I found Aimee during the break to see if she needed a drink, but security had been handing out free bottles of water so she was OK.  Deaf Havana were brilliant ... hence me using their picture as a header.  They were definitely my favourites of the day and I'm sure Aimee will be looking out to see if they tour.  She did get quite a lot on camera here >> Aimee's Videography 

We stayed to see We Are The Ocean who were excellent as ever, but then I had a cracking headache and so had to leave the room.  I was very disappointed to miss the Blackout but we're seeing them again so it wasn't too bad.  As Steve and I returned to the car I passed Aled from Kids in Glass Houses, although I was too shy to speak to him.  I sent Aimee a text to tell her I'd seen him and she was convinced I'd seen someone who looked like him - she was so convinced I was wrong she checked to see what he'd put on Twitter and then grudgingly had to admit I was right!

Once in the car, Steve checked on his iPhone to see if there was anywhere nearby we could go to eat, and discovered TGI Fridays was very close by and was open.  We passed a convenience store on the way which sold painkillers, much to my delight.  We managed to kill some time by having a meal and drinks and then went back to the car.

Aimee and Jess finally moved from the main stage once the Blackout had finished, in the hopes of seeing Young Guns in the Basement.  They did get in eventually but didn't have a great view.  Not surprisingly Aimee has managed to find tickets to see them later in the year too.  Once Young Guns had finished they came back to the car ... Aimee and Jess that is, not the Young Guns!  They were starving but the only thing we had was a bag of chicken crisps and lots of fizzy pop ... not too well prepared there unfortunately.

Luke and his friends weren't too far behind - they had been in to watch Underoath but apparently got bored and came out after 10 minutes.  This meant we could miss the main lot of traffic and made a relatively quick getaway.

All in all it had been a good, if expensive, day.  The kids all had a great time, and Steve and I got to spend the day together for a change.  It was tiring, but well worth it.

The full timetable is below :

Rock City Main Stage

22:00-23:00   Underoath (right)
20:00-21:00   The Blackout
18:45-19:30   We Are The Ocean
17:45-18:15   Deaf Havana
16:45-17:15   Exit Ten
15:45-16:15   Hyro Da Hero
14:45-15:15   Summerlin
13:45-14:15   Tomorrow Bring Giants
12:45-13:15   We Are Fiction

Rock City Basement

21:00-22:00   Young Guns (right)
19:30-20:15   My Passion
18:15-18:45   The Swellers
17:15-17:45   Lightsgoblue
16:15-16:45   Save Your Breath
15:15-15:45   Atlas & I
14:15-14:45   Rio
13:15-13:45   Kiss Corona
12:30-12:55   Evarose

Stealth

21:30-22:00   Sylosis (right)
20:40-21:10   Devil Sold His Soul
19:15-19:45   Bleed From Within
18:15-18:45   While She Sleeps
17:15-17:45   Hawk Eyes (formally Chickenhawk)
16:15-16:45   Blitz Kids
15:15-15:45   Turbowolf
14:15-14:45   James Cleaver Quintet
13:15-13:45   Cars On Fire
12:30-12:55   Against The Flood

Rescue Rooms

21:00-22:00   Cancer Bats (right)
19:45-20:30   Comeback Kid
18:45-19:15   The Ghost Inside
17:45-18:15   Kvelertak
16:45-17:15   Gravemaker
15:45-16:15   Social Suicide
14:45-15:15   Feed The Rhino
13:45-14:15   Hospitals
12:45-13:15   Galleons

Well there you have it ... my first festival in 14 years.  I think it would have been better had it been an outdoor event, but that's only because it was a nice warm day.  A good time was had by all.

My next event is on Thursday May 5th and its Twin Atlantic in Manchester, which should be good.

TTFN x

THE BLACKOUT plus HYRO DA HERO and SWELLERS

Friday April 8th 2011
THE BLACKOUT plus HYRO DA HERO and SWELLERS
Manchester Academy 2

I have been a bit lax in updating my blog lately, no real reason, just being lazy.  Its not like I haven't had any spare time - I'm currently at the end of my second long weekend.  Last week was Easter and then we had Friday off for William and Kate's Wedding, which was quite lovely, and today is Mayday.

We had a lovely barbecue at the house yesterday for Mum's 71st birthday and my sister Sally and her brood came along too - most enjoyable.  Not sure I should have given Mum that huge bottle of Lambrini though!

Aaanyway ... back to the gig ... Luke and Aimee both joined me for this one - we all really like the Blackout, so much so that we're going to see them again later in the year.  Not sure if I've mentioned it before but Aimee has her name printed in the album sleeve for Hope as she bought the album before it was even made.

The queue was already huge when we got to the Academy, and we stood behind a couple of orange-legged girls who confirmed that we were indeed in the right queue.  They had massive sunglasses on, which I decided were only to protect their eyes from the bright glow of their own fake tanned lower halves.

As the crowd started moving forward we spotted something on fire on the grass next to us ... its amazing what people will do during a few minutes of boredom!

The organisation inside wasn't up to much and we seemed to join the middle of the crowd going in, which basically meant we had inadvertently jumped the queue ... oops.  Once inside we went to the front and I took up my usual position down the left, along with the rest of the middle aged parents!

First on were the Swellers from Michigan.  They are a melodic punk band and they got the gig off to a good start.

I have never seen so many floating condoms in such a small space - I don't know how these youngsters can afford to waste them!  Kids ..
I enjoyed the Swellers anyway, especially the very handsome chap on the right hand side ... sorry I don't know his name!

Next on stage was Hyro Da Hero - he's the rapper that appears on Higher and Higher by the Blackout. 

I wasn't sure what I'd think of him at first - I do like some rap but I'd not heard any of Hyro's stuff before.  I needn't have worried though as he was really good and he really got the audience jumping.  Aimee's not a rap fan normally but she liked him too - even bought his album when we got home.  He and his band had loads of energy and everybody loved his set.

He also came out later and joined the Blackout for Higher and Higher.

The Blackout appeared to raucous screams and applause, as always.

There's not an awful lot I can say about them that I haven't already said.  They are always very entertaining and they always put on a great show.  As ever Aimee did a bit of recording for your viewing pleasure >> Aimee's Videography

Aimee has persuaded me that we need to see them again (twice) later in the year ... guess that makes us fans then.

I'll close this entry there as I still have another one to write before I'm up to date!

TTFN x

FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND plus RISE TO REMAIN and TIGER PLEASE

Monday March 28th 2011
FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND plus RISE TO REMAIN and TIGER PLEASE
Sugarmill, Stoke

A nice local gig to end the month on.  The doors didn't open until 7.30 so we had a bit of a treat and went to MacDonalds on the way ... brought back memories that did.

We still got there early but I couldn't see a queue so thought they might have opened the doors already.  I persuaded the kids to get out of the car and we went around to the venue.  There was a bit of a queue but it was a nice evening so we waited.

It was almost empty when we got inside so the kids went straight to the front with 2 of Aimee's friends who were also there.  I went over to them, much to their disappointment, but then I decided it might be a good move to go up onto the balcony, which was empty at this point.  I went up and stood right above their heads so I could keep my eye on them.

I had a drink and then settled myself in, leaning against a pillar and overlooking the stage - brilliant!  The only unpleasant thing was that my feet were completely stuck to the floor ... eww.

Luke and Aimee were shouting up to me which distracted me from putting my earplugs in, so when Tiger Please came on they almost deafened me.  I noticed that the crowd barrier had been moved back and then realised why.

The stage at the Sugarmill isn't very big and there was a lot of equipment on it, so Tiger Please's singer was actually performing from the floor in front of the stage.  It was OK for me, I could see everything from my vantage point, but most of the growing crowd wouldn't have had a clue where he was.

The band are from Cardiff and class themselves as Indie rock.  They weren't bad but the audience didn't really seem that bothered.  The singer took his microphone into the crowd at one point and got very close up and personal with a bunch of people who looked slightly terrified ... especially when his mate chucked a huge drum over to him.  Needless to say no-one was moshing.

When Rise To Remain came on the whole place seemed to come alive.  The lead singer is the son of Iron Maiden front man Bruce Dickinson, which I should have realised, but was informed by Aimee afterwards. 

I'm sure she's told me before but there's only so much information my poor brain can retain!

Anyway, he looks just like his dad and even sounded a little similar so I really should have worked it out for myself.  I thought the drummer looked a bit like a young Colin Farrell, but I'm on my own with that one.

Their biggest fan appeared to be in the audience - he was a one man mosh pit, and managed to clear himself a large area as no-one would go near him.  He managed to drag a couple of other blokes into his wild antics but mostly he was on his own.

We all liked them, especially Luke.  He commandeered Aimee's camera to do some recording of his own here>>>Luke's Videography 

Aimee sent me a text after their set to inform me that Luke wanted to marry Austin, but would settle for a photo.  I hadn't realised he liked them that much.

We did hang around a bit at the end so he managed to shake his hand and buy a tee shirt off him (with my cash, of course).

Finally, Funeral For A Friend came on stage and the crowd went mad.  A mosh pit sprang up as soon as the music started and it took up the entire floor.  I was glad the kids were safe where they were standing, and so was I ... mosh pits are always good to watch from above.

Yet another fab Welsh rock band ... sorry, post hardcore/emo/screamo band according to Wikipedia.  Great music, just my kind of thing, and a very chatty singer too.

Part way through he instructed the audience to split in half, into what Aimee tells me is called a wall of death ... nice.  It was at this point Luke headed off into the mosh, and he stayed there until the end, leaving Aimee to carry on filming >>>Aimee's Videography

I still find it incredible that grown men run into each other at high speed, throw each other around and barge into everyone they see and nobody gets annoyed.  The one man mosh pit was at it again, but this time he wasn't on his own.

Two blokes lost their shoes, and one of them went crowd surfing in an attempt to find his ... not quite sure what his thinking was there.

A few people tried to push in next to me right near the end but I wasn't going anywhere - I was wedged between the pillar and the handrail so I don't know where they thought I was going ... I considered asking but just ignored it and carried on tapping my foot.

It took me a while to get back down the stairs to the kids, but they were quite happy, and it gave Luke chance to meet his idol.  We didn't get back to the car until after 11pm so it ended up being quite a late night, but it was well worth it.

Our next gig is on Friday April 8th when the 3 of us see The Blackout, who are always good value.  This will be the first time we've seen them headlining so we're looking forward to it.

TTFN x

THE MAINE plus NEVERSHOUTNEVER

Wednesday March 23rd 2011
THE MAINE plus NEVERSHOUTNEVER
Manchester Academy

This was my first gig with double headliners, and I didn't even realise that's what they were until after the event.  We arrived without too much trouble and headed for the queue, which was massive!  We may as well have walked from home, it was so far to the end ... well perhaps not as long as the queue for All Time Low but still ... mind you when we got inside it was practically empty so I have no idea where everyone went.

We made use of the facilities and then went into the main hall where Aimee assumed her usual position and I went to the bar.  I then assumed my usual position over on the left out of the way.

Whilst waiting for the gig to begin I noticed a girl back-combing her hair without the aid of a mirror!  What is the world coming to?!  I've seen some goings on at these events but nothing quite that dangerous.

First on were Nevershoutnever and it appeared that most of the audience had come to see them, even though it was basically just Chris the singer and a naked drummer. 

(I later realised he wasn't naked but was wearing a grey vest!)

Nevershoutnever is basically Christofer Drew Ingle from Missouri and when he tours he has musicians with him.  He's only 20 ... bless.  Aimee says he doesn't believe in shoes ("well he probably believes they exist!") and so was barefoot, which I must admit I didn't notice despite the crowd in front of me being remarkably short for a change!

They were on for an hour and the crowd absolutely loved them.
Aimee recorded them for your viewing pleasure here >>>Aimee's Videography  She did tell me that its ages since he last came over to England which I suspect explains the hysteria but I very much enjoyed their music.  It makes a change for me to hear some acoustic pop music rather than deafening rock music (she says whilst listening to Bullet For My Valentine on the laptop!)

Unfortunately my visit to the bar meant I needed to pay a different kind of visit just as they were coming to the end of their set.  I decided to go as they started their last song and what a good move that was ... the ladies were empty, but when I went back inside the rest of the audience seemed to be coming the other way!

During the interval I had a good chance to have a look around, as well as sending Aimee text message pictures of smiling turds.

The first thing I noticed ... well I couldn't miss them actually ... was a beautiful pair of patent yellow Doc Martens which were being modelled by a young girl to my left.  She'll never get lost in the snow when she's wearing those! 

Then, sitting on the floor to my right, was the ginger girl who looked just like the singer out of We The Kings.  I was so excited by this revelation that I texted Aimee to tell her ... who was texting me the exact same news at the exact same time.  I'm sure I saw her first though!

I also saw a bloke who looked like Bob off Twin Peaks, but if you're under 40 you'll have no idea who I mean!  He was very scary though.

Some poor girl was pulled from the crowd and ended up in the recovery position on the security lady's table.  Either that or she was having a kip ... but she didn't look at all well.

The Maine appeared at 9.30 to lots of cheers and the usual squealing. 

They are from Phoenix, Arizona and are classed as a pop punk band. 


Again, I liked them a lot and they were very nice young men.  The singer even refused to remove his shirt!  He was wearing an amazing pair of cowboy boots though, so no footwear phobia here.

They apparently needed a bit of help during their set and so got a young lad called Danny up on stage with them.  He was as giddy as a kipper and grinned inanely all through the song, but didn't do much singing.  He certainly enjoyed himself though.

The crowd thinned out a bit about half way through and the hall looked half empty from where I was.  I spotted a conga line a bit further back but thankfully it didn't go all the way around the room.

During the last couple of songs I was aware of a girl standing at the side of me, and then she was stooping, then she stood up again.  She took out of her bag what looked like a school book and was trying to write in it by the light of her Blackberry.  Very strange.

It was all over at 10.30 and we had a great journey home - there weren't even any roads closed ... bit boring really!

Back next time with a review of Funeral For A Friend at the Sugarmill.

TTFN x

ALL TIME LOW plus YELLOWCARD and YOUNG GUNS

Friday March 11th 2011
ALL TIME LOW plus YELLOWCARD and YOUNG GUNS
Manchester Apollo

This was our first visit to the Apollo this year and it is one of our favourite venues.  It is a very easy journey which takes about an hour and there is a car park right next door, which is always a bonus.

We got there at 7pm and waited in the car for about 15 minutes in the hopes that the queue may have shrunk a little ... how wrong we were!  We got out of the car and walked around the corner to the doors to discover that people had been camping out overnight, if not longer.  There were discarded blankets and sleeping bags all around the entrance, and the pavement was pretty disgusting to say the least!

How we chuckled when we passed a girl dressed as a cow and a boy with a penis drawn on his forehead in black marker pen ... hopefully not permanent ink, and made our way to the end of the queue.

I have NEVER seen a queue so long - it went all up the side of the Apollo (which is normal) but then it looped around another car park, came back on itself and went all the way out to the main road.  I was shattered when I got to the end of it.

Aimee said there was a sign at the entrance for O2 priority customers ... she reckons she said it when we actually walked past it but I didn't hear her ... I think I was transfixed by Cow Girl.  As I had booked my tickets via O2's Blueroom site we decided to see if we could get in there, even though my tickets didn't actually say they were priority.  We also decided that if they wouldn't let us in we'd go back to the car and sit for a while.

We finally got to the entrance ... again ... and went in the O2 customers' door.  Inside there was a little window and some people collecting tickets so I had a word with the nice security chap who said we should go in through the next door ... which we did ... thereby effectively jumping the queue.

Now as you know, I'm not a fan of such practices but in this case I don't consider it rude because its a perk of being an O2 customer at an O2 sponsored venue.  And it made me feel very important indeed!

Once inside the Apollo we were immediately next to the merch desk.  I had some money on me and told Aimee I could lend her £20 if she wanted anything, but she should get it straight away before the whole place was too packed to move.  She picked up a lovely tee shirt and we made our way upstairs to the quieter toilets.  I had intended to get myself a drink as well but after Aimee's purchase I only had 45p left to my name. 

After powdering our noses we headed to our seats ... we knew where we were sitting as we had exactly the same seats precisely a year before when we first saw You Me At Six ... such a coincidence!  Fantastic seats they were too - on the right hand side practically overlooking the stage.  Couldn't have been much better.

We hadn't been sitting too long before Young Guns came on.  We saw them in Stoke last November and they were great.  In fact Aimee was wearing her Young Guns Tee shirt to the gig (which she then covered up with her new one).

The first thing I noticed was that they all had extremely tight trousers.  I don't know how they manage to move about so much with jeans so tight.

The hall itself was at least half full, but knowing how many people were queueing outside I wasn't sure they'd fit everyone in!

Young Guns (from High Wycombe) got everyone jumping up and down and I even saw a mini mosh pit, which looked a bit sorry for itself from where I was sitting.  One poor girl had to be pulled out of the audience during their second song and I couldn't help hoping she hadn't been camping out all night to get to the front, only to be removed after a song and a half.  What a shame!

The now obligatory floating condom came out quite early on.  Its a comforting thought that the person who had blown it up and set it free would probably never actually need it for its true purpose!

Young Guns definitely rocked it, but if you'd like to see them and the other bands for yourself please check out Aimee's recordings of the event>>Aimee's Videography

Next up were Yellowcard.  I hadn't heard of them before but they were really good.  They're from Jacksonville, Florida and have been going since 1997.  The unusual thing about them is that, despite being part of the pop punk genre they have a violinist, which I loved.

Obviously I didn't know any of their songs but Aimee was singing away, as she was all night, and if you listen very carefully you might just hear her voice on the video she recorded ... voice of an angel that girl! 

During the interval, not only did the boys next to us disturb us again, but we spotted a dancing cow sitting on a big box and rocking away to the music.  I'm not sure if this was in any way related to the girl in the queue, and I don't think I want to know, but it amused me throughout the break.

Finally the lights went out and the audience screamed ... thank goodness for ear plugs ... and on came All Time Low.  Aimee and I have waited so long to see them and they were brilliant from start to finish.

Jack's microphone stand transformed into a bra holder almost immediately, and girls continued to throw bras on to the stage throughout their set.  I asked Aimee if she thought I should throw mine and she nodded and laughed ... I think I might have knocked somebody out if I'd launched my boulder holder from the balcony!

For fact fans the band are from Baltimore, Maryland and formed in 2003.  Their name is taken from lyrics in the song 'Head on Collision' by New Found Glory ... according to Wikipedia.

I'm not sure if farmyard animals is a general theme of their shows but shortly after coming onto the stage an inflatable sheep came flying in from the crowd.  Again, its perhaps best I don't ask.

The girls all got a bit giddy when Alex announced that there was a spare bunk on their tour bus that night, and that it was the one in between Jack and himself.  I could barely hear the quote of the night over all the squealing when he asked
"Do you want to be the turkey in my sandwich?"
I could only think one thing ... more farm animals!

When the rest of the boys went for a bit of a break, Alex stayed on stage with his guitar and did a beautiful rendition of Katy Perry's Teenage Dream.  They finished with Dear Maria, which I am reliably informed by Aimee went Gold a couple of days before, and that's despite having no radio airplay.

They are a great bunch of lads, really good fun, and all very gorgeous ... especially Rian the drummer, who is my favourite.  The show as a whole was great value for money and it was definitely one of my favourite gigs.  All 3 bands also said that we were the best crowd of the whole tour and it was their favourite gig.  I thought they said that every night but I was most impressed when Aimee showed me All Time Low's Twitter post saying the same thing.

As soon as it finished we left by the exit we were sitting right next to, straight to the car and got out of the car park before most people had even left the building.  Most successful.

That's it for now - our next gig is on March 23rd when we see The Maine at Manchester Academy.  Another band I don't know a whole lot about but I'm looking forward to it all the same.

TTFN x

D.R.U.G.S plus BLITZ KIDS and DECADE

Wednesday March 9th 2011
D.R.U.G.S plus BLITZ KIDS and DECADE
Nottingham Rock City Basement

This was a first for me going to Rock City in Nottingham and I knew it was a bit of a trek.  I had to finish work early to see the doctor again but we didn't end up leaving the house any earlier, which was a pity because it took us over an hour and a half to get there.

Still, the journey was fine, no major hold ups although my satnav did seem to think I would enjoy a scenic trip with lots of single lane winding roads ... cheers but give me a dual carriageway anyday!

It was just Aimee and I again and we had a bit of excitement on the way.  We were in a 40mph zone, travelling at the speed limit when a man on a motorbike went speeding past us.  About a minute further down the road there was a car pulled up at the side of the road, a motorbike lying on its side in the bushes and a man in a crash helmet giving the car driver lots of grief.  Oh well ... we didn't have time to stop.

We found the venue and the multi storey car park quite easily, got our chip coin and parked up, then it was about a minute's walk to Rock City.  It looked like a very nice venue but we only got as far as the basement.  The Stranglers were on in the main room.

Because of our journey time we sadly missed the first support band Decade (pronounced by Aimee as decayed, which I prefer) and so I have nothing to offer on their performance.  I've put a picture in for when they hit the big time and I can say 'I almost saw them once'.  It wasn't easy finding a picture by the way - I Googled images of 'Decade band' and practically every band ever came up.

Anway we got inside the basement which was tiny - we reckoned about as big as the Underground in Hanley, and I went to get a bottle of water.  Making my way back through the small crowd to find Aimee I noticed that I was by far the oldest person there (I don't count the security chaps ... maybe I should.)

She got right to the front as usual and I joined her just after Blitz Kids came on.  We like them.  We only saw them a couple of weeks ago and they were playing to a much bigger crowd then but they were still lovely and appreciative.

Because the place was so tiny and only half full there wasn't quite so much audience participation but they seemed to be enjoying themselves.  I asked Aimee where they're from as their accent sounded similar to mine, and she told me they're from Crewe.  I got quite depressed thinking there's a slight possibility I might know their mothers!  Lovely lads, would see them again given the chance.

Aimee and I got in the way a bit as they had to come past us with their equipment as they left the stage.  One girl offered to help carry a couple of guitars (probably basses) only to be answered with the quote of the night ... 'You can't hold my children!'  Bless.

Finally D.R.U.G.S or Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows came on stage to much applause and screeching.  I didn't know their stuff all that well although I do have their only album on my iPhone.  Anyway, they're from Michigan and only formed last year.  Aimee almost got thrust onto the stage at one point so she was close enough to do her bit for historical accuracy >>Aimee's Videography

I didn't notice til quite late on that the singer's microphone was wrapped in what looked like a paper napkin and tied up with ribbon.  Aimee tells me a lot of singers do that but its the first time I've noticed it.  I suppose their hands must get extremely sweaty.

I very much enjoyed their set, even if it was a bit short ... only 45 minutes ... but they do only have one album.  It was all over at 9.30pm so we didn't end up getting back all that late, which was a bonus.  I've never seen Aimee quite so animated - she was jumping about, arms in the air, whipping her hair - she loved it, and I love seeing her enjoying herself.

Well that's about it for now - quite a short entry for quite a short gig, but worth the effort.

We're back in Manchester on Friday night but at the Apollo this time - we like it there.  We're sitting but have fantastic seats practically right over the stage and we're seeing All Time Low who we've both wanted to see for ages and I reckon it will be a corker!

TTFN x

PLAN B plus FAITH SFX and LIAM BAILEY

Friday March 4th 2011
PLAN B plus FAITH SFX and LIAM BAILEY
Empress Ballroom, Blackpool

This trip was a special treat for me and my fabulous friend Karen (whose own review is shown below)  We both had the day off work and once I had been to the dentist, had the car washed, filled up with petrol and packed the kids off to school, I tootled off to Bury to pick her up ... whilst listening to The Defamation of Strickland Banks on repeat of course.  We had a cuppa and some lunch at Karen's house and then headed off to Blackpool.

Once we got there my trusty Satnav took us right to the hotel but as the car park only had room for 2 cars, and was full, I had to park in the next street.  Mild panic ensued as there was no answer at our hotel, but we finally got inside and taken to our very compact and bijou room.

My favourite part was the wardrobe that actually turned out to be the bathroom.  Even with my short legs the only way I could sit on the loo was side on with my feet sticking out of the door.  It a good job we're such good friends!  Anyway the lady there was lovely and she did a fantastic full English breakfast, so it was all fine.

We had a couple of beers and then went to the prom ... or tried to.  Everything was fenced off and there were tram lanes dug up all over the place.  We did the only thing we could do and went into Harry Ramsden's for some tea ... fish, chips, peas and buttered bread ... and another beer.  Yum.  Then we went back to our room to get ready for our big night out.

We went into the Winter Gardens which has lots of rooms and is a very nice place, then we found a bar and had another beer.  Next door was the Empress Ballroom which is very beautiful, even in the dark, and was almost half full when we got in there.  We moved down the side and found a decent spot to stand.

First to come on was a young chap called Liam Bailey.  I hadn't heard of him before and neither had Karen, but we both loved his voice ... very soulful. 

In the interests of accuracy I have now Wikipedia'd him and he's from Nottingham and was discovered and signed by Amy Winehouse.  He also appeared on 'Blind Faith' by Chase and Status earlier this year.  We both liked him a lot.

Then came Faith SFX - our favourite beatboxer.  We saw him supporting Plan B last October and he was amazing.  He didn't do a full set this time but its probably just as well ... I think if he'd done his Transformers montage Karen might have fainted! 

There is no doubt what he can do with his mouth can take your breath away - its incredible.  In fact I can't even describe it - just watch this >>Faith SFX  He then introduced Plan B.

When Plan B appeared half of the audience almost collapsed including Karen and myself.  We had both seen him in October but he was definitely much more confident and more at ease with a big audience ... not surprising now he's a superstar.

We love him, completely.  We like the sound of his music, which makes us fans of his music, that's why Love Goes Down makes us lose it cos we can't separate the man from the music.  We're not obsessed though!

There's not really a lot to say about the gig itself - we spent the night staring at him on stage and singing along to all the tracks, which is possibly why I have no voice left now.  It's definitely one of my all time favourite evenings.

Didn't get any video myself as my own videographer wasn't with me, and didn't get any usable photos, but the memory will stay with me forever!  It didn't matter that Blackpool was in the middle of a major facelift ... it certainly needs one ... it was worth the mileage for a show like that.  The soul covers in the encore were brilliant - Kiss From A Rose, My Girl, I Got Sunshine, Tracks of My Tears - classics with a modern Plan B/Faith SFX twist.

Pure genius.

I asked Karen for a 3 word review and, as promised, here it is :
   "Fan bloody tastic".  Sums it up quite well I think.

So there you have it ... it may not be rock as such, but it rocked us!

My next gig is with the divine Aimee and we're at Nottingham's Rock City tomorrow evening seeing D.R.U.G.S - not an expert on them but if Aimee likes them I'm sure I will.

TTFN x

WE ARE THE OCEAN plus BLITZ KIDS and SPYCATCHER

Wednesday February 23rd 2011
WE ARE THE OCEAN plus BLITZ KIDS and SPYCATCHER
Sugarmill, Stoke

For our last gig of the month we didn't have to travel far ... thank goodness.  I was finally getting to see We Are The Ocean and, even though I felt as rough as a badger's ar$e, I was looking forward to it. 

Both of my offspring were accompanying me and I also gave a couple of Aimee's friends a lift. 

Mind you once we got out of the car they all legged it as their friends were already in the queue.  I'm not a fan of queue jumping on account of my manners, so I joined the end and got swamped by the crowd.  During my time waiting to go inside I did discover that a lot of teenagers talk a load of sh!t ... excuse my French but good grief!!

Once boy standing behind me did make me laugh though - we were standing under a sign for the Sugarmill and I heard him point out that because of the way the shadow fell it looked like it said Bugarmill ... why have I never thought of that?

Finally we made our way around the corner and there was the usual nice chap handing out wristbands for those old enough to drink alcohol ... I usually hear them shout 'Is anybody legal?' which came as a shock the first time I heard it.  He asked me if I was drinking tonight love, and I responded negatively as I was driving.  There was an audible gasp of shock behind me as if they were saying 'My God, she's old enough to drink but she's choosing not to ... crazy person!'

First band on were called Spycatcher from Watford and I really enjoyed their set.  I was standing right at the back next to the merch desk where lots of people were milling about but I could still see the kids.  I had my earplugs in and was watching Little Red Riding Hoodie wandering back and forth, but there was a mosh pit almost immediately.  The Sugarmill is only small and so a mosh pit tends to engulf a lot of the crowd ... whether they like it or not.

During the interval there was a mass exodus onto the roof - people getting 'fresh' air I suppose.  I entertained myself watching various innebriated young men go into the ladies toilets ... well there wasn't much else to do.  What I didn't realise was that I was standing right next to the lead singer of Blitz Kids for the first set, not that it would have made any difference ... I'm very shy.

Blitz Kids came on to massive cheers and more moshing.  I was getting ever so slightly stressed watching Luke bobbing about all over the place but he was enjoying himself.  They were really good, and I even tapped my foot a bit!  Great set, the kids certainly loved it and knew all their songs ... which I'm afraid is more than I did.  One of the girls in Luke's group ended up with a bloody nose so I guess she'll remember the gig for various reasons.

I was surprised to see several couples around my age there, and noted that they didn't attempt the blending in approach - maybe I should try that.  Instead of buying a checked shirt and a pair of Converse I should get some tweed trousers and a body warmer ... just a thought.

Following another mass exodus and a soundcheck from a man in a Kermit the Frog vest (every roadie should have one!) We Are The Ocean appeared on stage.  Wow they're loud.  Dan Brown (left) is the 'Screaming Vocalist' according to Wikipedia, and Liam Cromby is the 'Clean Vocalist'. 

Dan is the athletic one - he climbed up onto the balcony to sing Confessions, and then had a little bit of trouble getting back to the stage.  The moshing never stopped through their entire set and I think he joined in at one point! 

As usual my cameraperson was on hand to film the proceedings here >>Aimee's Videography

They ended slightly more abruptly that anyone was expecting, having been on for just under an hour.  Dan climbed up to the other side of the balcony, right above Aimee's head so that when she looked up all she could see was his crotch.  He finished by jumping off right into the crowd!  What a nutter.  One of the Blitz Kids put it perfectly when he called him a 'mad ba$tard'!  I was gobsmacked.  I was even more gobsmacked that it ended there and the audience hung around for ages expecting them to come back out.  When I saw Dan on the merch desk I guessed it was over.

It was a great gig though and it was lovely to see all the bands hanging around to talk to fans afterwards.

I've got a week off gigging now, during which I'm going to try to get some rest so that I feel better for my trip to Blackpool next Friday.  Really looking forward to seeing Plan B, although he might be a bit out of place in a rock blog ... I don't care, I love him!

TTFN x