Quick synopsis of my weekend: Friday, I got a call from a job in Rochester I applied for during the week, I have an interview on Wednesday. Met Chris at the Tap, he left for the Manor. Mills showed up, talked bollocks with him until Steve and Liam came down, both tripping from smoking skunk laced with acid. Found out that the Tap was so empty because a lot of people were afraid to go in because of police with sniffer dogs randomly searching people (the Manor must have been overjoyed that night). Mark, Pete, Ant and others showed up, we sat round our table, felt just like old times except all our graffiti was covered up with other graffiti. Saw two guys getting thrown out for head butting a scene kid (one guy trying to fight a bouncer while being pulled away by another bouncer), then two scene kids trying to get outside to fight these guys while being held back by other scene kids, there was much laughter all round. Stuck around til two to find that I outlasted all my friends (first time for everything). Went to the kebab to find loads of police cars and people being handcuffed for taking part in a brawl inside the kebab, got my chips then went up to the taxi rank. Saturday, did the shopping, stayed in and read. Sunday, went to the gym, read more.
Monday: Went to Strood station to get the train to London, got thoroughly fucking annoyed by two little girls peaking round their seats and giggling at me, they got off at London Bridge only to be replaced by a trio of annoying pensioners talking loudly about rambling, thankfully they got off at the next stop. Went to Oxford Circus to have a look in HMV, I was so pissed off I actually wanted the Hare Krisner guy to stop me so I could say Braver men than you have tried saw that the new Tool album was out but didnt buy it just then, got back on the tube and had to wait ten minutes for it to leave the station because there was a disturbance at another station, I havent been in London for an hour and Im already pissed off. Got to Camden, walked down to Pratt Street only to find All Ages Records was closed, could it be that its closed down for good, it hasnt been mentioned in the independent record store chart on The Lock Up in awhile. Had a look around the market and Resurrection Records, got two Subhuman albums and a Conflict seven inches comp. Went in the second-handbook shop and picked up some Nietzsche and Boethius then got something to eat. Went up to Kentish Town to get in line, shocked to find out from one of those gig flyers they hand out that Jandek was playing the Scala later this month (have to see if I can book a ticket). Got in saw they were selling a five inch vinyl of the Fantmas/Melt-Banana spilt, but it in a book before checking my backpack into the cloakroom and hoped for the best.
Ephel Duath: Very weird and cool, there singer was doing rap gestures while he was singing but the best thing about them was their guitarist, he was dressed in a black suit with white suspenders, a scene boy haircut and a big moustache with a little goatee, he was really into playing, making Jimi Hendrix expressions as he played, dancing to the bass and drum parts or screaming along with the singer when he wasnt playing.
Fantmas and Melvins: I knew this was going to be good but fuck me! First Dave Lombardo and Dale Crover come on stage and start playing drums, then Buzz Osborne and Trevor Dunn come out and start playing, finally Dave Stone and Mike Patton come on and they go into a Melvins song I hadnt heard before. It was a really cool show, they played mostly stuff from the live album as well as some new Fantmas stuff and even a cover of Lowrider, Mike Patton didnt completely take over everything on the live album though and let Buzz sing more of his own bands songs, they encored with Spider Baby from Directors Cut, fucking great show.
Got to Victoria just in time to get the three past eleven train to Ramsgate that was fast to Rochester, got some chips in pita bread from the kebab shop the other side of the bridge, no Chavs hanging about the streets whatsoever.
Tuesday: had a look on the internet for the Jandek show, there were tickets available but the doors were six oclock, now if I get this job on Wednesday I probably miss the beginning of this maybe I could miss this one as Ive got four other gigs Im going to this month and he will be back next year. Left after three oclock, got to Strood train station with the intention of getting a train to Rochester to get another train to Victoria but I saw that their was a train going to Cannon Street at exactly the same time as the train going to Rochester so I said fuck it and caught the Cannon Street train. Got off at London Bridge and got another train to Charring Cross. Went to Soho, looked around Virgin got three Bill Hicks albums as they were going for three for 20 and the new Tool album (havent heard anything off it but its Tool for fuck sake, it has to be good). Went up to Camden and got something to eat and drink then got in line:
First band: cant remember their name but they fucking sucked. A mixture of Every Time I Die and Funeral For A Friend, tough guy Hardcore parts interspersed with sickly sugary Emo vocals.
Our Time Down Here: generic tough guy Hardcore but a welcome brake after the pile of shit that came before hand.
Raised Fist: this is what I paid my money for, been a fan of these guys for years but Ive never had the chance to see them before. Opened with The Running Man then played a whole bunch of songs off the new album which was a bit awkward when youre standing up front and you dont know the words but they did also play Get This Right and Working On Wood so I cant complain. After they came off stage they actually had the crowd chanting for more so they came back onstage and did two more songs, a cover of New Direction by Gorilla Biscuits and Breaking Me Up, both of which I managed to get the mic shoved right in front of my face.
Comeback Kid: the new line up worked out pretty good, they have more of a tough guy stance now that Andrew singing now. At one point one of the guitarists taped my on the chest with his fist before he played a song, perhaps he was annoyed that I was making most of the stage divers coming my way go straight into the floor (well they say people in the pit should expect to get hurt, by the same token stage divers should expect to get punched in the kidneys and eat floor every once in awhile). They played the exact same set list they did last time they played here with no encore, Raised Fist owned this night.
Got to Victoria, got some tofu and rich from the Chinese place and a bottle of Orange Oasis from Whistlestop. Got to Chatham and got a cab home to make sure I got enough sleep for my interview tomorrow.
Wednesday: Woke up about half eight, had about seven hours sleep, Im good. Went to the Interview, It was a middle-aged woman and an old man, didnt do badly but didnt do great either. Went to get the bus home with my tie off and my sleeves rolled up, there was a really cute girl wearing sun glasses and hot pants, guys in cars were alternating staring at her and then me, I swear some guy driving a van was looking at me and thinking That guys wearing a suit and has more tattoos than I do!
Monday: Went to Strood station to get the train to London, got thoroughly fucking annoyed by two little girls peaking round their seats and giggling at me, they got off at London Bridge only to be replaced by a trio of annoying pensioners talking loudly about rambling, thankfully they got off at the next stop. Went to Oxford Circus to have a look in HMV, I was so pissed off I actually wanted the Hare Krisner guy to stop me so I could say Braver men than you have tried saw that the new Tool album was out but didnt buy it just then, got back on the tube and had to wait ten minutes for it to leave the station because there was a disturbance at another station, I havent been in London for an hour and Im already pissed off. Got to Camden, walked down to Pratt Street only to find All Ages Records was closed, could it be that its closed down for good, it hasnt been mentioned in the independent record store chart on The Lock Up in awhile. Had a look around the market and Resurrection Records, got two Subhuman albums and a Conflict seven inches comp. Went in the second-handbook shop and picked up some Nietzsche and Boethius then got something to eat. Went up to Kentish Town to get in line, shocked to find out from one of those gig flyers they hand out that Jandek was playing the Scala later this month (have to see if I can book a ticket). Got in saw they were selling a five inch vinyl of the Fantmas/Melt-Banana spilt, but it in a book before checking my backpack into the cloakroom and hoped for the best.
Ephel Duath: Very weird and cool, there singer was doing rap gestures while he was singing but the best thing about them was their guitarist, he was dressed in a black suit with white suspenders, a scene boy haircut and a big moustache with a little goatee, he was really into playing, making Jimi Hendrix expressions as he played, dancing to the bass and drum parts or screaming along with the singer when he wasnt playing.
Fantmas and Melvins: I knew this was going to be good but fuck me! First Dave Lombardo and Dale Crover come on stage and start playing drums, then Buzz Osborne and Trevor Dunn come out and start playing, finally Dave Stone and Mike Patton come on and they go into a Melvins song I hadnt heard before. It was a really cool show, they played mostly stuff from the live album as well as some new Fantmas stuff and even a cover of Lowrider, Mike Patton didnt completely take over everything on the live album though and let Buzz sing more of his own bands songs, they encored with Spider Baby from Directors Cut, fucking great show.
Got to Victoria just in time to get the three past eleven train to Ramsgate that was fast to Rochester, got some chips in pita bread from the kebab shop the other side of the bridge, no Chavs hanging about the streets whatsoever.
Tuesday: had a look on the internet for the Jandek show, there were tickets available but the doors were six oclock, now if I get this job on Wednesday I probably miss the beginning of this maybe I could miss this one as Ive got four other gigs Im going to this month and he will be back next year. Left after three oclock, got to Strood train station with the intention of getting a train to Rochester to get another train to Victoria but I saw that their was a train going to Cannon Street at exactly the same time as the train going to Rochester so I said fuck it and caught the Cannon Street train. Got off at London Bridge and got another train to Charring Cross. Went to Soho, looked around Virgin got three Bill Hicks albums as they were going for three for 20 and the new Tool album (havent heard anything off it but its Tool for fuck sake, it has to be good). Went up to Camden and got something to eat and drink then got in line:
First band: cant remember their name but they fucking sucked. A mixture of Every Time I Die and Funeral For A Friend, tough guy Hardcore parts interspersed with sickly sugary Emo vocals.
Our Time Down Here: generic tough guy Hardcore but a welcome brake after the pile of shit that came before hand.
Raised Fist: this is what I paid my money for, been a fan of these guys for years but Ive never had the chance to see them before. Opened with The Running Man then played a whole bunch of songs off the new album which was a bit awkward when youre standing up front and you dont know the words but they did also play Get This Right and Working On Wood so I cant complain. After they came off stage they actually had the crowd chanting for more so they came back onstage and did two more songs, a cover of New Direction by Gorilla Biscuits and Breaking Me Up, both of which I managed to get the mic shoved right in front of my face.
Comeback Kid: the new line up worked out pretty good, they have more of a tough guy stance now that Andrew singing now. At one point one of the guitarists taped my on the chest with his fist before he played a song, perhaps he was annoyed that I was making most of the stage divers coming my way go straight into the floor (well they say people in the pit should expect to get hurt, by the same token stage divers should expect to get punched in the kidneys and eat floor every once in awhile). They played the exact same set list they did last time they played here with no encore, Raised Fist owned this night.
Got to Victoria, got some tofu and rich from the Chinese place and a bottle of Orange Oasis from Whistlestop. Got to Chatham and got a cab home to make sure I got enough sleep for my interview tomorrow.
Wednesday: Woke up about half eight, had about seven hours sleep, Im good. Went to the Interview, It was a middle-aged woman and an old man, didnt do badly but didnt do great either. Went to get the bus home with my tie off and my sleeves rolled up, there was a really cute girl wearing sun glasses and hot pants, guys in cars were alternating staring at her and then me, I swear some guy driving a van was looking at me and thinking That guys wearing a suit and has more tattoos than I do!