munch

HmmmI've a feeling this might be a long one. Been thinking about this for a few days now. I hope you bear with me

I'm gonna start with band related stuff again. 12 years ago I totally gave up playing music, which at the time was a huge part of my life. Kick Asteroid had split up three years earlier from a combination of fallings out, drug, ego and mental problems. The following two bands I was in after the Asteroid adventure both didn't last long. The first petered out in a massive haze of apathy, the second was again dogged by drug problems. I decided it wasn't worth it anymore, and hung up my guitar. And started looking for something else to do instead.

This included looking for a new job, as not becoming a superstar had meant I was left with the shittest job in the world, and no band. I got the new job. Then I started training to be a web designer. I thought I could do this instead. I even tried (very unsuccessfully) to try and start a web design business - but the guy I was working with was a total untrustworthy dickhead. So eventually, I gave up on that too. I know web design ain't my thing - I'm a shit designer, and I can't code. So i decided last year that I would put that to bed. I wasn't even interested in doing it anymore, it just felt like hassle doing it.

So insteadwe'll just fill the void up with gigs and drinking. Yeah that sounds like a good idea. And quite franklyits been working the last five years, and I've been doing this pretty constantly. Seem some fucking great gigs too. And its kinda renewed my faith in music and why I was into it in the first place. If it wasn't for Carmel and Jackie, i don't think i'd have been AS heavily involved as I am now. and its ACE and i wouldn't change it for the world!

I'd also picked the guitar up again for the first time in about 8 years. An even recently started writing the odd (admittedly pretty shit) songs, thanks to the encouragement from some very amazing friends of mine (they knwo who they are).

So where am I now? Last year I tried to get a band together again, and was pretty unsuccessful at it. I'd kinda given up on the whole band idea, when I met Sarah and Adam a couple of months ago, and started a "energetic, fast, melodic punk band" with them. I initially thought I'd just see how it goes. I'm 15 years older than both of them, and figured there was no way I'd be able to keep up with them. Seems I was wrong.

Three rehearsals in, and I can't believe I waited so long to get back into a band. Maybe it was worth waiting for the right people to come along (having been in bands with some complete clueless cunts over the years!), but I now realise what I've actually been missing all these years. The floundering around trying to find something "extra curricular" to do these past twelve years has been a smokescreen. Its obvious nowwhat I really should have been doing was playing music.

I'm gonna give this band as much as I canuntil it looks like I'll be in a situation where I can't pay my mortgage. I reckon I got at least a couple of years before Sarah decides that shes either jacking everything in to be a bum and play music full time, or moves to America instead! So next year is gonna be "band year"an I'm pretty excited about it.

This got me thinking about some other stuff as well. Last night, while chatting online with Jackie, I looked through all my blogs for this year from January. I can't believe we're halfway into the year already. I've done lots of mad stuff this year, and even though I can remember most of the stuff like it was yesterday, I can't believe how long ago some of this stuff was.the creamyfanny/bronx extravaganza, the bouncing souls tour, the brighton meet, the mental easter I had, even Jackies birthday. This year is rocketing past.

And apart from a few crushing lows I've had (mainly work related due to extreme boredom), I think for the most part, things have been ace this year. I'm liking the way things are going. An I'm loving where things are going for the rest of the year. Yeah my job sucks a bit - but I got a wicked payrise, got another one due, and can pretty much please myself with work hours an stuff. And my "outside work" life more than makes up for it.

I looked at my "New Year Resolutions" in my Jan blog, and was surprised that it looks like I'm actually on track with them. Not so much resolutions - more what I wanted to do this year. I am going to the US (with my best mate), I have started swimming again (thanks to the encouragement of the same person), I have and will be getting more tattoos, and the big surprise added to the list was that I joined the band and am loving every minute of it.

All I gotta do now is decorate the flat at some point. I'd ask iannnnnn to help, but I'm scared it'd never get done, hehehe

There is more stuff to add, mainly SG related (I've now been a member 4 years!). I've used this site practically daily since I joined, and its changed a lot in that time - design-wise and friend-wise. I am wondering whether its time to take a backseat in SG related activity?
I can safely say that I probably won't - I like hearing from the people that comment in my journal - but my SGUK activity has gone down a lot this year. And unfortunately I can't see this changing anytime soon. Maybe it willmaybe it won't. I dunno. 4 years is a long timeand things are changing - in internet-land, AND in real life land.

anyway, I've rambled on far too long. I hope you took the time to stop and read this. If not, just leave me a rude comment like you usually do anyway!

Laters potaters



PS - weird. as i was writing this, a package dropped through my letter box. turns out it was a completely unexpected selection of CDs from one of my old bandmates of her new band. spooky!