Day 352 Christmas number 1

So this is the week that the singles battle it out to be Christmas number 1. The past years have seen an X-factor karaoke singers taint this time of year (sorry if you like X factor I just really hate it) we've also seen a decrease in the number of Christmassy songs too. This year I'd love to see the Justice collective get to number 1 with the song he ain't heavy he's my brother. Ok I know it's not Christmassy but its a great song for a great cause, to help the families fight for justice to be upheld from the shocking tragedy of Hillsborough. Please buy this song and support the fight for justice...

A musical journey - December

So it's December, and yet I've been quite lazy and not done a musical post, or have I cunningly waited till later in the month? No the first note was right I've just been lazy. But it is December so all should be forgiven. So at the risk of being cheesy, this months theme is if course Christmas!

I love Christmas, the family, the films, the weather (if it snows that us) the food, the TV, the drinks, the decorations and of course the music. Some places overkill it by starting too early, now I am by no means a Scrooge but I like to try keep Christmas to December. I like Christmas songs in December. I love all the traditional carols etc, and I love all the main songs we here like most wonderful time, wish it could be Christmas, etc etc but in this post I'd like to celebrate a few songs that might not be as famous/newer songs, so here goes....

Orba Squara - what I want for Christmas
I first heard this song a few years ago. I remember it was used on a sky movies advert. I instantly loved it, it's was soft and different for a Christmas song, It for me is a welcome change to all the other songs played traditionally at this time of year. It is kind of like my hidden gem, but I'm happy to share with you keep it quiet though...

Bo Selecta - Proper Crimbo
This is actually a contender for one if my favourite all time Christmas songs. It's just fun, pure and simple. And isn't this wheat this time of year is about fun? Avid Merrion dies a great job and the video is a laugh too, now come along sing with me...

The Killers - Happy Birthday Guadalupe
The Killers release a Christmas song every year. That's some fear, and every year it's a great song. Of there Christmas songs this us one of my favourites. It's quite a warm song and I quite like the video it's different, like the Orba Squara song has a different feel and a welcome change to all the other festive songs....

The Killers - Don't shoot me Santa
Ok Ok so I've put 2 Killers songs on, but it is meant to be about less celebrated different songs for Christmas and what could be more different than the idea if killer Santa who shoots people? Again a great song enhanced by a great video showing a psychotic Santa who has kidnapped Brandon Flowers, oh no!

Train - Shake up Christmas
Of all the songs on this list this to me sounds the most festive. Train are one if my favourite bands and ok they have sold out a bit doing a coca cola song, but it's Christmas and the Coca Cola truck whether you like it or not is now kind of a tradition of Christmas, after all Coca Cola is the reason why Santa wears Red. But back to the song, a very festive sounding Christmas jingle, again quite a recent song too, it always gets a smile on my face...

Day 323 the gig

Tonight we went to see my fave band Feeder live. It's one of many times I've seen them live, this time in Manchester. However I'd like to say thank you to the bands bass player, Taka. I had some trouble with my ticket not being delivered. The box office were refusing to re-issue me a ticket so I tweeted Taka my situation in the hope he'd see it and help and he did just that. Proof why they are such a good band, they care for their fans and write some cracking songs.

The gig itself was fantastic as always, stood pretty close to the front they played a great blend on new and old songs to please all fans. The crowd itself were pretty energetic too and the band could see this and rose to that energy. My highlight was hearing them play sweet 16 it's been a longtime since I heard that live, here's a clip....

Day 307 Sexy and we mo it

I saw this and loved it so its today's picture. Loving the mo, I love Movember....

Movember 2012

So it's that time of year again! The time has come to show your manliness and grow a moustache all for a good cause, of course it's time for Movember. Over the next month, as ever i'll be taking up the challenge and giving updates on how it's all going. Usually I write a music inspired post at the start of thus ninth, and this month is no different however, instead of highlighting certain bands or music I've been listening too this time there's just one song to sum up this month ahead. That song of course is Dead Cat Bounces charity single for Movember called, Everytime you shave a moustache dies! Sound advice, enjoy and happy mo growing....

To find out more about Movember please click here.

285 she's a rock n roll star

Youngest daughter decided last night was the night to showcase her musical talents. Here she is playing the piano, Mozart? Or maybe more like stevie wonder ?

A Musical Journey - September

Ahhh so September has come and gone, the summer is properly over and the nights start getting darker, the mornings are colder, and the mood of music grows darker as we say goodbye to summer anthems and hello to winter warmers. This months 3 bands that's I've been listening to are a mix of hearty warm ballads and powerful story telling rock songs.

1: The Killers - they released their new album this month, Battle born. Named after their own studio in their home town of Las Vegas where they recorded the album. A band that has often been confused with sounding British but are actually American. There 4th album is great and to me sounds a lot like their second album tone, Sams Town. Very Springsteenesq with the story telling aspect if the songs, intertwining with the melodies and guitar rifts. Their new album has lots of great songs from the opening track, Flesh and Bones to the last track Prizefighter (which is on the deluxe version which is worth buying for Prizefighter alone) the band have came a long way since their first album, Hot Fuss, and this album only goes on to cement their status as one of the biggest and best bands around. A lot quieter in places when compared to their last album but the quality as opposed to the volume is there for all to hear. Runaways had may be over played by myself of recent, as I've been using it in my classes...

2: Mumford and Sons - another band who have released a new album this month, Babel is again taken in the same vain as Mumfords first album, sigh no more. When I hear Mumford and sons songs I instantly think of winter, curling up by a fire place with a roaring fire on display, a pint if warm cider, and a wooly jumper on. Maybe I'm getting old with those kind if thoughts, but for some reason that is what I think no matter what Mumford and sons song I hear. I saw them at Leeds Festival in 2010, they were a great act to watch, and one I'd gladly see again. I've only managed to listen to the album twice fully yet, partly because I've been so addicted to the Killers new album, but I'm sure once I get time I'll love it as much as there first. However the song I have shared is one from their first, and probably my favourite song if there's.....

3: Sick Puppies - ok, so I have infact only been listening to one of the Sick Puppies songs, ok, in fact I only know 1 Sick Puppies song, maybe. I first heard this song in 2011, when Liverpool played Wolves, it was the song Sky sports used to close out the programme. I liked it and downloaded it. This past month I've heard it quite a few times, as I've been using it in my classes on my playlist. There's not much to say about it, it spurs me in when I workout and that's what I try to do when I make my playlists for my teaching, choose songs I feel will spur people in, enjoy and ignore their workout and push harder. However most the time, they end up being rock songs, as that's what I prefer, so enjoy, I might try find more of their songs....

Day 235 - 239 The Festival

It's been a few days since my picture a day routine / challenge for the year. Don't worry I haven't given up I have been away to Leeds Festival and either not had mobile technology or not been in a fit enough state to form tangible sentences. Needless to say lots of pictures were took and a more thorough write up of the festival will come but now as sadly normal life is resumed I have did a mini montage of pictures to make up for the days I missed while away on my holiday, enjoy....

Day 234 The festival tickets

There here, there here ! My festival tickets are here and I'm off to camp, drunk and listen to music for the next 5 days, awesome....

A musical journey July

For this months musical post I've decided to write about my favourite parody songs. Why did thus come about, purely because I was bored one day and started looking at old and new parody songs on YouTube, so here goes....

1) Cookie Monster
I have to admit the original song with Carly Rae Jepson is something if a guilty pleasure song for me, I don't know why but I like it. But if you were to say to me which version do you prefer the original or the cookie monster version then the cookie monster wins it hands down. I've seen a lot of spoof versions of this song, a star wars one, a barrack Obama one, which was a very good one but come on who can deny that the cookie monster is a genius....

2) Star Trekkin'
I always remember this song playing on those 90's holidays with my family. I would've been about 8/9 years old and we use to always go to Great Yarmouth Heaven caravan park. I use to go to the Tiger club which was where all the kids would go. This was on their standard playlist each song cheesier than the last with a dance to do go with it, I still enjoyed it every year though....

3) The Muppets
I like the muppets, they make me laugh with their slapstick humor. This song is one of my all time favourites (the original I mean) so when these 2 collide the muppets and queen what's not to love? Exactly Animal singing mama pure genius....

4) SNL with Michael Bolton
Saturday Night Live, an institution in America. Over the years they churned out so many funny sketches and gave us great comedians. Recently they've gave us great comedy songs and of them a this is my favourite, Michael Bolton singing about giant squids and pretending to be Al Pacino I'd love to know how this song got wrote....

Day 221 Tambourine

Hey mrs tambourine play me a song.....

A Musical Journey June - Live Music

So June has been and gone, The start to the British summer is upon us and it's the same old story, hopes of lazy summer days are washed away with terrential downpour, but nevertheless we still hope and still pray that one day, one summer we will bask in sunshine! Music is a great accompaniant to British summers, or at least they are to me, I often associate many of my summers with key songs, and as soon as these songs are heard my mind opens up the vault of memories it holds tied to them, I wrote about some of them here.

Anywho I am as ever getting distracted from my original post. This months Musical journey entry is a little different. If you read my blog you'll be aware that this past month I went to see 3 great gigs in the space of one week seeing more than 7 bands at these gigs. Each one was great and so instead of me talking about music I have listened to in my car, or on my radio this months post is about the 3 greats gigs I went and rocked to, so here goes....

#1 Blink 182-
Support Acts - Twin Atlantic / The All-American Rejects

I enjoyed both support bands, I'd never heard of Twin atlantic so hearing them heree has made me want to downlaod some of their songs to know them more, their songs were kind of in the vain of Blink 182 which I guess says why they are supproting them. All American Rejects,I'd never seen live before but quite like them. The lead singer is quite clearly crazy as he was all opver the place and kept fing and blinding which was quite funny and seeing him was entertainment in itself.

Blink 182 were on form and looked to be at their best. I've had the joy of seeing them two times previously, each time better than the last, but last nights show saw the band act more comedic as ever before, they looked like they were enjoying it, and so because of their apparent enjoyment, this fed off onto the crowd, who in turn enjoyed the night. As the band seemed even more enjoying themselves their music playing and singing grew more bold, guitar and drum solos louder and harder than ever before. To say the gig was good is an understatement.

For an encore the band decided that restricting themselves to the main stage wasn't good enough, Mark and Tom (the guitarists) took to a pre arranged centre stage, something that was just bigger than the garden patio I'm currently sat on. The played with their acoustic guitars telling stories of the 2 songs they were about sing about how they were wrote when they were teenagers in California. Of course this probably had happened at all the other shows they've recently played, in fact I know they had as my good friend Disco Dave had been to them and told me about them, but you get a sense that all the comedy moments in the show was pre routine, but it just happens on the spot.

Blink also announced in the evening that England was winning the football, and 5 minutes later announced that England had won to a cheer from the crowd, this would also be something Tom would refer back to to get a cheer if one of his jokes fell flat on it's face, but he does so brilliantly the crowd laugh at him anyway. Theres not many American bands I can think of who would have had the courtesy to do such a thing, but with Blink you sense that these shows meant a lot to them, they meant a lot to the crowd, after all many had probably done as I had and bought the tickets 2 years ago expecting the show last year only to have it rearranged to this year.

I ended the evening waiting for 40 minutes to see the band and the back gates, there was nothing pre arranged it was purely that's where Dave wanted to go, he had managed to go backstage last week in their London shows, so I thought might as well join him, we didn't see anyone and after 40 minutes I decided that I'd had enough of waiting, I'm still waiting to hear if he saw them today, but I wouldn't mind if I missed them, seeing them on top form like I did tonight was enough. They managed to get a healthy mix of old and new songs playing classics like carousel with new songs like after midnight. They also played their comic songs like Blew Job and Country song, much to the crowds delight.

My favourite Blink song has to be Dammit, a nice quick song that ends just under 3 minutes. Classic Blink and just a great song that gets you smilingg....

#2 The Red Hot Chilli Peppers-
Support Acts - Reverand and the Makers / The FutureHeads / The Wombats

All the bands were good and well recieved by the crowd. As I had predicted to my OH the futureheads would play hounds of love and divide the crowd to sing the chorus as they always do. The wombats were very lively and in all honesty looked like they could be a main stage headline act in their own right.The Chillis came on in their usual high tempo energy. The band did a lot of old songs mixed with the new and the set felt very well balanced enough for the crowd to appreciate and please all types of fans. There was also a lot of their famous jams inbetween songs, this not something I was too aware of not being a huge fan, I enjoy their singles but can't confess to knowing many album tracks, but nevertheless I was able to enjoy the show. OH had us dancing, she had me stood up grabbing hold of me to ensure if she tumbled I'd be taken down with her.

I'd have to say though that my favourite Chillis song, and so the song I decided to post on here is Dani California. I know a weird one to choose, but I have my reasons. This song I remember was released when I was at Uni sitting my third year and final exams, a time in my life I truely enjoyed, living in Liverpool, so due to that it makes it my favourite Chillis song.

#3 Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band-
Support Acts - None, cos thats how the Boss rolls!

We initially started quite close to the front enjoying the first few tracks, but had got separated from our group of friends. Usually at gigs I'm more far to just bopping around, listening to the music and moshing a little if need be, yet at Bruce I prefer a. It more space to dance (although I'm not a very good one, the fact I had a fair few beers probably helped aid this desire) with this in mind we soon went further back in the crowd. We had found our friends and enjoying the music.

The boss played a lot from his new album wrecking ball and then an encore of hits. His whole show lasting between 3 and a half and 4 hours. The weather may have not been the best, but it could have been a lot worse, it being overcast and for only 5 minutes actually raining. It didn't dampen any ones spirits as The band started belting out hits such as Born to Run, Dancing in the Dark and Glory days many people were singing and dancing, often with perfect strangers, but this doesn't matter as their is a certain cameradere present when seeing an act of this magnitude. Couple this with people hearing the Boss sing new songs live for us for the first time such as waitin' on a sunny day and Jack of all trades, the crowd took really well eager to hear each song thrown our way. There was no need for flashy light effects and the use of bad langauage or stage props, the Boss and E Street are old school and just need Guitars, drums and the crowd, they make the show, they tailor the show to the crowd, no 2 gigs are the same, the crowd knows that and th band know that they aim to give you a show you remembered and they certainly succeeded.

The highlight of the night was undoubtedly the tribute played to the late great Clarence Clemons, the saxophonist on Bruce's biggest hits. The Big man will never be replaced, and his presence on stage was duly noted. It's great that the E Street managed to keep it in the family and have his nephew take up sax duties, and I'm sure his uncle taught him how to be such a good saxophonist. The band played 10th Avenue Freeze out as one of the last songs, and the lyric hit, "When the big man joined the band" the music stopped and a montage of pictures of Clarence played on the screens, from years gone by, at this point the crown stood and clapped, this was the case for the next 2 minutes until the band restarted the song from that point. A touching and fitting tribute for the big man himself who is sorely missed, but a fitting tribute to his greatness as a truly fantastic sax player.

The gig was beyond words, its tough to describe how good it was, and that is why I have to finish my post now, I could keep going on about each song and how the crowd reacted or talk about the night in endless details, but it wouldn't do any of it justice. To simply say The Boss was electric, the E Street Band was on fire and the atmosphere was magnetic would be a few simple steps to describe it, but would still be nowhere near giving it justice.

My favourite Boss song for a final video to leave you with, WOW thats tough, theres too many great ones to choose. Therefore I will leave you just as the Boss did in Sunderland with Tenth Avenue Freeze out as a tribute to the Big man Clarence Clemons.....

Day 182 Like Father Like Daughter

As I started writing this I noticed the number of day it is in the year. Number 182, which coincides with one of my favourite bands, Blink 182 who I got to saw live last week, so shameless plug of a blog post I wrote about it here.

Now for the tedious link, today's picture is about my all time favourite band, Feeder. It must run in the genes my youngest daughter having good taste in music as today's picture is her using her new found skills in sitting up to watch them on TV as we watched the highlights of last weeks Isle of Wight festival...

An Epic week part 4 The finale The Chillis

The last instalment of the epic week saw us head back to the stadium of light in Sunderland to see the Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

The day started pretty wet, it had been raining, a lot. For the gig on Thursday we had bought some 97p ponchos at Asda, a great purchase but hadn't used them as the weather had held out, but unfortunately it looked like we would need to use them today. My friend Boozy picked us up and we headed through. As soon as we got out the car, we had been walking for 1 minute and the heavens opened and it absolutley lashed it down with rain, to say we got soaked was an understatement. We found shelter under a tree, yet that still didn't fully protect us, we headed for a nearby pub, and typical with rain as soon as we found this refuge it stopped.

We had a few drinks and a catch up amongst friends before deciding it was time to head towards the stadium. As we were 2 minutes away from the stadium, yep you guessed it the rain desended on us again, we found shelter from the worst of it by the side of a building, before running to the stadium and once again as soon as we were inside it had stopped.

Many people were in the same predicament and many drying themselves under the hand dryers in the toilets. Once inside we had to find our seats, little did we know that running in from the rain had took us to the wrong area of the stadium, we had to be guided through the corporate boxes by a very helpful steward, it was a little tempting to burst into one of the boxes and shout sorry were late, but somehow I don't think this would have been recieved well.

The gig itself seemed like a mini festival, there were 3 support acts, reverand and the makers, the local band the futureheads and the wombats before the Red hot chilli peppers. All were good and well recieved by the crowd. As I had predicted to my OH the futureheads would play hounds of love and divide the crowd to sing the chorus as they always do. The wombats were very lively and in all honesty looked like they could be a main stage headline act in their own right.

The Chillis came on in their usual high tempo energy. The band did a lot of old songs mixed with the new and the set felt very well balanced enough for the crowd to appreciate and please all types of fans. There was also a lot of their famous jams inbetween songs, this not something I was too aware of not being a huge fan, I enjoy their singles but can't confess to knowing many album tracks, but nevertheless I was able to enjoy the show. OH had us dancing, she had me stood up grabbing hold of me to ensure if she tumbled I'd be taken down with her.

So that was our epic week of gigs, it was great and gave me appetite to continue my love affair with live music, next up Leeds Festival...

Day 177 Jump in my car

It's a young female David Hasselhoff at the wheel of the car, we all know the song lets sing, oooooh jump in my car, I wanna take you home....

Day 176 The Chillis

Another day and another gig, the last day of the epic week and the last gig. Today is the day of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers in Sunderland. I like the Chillis but not as much as the OH, they are her favourite band. However I am looking forward to some of the support acts, reverend and the makers, futureheads and the wombats, it's kind of like a mini festival, I'm sure the Chillis will be good also....

An Epic Week Part 3 The Boss

Thursday nite saw us go to Sunderland to go see Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band live. To say that in the past 7 months I've been looking forward to this is an understatement. As many of you know The Boss is and always will be one of my favourite artists, I don't recall any of his songs it albums that I have outright disliked .
For this gig I had not only had the day or the next day off but the whole week. This was the jewel in the crown of my week, the day I was looking forward to the most. We had got to Sunderland for around 2pm, a full 5 hours before the show to have some drinks and some food. It was quite clear from walking round town that their was an air of excitement hanging around, many people walking with either flags of the USA or walking around with Bruce Springsteen t-shirts. There was even some people dressed as cowboys and plenty of denim for all to see. As we walked the streets many bars could be heard playing an array of The Bosses hits, plenty of them to choose from.

In recent years Sunderland had started hosting gigs in the summer, with bands such as Coldplay, Oasis, take that, kings if Leon all playing, but this gig, this act is on a whole different level to them. Yes they are all bug name bands, there's no doubting and denying that, all those gigs were spectacular shows I've no doubt, but Bruce and the E Street are in their own category of super stardom, far higher and mighty than shy who had played Sunderland before and it's because of this that you could sense the excitement.

Once the show had started we were already well oiled from the drink. We initially started quite close to the front enjoying the first few tracks, but had got separated from our group of friends. Usually at gigs I'm more far to just bopping around, listening to the music and moshing a little if need be, yet at Bruce I prefer a. It more space to dance (although I'm not a very good one, the fact I had a fair few beers probably helped aid this desire) with this in mind we soon went further back in the crowd. We had found our friends and enjoying the music.

The boss played a lot from his new album wrecking ball and then an encore if hits. His whole show lasting between 3 and a half and 4 hours. The weather may have not been the best, but it could have been a lot worse, it being overcast and for only 5 minutes actually raining. It didn't dampen any ones spirits as The band started belting out hits such as Born to Run, Dancing in the Dark and Glory days many people were singing and dancing, often with perfect strangers, but this doesn't matter as their is a certain cameradere present when seeing an act of this magnitude. Couple this with people hearing the Boss sing new songs live for us for the first time such as waitin' on a sunny day and Jack of all trades, the crowd took really well eager to hear each song thrown our way.

The highlight of the night was undoubtedly the tribute played to the late great Clarence Clemons, the saxophonist on Bruce's biggest hits. The Big man will never be replaced, and his presence on stage was duly noted. It's great that the E Street managed to keep it in the family and have his nephew take up sax duties, and I'm sure his uncle taught him how to be such a good saxophonist. The band played 10th Avenue Freeze out as one of the last songs, and the lyric hit, "When the big man joined the band" the music stopped and a montage of pictures of Clarence played on the screens, from years gone by, at this point the crown stood and clapped, this was the case for the next 2 minutes until the band restarted the song from that point. A touching and fitting tribute for the big man himself who is sorely missed, but a fitting tribute to his greatness as a truly fantastic sax player.

The gig was beyond words, its tough to describe how good it was, and that is why I have to finish my post now, I could keep going on about each song and how the crowd reacted or talk about the night in endless details, but it wouldn't do any of it justice. To simply say The Boss was electric, the E Street Band was on fire and the atmosphere was magnetic would be a few simple steps to describe it, but would still be nowhere near giving it justice.

The Real Day 173 The Boss

Today is the day I've been waiting for 67 months, it's all about one band and his band, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. We are off to see him in Sunderland today, the kids are under the care of Nana and we are descending on Sunderland for a few pre show drinks. It may be wet but I don't care, the show must and will go on, to say I'm excited is an understatement....

Day 171 Countryside

Today I had some more time to myself, the family are due back later and so I decided to get some tasks done and take a trip to York, where we will be moving to in a months time. I needed to submit some paperwork so I hoped on the train, listened to my music and enjoyed the scenery passing by the train...

Day 170 fathers day

Today is of course fathers day. The daughters and there mother are away which means my present from them is a day of peace and quiet and a rare chance of me to do what I want. I of course miss them and would love to see them, but I am passing by my time with these....