Today's blog comes in a normal rant about the media, music, mainstream-ness, and how nobody has any free will about what they listen to anymore. Oh and me pimping out one of my favourite bands that you should go listen to NOW (actually, if you're reading this blog, you probably already like them...)
I got on Facebook today at around 10pm only to be confronted by the following statuses:
"Batchwood was awesome :) x"
"JEDWARD WAS AMAZINGGG. BEST NIGHT OF MY LIFE <3"
... So what? You saw Jedward at Batchwood, and it was the best night of your life? Seeing a pair of blond people who cannot sing, did not even win XFactor and probably didn't come out and see their (screamy fangirly and almost certainly fucking terrifying) fans?
Really? Did it beat all the nights you hung out with your friends and cracked lame jokes? The days you spent shopping or chilling with people you love?
Seeing some Sean Smith wannabe twats sing autotuned songs written by underpaid people with more rhyming dictionaries than braincells? Really?
This is what I posted on Facebook in response:
"Dear all those who love Jedward and saw them tonight: Fuck off. Go see a real band, one who've had to work and didn't get by on hair and bad acting. See a band who have fans who've followed them for ten years and know every word to every song they wrote themselves. Go see a real band, and not some talentless gits who just got a lucky break."
This all goes back to the whole Rage Against The Machine thing. The 'machin'e is popular media, and 90% of the population will follow exactly what they are told. It's up to us, the 10% who got away, to rage against it and to spread the word. If you turn on most radio stations they will play the most popular music, and you will get sucked into a never-ending cycle. All popular music is on the radio, and you will get to like it by listening to it, so you will go out and buy it, hence it will become more popular and get played more. So more people will listen, and like it, and buy it... It's a vicious cycle.
To be honest, the music industry is turning to shit. I want to work for a magazine like Kerrang! or RockSound, one who support the little bands struggling to make it because they have all the talent and none of the backing.
You want to go see a new band? Go see Young Guns, with a lead singer so beautiful and talented he will make your heart race, and songs big enough to land aeroplanes on. Go see My Passion, with electro grooves and a rave vibe. Go see Deaf Havana for a good ear battering, or Don Broco because they are a hip-hop/hardcore crossover with amazing results. They are bands who have, with almost no press behind them, worked hard and slummed it. They have built up fanbases through original songs and hard work and through talking to fans like they're old friends, earning money by playing gigs and selling merch.
Young Guns are giving away their new single Winter Kiss as a free download. Even if you've never heard them before, go listen. It's all about spreading the word. And they were selling a bundle for £6. Poster, hard copy single, tshirt. They earnt no money from it whatsoever. They just want to get heard, and they bloody well should be.
Whoever you are, go download their single. It's fucking amazing. Better than any Jedward cover you'll ever hear, and that is a FACT (Fucking Amazing Clear Truth).
This is a shoutout to my twinny Laura, who is currently in Southampton or going towards it. It was great to see her agan and I'll see her next week at K! tour, where the mighty My Passion and Young Guns will, of course, be playing!
Saturday 30 January 2010
Friday 29 January 2010
Music Friday III: Black Market Music
Today, by request of my darling Kath, I am reviewing BLACK MARKET MUSIC by Placebo. So, shall we get started?
Ooh, a nice little guitar riff to get us going... Aaaaand drums. So far I'm liking this. Stripped down retro feel. And... um, a synth? Maybe? I can't tell. Yeah, this is my first time listening to TASTE IN MEN and already my mind is getting fucked up. Brian Molko's voice is freaky, as haunting as ever. The song is dark, as with most Placebo, begging someone to coming back to him. "I'm killing time on Valentine's", croons Molko. Don't worry sir, I'm sure you'll get plenty of offers. It's a nice opening, fairly low-key but building nicely. And a burst of static to end...
DAYS BEFORE YOU CAME has a similar inital vibe, broody and grungey and rather desolate. I mean, any song with "freezing cold and empty" as the second line is probably not going to be cheerful. For some reason it reminds me of The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance, despite being far more stripped down.
SPECIAL K starts with a soft (acoustic?) guitar, and then breaks into a still rather subtle guitar/drum combo. Mm, it's still slightly depressed, but in a different way. The breakdown, which has a major harmony in it (I think... music technical stuff isn't a strong point of mine) helps to move the song along and the quiet "ba-da dum-da-dum"s in the background actually enhance the mood instead of seeming like a cheap marketing gimmick.
I hear drums. And somethign almost nu-metally. This is SPITE AND MALICE, with vocals quiet enough for me almost not to hear them. Yes, I was right - some rapping has slipped into the middle of this song. It now seems like a slightly dispirited Rage Against The Machine. The swearing seems out of place, but otherwise the song provides a more energetic contrast to the previous album tracks.
On PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE we are back to a mellow song, with a spoken-word echoing beginning to build mood. On this song, Molko proves he can put aside the whiney tone of voice and actually pull out some really pleasant sounding vocals - Oh, no, just at the end of words, it sneaks back in. What a shame. At 5.23, it is quite a long track a little repetitive but it does develop in a nice, laid-back-slightly-depressed way (if such a way can be called nice) and seems dreamily wistfull.
BLACK-EYED certainly trumps the Peas of a similar name. With some slightly creepy techno creeping into the background and Molko proclaiming to be the "product of a broke home" it is, like all Placebo, not an easy listen , but it does seem more optimstic than other songs - or is that just my twisted mind?
And now... is that a piano? It reminds me of another song, which I can't place. "It sounds pretentious, but it's true" claims Molko. Mm, that could be said of a lot of Placebo's music. BLUE AMERICAN - ah, the odd references to "Mom" and "Uncle Tom" make sense now. Not the strongest song on the album, but an interesting continuation of the same mental health theme explored in a different way.
SLAVE TO THE WAGE starts in a squeal of distorted guitars. Calling Margaret Thatcher a bitch was quite an amusing turn in the song, and yet the message - that work and life in general is a race of rats to die - resonates rather well and provides a nice refreshing change from the generally introverted musical theme.
Now this doesn't sound like Placebo at all, actually. COMMERCIAL FOR LEVI seems like a continuation of the previous song, in a way. It is, so far, the most cheerful song on the album. "Please don't die". Yeah, I like that. It's a good idea, and also merrily tells us to stop doing drugs. Thanks for the advice, Brian - but you could've taken it yourself. Where did the title of 2006 album Meds come from again?
Now, the biologist in me is pondering whether HAEMOGLOBIN really is the key to a healthy heartbeat, but the clasutrophobic atmosphere of the song works will with the idea of being cut open and examined by strange doctors. It's a somewhat uncomfortable listen, but well worth it.
I can't help but wonder where Mr Molko gets his ideas for titles from. NARCOLEPTIC? Is this a song about narcolepsy? Why have you gone back to mentioning words and books like in BLUE AMERICAN? And now we're being warned of ending up as a wreck... the song develops nicely with a storyline behind it, though the ending seems to be repeated a few too many times for my liking. Yes, we get the idea about never making up, and you don't have to send us to sleep.
PEEPING TOM is a melancholy ending, with reverberating synths and lyrics that seem reminiscent of hearing voices. It's a subtle end to what has been a generally understated, grimy yet somehow magic album.
Reading this review you might think I'm being critical of Placebo. Well... I am. But that's because those are just the things I could find to say. Just saying that every single song is a disorientatingly simple journey into your own head would be the easy way out; dull to write and dull to read. Picking apart flaws is just another way for you to appreciate the dark beauty and majesty of an album which is 11 years old, and yet continues to be relevant and haunting. 8/10
Ooh, a nice little guitar riff to get us going... Aaaaand drums. So far I'm liking this. Stripped down retro feel. And... um, a synth? Maybe? I can't tell. Yeah, this is my first time listening to TASTE IN MEN and already my mind is getting fucked up. Brian Molko's voice is freaky, as haunting as ever. The song is dark, as with most Placebo, begging someone to coming back to him. "I'm killing time on Valentine's", croons Molko. Don't worry sir, I'm sure you'll get plenty of offers. It's a nice opening, fairly low-key but building nicely. And a burst of static to end...
DAYS BEFORE YOU CAME has a similar inital vibe, broody and grungey and rather desolate. I mean, any song with "freezing cold and empty" as the second line is probably not going to be cheerful. For some reason it reminds me of The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance, despite being far more stripped down.
SPECIAL K starts with a soft (acoustic?) guitar, and then breaks into a still rather subtle guitar/drum combo. Mm, it's still slightly depressed, but in a different way. The breakdown, which has a major harmony in it (I think... music technical stuff isn't a strong point of mine) helps to move the song along and the quiet "ba-da dum-da-dum"s in the background actually enhance the mood instead of seeming like a cheap marketing gimmick.
I hear drums. And somethign almost nu-metally. This is SPITE AND MALICE, with vocals quiet enough for me almost not to hear them. Yes, I was right - some rapping has slipped into the middle of this song. It now seems like a slightly dispirited Rage Against The Machine. The swearing seems out of place, but otherwise the song provides a more energetic contrast to the previous album tracks.
On PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE we are back to a mellow song, with a spoken-word echoing beginning to build mood. On this song, Molko proves he can put aside the whiney tone of voice and actually pull out some really pleasant sounding vocals - Oh, no, just at the end of words, it sneaks back in. What a shame. At 5.23, it is quite a long track a little repetitive but it does develop in a nice, laid-back-slightly-depressed way (if such a way can be called nice) and seems dreamily wistfull.
BLACK-EYED certainly trumps the Peas of a similar name. With some slightly creepy techno creeping into the background and Molko proclaiming to be the "product of a broke home" it is, like all Placebo, not an easy listen , but it does seem more optimstic than other songs - or is that just my twisted mind?
And now... is that a piano? It reminds me of another song, which I can't place. "It sounds pretentious, but it's true" claims Molko. Mm, that could be said of a lot of Placebo's music. BLUE AMERICAN - ah, the odd references to "Mom" and "Uncle Tom" make sense now. Not the strongest song on the album, but an interesting continuation of the same mental health theme explored in a different way.
SLAVE TO THE WAGE starts in a squeal of distorted guitars. Calling Margaret Thatcher a bitch was quite an amusing turn in the song, and yet the message - that work and life in general is a race of rats to die - resonates rather well and provides a nice refreshing change from the generally introverted musical theme.
Now this doesn't sound like Placebo at all, actually. COMMERCIAL FOR LEVI seems like a continuation of the previous song, in a way. It is, so far, the most cheerful song on the album. "Please don't die". Yeah, I like that. It's a good idea, and also merrily tells us to stop doing drugs. Thanks for the advice, Brian - but you could've taken it yourself. Where did the title of 2006 album Meds come from again?
Now, the biologist in me is pondering whether HAEMOGLOBIN really is the key to a healthy heartbeat, but the clasutrophobic atmosphere of the song works will with the idea of being cut open and examined by strange doctors. It's a somewhat uncomfortable listen, but well worth it.
I can't help but wonder where Mr Molko gets his ideas for titles from. NARCOLEPTIC? Is this a song about narcolepsy? Why have you gone back to mentioning words and books like in BLUE AMERICAN? And now we're being warned of ending up as a wreck... the song develops nicely with a storyline behind it, though the ending seems to be repeated a few too many times for my liking. Yes, we get the idea about never making up, and you don't have to send us to sleep.
PEEPING TOM is a melancholy ending, with reverberating synths and lyrics that seem reminiscent of hearing voices. It's a subtle end to what has been a generally understated, grimy yet somehow magic album.
Reading this review you might think I'm being critical of Placebo. Well... I am. But that's because those are just the things I could find to say. Just saying that every single song is a disorientatingly simple journey into your own head would be the easy way out; dull to write and dull to read. Picking apart flaws is just another way for you to appreciate the dark beauty and majesty of an album which is 11 years old, and yet continues to be relevant and haunting. 8/10
Thursday 28 January 2010
Minor scahdenfreude is perfectly normal...
Yes, the title is something I said trying to comfort one of my friends. Yes, I am crap at giving advice. I'm always good for people to tell problems to, just don;t expect anything useful on the whole "making-you-feel-better" front.
So, tomorrow is Music Friday III. Any idea what I should do? I was thinking I'd review a (new, maybe) album, one I haven't heard before - thoughts and ideas?
Today's blog is actually a non-blog. I have nothing blogworthy to talk about apart from my usual minor gripes of homework, which nobody really cares about, and being told to do more flute practise by my "I-was-a-wonderkid-who-did-grade-8-at-the-same-time-as-my-GCSEs-and-also-invented-a-cure-for-the-common-cold-while-i-was-at-it" music teacher.
This entire week, I've been convinced it's Friday every single day of the week. Ergo, as it really will be Friday tomorrow, it is guaranteed to be a massive letdown, as I have to do all my homework for the entirity of next week (minus my English coursework, which will get done at exactly midnight of the day it's due in... which is actually a couple of weeks away). Today's homework was Maths (torturous, confusing and most likely failed), Music Theory (which I had to restrain myself from doing in case I accidentally burnt it into cinders) and RS (which was fun, because I did it while listening to Journey. On three now: DON'T STOP! BELIEVIN'!
It is a week until the Epic Camden Campout. This time in a week, I will be on a street in London, shivering my arse off in seven layers and a sleeping bag, and yet I am possibly more excited for this than I have been for anything in a long time. The week after that, I'll be in Brixton, chatting to LP after the gig (hopefully), or if not befriending security. Or being on the way home. Any which way, the next two Thursday evenings will be EPIC FUNTIMES.
Also, my friend Kath and I have made a pact... if ever one of us becomes stuck in an unhappy marriage, we will keep other other on speed-dial so the non-trapped one can "swing by your house with dynamite, bust you out, and take you to a Welsh gig ASAP".
It sounds like a good plan to me.
So, leave a comment telling me what album to review! And good night y'all, see you on the real Friday!
So, tomorrow is Music Friday III. Any idea what I should do? I was thinking I'd review a (new, maybe) album, one I haven't heard before - thoughts and ideas?
Today's blog is actually a non-blog. I have nothing blogworthy to talk about apart from my usual minor gripes of homework, which nobody really cares about, and being told to do more flute practise by my "I-was-a-wonderkid-who-did-grade-8-at-the-same-time-as-my-GCSEs-and-also-invented-a-cure-for-the-common-cold-while-i-was-at-it" music teacher.
This entire week, I've been convinced it's Friday every single day of the week. Ergo, as it really will be Friday tomorrow, it is guaranteed to be a massive letdown, as I have to do all my homework for the entirity of next week (minus my English coursework, which will get done at exactly midnight of the day it's due in... which is actually a couple of weeks away). Today's homework was Maths (torturous, confusing and most likely failed), Music Theory (which I had to restrain myself from doing in case I accidentally burnt it into cinders) and RS (which was fun, because I did it while listening to Journey. On three now: DON'T STOP! BELIEVIN'!
It is a week until the Epic Camden Campout. This time in a week, I will be on a street in London, shivering my arse off in seven layers and a sleeping bag, and yet I am possibly more excited for this than I have been for anything in a long time. The week after that, I'll be in Brixton, chatting to LP after the gig (hopefully), or if not befriending security. Or being on the way home. Any which way, the next two Thursday evenings will be EPIC FUNTIMES.
Also, my friend Kath and I have made a pact... if ever one of us becomes stuck in an unhappy marriage, we will keep other other on speed-dial so the non-trapped one can "swing by your house with dynamite, bust you out, and take you to a Welsh gig ASAP".
It sounds like a good plan to me.
So, leave a comment telling me what album to review! And good night y'all, see you on the real Friday!
Tuesday 26 January 2010
Depressingly pensive and terribly written.
So many people can fall apart in the middle of the street while so many people can just walk on by.
So many people can fall apart at home with nobody to help.
So many people can scream their frustration across the world on the internet, but even with the whole world on the other end of the line nobody takes the call.
And while all these people are falling apart, be it next door or in a different country or in a different fucking galaxy, there are all the others who carry on as normal.
So many people notice, but are scared of getting involved.
And so many people walk on by without realising what's going on.
And then there are people who say everything is fine, and maybe it is just below the surface, but they're falling apart inside.
Human emotions are wonderful, beautiful, awful things and the world is a wonderful, beautiful, awful place. There seems to be no such thing as balance.
And in the end, we all fall apart.
So many people can fall apart at home with nobody to help.
So many people can scream their frustration across the world on the internet, but even with the whole world on the other end of the line nobody takes the call.
And while all these people are falling apart, be it next door or in a different country or in a different fucking galaxy, there are all the others who carry on as normal.
So many people notice, but are scared of getting involved.
And so many people walk on by without realising what's going on.
And then there are people who say everything is fine, and maybe it is just below the surface, but they're falling apart inside.
Human emotions are wonderful, beautiful, awful things and the world is a wonderful, beautiful, awful place. There seems to be no such thing as balance.
And in the end, we all fall apart.
Monday 25 January 2010
NICKNAMEZ
So Kath and I have decided we need to invent some more nicknames for everyone on the Kerrang! tour so we don't get confused. She, of course, is Kath.
We started this off when we realised we could tell the difference between Simon Young Guns and Simon My Passion without writing Simon YG or Simon MP. So we shortened that into Siyg and Simp!
And then we decided everyone needed a new nickname. EVERYONE! And so, we have...
MY PASSION
Laurence = Dinosaur
John =
Jonny =
Simon = Simp
YOUNG GUNS
Gustav = Noweigan Wood
Fraser =
Johnny =
Ben =
Simon = Siyg
THE BLACKOUT
Sean = $ushi
Gav = XRay Eyes
Matt = RiffBoy/Sad Puppy
Snoz = Teddy
Bob = THE FURY
Rhys = Spoon/Rhys Withaspoon/Prom Queen
ALL TIME LOW
Alex =
Jack =
Zack =
Rian =
Expect this blog to be filled in with more nicknames and the names or random people too xD Oh, and Lostprophets and KIGH may well end up getting NickName'd too... depends how much time we have on our hands XD
Plot blog for those wondering will be finished maybe tomorrow or Wednesday assuming I get time... o.O
We started this off when we realised we could tell the difference between Simon Young Guns and Simon My Passion without writing Simon YG or Simon MP. So we shortened that into Siyg and Simp!
And then we decided everyone needed a new nickname. EVERYONE! And so, we have...
MY PASSION
Laurence = Dinosaur
John =
Jonny =
Simon = Simp
YOUNG GUNS
Gustav = Noweigan Wood
Fraser =
Johnny =
Ben =
Simon = Siyg
THE BLACKOUT
Sean = $ushi
Gav = XRay Eyes
Matt = RiffBoy/Sad Puppy
Snoz = Teddy
Bob = THE FURY
Rhys = Spoon/Rhys Withaspoon/Prom Queen
ALL TIME LOW
Alex =
Jack =
Zack =
Rian =
Expect this blog to be filled in with more nicknames and the names or random people too xD Oh, and Lostprophets and KIGH may well end up getting NickName'd too... depends how much time we have on our hands XD
Plot blog for those wondering will be finished maybe tomorrow or Wednesday assuming I get time... o.O
Saturday 23 January 2010
BECOMING PERFECT: PLOT NOTES
This blog will be of absolutely no interest to most of you (hey, but that's most of my blogs anyway ;D) as it's being used as a place for me to work out what's going on inside my head re. latest story idea.
BECOMING PERFECT
In *insertcountrynamehere*, all people have 2 names: a Child Name and an Adult Name.
The Child Name is a name given to them at birth by their parents, e.g. Chance, Fate, etc. It is used from birth to age 18 and may still be used by family members/close friends after the Adult Name has been adopted.
The surname is formed by mother's Adult Name + -ken for a girl (e.g. Kindken, Hopeken) and father's Adult Name + -kin for a boy (e.g. Righteouskin, Bravekin).
So my main character's Child Name is Chance Hopeken (daughter of Hope Loveken and Brave Bravekin).
The Adult Name is a name given to them by The Trusted (evil dictator stalker government type thing which is considered to be perfect). The Trust monitor the person's progress and send out a List to each person on their 14th birthday of their 10 potential Adult Names. Adult Names are a characteristic or trait (e.g. Perfect, Hope, Optimist, Lonely). The recipiant's Adult Name will be one of the ten on their List, and they have from between their 14th birthday to their 18h birthday to aspire to gain the best Adult Name on their List (so, if Perfect was a potential name, you would aspire to become perfect to be given that name. Hence the title, Becoming Perfect).
In this country, there is only one way in our out and it is closely guarded by The Guards (the military). No flights go over the country, and nobody in the country is aware that anywhere else exists - they believe they are the only people in the entire universe.
Chance Hopeken is 14 and she's been having bad dreams for the past year or so about being taken away, but she's always brushed them off as nothing. She receives her List on her birthday which gives Perfect as a possible Adult Name. Chance, being the perfectionist she is, instantly aspires to be Perfect, which means that over the next 4 years she cannot do anything wrong. She was to become Perfect.
She has a big brother aged 20 called Benevolent Bravekin. There's a rumour that he has been invited to join The Trusted as their youngest ever member, but rumours are very quickly stopped by The Trusted (by people with big guns and sunglasses...). She also used to have an elder brother whose Child Name was Gamble, but he died (note - "died") before he could be given an Adult Name.
While aspiring to be Perfect, Chance is taken aside one day by someone claiming to be a member of the Police, though she clearly isn't. She also asks Chance if her name is Eliza Carter (note - this sounds absurd to Chance. All names are *a word* plus *parent'sname*-kin/ken, so neither name registers as a real name) or if she knows anyone of that name. The "Policewoman" also makes some reference to Eliza being taken away, which sends alarm bells ringing in Chance's head re. her weird dreams - she worries that she is going to be taken away.
Time passes. Chance continues having weird thoughts, and we find out more about her family - especially her big brother Gamble, even though her parents dislike talking about him and it obviously makes them uncomfortable. Her mum lets slip something that suggests his death wasn't an accident, and more hints are made about Benevolent maybe being introduced into The Trusted. Chance continues trying to become perfect.
Chance runs into more people who ask her strange questions if she knows anyone, and she meets the Policewoman twice more. The second time, the Policewoman asks her more about The Trusted and Chance is baffled by her accent - she has accidentally started talking in her normal American voice instead of the voice of this country. The third time, Chance is very suspicious but allows the Policewoman to tell her the story of Eliza - a girl who was born in the US and stolen from her parents to be part of a government-sponsored experiment in a foreign (currently hostile) nation, who were trying to create a perfect society and wanted to bring in an outside influence, the daughter of two doctors, to see how she developed in society. There is a hint that the Policewoman is more interested in this case than just professionally.
Around two years after the story starts, Chance is seized. Physically grabbed and bundled silently into a van, where she finds the Policewoman who explains everything to her - Chance is Eliza, and the Policewoman's name is Jenna. She is Eliza's big sister. While trying to absorb this, Chance/Eliza is brought to a Secret Headquarters which has somehow been concealed from The Trusted (don't ask me how, dunno yet). Jenna explains she is part of a top-secret operation by the CIA to try and bring down The Trusted, and the only way to do it is to infiltrate The Trusted somehow. Eliza then meets the native leader of the operation - Gamble, whom she thought died 5 years ago.
With Gamble, Jenna, and other people's help, Chance starts to question Benevolent more carefully and find out more about The Trusted and where the headquarters are. Then, she is asked by The Operation to follow Benevolent into the base, and she hesitates, weighing up her quest to become perfect versus the fact that The Trusted are evil twisted dictators, and after a bit of a dilemma decides to follow Benevolent.
Of course, Benevolent knew about it the whole time, and Chance gets kidnapped and taken before The Trusted, who reveal that they know everything that is going on and were just letting The Operation carry on it could be stopped. Chance is told she is going to be executed publically, which will bring shame to her family. Benevolent, realising this means The Trusted have tricked him and he wouldn't be able to become a member, frees Chance and tells her to run.
Benevolent is killed for his betrayal. Gamble and Jenna, outraged, lead a seize on The Trusted, creating enough of a distraction for Chance to sneak inside the base. Gamble and Jenna find they can't kill The Trusted; inside, Chance finds out that each member is actually a hologram and the whole country is a mass social experiment as run by the Americans.
Jenna and Gamble decide to leave for America to try and stop the secret organisation. They tell Chance to come, but she decides to stay in the country and try and sort out a new government. The first thign she does is get rid of the bizarre naming system, and starts by chosing her Adult Name herself in a speech to the country: she says she is a proud person, and is proud of all her faults, and so choses the name Imperfect.
It needs a bit of work and will no doubt get drastically edited, but that's the basis of it. Huzzah!
BECOMING PERFECT
In *insertcountrynamehere*, all people have 2 names: a Child Name and an Adult Name.
The Child Name is a name given to them at birth by their parents, e.g. Chance, Fate, etc. It is used from birth to age 18 and may still be used by family members/close friends after the Adult Name has been adopted.
The surname is formed by mother's Adult Name + -ken for a girl (e.g. Kindken, Hopeken) and father's Adult Name + -kin for a boy (e.g. Righteouskin, Bravekin).
So my main character's Child Name is Chance Hopeken (daughter of Hope Loveken and Brave Bravekin).
The Adult Name is a name given to them by The Trusted (evil dictator stalker government type thing which is considered to be perfect). The Trust monitor the person's progress and send out a List to each person on their 14th birthday of their 10 potential Adult Names. Adult Names are a characteristic or trait (e.g. Perfect, Hope, Optimist, Lonely). The recipiant's Adult Name will be one of the ten on their List, and they have from between their 14th birthday to their 18h birthday to aspire to gain the best Adult Name on their List (so, if Perfect was a potential name, you would aspire to become perfect to be given that name. Hence the title, Becoming Perfect).
In this country, there is only one way in our out and it is closely guarded by The Guards (the military). No flights go over the country, and nobody in the country is aware that anywhere else exists - they believe they are the only people in the entire universe.
Chance Hopeken is 14 and she's been having bad dreams for the past year or so about being taken away, but she's always brushed them off as nothing. She receives her List on her birthday which gives Perfect as a possible Adult Name. Chance, being the perfectionist she is, instantly aspires to be Perfect, which means that over the next 4 years she cannot do anything wrong. She was to become Perfect.
She has a big brother aged 20 called Benevolent Bravekin. There's a rumour that he has been invited to join The Trusted as their youngest ever member, but rumours are very quickly stopped by The Trusted (by people with big guns and sunglasses...). She also used to have an elder brother whose Child Name was Gamble, but he died (note - "died") before he could be given an Adult Name.
While aspiring to be Perfect, Chance is taken aside one day by someone claiming to be a member of the Police, though she clearly isn't. She also asks Chance if her name is Eliza Carter (note - this sounds absurd to Chance. All names are *a word* plus *parent'sname*-kin/ken, so neither name registers as a real name) or if she knows anyone of that name. The "Policewoman" also makes some reference to Eliza being taken away, which sends alarm bells ringing in Chance's head re. her weird dreams - she worries that she is going to be taken away.
Time passes. Chance continues having weird thoughts, and we find out more about her family - especially her big brother Gamble, even though her parents dislike talking about him and it obviously makes them uncomfortable. Her mum lets slip something that suggests his death wasn't an accident, and more hints are made about Benevolent maybe being introduced into The Trusted. Chance continues trying to become perfect.
Chance runs into more people who ask her strange questions if she knows anyone, and she meets the Policewoman twice more. The second time, the Policewoman asks her more about The Trusted and Chance is baffled by her accent - she has accidentally started talking in her normal American voice instead of the voice of this country. The third time, Chance is very suspicious but allows the Policewoman to tell her the story of Eliza - a girl who was born in the US and stolen from her parents to be part of a government-sponsored experiment in a foreign (currently hostile) nation, who were trying to create a perfect society and wanted to bring in an outside influence, the daughter of two doctors, to see how she developed in society. There is a hint that the Policewoman is more interested in this case than just professionally.
Around two years after the story starts, Chance is seized. Physically grabbed and bundled silently into a van, where she finds the Policewoman who explains everything to her - Chance is Eliza, and the Policewoman's name is Jenna. She is Eliza's big sister. While trying to absorb this, Chance/Eliza is brought to a Secret Headquarters which has somehow been concealed from The Trusted (don't ask me how, dunno yet). Jenna explains she is part of a top-secret operation by the CIA to try and bring down The Trusted, and the only way to do it is to infiltrate The Trusted somehow. Eliza then meets the native leader of the operation - Gamble, whom she thought died 5 years ago.
With Gamble, Jenna, and other people's help, Chance starts to question Benevolent more carefully and find out more about The Trusted and where the headquarters are. Then, she is asked by The Operation to follow Benevolent into the base, and she hesitates, weighing up her quest to become perfect versus the fact that The Trusted are evil twisted dictators, and after a bit of a dilemma decides to follow Benevolent.
Of course, Benevolent knew about it the whole time, and Chance gets kidnapped and taken before The Trusted, who reveal that they know everything that is going on and were just letting The Operation carry on it could be stopped. Chance is told she is going to be executed publically, which will bring shame to her family. Benevolent, realising this means The Trusted have tricked him and he wouldn't be able to become a member, frees Chance and tells her to run.
Benevolent is killed for his betrayal. Gamble and Jenna, outraged, lead a seize on The Trusted, creating enough of a distraction for Chance to sneak inside the base. Gamble and Jenna find they can't kill The Trusted; inside, Chance finds out that each member is actually a hologram and the whole country is a mass social experiment as run by the Americans.
Jenna and Gamble decide to leave for America to try and stop the secret organisation. They tell Chance to come, but she decides to stay in the country and try and sort out a new government. The first thign she does is get rid of the bizarre naming system, and starts by chosing her Adult Name herself in a speech to the country: she says she is a proud person, and is proud of all her faults, and so choses the name Imperfect.
It needs a bit of work and will no doubt get drastically edited, but that's the basis of it. Huzzah!
Friday 22 January 2010
Music Friday II: The Garage Gig
My monkier for my weekly Friday segment needs work. Music Friday doesn't quite work. I'll think about it, or you can tweet me some suggestions xD
So, here's your journalist-honing torture - i mean treat - for today:
LOSTPROPHETS AT RELENTLESS GARAGE, 18/01/10
It's all very well to be let into a venue at 6.45, but having to wait on the barrier for nearly an hour and a half to see your favourite band can be dull. Sure, you're in the warm, but it's cramped and hard to move around and the music is so loud that talking can only be achieved by shouting directly into somebody's eardum. The atmosphere is annoyed, but excited - soon, a behemoth of British rock will be onstage.
All irritation leaves the crowd as soon as the Welsh band take the stage in their first gig of the new decade. Tearing straight into TO HELL WE RIDE, the one-man-down 'Prophets start as they mean to carry on: powerful and punchy. DSTRYR/DSTRYR and IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD (BUT I CAN SEE IT FROM HERE) remind the assembled throng why they're here - because today, Lostprophets have released their first album in 4 years and by golly it's a corker.
For just over an hour, the band sing, thrash, headbang, banter and, um, towel each other off. "We last played here in 2000! Who was there?" asks Ian Watkins. Half the crowd screams. "You liars!" he adds, laughing.
The highlight of the set is hard to chose; maybe the beautiful WHERE WE BELONG, which can compete with perrenial classic Prophets classic ROOFTOPS in terms of singalong value and began with an argument about the name of the girl on the phone, a girl who is now forever to be known as Kath. The other contenders were the epic SHINOBI VS DRAGON NINJA, which inspired much 2000-esque nu-metal dancing; and of course, the unified headbanging to BURN BURN.
Lostprophets are not a new band, and they have never claimed to be cool. A lot of people tonight were here just because it was free. But for the dedicated masses assembled before them, Lostprophets put on their usual spectacular show, and you know what? It rocked.
9/10
So, here's your journalist-honing torture - i mean treat - for today:
LOSTPROPHETS AT RELENTLESS GARAGE, 18/01/10
It's all very well to be let into a venue at 6.45, but having to wait on the barrier for nearly an hour and a half to see your favourite band can be dull. Sure, you're in the warm, but it's cramped and hard to move around and the music is so loud that talking can only be achieved by shouting directly into somebody's eardum. The atmosphere is annoyed, but excited - soon, a behemoth of British rock will be onstage.
All irritation leaves the crowd as soon as the Welsh band take the stage in their first gig of the new decade. Tearing straight into TO HELL WE RIDE, the one-man-down 'Prophets start as they mean to carry on: powerful and punchy. DSTRYR/DSTRYR and IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD (BUT I CAN SEE IT FROM HERE) remind the assembled throng why they're here - because today, Lostprophets have released their first album in 4 years and by golly it's a corker.
For just over an hour, the band sing, thrash, headbang, banter and, um, towel each other off. "We last played here in 2000! Who was there?" asks Ian Watkins. Half the crowd screams. "You liars!" he adds, laughing.
The highlight of the set is hard to chose; maybe the beautiful WHERE WE BELONG, which can compete with perrenial classic Prophets classic ROOFTOPS in terms of singalong value and began with an argument about the name of the girl on the phone, a girl who is now forever to be known as Kath. The other contenders were the epic SHINOBI VS DRAGON NINJA, which inspired much 2000-esque nu-metal dancing; and of course, the unified headbanging to BURN BURN.
Lostprophets are not a new band, and they have never claimed to be cool. A lot of people tonight were here just because it was free. But for the dedicated masses assembled before them, Lostprophets put on their usual spectacular show, and you know what? It rocked.
9/10
Thursday 21 January 2010
Missing people who may not even remember me.
All my friends know who they are. I love them all, no matter how much I moan and bitch and threaten them and how much they may hate me.
The thing is, I'm having another crisis of confidence. I feel like this more than I wish I did, hence why people have given up reading my blog because they know I just whine about my feelings and my very comfortable situation in life in a vaguely emo way.
My main problem is that all my friends are friends with each other in a much closer-knit way than I am. Sure, i'm the newbie. I've always been a n00b, pretty much, but I still end up feeling kind of left out. Nobody really wants to be with me. They just put up with me, when they'd prefer to be with someone else.
The only person who ever wants to hang out with me is my cousin, who is awesome but lives in Edinburgh. I miss my family too, and I've already mentioned how much I'm going to miss my brother.
Anyway. Basically, my friends have better friends. Best friends. So if they're together and I;m with them, I am a third wheel - totally and utterly useless. Which just leaves me feeling... well. Positively lost. I float.
Still, there are worse things to be than floaters, eh? At least I do have my friends. Dear everyone reading this - I miss you. Come hang sometime?
And then there's the people in the title. The bands I see. Lostprophets, The Blackout and Young Guns are the main offenders. I mean, they remember me when they see me - or to be more accurate, they remember my hat (Lee: Oh, it's YOU! I didn't recognise you without the hat) - but none of them know my name. I plan on teaching it to them in February and seeing if they remember it. Some members also owe me various things - Ian owes me a picture in my hat, and Fraser owes me a stint as merch girl with Young Guns.
So. Comment below about the people you miss maybe? :)
The thing is, I'm having another crisis of confidence. I feel like this more than I wish I did, hence why people have given up reading my blog because they know I just whine about my feelings and my very comfortable situation in life in a vaguely emo way.
My main problem is that all my friends are friends with each other in a much closer-knit way than I am. Sure, i'm the newbie. I've always been a n00b, pretty much, but I still end up feeling kind of left out. Nobody really wants to be with me. They just put up with me, when they'd prefer to be with someone else.
The only person who ever wants to hang out with me is my cousin, who is awesome but lives in Edinburgh. I miss my family too, and I've already mentioned how much I'm going to miss my brother.
Anyway. Basically, my friends have better friends. Best friends. So if they're together and I;m with them, I am a third wheel - totally and utterly useless. Which just leaves me feeling... well. Positively lost. I float.
Still, there are worse things to be than floaters, eh? At least I do have my friends. Dear everyone reading this - I miss you. Come hang sometime?
And then there's the people in the title. The bands I see. Lostprophets, The Blackout and Young Guns are the main offenders. I mean, they remember me when they see me - or to be more accurate, they remember my hat (Lee: Oh, it's YOU! I didn't recognise you without the hat) - but none of them know my name. I plan on teaching it to them in February and seeing if they remember it. Some members also owe me various things - Ian owes me a picture in my hat, and Fraser owes me a stint as merch girl with Young Guns.
So. Comment below about the people you miss maybe? :)
Wednesday 20 January 2010
Two weeks on Friday seems so far away.
Right, so, I have decided today will be a highlights blog of Tuesday, and Friday is going to be my Do-Something-Vaguely-Journalisty day, so I'll be trying my best to do a review of Lostprophets on Monday's gig, and probably have a little ramble at the end about the other random shit that happened that day.
So, Tuesday was pretty fun...
- Dad getting lost driving to Hitchin and ending up driving around the Sainsbury's carpark about seven times
- Getting to the right street. Not being able to see the venue - then "WAIT! Stop here!" upon seeing Si (Young Guns) standing by a van. And realising I was first in the queue o.O
- Running up a slope to find Young Guns unpacking their van, and Gus seeing me and stopping in his tracks to give me a hug (like almost every teenage girl to see Young Guns, I love that man).
- Reminding Young Guns that I hadn't seen them since last decade
- Forgetting how bloody skinny all of Young Guns are
- Gus appearing out the venue...
Noisy people: Who's that?
Me: It's Gus.
Gus: Yes, my dear?
Me: *bursts out laughing and falls off the wall*
- Befriending the guy who owned Club 85 by being quiet and polite, and persuading him to let me into the warmth. So I was sitting in the sort of anteroom for a bit, thinking "this is nice"... then getting told I could go into the venue as a "friend of Tam's". So I walked in, and ended up befriending the sound guy as well...
- Getting creeped out by the sound guy... quite a lot.
- Not having to show a ticket or ID and getting stamped as an over 18. So I just claimed to be straight edge for the night. Which is almost true.
- Hanging out at the merch stand with Young Guns for about an hour with nobody else around.
- Calling Laurence "Cruella de Ville" to his face, which made him laugh, and then we had a chat about being short. "Oh yeah, I was short... when I was seven."
- Bagging front row centre when I realised that other people had walked in too.
- Spending all of Adam's set wondering where I knew him from.
- Tweeting during Kyra's set and getting manically told off.
- Young Guns owning the night and having mad face-pulling competitions with Ben, Gus and Johnny while they were onstage.
- Gus's total blindness when I asked him for water. "I don't have any!" "Yes, you do... over there... *facepalm*" "See, we're nice guys really!"
- Seeing Matt, who is still known to me as the Raving Rabbit.
- Being addressed by Kyra's drummer as "hey, Straight-Edge Girl!"
- Spending My Passion's set having a bit of a rave. They always put on a good show, top guys.
- Spending from when the gig ended until we got thrown out with Gus and Ben at the merch stand discussing pretty much everything.
- Gus: So many people preordered Winter Kiss, it was insane! We were up for twelve hours yesterday sending out all the orders...
Me: So you sent them out yesterday?
Gus: Yup. Did you order one?
Me: Yes! When will it get to me?
Gus: About two days, I think.
Ben: Oh no, not hers. We burnt yours, so, you know... Tough luck.
Me: Aaw, and I was going to wear it to Kerrang! tour and everything...
Ben: ... We bought you a new one?
- the sound guy really starting to scare me properly, so I ended up hiding in the merch cave behind Gus.
- Johnny and Simon bullying me into putting my hat back on
- Gus and Simon jointly deciding that Young Guns would adopt Annie and I as big brothers.
- Security guards: Alright, time to go everybody!
Me and Annie: Noooo!
Guard: *to Annie and I* Alright, move it.
Gus: *grabbing our hands* No, they're with me!
- Gus and Ben doing pictures and leaving Annie and I in charge of the merch for about ten minutes (which was hilarious to say the least)
- Packing up all the tshirts, telling Gus where everything was, unpicking all the tape... yes, we turned into merch girls :P
- Fraser promising to take me on tour as a merch girl
- My dad getting lost on the way to Hitchin... again... and Young Guns looking after me till midnight, when they had to leave. They promised to come hang with everyone in the queue for K! tour though, if I bought them food in return. Fair deal, if you ask me.
- Gus claiming the good ol' "bad back" excuse as a reason for not doing anything.
- "So, if Lostprophets are my fathers, and Young Guns are my brothers, what are My Passion?" (Annie) "Your lovers." (John Be).
- Chatting to John Be at midnight about guitar strings rusting from sweat...
- Laughing at Stape and John trying to load up the van.
- Laurence threatening me if I didn't say hi to him at K! tour, and giving me a warm get-home-safe hug.
So, yeah, Good night. I think I'm now more excited about seeing Young Guns again than any other band, though. They're just such sweet guys.
Lastly, I found out a coupla girls who were camping for K! tour in my year are planning on "stealing someone's van"... not realising that they don't know the bands in any way, shape or form. Hearing this made me laugh so much. Get over it, girls. I've met three of the bands enough to be remembered by them, and I somehow doubt I'll manage to get into their vans to sleep. Yes, that sounds kinda arrogant, but it's more just an assertion of confidence. I may not be as rich as them or as nice as them or as slaggish, but the bands always ask after me and my hat and who knows, maybe they don't mind having me around. So good luck getting into their vans, girls. You'll fucking need it. Otherwise bring duvets, shut the fuck up and camp.
So, Tuesday was pretty fun...
- Dad getting lost driving to Hitchin and ending up driving around the Sainsbury's carpark about seven times
- Getting to the right street. Not being able to see the venue - then "WAIT! Stop here!" upon seeing Si (Young Guns) standing by a van. And realising I was first in the queue o.O
- Running up a slope to find Young Guns unpacking their van, and Gus seeing me and stopping in his tracks to give me a hug (like almost every teenage girl to see Young Guns, I love that man).
- Reminding Young Guns that I hadn't seen them since last decade
- Forgetting how bloody skinny all of Young Guns are
- Gus appearing out the venue...
Noisy people: Who's that?
Me: It's Gus.
Gus: Yes, my dear?
Me: *bursts out laughing and falls off the wall*
- Befriending the guy who owned Club 85 by being quiet and polite, and persuading him to let me into the warmth. So I was sitting in the sort of anteroom for a bit, thinking "this is nice"... then getting told I could go into the venue as a "friend of Tam's". So I walked in, and ended up befriending the sound guy as well...
- Getting creeped out by the sound guy... quite a lot.
- Not having to show a ticket or ID and getting stamped as an over 18. So I just claimed to be straight edge for the night. Which is almost true.
- Hanging out at the merch stand with Young Guns for about an hour with nobody else around.
- Calling Laurence "Cruella de Ville" to his face, which made him laugh, and then we had a chat about being short. "Oh yeah, I was short... when I was seven."
- Bagging front row centre when I realised that other people had walked in too.
- Spending all of Adam's set wondering where I knew him from.
- Tweeting during Kyra's set and getting manically told off.
- Young Guns owning the night and having mad face-pulling competitions with Ben, Gus and Johnny while they were onstage.
- Gus's total blindness when I asked him for water. "I don't have any!" "Yes, you do... over there... *facepalm*" "See, we're nice guys really!"
- Seeing Matt, who is still known to me as the Raving Rabbit.
- Being addressed by Kyra's drummer as "hey, Straight-Edge Girl!"
- Spending My Passion's set having a bit of a rave. They always put on a good show, top guys.
- Spending from when the gig ended until we got thrown out with Gus and Ben at the merch stand discussing pretty much everything.
- Gus: So many people preordered Winter Kiss, it was insane! We were up for twelve hours yesterday sending out all the orders...
Me: So you sent them out yesterday?
Gus: Yup. Did you order one?
Me: Yes! When will it get to me?
Gus: About two days, I think.
Ben: Oh no, not hers. We burnt yours, so, you know... Tough luck.
Me: Aaw, and I was going to wear it to Kerrang! tour and everything...
Ben: ... We bought you a new one?
- the sound guy really starting to scare me properly, so I ended up hiding in the merch cave behind Gus.
- Johnny and Simon bullying me into putting my hat back on
- Gus and Simon jointly deciding that Young Guns would adopt Annie and I as big brothers.
- Security guards: Alright, time to go everybody!
Me and Annie: Noooo!
Guard: *to Annie and I* Alright, move it.
Gus: *grabbing our hands* No, they're with me!
- Gus and Ben doing pictures and leaving Annie and I in charge of the merch for about ten minutes (which was hilarious to say the least)
- Packing up all the tshirts, telling Gus where everything was, unpicking all the tape... yes, we turned into merch girls :P
- Fraser promising to take me on tour as a merch girl
- My dad getting lost on the way to Hitchin... again... and Young Guns looking after me till midnight, when they had to leave. They promised to come hang with everyone in the queue for K! tour though, if I bought them food in return. Fair deal, if you ask me.
- Gus claiming the good ol' "bad back" excuse as a reason for not doing anything.
- "So, if Lostprophets are my fathers, and Young Guns are my brothers, what are My Passion?" (Annie) "Your lovers." (John Be).
- Chatting to John Be at midnight about guitar strings rusting from sweat...
- Laughing at Stape and John trying to load up the van.
- Laurence threatening me if I didn't say hi to him at K! tour, and giving me a warm get-home-safe hug.
So, yeah, Good night. I think I'm now more excited about seeing Young Guns again than any other band, though. They're just such sweet guys.
Lastly, I found out a coupla girls who were camping for K! tour in my year are planning on "stealing someone's van"... not realising that they don't know the bands in any way, shape or form. Hearing this made me laugh so much. Get over it, girls. I've met three of the bands enough to be remembered by them, and I somehow doubt I'll manage to get into their vans to sleep. Yes, that sounds kinda arrogant, but it's more just an assertion of confidence. I may not be as rich as them or as nice as them or as slaggish, but the bands always ask after me and my hat and who knows, maybe they don't mind having me around. So good luck getting into their vans, girls. You'll fucking need it. Otherwise bring duvets, shut the fuck up and camp.
Sunday 17 January 2010
So today my mother told me that my brother wasn't taking a gap year before university - which really startled me. I'd always assumed that he'd take a year out, but no, apparently not - he's planning on finishing school this summer and starting Univeristy this October.
Where he goes depends on his results, but it looks like it'll either be Bath, Southampton or Birmingham, none of which are too far away. All of them are fairly easy to get to, and assuming he's allowed people to stay the night, there's a sort of unspoken agreement that if I go to gigs nearby I can just crash at his digs afterwards.
So, being a younger sister, you'd think I couldn't wait to get rid of my annoying big brother? Well... no. He's my big brother, and I've grown up with him. I can remember the fights we used to have about who sat where, hurling insults at each other until one of us snapped and made for the other (I was usually the one who snapped first, to be honest). I can remember when we were little and had our own made-up world. Nowadays, I'm older but no less annoying, and he just takes it all on the chin. He's great with small children because he's so much more patient than me. I'm impetuous and restless with a temper about as long as my fingernail. I always get ill and overact; my brother never does. He always gets him homework done on time, only ever got a detention once for something which wasn't his fault, and never causes my parents any trouble. He's practically perfect.
And I'm gonna miss him. So I have eight months before he leaves in which to annoy him as much as possible before he disappears for weeks or months at a time.
In other somewhat-related news, my father's coming home today. He's been in his childhood home of Bawdsey, which is a little village near the Suffolk coast about a hundred miles away, visiting his mother (my granny). My granny had a fall on Tuesday and fractured her ankle and knee, and my dad went down to visit her on Wednesday. Her leg's in plaster from toe to knee, and she's now got someone staying with her for the nights so that if she falls over again, they'll be able to do... something.
It's been really weird not having my dad around to threaten me with things if I don't do my homework, or yelling at me to stop winding Mum up, or telling me to stop whistling. But he's been worked up for a while now because of his mother. He'll probably take another few days off work to see her next week, too.
I'm not sure the point of this blog, other than the past few days have reminded me how much I love my family, even if I do moan about them and they do piss me off. I mean... family is family.
Where he goes depends on his results, but it looks like it'll either be Bath, Southampton or Birmingham, none of which are too far away. All of them are fairly easy to get to, and assuming he's allowed people to stay the night, there's a sort of unspoken agreement that if I go to gigs nearby I can just crash at his digs afterwards.
So, being a younger sister, you'd think I couldn't wait to get rid of my annoying big brother? Well... no. He's my big brother, and I've grown up with him. I can remember the fights we used to have about who sat where, hurling insults at each other until one of us snapped and made for the other (I was usually the one who snapped first, to be honest). I can remember when we were little and had our own made-up world. Nowadays, I'm older but no less annoying, and he just takes it all on the chin. He's great with small children because he's so much more patient than me. I'm impetuous and restless with a temper about as long as my fingernail. I always get ill and overact; my brother never does. He always gets him homework done on time, only ever got a detention once for something which wasn't his fault, and never causes my parents any trouble. He's practically perfect.
And I'm gonna miss him. So I have eight months before he leaves in which to annoy him as much as possible before he disappears for weeks or months at a time.
In other somewhat-related news, my father's coming home today. He's been in his childhood home of Bawdsey, which is a little village near the Suffolk coast about a hundred miles away, visiting his mother (my granny). My granny had a fall on Tuesday and fractured her ankle and knee, and my dad went down to visit her on Wednesday. Her leg's in plaster from toe to knee, and she's now got someone staying with her for the nights so that if she falls over again, they'll be able to do... something.
It's been really weird not having my dad around to threaten me with things if I don't do my homework, or yelling at me to stop winding Mum up, or telling me to stop whistling. But he's been worked up for a while now because of his mother. He'll probably take another few days off work to see her next week, too.
I'm not sure the point of this blog, other than the past few days have reminded me how much I love my family, even if I do moan about them and they do piss me off. I mean... family is family.
Friday 15 January 2010
The Cheated. The Mislead. The Deceived. The Obsolete. The Broken.
And at a guess, Jocko would be The Misunderstood.
They are The Betrayed.
Have a very amateur album review, done track-by-track as I listen to it:
They are The Betrayed.
Have a very amateur album review, done track-by-track as I listen to it:
Right. I hear the sound of drums. Catchy. And there's some pretty heavy, sweet riffage going on. Yes, this is IF IT WASN'T FOR HATE WE'D BE DEAD BY NOW, a song named after its first line. Lyrically the song is quite aggressive and dark, which sets the tone for the whole album and even the album design. Ian Watkin's voice is a snarl, which works well with the general song's attitude, and he manages it with some nice melodies.
The song segues perfectly into DSTRYR/DSTRYR, another angry tirade - this one directed against religion and nonbelievers (presumably in Lostprophets). The gang vocals - "Destroyer! Destroyer!" - work really well in added extra power, and the refrain of "Destroyer, destroyer, we live inside the fire, we live inside of you" builds into a powerful climax. Cue another nice riff. The only thing I would mention is that the song seems a little derivative in parts.
Aah, another interlude. This album flows very well. And now... morse code? Can anyone translate that? Ah, I hear familiar chanting. Yes, it's IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD BUT I CAN SEE IT FROM HERE, the radio-friendly lead single from the album which describes a "city of your dreams" as it "crumbles into hell". The chances are you've already heard this song round and about. Big hooks, and typical singalong choruses as we've come to expect from the Welsh guys.
I'll take this moment to praise Stu Richardson for his production capabilites. The album is polished, yet raw enough to command respect. Oh, what's this? Second single WHERE WE BELONG is probably the most poppy song on the whole album. Swap the headbanging for your hairbrush, line up to the mirror, and practise belting out the soaring hooks while marvelling at Watkins' falsetto.
After the anthemic feel to the previous song, the vicious opening to NEXT STOP ATRO CITY might catch you by surprise. This song reminds me of their first album thefakesoundofprogress - the beginning especially is rather similar. The drumming matches the frantic pace of the song. My only comment would by the slightly suspect chorus - "We've got velocity/Next stop Atro City"? Unintentionally amusing.
Isn't the beginning of a song by The Audition? Wait, who's Simon? Why's he lying? Are the Pontypridd boys after Simon Cowell now? Maybe. FOR HE'S A JOLLY GOOD FELON returns to the bouncy-rocky-metal tinged formula and inserts random names in for good measure. So, Mikey, where did you get those Nikes? I bet you stole them off Sean Smith, didn't you? Add a good dose of "whoa"s too, and you get a cheerful song which fights off the chance of a mid-album lull.
I hear synths now, and some drums? Jay sounds like he was having fun. This sounds like something out of Muse if they toned down the scary technicality a bit and stuck it in a blender with some tar. Dark and sticky - hey, when did the drums stop? Static crackle - and this, according to the tracklisting is A BETTER NOTHING. Oh dear, more falsetto. I'm getting a 4am Forever vibe. Another reference to a city being destroyed here, too. I'm not really feeling this song as much as some of the others yet. Come on boys, impress me. And... Oh, they got so close, but the slightly spooky, atmospheric vibe they injected just didn't quite take off.
Now, to cheer you up, you get some cheerful jaunty piano and Ian talking about - guess what? - a city. Well, the streets anyway, in STREETS OF NOWHERE. I guess Ian hates Pontypridd more than he lets on. It's happy and another great song to have a bit of a dance to, but there's a dark undercurrent lurking just beneath all the merry lyrics about inside jokes and monotony. Ooh, and you get some fun "la la la"-ing going on.
The song ends rather abruptly and we're thrown straight into DIRTY LITTLE HEART, a rather more melancholy song. This is the compulsory love-and-loss song, and it's actually pulled off rather well - the almost ska-like guitar in places adds a different spin on the music while keeping it light. Oh look, a reference to streets. Either this is supposed to be a concept, or that rhyming dictionary went walkies... I jest. It works well, and the song seems quite poignant.
And now, a dark prog-rock interlude. I hear lots of drums. Ooh, a piano. And synths. Was Jay feeling under-appreciated? There's something ominous about this interlude, and the hissing does nothing to ease my mind about things to come. And then DARKEST BLUE starts, a title accidentally stolen from Jack's Mannequin (Dark Blue). The guitar riff here again deserves special mention, and the song - with rather a more hopeless feel than the rest of the album - serves as a nice counterpoint to all the happy, saccharine moments. Were they all a facade?
Guitar. A slightly haunting background synth. THE LIGHT THAT SHINES TWICE AS BRIGHT is here, the epic swansong of the album, which had all of Lee's guitar parts and Ian's vocals recorded in one take. If you thought that falsetto was impressive before, try listening to it here. Lostprophets claimed to have put their heart and souls into this album. And hear that, which sounds like drumming underwater? That is their heartbeats, recorded and used as a drumbeat. Nifty idea, which has a really great effect on the ending epic song. The whole thing feels like the calm before the storm - and the thunder starts rumbling at the end. "This is how it feels" claim the band, as piano re-arrives from nowhere. Then the synths take over again, and there's a weird buzzing, which all fades away gradually. Listen carefully, and you can make out something like footsteps under the sound of someone getting an error message on the computer.
Ending thoughts - Hmm. It's two and a half years late. It's cost them over half a million dollars. It's been a labour of love, to say the least. And was it worth it? It sounds like their three previous albums have been analysed, dissected, and the best bits of each taken and liberally doused in bitterness and anger. There's heavy guitars, chants, sing-a-long choruses, and refrains that will get lodged in your conciousness and drive you crazy. So, overall - yes, it was worth it. It's the album for the disillusioned, the frustrated, the downtrodden.
It's an album for the betrayed.
Tuesday 12 January 2010
I've got some real weird friends and such good times...
So I'm listening to Lostprophets in preparation for seeing them on Monday... because basically, I am beyond excited. If I had the physical capabilites to do backflips and raise the roof via only the power of my own happy thoughts, then I would. I was excited weeks before I saw LP for the first time - from around the start of October onwards, despite all the other gigs I had, I was most looking forward to the 'Prophets. It's quite a small venue too, which makes it better. I mean, I've seen a couple of other big bands in pretty small venues (All Time Low at McClusky's, and The Blackout at Barfly/McClusky's/Clwb Ifor Bach... and the video shoot was pretty small really) but I'm still more excited about this than I have been for pretty much any other gig I've ever been to - save perhaps the two Blackout December shows (originally Portsmouth, but then the excitement got transferred to the Caerdydd show XD). But roll on Monday - I'll get to hear tracks from The Betrayed live again, hopefully having heard them on CD beforehand, so I know the words a bit better XD
And now for something completely different...
A question I was asked on my FormSpring reminded me of The Interesting Thoughts of Edward Monkton. Quirky and usually funny, and unusually philosophical for greetings cards, here are a few of my favourite designs:
Monday 11 January 2010
Good day/Bad day?
Good day
Bad day
So I started off with a French mock
It went better than expected
Then I had a listening mock... which went worse than expected.
But I had a thermas of hot summer fruits for lunchtime. Which was warm.
English and Physics, boo hiss.
But I managed to turn a skydiver into Batman
Detention after school... was boring and had to write an essay.
Then I had to walk down an icy hill to get to Gran and Grumpa's, where Dad picked us up
But Mum bought me Hotel Chocolat on the way down the hill
Then I watched Being Human and had French Toast for tea.
And realised how much homework I had.
Then I checked my emails and found out I HAD WON TICKETS TO A FREE LOSTPROPHETS GIG! *does a dance*
*does more dancing*
*dances some more*
Then I found out the You Me At Six at Brixton has sold out.
Then You Me At Six sold out while I was ordering my ticket. Graaaargh *stabs Seetickets*
And there are two girls going who only found out about the gig thanks to me who are really smug about it and actually mentioned my name... Which annoys me >.<
But I will be seeing Lostprophets on Monday!
*megadance*
Now for homework
So... good day, or bad day?
Bad day
So I started off with a French mock
It went better than expected
Then I had a listening mock... which went worse than expected.
But I had a thermas of hot summer fruits for lunchtime. Which was warm.
English and Physics, boo hiss.
But I managed to turn a skydiver into Batman
Detention after school... was boring and had to write an essay.
Then I had to walk down an icy hill to get to Gran and Grumpa's, where Dad picked us up
But Mum bought me Hotel Chocolat on the way down the hill
Then I watched Being Human and had French Toast for tea.
And realised how much homework I had.
Then I checked my emails and found out I HAD WON TICKETS TO A FREE LOSTPROPHETS GIG! *does a dance*
*does more dancing*
*dances some more*
Then I found out the You Me At Six at Brixton has sold out.
Then You Me At Six sold out while I was ordering my ticket. Graaaargh *stabs Seetickets*
And there are two girls going who only found out about the gig thanks to me who are really smug about it and actually mentioned my name... Which annoys me >.<
But I will be seeing Lostprophets on Monday!
*megadance*
Now for homework
So... good day, or bad day?
Sunday 10 January 2010
Jonny "Itch" Fox Is My Favourite Poet
So, sitting here, praying that I will get snowed in tonight, I find myself pondering music and procrastinating furiously.
Right now, my favourite band is probably The King Blues. In all of their songs, there's always at least one line which gets me and makes me smile, or makes me think, or makes me mad at the government.
I guess I can't really explain it, so I'll just post the lyrics to Out Of Luck. Admitted, it's so much better sung, but still. If this song fails to move you, consider transplanting that heart of stone somewhere else.
With a red scrunchie for a birthday gift
She scrapes her hair into a Croydon facelift
Punch drunk love at sweet sixteen
She thumbs a ride to Gretna Green
Leaving something old for somewhere new
To be with someone battered black and blue
She turns out her light with a song to sing
Grabs her shoulder bag and an Argos ring
And she says,
"Without a penny in my pocket
I'm out of luck in this kind of town
But I've got you right by my side
So I won't let them drag me down."
He turned from Jack the lad into Jack the dad
His heart was pure, but the town was bad
He had a broken heart from a broken home
She heard his breaking voice through a broken phone
He said, "For you girl I'd walk a Swedish mile
For a Glasgow kiss and a Chelsea smile,"
So he drove until it was morning light
And the birds will sing him to sleep tonight
And he says,
"Without a penny in my pocket
I'm out of luck in this kind of town
But I've got you, right by my side
So I won't let them drag me down."
Right now, my favourite band is probably The King Blues. In all of their songs, there's always at least one line which gets me and makes me smile, or makes me think, or makes me mad at the government.
I guess I can't really explain it, so I'll just post the lyrics to Out Of Luck. Admitted, it's so much better sung, but still. If this song fails to move you, consider transplanting that heart of stone somewhere else.
With a red scrunchie for a birthday gift
She scrapes her hair into a Croydon facelift
Punch drunk love at sweet sixteen
She thumbs a ride to Gretna Green
Leaving something old for somewhere new
To be with someone battered black and blue
She turns out her light with a song to sing
Grabs her shoulder bag and an Argos ring
And she says,
"Without a penny in my pocket
I'm out of luck in this kind of town
But I've got you right by my side
So I won't let them drag me down."
He turned from Jack the lad into Jack the dad
His heart was pure, but the town was bad
He had a broken heart from a broken home
She heard his breaking voice through a broken phone
He said, "For you girl I'd walk a Swedish mile
For a Glasgow kiss and a Chelsea smile,"
So he drove until it was morning light
And the birds will sing him to sleep tonight
And he says,
"Without a penny in my pocket
I'm out of luck in this kind of town
But I've got you, right by my side
So I won't let them drag me down."
Saturday 9 January 2010
I hate February
So many awesome bands.
So many gigs.
Not enough time, money or parental concent.
So far the plan is:
Feb 5th - K! Tour, Camden
Feb 6th - K! Tour, Camden
Feb 10th - Cobra Starship, Shepherd's Bush (hopefully)
Feb 11th - Lostprophets/Kids In Glass Houses, Brixton (hopefully)
Feb 15th - Lostprophets/Kids In Glass Houses, Cambridge
Feb 17th - Lostprophets/Kids In Glass Houses, Birmingham (hopefully)
Feb 19th - Lostprophets/Kids In Glass Houses, Edinburgh
Now... add to that:
Feb 6th - All Time Low, Kingston
Feb 8th - You Me At Six/Young Guns, Highbury and Islington (hopefully)
Basically by the end of February I will be dead.
Last note. It was something someone mentioned - would you pay £30 to have the chance to meet your favourite band face-to-face (amongst other stuff)? So that got me thinking. Of all my favourite bands, who would I pay that much to meet?
The answer came up... Well, My Chemical Romance. And that's about it. But that's more because there's pretty much no other way I'd get to meet them. Most other bands: well, I sort of assume that I will eventually get to meet them, if I hang around for long enough. Arrogant? Maybe. I prefer optimistic. God know it's the only thing I am optimistic about. I've already met Madina Lake, The Blackout, three of Papa Roach and four of Lostprophets more out of luck than anything else, as well as All Time Low at a signing. Sure, it'd be lovely to meet them again, especially Madina Lake, but I can manage without it.
I guess I admire people for having the dedication to a band to spend that much on them. Me, I just float... My favourite band can change on the spur of the moment. And when I look at £30, I see two gig tickets right there. Perhaps the moral of this story is that I need more money. Which makes me sound arrogant, again. *sigh*
February could potentially go very well or very badly depending on what my parents say, how cold it is, and how good I am at deceiving them. Wish me luck with all three, hell knows I need it.
So many gigs.
Not enough time, money or parental concent.
So far the plan is:
Feb 5th - K! Tour, Camden
Feb 6th - K! Tour, Camden
Feb 10th - Cobra Starship, Shepherd's Bush (hopefully)
Feb 11th - Lostprophets/Kids In Glass Houses, Brixton (hopefully)
Feb 15th - Lostprophets/Kids In Glass Houses, Cambridge
Feb 17th - Lostprophets/Kids In Glass Houses, Birmingham (hopefully)
Feb 19th - Lostprophets/Kids In Glass Houses, Edinburgh
Now... add to that:
Feb 6th - All Time Low, Kingston
Feb 8th - You Me At Six/Young Guns, Highbury and Islington (hopefully)
Basically by the end of February I will be dead.
Last note. It was something someone mentioned - would you pay £30 to have the chance to meet your favourite band face-to-face (amongst other stuff)? So that got me thinking. Of all my favourite bands, who would I pay that much to meet?
The answer came up... Well, My Chemical Romance. And that's about it. But that's more because there's pretty much no other way I'd get to meet them. Most other bands: well, I sort of assume that I will eventually get to meet them, if I hang around for long enough. Arrogant? Maybe. I prefer optimistic. God know it's the only thing I am optimistic about. I've already met Madina Lake, The Blackout, three of Papa Roach and four of Lostprophets more out of luck than anything else, as well as All Time Low at a signing. Sure, it'd be lovely to meet them again, especially Madina Lake, but I can manage without it.
I guess I admire people for having the dedication to a band to spend that much on them. Me, I just float... My favourite band can change on the spur of the moment. And when I look at £30, I see two gig tickets right there. Perhaps the moral of this story is that I need more money. Which makes me sound arrogant, again. *sigh*
February could potentially go very well or very badly depending on what my parents say, how cold it is, and how good I am at deceiving them. Wish me luck with all three, hell knows I need it.
Thursday 7 January 2010
Snoooooooooow and other business
So there's around three inches of snow outside my house - which is enough that school has been closed for the past two days. I was meant to go back on Wednesday. I'll actually be going back tomorrow - Friday - assuming that the roads aren't too icy. But as tonight is going to be the coldest night for yonks, and the ice will freeze solid, I'm too petrified of getting in a car to consider school. But I'll probably end up going in anyway... Bloody parents. Bloody school for being open.
Other business, let's see...
I feel compelled to say something about The Hustler Club, despite not being a member, because it's taken over my Twitter feed a surprising amount. I don't really have anything to say, other than as much as I love ATL, I don't have the money to spend on joining their fan club.
The other thing are the early entry offers given out to fanclub members. I had to contend with them at Brixton for Papa Roach and my friends had to put up with them at Paramore. To be honest, something about the principle of paying to be able to get in earlier just rankles with me. I understand the logic behind it, and after 12 hours on the streets of Camden I'll probably wish I had entered for early entry and won it, but as it is I'm just against it. And that's all for that.
I'm listening to Katie P's Rock Show right now. She played Young Guns, which was awesome, and mispronounced my username, which made me laugh. But I'm liking the playlist - it's a bit heavier than what I usually listen to, but it's pretty damn awesome.
Lastly, my hair is annoying me. It's a bit too short on top and the fringe is just an awkward length. Give it a week and it'll be fine. Also, the back of my neck is funny - I had my hair clipped along the back, so it's fuzzy. Properly fuzzy. And now I've mentioned that I can't stop stroking it. And that sounds far dirtier than it is.
Four weeks tomorrow till K! tour. That means four weeks till I see All Time Low for the 3rd time, The Blackout for the 7th time, Young Guns for the 5th time (by then), and My Passion for the 9th time (by then). The plan seems to be to beg one of the bands to let us sleep in their van.
Bring it on.
Other business, let's see...
I feel compelled to say something about The Hustler Club, despite not being a member, because it's taken over my Twitter feed a surprising amount. I don't really have anything to say, other than as much as I love ATL, I don't have the money to spend on joining their fan club.
The other thing are the early entry offers given out to fanclub members. I had to contend with them at Brixton for Papa Roach and my friends had to put up with them at Paramore. To be honest, something about the principle of paying to be able to get in earlier just rankles with me. I understand the logic behind it, and after 12 hours on the streets of Camden I'll probably wish I had entered for early entry and won it, but as it is I'm just against it. And that's all for that.
I'm listening to Katie P's Rock Show right now. She played Young Guns, which was awesome, and mispronounced my username, which made me laugh. But I'm liking the playlist - it's a bit heavier than what I usually listen to, but it's pretty damn awesome.
Lastly, my hair is annoying me. It's a bit too short on top and the fringe is just an awkward length. Give it a week and it'll be fine. Also, the back of my neck is funny - I had my hair clipped along the back, so it's fuzzy. Properly fuzzy. And now I've mentioned that I can't stop stroking it. And that sounds far dirtier than it is.
Four weeks tomorrow till K! tour. That means four weeks till I see All Time Low for the 3rd time, The Blackout for the 7th time, Young Guns for the 5th time (by then), and My Passion for the 9th time (by then). The plan seems to be to beg one of the bands to let us sleep in their van.
Bring it on.
Wednesday 6 January 2010
The Old/Young Powershare
The young are in charge. Or they will be.
I, being born in 1994, am part of the Hoodie Generation. I have grown up knowing how to use email and mobile phones. I can remember the excitement of Pokemon Red and Blue on the Gameboy Color, and the phenomenon of the Gameboy Advance and DS. I know people who shop at Topshop and H&M and River Island; I know people who buy most of their clothes exclusively online or on merch stalls after amazing, sweaty gigs. I've grown up worrying about the environment and the economy; in the midst of the recession, I spend more money than ever but I feel bad about it. I'm already panicking about university tuition fees and wishing I could go back to being five years old, playing with lego.
I am one of the youths. Adults in suits might rule the waking world, but we are in charge online and after dark. And even if we're not now, then in twenty years' time we will be. There's a worrying chance that one of my brother's friends will end up in charge of the Tory party. We are the young, and we understand that the old, the ones in charge, are making a bloody mess of the country. We can't wait to be old enough to sort this country out ourselves.
The thing is, the old are trying to become young. And they're stealing all our hobbies. And by the time we are twenty or thirty, able to make a difference, we probably will have forgotten everything we wanted to change and been brainwashed by the rest of our grey community.
I'm not quite sure of the point of this blog, other to muse on something that I saw on The History Of Now (an awesome programme on the 2000's currently on the BBC iPlayer). An expert, or a magazine editor, or something, who was being interviewed or asked for an opinion on there said something to the effect of "There is a war going on between the old and the young. The old have the power, but not the longevity, and the young don't have the power, but they'll be here tomorrow".
But even if we are in charge tomorrow, what are we going to change? And is the world going to go from just being crap in the hands of old people, with people born in the 90s complaining, to a world in 2030 being crap in the hands of the present-day youth and people born in 2010s and 2020s complaining?
Basically, I think we're all doomed.
And I really bloody hate the Tories.
I, being born in 1994, am part of the Hoodie Generation. I have grown up knowing how to use email and mobile phones. I can remember the excitement of Pokemon Red and Blue on the Gameboy Color, and the phenomenon of the Gameboy Advance and DS. I know people who shop at Topshop and H&M and River Island; I know people who buy most of their clothes exclusively online or on merch stalls after amazing, sweaty gigs. I've grown up worrying about the environment and the economy; in the midst of the recession, I spend more money than ever but I feel bad about it. I'm already panicking about university tuition fees and wishing I could go back to being five years old, playing with lego.
I am one of the youths. Adults in suits might rule the waking world, but we are in charge online and after dark. And even if we're not now, then in twenty years' time we will be. There's a worrying chance that one of my brother's friends will end up in charge of the Tory party. We are the young, and we understand that the old, the ones in charge, are making a bloody mess of the country. We can't wait to be old enough to sort this country out ourselves.
The thing is, the old are trying to become young. And they're stealing all our hobbies. And by the time we are twenty or thirty, able to make a difference, we probably will have forgotten everything we wanted to change and been brainwashed by the rest of our grey community.
I'm not quite sure of the point of this blog, other to muse on something that I saw on The History Of Now (an awesome programme on the 2000's currently on the BBC iPlayer). An expert, or a magazine editor, or something, who was being interviewed or asked for an opinion on there said something to the effect of "There is a war going on between the old and the young. The old have the power, but not the longevity, and the young don't have the power, but they'll be here tomorrow".
But even if we are in charge tomorrow, what are we going to change? And is the world going to go from just being crap in the hands of old people, with people born in the 90s complaining, to a world in 2030 being crap in the hands of the present-day youth and people born in 2010s and 2020s complaining?
Basically, I think we're all doomed.
And I really bloody hate the Tories.
Tuesday 5 January 2010
Another one bites the dust...
And another gone, and another gone, another one bites the dust...
Yes, I'm listening to Queen and bloody proud. I'm not sure why that's the title of the blog today, but it seems sort of accurate.
Today is the last day of my summer holiday. So, what have I done?
- Gone to the doctors' surgery and been given antibiotics (my second course in just over a week... *sigh*) because my chest is still infected.
- Got my hair cut shorter - fringe trimmed and generally cut short. I look... well, much the same, just a bit neater
- Realised I can't sit on the sofa because the cushions have been cleaned, so watched TV from the floor with my back against a very wet cushion
- Rewatched the latest Doctor Who, plus watched Doctor Who Confidential and Doctor Who's Greatest moments
- Tried to do my Drama essays... managed one
- Looked at my Latin and considered crying
- Did some flute practise
- Bought some Young Guns merch, and accidentally bought a shirt far too large for me which I am trying to refund
- Started writing this blog
That's pretty much exactly what I have done today.
Oh, and wondered what I'm doing about the ATL acoustic instore. I'll buy the album because I want it, ask for the ticket, and then on the day decide if the people saving my space in the queue are trustworthy enough for me to disappear off to Kingston. To be honest, I'll probably end up going anyway.
Goodbye, Christmas holidays. Hello six weeks of torture, punctuated with French mocks and gigs.
Yes, I'm listening to Queen and bloody proud. I'm not sure why that's the title of the blog today, but it seems sort of accurate.
Today is the last day of my summer holiday. So, what have I done?
- Gone to the doctors' surgery and been given antibiotics (my second course in just over a week... *sigh*) because my chest is still infected.
- Got my hair cut shorter - fringe trimmed and generally cut short. I look... well, much the same, just a bit neater
- Realised I can't sit on the sofa because the cushions have been cleaned, so watched TV from the floor with my back against a very wet cushion
- Rewatched the latest Doctor Who, plus watched Doctor Who Confidential and Doctor Who's Greatest moments
- Tried to do my Drama essays... managed one
- Looked at my Latin and considered crying
- Did some flute practise
- Bought some Young Guns merch, and accidentally bought a shirt far too large for me which I am trying to refund
- Started writing this blog
That's pretty much exactly what I have done today.
Oh, and wondered what I'm doing about the ATL acoustic instore. I'll buy the album because I want it, ask for the ticket, and then on the day decide if the people saving my space in the queue are trustworthy enough for me to disappear off to Kingston. To be honest, I'll probably end up going anyway.
Goodbye, Christmas holidays. Hello six weeks of torture, punctuated with French mocks and gigs.
Sunday 3 January 2010
2010: A Late Start. And 2009: A Retrospective
2010 began with lots of family gatherings.
Having just spent six days (28th December - 2nd January) with one of my best friends in the world, I feel I now ned to collate everything together.
So, to begin, 2009 stats:
Novels written: 1
Best addiction: Gigs, with lattes in 2nd place
Best live band: The Blackout (x6)
Worst live band: Strange News From Another Star
Most Seen Bands: Saving Aimee (x8), My Passion (x7), The Mission District/The Blackout (x6)
Bands I wish I'd seen more: Lostprophets, All Time Low, Young Guns
Favourite bandmember met: Rhys or Snoz from The Blackout
Best adopted big brother: Snoz fo'sho
Longest time spent without sleep: 25 hours in Brixton
Longest time spent queuing: 13 hours in Brixton
Best position: Lostprophets, October 22nd (front row just off centre)
Best hugs: Three-way tie between Jacoby Shaddix, The Blackout and Madina Lake
Best possibly-gay cloakroom owner befriended: Slug
Most famous person in kitty hat: Probably Jacoby Shaddix
People who have worn the Kitty Hat: I can't remember. Around 80.
First gig of '09: Saving Aimee/None The Less/This Part Is Us
Last gig of '09: The Blackout/Dopamine/Ispystrangers
Best month: August/October
Worst month: November
Things I should've done: finished my novel (probably won't happen now D:)
Most missed people: (in no real order) Ashleigh, Panda, Bee, Susie, Vikki, Annie and pretty much everyone else crazy enough to put up with me :)
So that's sorted, this is something I've stolen off Susie to start 2010 with: a profile of me, so I can see how much I've changed by the start of 2011.
Name: *sigh* Veronica Sylvia Margaret Wells
Age: 15
Birthday: 6th September 1994
Hair colour: Brown with a few very faint orangey stripes in my fringe
Eye colour: Blue/grey
Glasses: No
Braces: No
Vegetarian: Pescatarian (no meat, animal fats or gelatine, but fish, eggs, cheese etc. are fine)
Shoe size: 3-5 depending on the shoe
Favourite band: Lostprophets or The Blackout
Most seen bands: See above
Favourite TV programs: Doctor Who, Torchwood, Scrubs, Being Human, The Simpsons
Favourite films: The Simpsons Movie, Finding Nemo, Four Weddings And A Funeral, Bridget Jones' Diary, About A Boy
Favourite book: Too many. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
Favourite colour: Purple
Favourite sweets: Well, Hotel Chocolat.
Favourite school subjects: Drama, history
People I already miss: See above
See you later in the year. Peace out.
Having just spent six days (28th December - 2nd January) with one of my best friends in the world, I feel I now ned to collate everything together.
So, to begin, 2009 stats:
Novels written: 1
Best addiction: Gigs, with lattes in 2nd place
Best live band: The Blackout (x6)
Worst live band: Strange News From Another Star
Most Seen Bands: Saving Aimee (x8), My Passion (x7), The Mission District/The Blackout (x6)
Bands I wish I'd seen more: Lostprophets, All Time Low, Young Guns
Favourite bandmember met: Rhys or Snoz from The Blackout
Best adopted big brother: Snoz fo'sho
Longest time spent without sleep: 25 hours in Brixton
Longest time spent queuing: 13 hours in Brixton
Best position: Lostprophets, October 22nd (front row just off centre)
Best hugs: Three-way tie between Jacoby Shaddix, The Blackout and Madina Lake
Best possibly-gay cloakroom owner befriended: Slug
Most famous person in kitty hat: Probably Jacoby Shaddix
People who have worn the Kitty Hat: I can't remember. Around 80.
First gig of '09: Saving Aimee/None The Less/This Part Is Us
Last gig of '09: The Blackout/Dopamine/Ispystrangers
Best month: August/October
Worst month: November
Things I should've done: finished my novel (probably won't happen now D:)
Most missed people: (in no real order) Ashleigh, Panda, Bee, Susie, Vikki, Annie and pretty much everyone else crazy enough to put up with me :)
So that's sorted, this is something I've stolen off Susie to start 2010 with: a profile of me, so I can see how much I've changed by the start of 2011.
Name: *sigh* Veronica Sylvia Margaret Wells
Age: 15
Birthday: 6th September 1994
Hair colour: Brown with a few very faint orangey stripes in my fringe
Eye colour: Blue/grey
Glasses: No
Braces: No
Vegetarian: Pescatarian (no meat, animal fats or gelatine, but fish, eggs, cheese etc. are fine)
Shoe size: 3-5 depending on the shoe
Favourite band: Lostprophets or The Blackout
Most seen bands: See above
Favourite TV programs: Doctor Who, Torchwood, Scrubs, Being Human, The Simpsons
Favourite films: The Simpsons Movie, Finding Nemo, Four Weddings And A Funeral, Bridget Jones' Diary, About A Boy
Favourite book: Too many. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
Favourite colour: Purple
Favourite sweets: Well, Hotel Chocolat.
Favourite school subjects: Drama, history
People I already miss: See above
See you later in the year. Peace out.
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