tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40624647672254076272024-03-14T05:40:56.221+00:00A Breath and a ScreamDottleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01933055223773716818noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062464767225407627.post-11370533997564576672014-02-12T20:17:00.000+00:002014-02-12T20:17:03.122+00:00Shaft of a light. A warm breath and a scream.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It’s 2014.
Heck. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I never
made any New Year’s Resolutions for 2014, I already know I have personality
traits which I need to alter and a new year doesn't change them <i>(worrying -
a lot, feeling guilty even when there is nothing I can do about a situation – a
lot, worrying about feeling guilty …and letting these things stop me from being
me, and from doing what I want to do)</i>. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And I want
to be happy, you can't really resolve to do that. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In 2013 my
resolution was ‘to be braver’ and I’m not entirely sure how I did on that to be
honest.<span> </span>I guess there were some small aspects
of it which I succeeded, I joined a gym <i>(and
actually didn’t feel self conscious, stupid or out of place)</i>, I said yes
more than no <i>(thanks for the advise FT –
“You just got used to saying no, so get up and get outside”)</i>, and I took
down my guard at times <i>(I’m great at
advocating for others, not so great at following my own advice)</i>. <span></span>2013, although it contained some highlights <i>(a birthday weekend including seeing Bruce
Springsteen and Neil Young was one),</i> was a rubbish year for a lot of
people close to me - too many loses, too many tears and too much upset. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">For me and
a lot of others it is time to look forward and to think of 2013 as providing
experience that makes you who you are today. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The one
thing which has featured in New Year resolution consideration in both years is
this blog. I enjoy it, but never felt like I was good enough to write it. The
focus on music/gigs is done much better by others and I, whilst I will chat
away to anyone and have a lot of friends and acquaintances, am actually quite a
private person. I’m not sure my general thoughts and experiences warrant
internet space. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So, where
does this leave me and where does it leave this blog? </span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Well, I
don’t really want to abandon it, though it must feel abandoned. I’m not sure
how it will develop; it’s likely to be more of my rambling than anything on
specific topic or theme such as specific gigs. To be honest, I don’t really
know who reads it, or why they read it, so I’m just going to keep it as a
stream of consciousness. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2014 looks
like it could be a good year. For a start there’s been more smiling around me
and by me <i>(so far)</i>, <span> </span>Pearl Jam are touring Europe again this summer
(<i>didn’t really think I could do a blog post
and not mention them did you?),</i> I’ve already managed to visit a new place <i>(Cardiff – yay for visiting Wales!)</i> and I’ve
been lucky enough to see Frank Turner <i>(amazing
gig, do see him, and his support acts, if you’ve a chance, the night made my
heart smile and my feet dance – I wish I was seeing him again this tour)</i>,
plus there are other things in my diary for the year which make me continue to smile.
</span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In
hindsight, maybe being happy should have been my resolution (along with helping
to make others happy). <span> </span>There are some
days when trivial things get me down, and I shouldn’t let them, but these
things really shouldn’t impact on my overall happiness, or writing this blog. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So, hello
‘A Breath and a Scream blog’ – long time no see! </span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Dottleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01933055223773716818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062464767225407627.post-15501832652739693272013-04-02T22:18:00.000+01:002013-04-03T00:08:13.774+01:00 I'm famous now for all of these rock and roll songs...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Time continues to run away, March vanished quickly and the
Brad gig in Birmingham feels like ages ago. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And so t<span style="font-size: small;">his blog... </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Gaslight Anthem are a rock band from New Jersey, this
has led to inevitable comparisons to Bruce Springsteen (however not to Bon
Jovi!). Whilst there is a recognisable similarity in style and I guess in
lyrical content, they aren’t ‘The Boss’ and I’m glad they aren’t. They knowingly ‘borrow’ from other bands
including Pearl Jam, I imagine that Brian
Fallon, the Gaslight lead singer, is behind that as he is a fan (and you thought
I’d avoid writing about them in at least one blog!). I’ve seen mixed reviews, both of the band and
of their live performances including them being described as dull and
formulaic. I can’t judge the perception of others, music is a personal thing,
that’s what makes it so special. To me though, that’s not how I feel about
them, they evoke a feeling of almost rock music comfort I guess. There are no <span style="font-size: small;">pretenses</span><span style="font-size: small;">, </span>this band work hard (and there
are differences between albums).</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">One of the blogs I meant to write ages ago was about a TGA gig in Brixton. I
was lucky enough to have gone to sound check before that gig.<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>It was late afternoon and<span style="font-size: small;"> I was to be found</span> hovering outside
a stage door<span style="font-size: small;">,</span> which isn’t really my thing. Brian Fallon emerge<span style="font-size: small;">d</span> from the door,
says hello to us all and that he’d see us all soon. I was then in major swoon
mode, he has amazing eyes. Anyway, after being guided through backstage<span style="font-size: small;">, we <span style="font-size: small;">found<span style="font-size: small;"> ourselves in an empty venue and </span></span></span>they played a mini gig just for us, and then
we returned for the real thing later that evening. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Back to the recent gigs, arriving to the miserable weather
of Bristol wasn’t joyous. We (just me
and my mate Ian for this one) ventured to the O2 Academy just in time for the
end of the Japandroids but we went to the bar. The gig was good although both
the band and the crowd seemed a little well, sedate. After arriving on stage to
Van Halen’s ‘Jump’, TGA played 22 songs, including most songs you would
‘expect’ them to play plus covers of The
Animals ‘House Of The Rising Sun’ and The Who’s ‘Baba O’Riley’ (where Brian
seemed to actually get really into it). ‘Here Comes My Man’, ‘Mulholland
Drive’, ‘American Slang’ and ’59 Sound’ made for a great encore. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">There was little interaction from the band with the crowd,
it was very down to business in attitude, and although they seemed to be
enjoying themselves, it felt like something was being held back particularly by
Brian. I reasoned that it was the first gig of the tour, the band had not long
flown in and I still came away happy, it was good to see them again. We
decamped to the Hatchet Inn where we were joined by Eva for a few drinks, the general consensus of those in the pub was it
had been good quality performance. Some
of the band popped into the pub a bit later on and they seemed happy. </span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Friday rolled by, it began with a full English at Dizzy’s
Cafe (great food/reasonable prices), continued with creat<span style="font-size: small;">ing<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span>dream music purchasin<span style="font-size: small;">g</span> lists and a cuppa at Rise Records (brilliant independent record shop and cafe with a
great atmosphere) before heading back to the Hatchet Inn for the rest of the
afternoon<span style="font-size: small;">. W<span style="font-size: small;">here </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">our</span> numbers grew by the addition of Mark<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span>and <span style="font-size: small;">between all of us we put</span> a fair amount of change in the<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>jukebox over the next
few hours. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">H</span>eading inside earlier
than the night before<span style="font-size: small;">, we </span>caught the Japandroids. Ok, so they weren’t awful but
I just didn’t take to them. It <span style="font-size: small;">was </span>very enthusiastic, it was loud and raucous
but felt a bit vacuous and the vocals seemed strained. </span></span></span></div>
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</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">This seco<span style="font-size: small;">nd night </span></span>in Bristol was more energetic, there still wasn’t a
whole lot of interaction from the band to the crowd, they seemed to step it up
in terms of general fun. The crowd were louder with impromptu and at times very
odd moshing. Brian explained that it was ‘same band, different set' and he was
right. This included ‘We Came To Dance’ and ‘The Navesink Banks’ from ‘Sink or
Swim’ which were good to hear as were ‘Desire’ and ‘Film Noir’. ’59 Sound’ was
definitely more enthused and there was a groundswell on the floor of fans. The
night ended with ‘Backseat’ which could become TGA’s ‘Yellow Ledbetter’ but it felt right as a closer. The cover was a Bob Dylan track ‘Changing Of
The Guards’, one we’d heard at that sound check gig in Brixton. It felt like a
more rounded night, a really good live music experience. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">There appeared to be a more smiles leaving the gig, heading
toward The Hatchet Inn. It ended up being one of the best nights I have had in
a very long time. I drank a lot, sang along a lot, smiled a lot and luckily so
did those accompanying me. It would be worth another trip to Bristol just for
another night in the pub like that! My (imaginary) hat off to the DJ that
night. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Interestingly, it was mentioned twice in Bristol by people
that I couldn’t have been there for Gaslight, I didn’t look like a fan. I guess
I don’t have the high-top sneakers and sailor tattoos, but it was saddening in
a way that other fans judged me based on what I looked <span style="font-size: small;">like. </span> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And so, Easter weekend approached. I wanted to see some
friends in Shoreham-By-Sea and they took priority over the TGA on Good Friday. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">London crowds can sometimes be a bit cliquey
for me, lots of people at gigs as a place to be seen rather than for the music,
but heading over to the gig at the Troxy in east London, with Ian and Sarah
(latterly joined by Hinn), that didn’t seem the case. We queued...yes you read that correctly...
queued. There were camera peeps videoing the said queue, roaming up and down,
and strategically positioned along the wall which seemed a bit odd. As was the
militaristic bag search for food, drink and camera equipment. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I’d not been to the Troxy before, it’s a cool art deco
venue, with a fully carpeted floor which felt strange at a rock gig but there
was a great atmosphere My opinion on the
Japandroids unfortunately didn’t change, and was supported by others with me,
although there were obviously some there who were absolutely loving them. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This gig
was different, there were pro cameras around the venue at strategic points plus
roving in amongst the crowd. Something was up, possibly a DVD recording <span style="font-size: small;">but <span style="font-size: small;">beyo<span style="font-size: small;">n<span style="font-size: small;">d this,<span style="font-size: small;"> there was <span style="font-size: small;">a feeling,</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> <span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">you knew the
boys would bring it – and they did. The set was great, unrelenting yet well
paced and a lot of fun. Brian (in a dashing hat) was
telling anecdotes and even invited a fan on stage who reckoned he could play
guitar – he couldn’t, overstayed his welcome and may well have felt a tad daft
on Sunday! They were enjoying this night, playing together, each member
of the band grinning in delight at what appeared to be the enjoyment of just
playing on stage. Brian looked at times like a naughty school boy who was about
to be caught doing something he shouldn’t. The crowd singing back at them was brilliant
and it seemed unexpected at some points. ‘Boomboxes
and Dictionaries’ made an appearance in the set, but it was predominantly ’59
Sound’ and ‘Handwritten’ heavy. There were no covers, other than the snippet of
‘Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’ in the closing, quite brilliant
version of ‘Backseat’ which was completed by bassist Alex Levine proving rock star
prowess by smashing up his bass guitar on stage. This was The Gaslight Anthem
stating - we’re here, we enjoy this,
we’ve good songs in our catalogue, come with us for a good time. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Earlier on Saturday
we’d gone to the Johnny Cupcakes shop in Carnaby Street. They’ve a
slogan – ‘Do More Of What Makes You Happy’. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Live music makes me happy, seeing
musicians enjoying playing music makes me happy... The Gaslight Anthem made me
happy. </span></span></span></div>
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Dottleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01933055223773716818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062464767225407627.post-81353889112875609182013-02-24T23:59:00.003+00:002013-02-25T00:01:50.906+00:00Before we get back in the wheel...<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Oh my, I've not posted anything since October...somebody slap me! My New Year resolution should have been to blog more! </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">OK, so what have I done since I last bored you then, well a fair amount actually...</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">There was the brilliant Gaslight Anthem in Brixton (I'll gloss over my swooning over Brian during sound check - yes that did happen, <span style="font-size: small;">sound check</span>...and swooning - of course you wouldn't think that of me, I know I'm just not like that!);</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">There was Soundgarden at Shepherds Bush Empire who were bloody amazing, Chris Cornell is still huminah huminah, and the weekend involved a night when scarily PJ friends met one of my best friends from another 'friendship box' - they all remain my friends as far as I am aware;</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">There was Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls in Truro. I do love this man. It was brilliant to see him 25 minutes from home with friends from work, oh and to get a hug and chat to him after the gig was nice too (I managed not to embarrass myself); </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Oh of course there was Christmas where I was once again spoilt by my family and friends, I can never repay such kindness and some gifts reduced me to tears with thoughtfulness and generosity;</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">New Year was a PJ family meet up in Bristol, it was great to see everyone. We managed to find a fab Italian restaurant, drank copious amounts of alcohol and laughed a lot. Pretty good if you ask me. Oh and I managed to buy a fab new lipstick :) </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So, 2013 huh. Well it's nearly March and that fact is scary enough. When I was a kid time seemed irrelevant somehow, it was somehow far longer. Now time seems to sweep by without being noticed. Thus far there's been ups and downs, a short but very sweet visit to Liverpool and a brilliant Brad gig. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Those of you who aren't Pearl Jam obsessed may have missed this Seattle band, this is the first time they've played in Europe and they've been going 20 years. Yes, indeed amongst their ranks is a member of that PJ band I talk so much of, but this band is not about him. I admit I don't own everything they've done, I was intrigued, and prior to the gig it was more about catching up with people I don't get to see very often. However, Birmingham Academy 2 played host to one of the most honest and heartfelt gigs I have been too in a long time.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The night began and ended with a song called Buttercup, what happened in between was quite magical. Shawn Smith (singer for Brad) has an amazing tone to his voice, it fills the room in the most gentle of ways, wrapping around you as almost a comfort. The band gel on stage, they just seemed to be enjoying themselves, it almost felt like they were letting the audience into some secret they've held dear for years. It was genius. There are people who know the songs much better than me that will be able to comment on the specifics, but I loved the flow of the <span style="font-size: small;">set list</span>. Screen was amazing, Shawn Smith's solo part of the encore was simply beautiful (Crown of Thorns laid out bare on piano was a triumph) and a cover of Jumping Jack Flash which lit up the room. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It was a genuine pleasure to experience them and I hope they come back soon. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">What's ahead I hear none of you asking, well I am going to tell you anyway... three Gaslight Anthem gigs in March (Bristol and London), Bruce Springsteen and maybe Neil Young in June (they know it's my birthday obviously!), Sarah Millican stand up with my bestest friend swiftly followed by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds both in October. Hopefully more gigs will be added along the way.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Amongst that there are some weddings of family and friends (not one for me, no man is that daft!) and peeps visiting me. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Now I promise to write again soon... slap me if I don't! </span></span></span><br />
<br />Dottleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01933055223773716818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062464767225407627.post-61510671687287487072012-10-05T23:00:00.001+01:002012-10-06T01:38:45.770+01:00Don’t It Make You Smile! <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]--><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This Pearl Jam thing is a bizarre obsession to some. You all know
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The fans, are probably the most brilliant thing about this band, they are the most amazing collective of people. There is the forum (I
fully recognise it can be a bitch fest, but it’s where I’ve met some of the
best people in my life), there is all of the #PJfam on Twitter (they’ve
provided company, entertainment and friendship, which I am continuously grateful
for) and there are lots of groups on Facebook. The madness that surrounds the collective is
integral to it, producing lots of random
acts of kindness amongst fans, from the ‘holy grails’, the fan created charity badges
to the raffles and giveaways. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A couple of years ago, one lovely PJ fan had a brilliant idea after
coming across a ring containing 3 (crooked) hearts. This beautiful ring then began
a journey around the world. A list of keepers was created with each lucky person
receiving the ring getting to keep it for a week or so. During that week the
keeper makes a donation to a charity of their choice and makes a journal entry. The
journal tells the story of its travels, connecting fans, building a bond and documented shared
experiences. It is a wonderful and
beautiful idea. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Three crooked hearts, is already something very special to me.
Smile was on that 2009 list of songs I wanted to see. I got it at my first PJ gig in Manchester
2009, adding to the touch of magic. So much so that I asked a very talented
jeweller friend of mine (<a href="http://www.niziblian.com/">http://www.niziblian.com/</a>) to make a custom
necklace based on the lyric card in my No Code CD. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RxX0E6k-sH0/UG9WlXqaGII/AAAAAAAAAEE/a2uuCKobuIQ/s1600/iPhone+End+Sept+2012+107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RxX0E6k-sH0/UG9WlXqaGII/AAAAAAAAAEE/a2uuCKobuIQ/s320/iPhone+End+Sept+2012+107.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Very luckily the ring made its way to me a couple of weeks ago.
I couldn't provide it with excitement, it was a normal week, full of the office and the odd walk so I could see the
beach. However, there is a innate strength captured in this metal, like it has
somehow absorbed the love, desires, hopes and passions of all its previous
keepers. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I am often the sort of person to seek reassurance and self justification
and for me it was strange that a simple piece of jewellery can change your perspective.
That when having those moments of doubt, worry, boredom and self loathing,
I was able to look down and be reminded that I am part of a community. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I know
people will think I am mad, but it seemed to provide some form of strength
out there not just in a link to music but in a wider
capacity, from friends I may not know, from friends who have a place in my
heart.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It is why my thoughts of a tattoo of this design has once again
become stronger. I wonder if having a visual representation will provide me
with that same sense. Inevitably I guess I should be able to provide it myself,
be happy enough with who I am not too need something else, but I don’t see that
happening anytime soon.<b> </b></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b>My
time with the ring was over far too soon, and I wished I could have bottled some of the amazing
ability to provide the reassurance it gave me whilst in my possession. I know it is a false sense of security but I
liked it and whilst I am a person with very little creativity, I tried my best
to equal the heartfelt journal entries. I had to send it onto another person from the keepers list. I chose
a person who has herself provided me
with so much friendship, love and support (Yvi, enjoy the experience xxxx). I felt happy knowing that the ring
will travel onwards, bringing that same
feeling to others. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">My donation to charity went to Epilepsy Action, they provide so much help for people who have or are being tested for epilepsy, and to their families. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">As I sit here pondering, under the influence of a few glasses of
very nice rosé, I wonder if the band are aware of this generous, caring, and
selfless nature that their music is
partly responsible for. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="ecxapple-style-span">So,
thank you Pearl Jam for fostering such an amazing community, this is one of the
best communities anyone can be a member of!</span><span class="ecxapple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WpkxTZkofHE/UG9W2Yu3WhI/AAAAAAAAAEM/2Vt6CfR2asg/s1600/iPhone+End+Sept+2012+113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WpkxTZkofHE/UG9W2Yu3WhI/AAAAAAAAAEM/2Vt6CfR2asg/s320/iPhone+End+Sept+2012+113.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="ecxapple-converted-space">Three crooked hearts, with swirls all around...</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="ecxapple-converted-space">It makes me smile! </span></span></span></span></div>
Dottleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01933055223773716818noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062464767225407627.post-73781232703136229322012-09-30T02:44:00.000+01:002012-09-30T21:07:04.983+01:00So shed your skin and let's get started...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, the Eddie Vedder solo shows in Europe. They had been
rumblings for a long time, they were dates and venues breeding in the rumour pit. The tour was expected to be announced when the
EV ‘southern states’ tour was announced, but we in Europe had to wait a little while
longer, but finally it was confirmed. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Pearl Jam tour was already planned and being paid for, I
therefore made a decision to not got to the EV solo shows. I wouldn’t enter the
ticket lottery, I wouldn’t go and I would just be pleased for those that could
make the gigs. Besides, I am not a fan
of Ukulele Songs, although I do love Into
The Wild and Water on the Road was great (I have played Blackbird on repeat
frequently).</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As the ticket lottery deadline closed, it became apparent
that most of my friends had entered and I went into a slow painful meltdown. Let's face it, of
course I wanted to go, I wanted to see Eddie solo, to see him in a small venue,
to see my friends. I had been silly in trying to kid myself. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I went to all three gigs in the UK. I have brilliant friends. (Special thanks to Kev
and Jen)</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">With my elbow in pretty bad shape, I had to be careful but
the gigs were seated and not raucous, so strapped up and armed with codeine I
headed to Manchester. It was the day of the Olympic opening ceremony. I watched it on a big
screen in the city centre, surrounded by all different nationalities and even
got to see Frank Turner playing to what must be his biggest ever audience. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Our rooms at Manchester University (good budget
accommodation during the holidays!) were great other than my room lock (what is
it with me and locks!). We made new friends in the pub before the gig and got
soaked in the rain on the way to the venue. The Apollo had a lot to desire in terms
of queuing/entrance and merchandise set up, it was abysmal. It’s a good job
the poster was shockingly bad in my opinion. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We got in just in time to see Glen Hansard doing his slot.
Unfortunately there were a small proportion of obnoxious people in the crowd,
wittering away whilst Glen was trying to perform. It also wasn't a help that people were still coming
in, trying to find seats and the doors to the bar were left open. All in
all, not an auspicious start and Glen didn’t finish his planned set. When Eddie came
on, people seemed to settle, but still there were people who can’t have a
moment of quiet, why do they feel the need to shout and scream random stuff, I
just don’t get it. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I knew Ed would be good, but he was great! There were
moments in that show which made my heart swell. I Am Mine, Tom Wait's Picture In A
Frame, Off He Goes, Speed of Sound, Glen Hansard's Falling
Slowly were just some of the highlights, and Arc - well, I don’t think I have the
words. I had 10C seats with a friend at the front of the
balcony and the view was great, I was so pleased I had changed my mind to go. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was as always, brilliant, to see some of my closest friends at the
gig. Saying goodbye to them at the train station was sad as I headed to London
for the next gigs which they weren’t attending, mainly because I wasn’t sure when I’d see a
few of them again. It turned out to be a few days later in the capital. Pearl
Jam fans really are rabid! </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">With the Olympics, everything in London was stupidly
overpriced, hotels were especially so. I (and others) were very lucky to have a
fairy god mother (and her family) who lives near Richmond and let us invade her
house. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Being part of this community really
does make you feel proud, humble and happy. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Glen Hansard had a really good reception at the shows in London, I hope he took heart in that after
Manchester. His voice has that old school deep emotional tone, one that can portray true angst and true love with ease – and yes that’s probably a rubbish description. I guess what I am trying to
explain is that you can hear the warmth, honesty and integrity within him. His set, and
when he joined Eddie on stage, were simply brilliant. The man deserves to be
more acknowledged and known for the talent that he is. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">What’s great about gigs in London is being able to meet up with ‘virtual’ friends in person, often people can get to the capitol more easily than other places. I was able to gather
promised hugs and provide promised drinks. It was good to see people who had been to different shows on the Pearl Jam tour, chat about their show experiences, I even assisted in freeing a trapped pigeon, certainly recounted the arm injury story and of course, purchased merchandise. (Hammersmith Apollo 1 - Manchester Apollo 0 on that!)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As I mentioned, some of my friends were only doing the
Manchester gig, and some were only doing London. Oddly as fate had it, many
ended up doing both cities in some way and for me, that was ace. I got to see
more of them. I cherish my time with good people.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Eddie London night 1, didn’t quite meet Manchester for
me. Maybe because he had already surpassed my expectations and I knew what I was
in for. I knew that Arc would make me wibble, that the tone of his voice would
give me shivers and that I would leave smiling (though I left without a poster
as they sold out). It was a good show, but for me not a great show. </span></span></span></div>
<br /><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">London night 2 was here, and I’ll admit it, I was wondering how I was
going to feel. I knew it wouldn’t be disappointment, but I was wondering if two
gigs was enough. I should never have had those thoughts. London night 2 was
awesome. There was no ‘Arc’ but opening with Sometimes, hearing Eddie speak so
comfortably, hearing other favourites such as Man of the Hour, Masters of
War and Driftin’ left me assured that
this gig, was the gig I needed to be at, this was why I needed to do these shows. Ed seemed so much more relaxed, his family were with him and his daughters even ventured on stage.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Other than Glen, there hadn’t been any
special guests, until tonight. When Neil Finn came out to do ‘Throw
Your Arms Around Me’ the gig took one of those, you had to be there turns, it
was great to see and especially as I love the Crowded House cover of that song. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Earlier in the evening, Eddie had spoken at length about The
Who, even performing I’m One at the beginning of the first encore. He spoke with such passion, rather like me and my friends speak about Pearl Jam. After Neil
Finn had been on stage, Ed’s guitar tech appeared to have a word with him,
resulting in him briefly leaving the stage. He returned with a childish grin
and to the right of the stage was Roger Daltrey. It was obviously ill
prepared, but that's what made it special, it was great. Ed seemed in awe and just to be having so much fun. It
was fantastic to witness, and his excitement passed through the crowd. There was
an exhilaration in the audience, it was palpable. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">On top of the set and the guests, I had third row seats, end of the centre
block, with an amazing view of the stage...and the ability to get up and move
to the front for the second encore. I did just that. As people moved forward
allowed by security, I was amongst them. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am a rubbish rabid fan in some ways,
I hate the idea of stalking the band, queuing all day for gigs, of waiting
outside venues/hotels for them etc. I know others do it, and that is fine, but for
me, I’m not comfortable with it. Therefore, my chances of meeting the band is
pretty much nil. As Eddie came to front of the stage for a guitar solo, he was
in touching distance, he was right in front of me (he is beautiful!). He mischievously looked out at
the crowd, then down at the people gathered in front of him and slightly bent forward so his
sweat dripped on us... nice! I might never get to meet him, but he has sweated
on me!</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I managed to get a few photos, on my phone. I hadn’t taken
my proper camera to any of the gigs, only having one functioning arm and the threat of being
thrown out if caught, had put me off. If I'd had it then I think they would have
been awesome shots!</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He came back over later, and ran across the front shaking/hitting
everyone’s hands, I was lucky to be one of those people and that was sort of
cool. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I was definitely fooling myself in thinking I wouldn't go, I would never have forgiven
myself for missing those gigs. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gM05k_hVorw/UGimVTVKLJI/AAAAAAAAAD0/_FZPWCb3FzQ/s1600/EV+Tour+2012+092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gM05k_hVorw/UGimVTVKLJI/AAAAAAAAAD0/_FZPWCb3FzQ/s320/EV+Tour+2012+092.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
Dottleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01933055223773716818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062464767225407627.post-65219554607289977612012-09-21T23:52:00.002+01:002012-09-21T23:55:08.465+01:00Pour Some Sugar On Me...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Stockholm was always going to be an odd thing to write
about, that’s maybe why it’s taken me so long to write about Berlin etc (see
previous blog). </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">When I split up with my ex* I wrote a list, places I wanted
to go, things I wanted to do. Not a checklist but just something to remind me
of the dreams I once had which had been hidden and forgotten over the course of
time. Stockholm was on this list. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The list features Stockholm, and I guess Sweden and other
Scandinavian countries, probably as I have a vision of time in a cabin
surrounded by a snowy landscape, with a log fire, good music, doing snow angels
under the Aurora Borealis (if anyone wants to fulfill this and whisk me away then go right ahead!) </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I digress, once I decided to add Stockholm into my schedule
I was really excited. It ‘s an expensive place but seemed a great place to end
my time with this tour, and I got to see friends who weren’t doing the earlier
shows. There was a sort of draft plan, time here was short so it seemed
sensible to have an idea of what to do. It began with saying goodbyes to those
friends leaving the tour in Germany, a short flight to Sweden, check in, find
food and have a quiet night in order to recuperate from Berlin ready for the
gig at the Globe Arena. Show day would involve sightseeing, the idea of a tour
by boat had been mooted. </span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So, yeah, that was the plan, the reality was somewhat
different. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">After some sad goodbyes in Berlin and time in very hot
airport where the availability of liquid was next to nothing, it was a fairly short
flight to Stockholm, with some stunning scenery. I was tired from the time in
Berlin but looking forward to seeing somewhere new. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">On arrival, my phone buzzed constantly from some friends who were already there and enjoying themselves.
With some reservation and with the lack of food available at the hotel, the
plans changed and off we trooped to a rock bar who were having an 80s hair metal night. The
immediate reaction was it was busy, loud and I was pretty tired but the cider
was nice, I could have drunk quite a lot of it I think. </span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So, this is when things went awry. Friends were full of merriment and dancing on
a stage/podium thing, when despite being sober, I joined them dancing for a giggle.
Unfortunately, (during a Def Leppard song!) I slipped on a spilt drink, feet
going forward and the rest of me heading backwards, into some weird overbalanced
position. In doing so I managed to damage my elbow which upon being pulled back
to standing was fairly obvious. I was kind of stunned with pain and right now
it’s odd to be thinking about it, as it is all a bit of a blur. There was vaguely
leaving the stage, sliding down a wall in the toilets then passing out, a concerned security guard,
concerned friends, there was certainly intense pain, my arm not looking or feeling right and it was fairly
quickly established that my suggestion of just taking ibuprofen wasn’t going to
resolve the matter. (Really the lack of
ability to move my arm, the incredible pain, the swelling and purple colour
should have given me a hint!)</span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">After that, it becomes even more of a blur, but I tried my
best to keep it together. I failed, and if it wasn’t for some of the most
amazing people I am lucky to call friends, I probably would be considerably
worse off now. After a very long time in a Swedish A&E department, lots of
x-rays and with my friends cold in a waiting room whilst I was merrily off my nut on the morphine and snuggled under blankets in a single room, the night progressed. I was released the next day, early in the morning with a diagnosis of a dislocated
elbow, a possible chipped bone and extensive soft tissue damage. I tell you now, you do not realise how much you
use your elbow, or the pain they can cause.</span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">After some (odd painkiller induced) sleep, a distinct lack of any sightseeing, after picking
up a morphine prescription and paying the hospital bill, we ventured to the gig.
Yes, you read that correctly, we ventured to the gig. There were some discussions about if I should go, not only with the medics (who
thought I was bizarre) but with friends too. For me there was no decision on
this, I was going...and I went, it was my last show of the tour and the tickets were bloody expensive. However much I tried to hide it and cover it up, in reality I was in quite a lot of discomfort and a lot of pain, this and the subsequent morphine
dose did somewhat cloud the experience, but I still enjoyed it. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It was great to be in the venue, to feel the
excitement, to see the extraordinary tall people in the crowd and to hear All
Those Yesterdays, Garden and Love Reign O’er Me. it’s always ace to hear State of
Love and Trust and just generally to be with good people. I guess because of the other events the gig itself
seemed overshadowed for me, but it was so good to see friends from the States enjoying
the GA experience, the emotion in the room and friends I rarely see having a
blast. </span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">That was the end of my Pearl Jam tour this year, and whilst
some people carried on, and a friend unexpectedly and spontaneously decided to
do the rest of the tour. I was homeward bound, after managing a sightseeing
tour bus for a couple of hours before my flights so I did see something of the city, I headed for London. It was sad to end it that way, deep down I really wanted to carry on, to maintain my Pearl Jam fix, but in hindsight, it’s a good job I didn’t. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">I’ve said it to them
in person, but my friends who stayed with me that night and then cared for me
for the rest of the weekend, well I can’t say thank you enough and I truly
appreciate it more than I can express.</span> </b></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">‘Til the next
time....</span></span></span></div>
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<br />
<br /></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>I guess people might
want to know what happened next with the elbow. On coming home and seeing my
GP, I was referred to hospital here to see an orthopedic trauma consultant.
Turns out an ibuprofen wouldn’t have fixed it and it’s a pretty bad injury. I
was off work for seven weeks, am undertaking physiotherapy and have gone
through various stages such as not being able to feel my fingers, use a knife and fork, touch my
head/face, carry anything, do up buttons, put on socks, jewellery etc. </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>Unfortunately for me the elbow is pretty much
one of the worst parts of the body to injure, and so I will have some degree
a loss of permanent movement/extension. It looks pretty weird, feels like a constant ache
and I can’t do stuff as easily as I used to, but am becoming very adept at
finding ways around things and there are improvements in what I can do all the time. I will still have to go to the hospital and physio for another few months at least. It could have been worse though! </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">*I have had more than one relationship in my life, so have
more than one ex boyfriend, but this guy is generally referred to as ‘my ex’ as
we were together for almost 10 years. </span></span></span></div>
Dottleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01933055223773716818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062464767225407627.post-48325852360724312252012-09-21T00:13:00.000+01:002012-09-30T01:33:34.613+01:00Waves roll in my thoughts<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am a pretty rubbish blogger really, I must do better! </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I guess I really ought to write these as the events happen.
At the time I seem so caught up in everything that I don’t do it, and then once
stuff is over, they seem really hard to write. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I did write a blog covering Manchester
and Berlin, only to remember I’d already done Manchester, so it never
got posted. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Berlin
feels like an age ago, but it wasn’t really. Time just seems to vanish; I mean in
general, I am far too often to be found thinking - where the hell has this year gone? </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, yes, anyway, Berlin,
I love this city, if you’ve read any of my blogs before you might know this
already. It always feels so welcoming and in a bizarre way, sort of reassuring.
I always look forward to going there... though on this occasion when planning
the trip I had considered Amsterdam
instead. I’ve never been there, it's on the list for me to visit. The Amsterdam
shows were before Berlin, a lot of friends were going and it turned out to
effectively be a dream set list. The band let a fan choose the
songs, just ace! </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Anyway, I didn’t go to Amsterdam, I opted for a return to beloved Berlin and this
trip began from Bristol Airport (the last time I’d been there was for a hen
weekend in Dublin..but that's not to be mentioned!) </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My best mate drove me up; it gave us a chance to have a
good catch up on the way. I love her dearly, she is so supportive of my jaunts
(even if she thinks I am mental). </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I’ll be honest, I was pretty nervous going up to the airport, especially that the friend who was
coming with me on this trip wouldn’t turn up. We’d arranged it all before we’d even met properly,
yes, kind of daft when you think about it but we subsequently had met up and
gotten along ok. Plus, I knew that other friends would be over there if he didn’t show or he just
decided he hated me on arrival! (He did come, he didn't seem to hate me, so my panic was over!)</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We had the most bizarre (and freaking expensive) taxi
journey to the hotel. After checking in and getting sorted, we wandered up to the Brandenberg Gate to watch the football final, drink copious
amounts of beer and cocktails, watch some amazing fireworks, undertake more drinking in a bar on Unter den Linden and then sway arm in arm
back to the hotel. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As fans began arriving in Berlin on the Monday, we chose to use most
of the day sitting in a park, next to a fountain in front of the cathedral;
before venturing to the Pergamon museum and then various pubs. It was a
brilliant first day. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The following day the fan takeover of the city was in full
flow, Pearl Jam t shirts seemed to be everywhere and I began to get that
feeling of collective excitement. More friends appeared and so my phone began
buzzing with texts and messages (thank god for Wi-Fi!) </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We had plans involving records for the morning so after discovering a local vinyl
shop we decided on a bar for lunch which would become an adopted ‘local’ for
the rest of the time there. Eating steak for breakfast whilst listening to
acoustic buskers (how many versions of hallelujah did we hear?) was from then
on, a mainstay. I have never made any suggestion that I am a morning person, the
hotel had a comfy bed and therefore getting up for hotel breakfasts
didn’t occur once. I'd recommend The Restoration 1840 bar and restaurant in the Hackeschen
Markt – please go there if in Berlin!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The rest of the afternoon ended up being spent in there. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pre-parties are a strange beast; I usually enjoy them, but
never feel entirely comfortable at them, really as a result of my own
confidence issues rather than the events themselves. They can at times feel like
there is some form of fan top trumps. Part of me wants to spend time with those
I know the most, to catch up with those I rarely get to see and other parts of me
wants to meet new people. These events are a chance to hopefully do those
things, though sometimes I prefer the randomness of just bumping into people.
The party venue was bizarre in a cool way, a fake beach bar next to the river and
they did great tequila sunrises. Sitting by the water was lovely, my fixation
with being near it remains even on holiday. It was great to see people, to
meet ‘virtual’ friends though and there are some odd elements to that night
(umm... that cigarette machine was never going to work whoever you were!) </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Walking back to the hotel after missing the last train was
somewhat reflective but ended up being just the right thing to do. (Thank
goodness we stayed near the television tower, truly a beacon guiding us home!) </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Berlin night 1 was on the 4<sup>th</sup>
July, the last time I’d spent Independence Day with Pearl Jam it had been in Belgium but
this was a very different experience. I think most of us were on a high from Manchester 2 (or
Amsterdam/Prague). The afternoon outside of the venue on the grass gave us
enough relaxation combined with anticipation (and a discussion over if a bear
was a bear).</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">There was the usual talk of what would be the opener/closer (both
of which I guessed correctly – go me). The O2 was a new venue to us, previously the
magical </span></span></span><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wuhlheide had been used for PJ gigs in Berlin, so this place had a lot
to live up to. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">All of us have different songs we want to hear, different
favourites and it is always brilliant to see the excitement of my friends and
other fans as they get those tracks. That night I can just remember so many
smiles, and one of the biggest signs I think I’ve seen, so if that was your
organisation/planning – well done you! </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
set was great, loads of dancing, In My Tree was great and as I sit here
thinking over it, I just can’t help but grin. It stays on my face even when
remembering hugs at the end and being
with my Scottish friends talking to random homeless men when searching for an
after show party in a bar which was in front of us! </span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Berlin night 2, well, this gig was added to the tour
programme, and in all honesty, there was no way I wasn’t going! I didn't really give my tour buddy much of a choice (sorry!). It was pretty
much like night 1 in terms of the day of the gig, though it involved booze from
Lidl and a park in the drizzle, then gardens of a hostel. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The one thing different, is that the ‘group’ grew as we were
joined for the night by a friend who had flown out from the UK, after his love for the band was reignited by the Manchester
shows. However, there were some ticket issues to resolve initially which caused concern and worry (bloody
wristbands!). </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It’s strange, I can’t sum up this show, it was far more emotional
than night 1. I mean, I was crying and pretty much absorbed by the music within
seconds of the first song starting, Oceans, it was beautiful, it was special (and completed Ten
for me!). Mother reduced one of us to a crumbling wreck, Blood completed Vs for
me, and Baba, well it was an awesome Baba. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was a gig that was like being
swept with a tide, there were waves of emotion that just kept on coming. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Back to the hostel and copious amounts of alcohol was
consumed, accompanied by a lot of shushing, exploding bottles, Into The Wild
poses and just messiness. It was bloody excellent. </span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The band seemed to create two perfect nights in those gigs. They were awesome, the interaction between each other on stage was great to see (and good to see that Matt was comfortable to even let his son join him), the
sound was ace, the set lists brilliant and balanced. The crowds were amazing, really getting
into the music. They were taking this journey with the musicians on and it created a
brilliant atmosphere. It felt like being at a club gig... in an arena.</span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I didn’t want this trip to end. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Dottleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01933055223773716818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062464767225407627.post-36896734161339988382012-06-24T23:25:00.001+01:002012-06-24T23:29:22.398+01:00Once upon a time, I could lose myself - pt 3<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Well, well, well,
Manchester night 2. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">A lot of people seemed worse for wear, the weather turned to
rain and my dastardly cold was developing at a rate of knots. Bizarrely, I didn’t
actually feel like going to the gig at all. I was subdued, tired, was thinking
about various situations in my head and feeling progressively worse throughout
the day. I also still had to find
someone to take badges to Amsterdam – not as easy as you may think (but it was
resolved thanks to a wonderful Greek family). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Time in the pub before the gig seemed endless, I couldn’t
garner enthusiasm for much at all really. I apologise to everyone for my grumpiness! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Running through the heavy rain to the venue, the night didn’t
bode well. Once in the arena and on to the floor we took the same spot as we
did on night 1. For many attending, this was the last night of somewhat of a ‘mini
tour’ what with these being the only PJ shows in UK (excluding IoW). The crowd immediately seemed more at ease
than on night 1, maybe the first night eased any concerns and people were there
to build on the previous night. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Manchester night 2 was an amazing night. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Whilst my lack of ability to breath very well stopped me
jumping and bouncing as much as I wanted to, from the very beginning it was
elating. I am sure everyone in that room could feel it, I could see the joyous
expressions on people’s faces everywhere I looked. The set started by blasting
into Go, Animal and Hail Hail...and kept on coming! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The fourth song played was I Am Mine, a favourite song of
mine, and one I have gone on about wanting to see (the remaining ones are
Footsteps and Oceans). Let’s be honest, I welled up and wibbled. Not quite to a Chloe
Dancer/Crown of Thorns level melt down but I was heading down that road! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Save You, Present Tense, Deep, Life Wasted (And Wasted
Reprise) were all just insanely good. Then, the bloody band pull Hitchhiker
out, for the first time ever, even if Eddie did fluff the words, I don’t care.
I could actually just list the entire set, it was just ace. I can only use
superlatives to describe it and the atmosphere that surrounded me. Somehow this
gig felt like a club gig despite being in a huge arena. There was an intimacy to the show. The story behind Deep
stood out, I’d wondered where those lyrics came from, so I found that really
interesting. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">There in that gig my love for the band changed from comfy
slippers to lustful desire. It made me happy, it made me emotional.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">A friend said to me
later, ‘that was my band on stage tonight’ – I think he was right, that was 'the'
band on stage. They seemed more relaxed, more engaged with each other, and
whilst they always engage with the crowd, they appeared not to have to work so
hard to do it. I hope the bootleg picks up the feelings and captures the crowd,
I’m not sure if it will be able to, it might be one of those gigs you had to be
at. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I am not saying that it ticked everyone’s boxes, there will
be some who preferred night 1, or want different setlists from other albums or rarities, but I loved it. It
was a whole experience for me as I was surrounded by great people. People who
open their hearts with no expectation other than that of respect for one
another. I can only repeat how lucky I feel to be included and spend time with
them. You’re all bloody amazing, and I am pleased to have met you all.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I left that venue
full of hope, elated at seeing so many happy people and damp from others
peoples tears of joy. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I didn’t get to spend time or even see all the people I’d
hoped to over those couple of days, I’m sorry for that but there will be other
times I am sure. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Before this gig, I’d been talking to friends about what
makes a Pearl Jam show for me, what makes them different, why I don’t queue or
do the rail, why I prefer GA to seats...a different set each night and if you saw us during Alive or
Yellow Ledbetter – that’s why! </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"Ooh, once upon a time I could control myself, yeah...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Once upon a time I could lose myself, yeah, yeah, yeah..."</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>Dottleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01933055223773716818noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062464767225407627.post-89121212866706318912012-06-24T22:00:00.001+01:002012-06-24T22:15:05.476+01:00Once upon a time, I could lose myself - pt 2<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">...And so the week continued. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Wednesday was Manchester night 1, I think almost everyone at the shows popped
by the Wellington pub at some point, or at least it felt like it. There was a definite
sense of excitement in the air, the mood had changed when ticket pick up
began and merchandise photos began
appearing on phone screens. People were
heading to and from the venue and it all became more real in a way. It was great to be among friends, to feel
part of something again. I have to admit and it was noticed by others that on occasion
I felt kind of lost, it was me gathering my thoughts, piecing stuff together in
my own head. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Heading to the venue, in a group, and after the support band had finished, some of the
concerns I had began to fade (and some concerns were proved valid). Managing to
spot some others we’d not found earlier in the day we headed in and found a
spot on Mike’s side by the sound desk. We
could see the stage, the TV screens, and had plenty of room to move about. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The subsequent reviews of this gig have been mixed, and I
guess mine is a mixed review. There seemed to be an unease in the general
atmosphere, maybe because this was the first night of the tour. I certainly saw
the majority of people getting completely into the gig and then a minority of
others not getting it at all. On the way out through what appeared to
be a 20 mile long escape tunnel, people’s immediate review was positive, there
were a few who wanted sets full of rarities which were never ever going to
happen and a couple who had actually come to see X. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Our group made their own entertainment, there were lengths
of time we didn’t look at the stage, just having good fun ourselves. It was a great solid setlist, I'll be honest wasn’t blown away and I heard nothing new but I was definitely not disappointed.
I really enjoyed it and I was glad I was there, the time just seemed to vanish
and the personal elements were great. I especially loved Eddie mentioning
Cornwall, Pete whoever you are (see edit below), I owe you a drink for getting
him to mention it! (He needs to come visit - 10C gig at the Eden Project anyone??)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I loved hearing Jeremy, it may be the ‘famous’ song but I
still enjoy it, Come Back (for Paul – you got it!) reduced me to tears and my
heart pounded as I leapt about to State of Love and Trust (still my favourite
Pearl Jam song, I could hear it at every gig and not get bored of it). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Immortality and Insignificance are always good to hear, Better Man was a circle
forming speciality for us lot and they pulled Pilate out of the bag, plus a
Rockin’ In The Free World finish. There
were lots of smiles, there was that live music rush and I felt a sense of
belonging. I was smiling. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">What became apparent after the gig and the following day was how the gig was viewed differently
by those seeing the band for the first time. Hearing them speak with such a
sense of excitement and exhilaration made me realise that it probably wasn’t
the gig that was mixed, it was my perception of the gig. I make a point of
trying not to have expectations about things, about people and events, but in
this case, maybe I did, and that was wrong of me...as those first time PJ gig
attendees proved. Them recounting their night was great, it was so very
special for them. It made me love it that bit more myself. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">A load of us headed back to the Travelodge for some post gig
beverages. People seemed to have enjoyed themselves, though some people continued to enjoy themselves in the
hotel bar longer than they really ought to have, especially with another gig
the next day. My 3am bedtime was pretty respectful in the grand scheme of
things! :)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">And on to night 2....</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Edit - just been informed by friends that Pete is part of the crew and thus Cornwall has been mentioned a few times at UK gigs in the past! Well this was my first time to hear it so I loved it ...and the offer of a drink still stands :) </span></div>Dottleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01933055223773716818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062464767225407627.post-52472988162850760632012-06-24T20:55:00.000+01:002012-06-24T20:55:06.174+01:00Once upon a time, I could lose myself - pt 1<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Well, what a week (well,<span> </span>two weeks if you include the ace Gaslight Anthem gig at Koko in Camden).
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I’m lying on my bed, suffering from what surely can only be
described as man flu. By the sounds of it, half of those in attendance at the Pearl
Jam Manchester shows have the same cold,<span> </span>either we all got it from there or I’ve
infected half the populous of the MCR Arena. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">So, on the 16<sup>th</sup> June, my 33<sup>rd</sup> birthday
(and despite being told by someone I looked 37 – sob!), I caught a crowded
train to Manchester. That night I was seeing Chris Cornell, the tickets were a
birthday pressie from Dave – hurrah! Before the gig, there were a few drinkies partaken in the
Lime Bar. I unexpectedly received more cards, drinks<span> </span>and presents (thank you all) but more importantly it was so lovely to see people,
friends old and new.<span> </span> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">(Talking of new, my
love of Twitter has led to new friendships, well I hope they see themselves as
friends, so thank you to Jay, Ant and Janey for taking the time to come and
celebrate the birthday of someone you’d never actually met before, it meant a lot to me. I'm sorry I didn't get to spend more time with you all but I hope it’s the first of many meetings between us). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The Chris Cornell gig itself was amazing, the setlist was
varied, he was warm and funny, <span></span>his voice
still seems so strong and if I am honest better suited now to that sort of
environment than to the Soundgarden gigs I watched online recently. <span></span>I enjoyed every minute of it (from my second
row centre seat – sqweeee!). There were so many highlights but for me hearing ‘Seasons’
was the most perfect birthday present. Plus, gawddamn that man is still hawt! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The next couple of days were oddities in a way, fillers
until the Tuesday when the Pearl Jam roadshow rolled into town. We managed to
do some record shop searching (nothing purchased), football watching (no, I’m
not drinking....oh, ok, go on then, I’ll have a strawberry and lime Kopparberg) <span></span>and a trip to the Imperial War Museum
North (a place I found really interesting and would recommend visiting). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">When Tuesday arrived, once I'd paid for early check in
(£10 to check into a hotel you’ve booked – what’s that all about?!) and after
poor Dave had to sit through me and Yvi purchasing lots of lovely new lingerie,
the Pearl Jam madness began. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Everyone knows how much I love this band, the music fills my
soul and there seems to be songs for each moment of my life. However, I’ve been
finding it hard to get excited about these gigs, any of them, the ones in
Manchester, the ones yet to come. The buzz didn’t seem to be there, with me or
amongst my friends. If there was any excitement it was about seeing each not
about seeing the band, which was kind of sad in a way. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">It was like Pearl Jam
and I had reached the comfy slippers and no makeup stage of our relationship. I wasn't sure at that point how the week would be, I wanted to be there, to see the band, to experience the highs I get from live music and I was worried I wouldn't get that. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The Tuesday night meet up was well attended, and people came
from far and wide. <span></span>It didn’t have the
party atmosphere that Dublin had in 2010, but it wasn’t Dublin, it wasn’t the
2010 tour, I wasn’t a newbie and there was an England match on the tele. It was
nice, it was relaxed, and it was great to meet new people sharing a common
interest. The badge giving began and it was a great ice breaker with
people.<span> </span>The evening was not without
incident and for me included an unplanned visit to Manchester Royal
Infirmary by ambulance for a newly made friend – but all was well in the end. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Post meet up drinks at the Travelodge bar was to round up
this part of the week. That Travelodge was to become Pearl Jam fan central for
the next few days.</span></div>Dottleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01933055223773716818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062464767225407627.post-73491145540383736942012-05-09T00:04:00.002+01:002012-05-09T00:06:00.676+01:00The North is to South what the clock is to time...<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">It’s strange isn’t it, the way time passes? I’m going to
sound like a right old woman now, but when I was kid, time lasted for ever, the
school holidays went on almost endlessly. Yet now it goes by in a blink, and I
used to laugh at people who said that. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">So here we are in May, and I’ve no idea where the last few
months have vanished to, but they’ve definitely gone. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I see Pearl Jam next month; it just seems to have appeared
out of the blue…hence my lack of savings! (Yes, that is an eeek!) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">June and July are fairly busy months, but I am looking
forward to seeing friends, and meeting new people. Hopefully, people feel the
same about seeing me! I'm looking after the Euro fan badge manufacture, and associated charity donations, and am organising some badges for a PJ collective on Twitter. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">With my waxing lyrical about music, and the distain some of
my friends have for my musical choices I’ve been thinking about my musical
influences and taste. I can’t pin point an exact switch that got me liking rock anf folk
music from liking New Kids on the Block (oh yes I did like them, my bedroom
walls were plastered in posters until I was about 11!). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The one thing I can distinctly remember is a holiday in Spain. I was
with my Aunt and cousin visiting his Dad in a village called Puente Mayorga in Andalusia for the summer holidays. I made friends with a
girl from Scotland,
she was a couple of years older than me, and despite the differences between us
we seemed to get on really well. She was tall, skinny and pretty with a
vivacious attitude for life, and basically one of those really cool girls I
wouldn’t normally have approached! We spent so much time in her complex pool,
trying to communicate with the local and ex-pat kids. She had loads of music
with her; one album was the soundtrack to the film ‘Singles’ and I adored it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">As you do when you’re a kid and holiday, you vow to stay
pals with those you met. In this case, we kept the promise and a few weeks
later I had the maddest envelope arrive on the doorstep covered in music
lyrics, jokes and messages to the postman! Inside this was a letter and a tape
which had the Singles soundtrack on it and some dance music my friend had just
discovered. That tape was played endlessly, and my tape collection seemed to
grow as a response to it. Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden Red
Hot Chili Peppers all appeared. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Me and that girl from Scotland are still friends (I still
have the tape too), and whilst she loves dance music and Facebook has replaced
the mad envelopes, it goes to show how robust some friendships are, even when
formed on holiday!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Music has always been there I guess. I remember my parents rewarding me with tapes and CDs for
doing well at school, dancing in the kitchen to the radio whist making pancakes with friends, and me hearing cool kids talk about bands then me trying to
find out more about them…that’s hard without the internet. My Nan
paid for me to have Kerrang and NME magazines which helped. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">When I went to college I found myself mixing with loads of
new people, all with varying tastes, some of them played in bands, others just
listened to stuff I’d never heard of before, it was great to be constantly discovering new artists and sounds. I also started
frequenting The Pirate, a much missed live music venue in Falmouth. Music was
the mainstay of my life, it gave me conversation, nights out and friends. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">My Dad would hate to admit it, but he’s been a massive
influence on my music tastes, and whilst we agree to disagree on some stuff,
the grounding he gave me with his choices helped form my own. There were times
when I lived away I would steal music from his collection, or listen to stuff I
knew he had, it was a link to home and my family I guess. The more I listened, the more I
liked and it evoked memories of car journeys and of Dad watching videos after
the pub. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I associate music with memories, and not just special times,
random ones of friends, family, boyfriends. I associate it with people and
places.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I like what I like, I have no reason or structure to the decision
making. If it makes me smile or provokes a good emotional/physical reaction, no
matter the genre or the age of the song, then its ticking boxes. Music is timeless to some extent, providing you with links to your past and links to the future.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Dottleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01933055223773716818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062464767225407627.post-79805670693567490142012-03-20T22:35:00.001+00:002012-03-21T00:16:57.734+00:00I Am Mine....<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">There have been so many things that I could have and wanted
to blog about recently, but it would’ve been self indulgent whining and that’s
not really fair. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">As I type this I am snuggled on my sofa in my PJ Canadian
tour hoody thinking ahead to the summer. It will be the start of my 'summer' holidays, which for me, means gigs.
I’ve never really been one to sit on a beach for two weeks. I love to see and
do things when I visit places, and ‘touring’ as it were, has given me the
opportunity to do this in recent years. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">At beginning of June there’s a short hop to London to see The Gaslight Anthem. I’ve liked
this band for ages, but it’s only in the last 12 months or so I’ve found myself increasingly listening to
them. Brian Fallon has a wonderful tone to his voice, and he’s pretty to look
at too! (Ooh yes indeed he's a skinny tattooed rock star man)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">In mid June I head north toward Manchester. Chris Cornell at the Lowry is the first stop, the ticket is a kind birthday gift from a friend,
and I really appreciate it. I have never
seen him solo before and we’ve great seats, plus it seems like most of the
audience are going to be fellow PJ fans.
It all adds up to the likelihood of a good night (and a pretty good birthday celebration) in my book. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I’m not quite sure
what I will do in the intervening time before seeing PJ but it makes no sense
to trek back home for 48 hours so
I will have to amuse myself somehow/somewhere.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> <b><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Dalai Lama is in Manchester
for those intervening days, but only doing one public talk I think, I've read his book and found it interesting so it would be good to hear him speak</span></b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">. </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">There are two PJ shows
at Manchester Arena and I’m looking forward to seeing some friends, meeting new people
and feeling that ‘I’ve seen Pearl Jam’ sensation. Lets be honest I could wax lyrical about
this, but there is little point as I will write about it after! There is one thing, I
so wish I was going to the Isle of Wight
festival, and I am pretty jealous of those who are. Despite my aversion
to tents, on the whole it would be nice to do the festival thing, and I
think the crowds there will be treated to some special collaborations. Mind you,
if it is hammering down with rain, I will be glad of watching on the tele! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The beginning of July heralds an Eden Session with Frank
Turner as the headliner, and with Seth Lakeman and Bellowhead on the bill, you may think I am sqweeee-ing with delight, and you’d be right. Apart from..... I shall be in Berlin by the time he takes to the stage in
St Austell, so those attending will have so sing loudly on my behalf! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I am looking forward to returning to Berlin, I’ve visited the
last couple of years now and always find it an interesting and vibrant place.
Others travelling for the gigs haven’t been before so it will be interesting to
see what they think of it, and if they have the same mistaken pre-conceptions. Staying
on Alexanderplatz at least I’ll know
where I am...just head for the tv tower. It's a shame the gigs aren't at Wuhlheide, that is a pretty special venue but I guess we've now the challenge of making the arena special too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Stockholm,
well what can I say, I’ve wanted to go there for ages, it's on the bucket list. I don’t know why but it
always seemed quite magical. I am really excited about visiting and whilst I
will not be there long I hope it will allow me time to experience the city. I may not however be experiencing much alcohol at the scary prices mooted. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Now, if I had written this last week as planned I would be
saying there is an Eddie Vedder solo tour... But I am not entering for
tickets, and I didn’t enter for tickets. I just wibbled like you wouldn’t believe after
the deadline had passed for not doing so. My fab friends came to the rescue with a number of routes to take
to get tickets, and one very kindly offered me his spare, so this princess
shall go to the ball (in Manchester)! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">After all of this I will be beholden to my bank manager
for the foreseeable future - eek.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">As I alluded to at the beginning of this, I’ve had a little
phase where I couldn’t see the wood for the trees. My tendency to worry and to self doubt had
been once again been getting the better of me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">On top of the EV spare offer and the fab early birthday gift, I have been reminded just
how lovely people can be after receiving a surprise. It was in the form of a poster
tube containing three art prints of
Pearl Jam, which are great. As it made me smile, I thought again about how
Pearl Jam fans really are some of the
best people you can find. It is this and having such great friends close by,
that makes me look forward seeing the wood. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I know that I really need to stop letting people, or my
perceptions of people’s actions get the better of me. Hey, if they want to
behave in a certain manner then that’s up to them, karma is all encompassing. I am the only one who can prevent how they
make me feel and I am lucky to have so
much else in my life, I don’t need to fight for people’s acceptance. I just
have to remember that!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Ahead of me are good things. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I know I was born, and I know I will die, the in between is
mine. I am mine. </span></div>
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<br /></div>Dottleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01933055223773716818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062464767225407627.post-66138266189614686422012-03-06T00:24:00.001+00:002012-03-06T00:25:23.414+00:00A Canadian Adventure...<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I
have to say, Canada has always been on my list of places I wanted to visit,
more so than America really (mind you, if anyone wants to whisk me away to
Seattle, New York or Boston then just shout, I have a passport and ESTA clearance!). Pearl Jam playing a Canadian
tour directly after PJ20 kind of sealed the deal for me in going over. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Flying
from Chicago to Montreal, I was sat next to a Texan going on
a shooting tour. He was older guy, a mountain of a man, who was happily telling
me about the guns he had in the hold. It was the strangest conversation but
should I expect anything less! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Montreal airport turned out
unexpectedly to be a meeting point for me and a few other PJ fans, always a
good thing. I immediately liked this place.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">My
room here was the funniest thing; a bathroom with a bed in it is possibly the
best way to describe it! But it was self contained and clean! There were
already various tales of lost luggage but everything of mine was present and
correct when I arrived. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Montreal
was great, an amazing city which I got to share with pretty awesome company. A
merry band of a couple of Scots, an Aussie, an Englishman and various others
amongst the party! I loved the mix of old and new, Europe and North
America blended into a vibrant centre and I also didn’t feel so
bad when even the Frenchman with us struggled to be understood! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The
first night involved dinner with a couple friends at a restaurant, and included
an invitation to sit in on the Pearl Jam radio phone in show the next day. This
was to be a day where I played hairdresser and bleached a friends jet black
hair to an interesting shade of orange before we picked up our tickets and
headed for the pre party, my first of this tour. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The
pre-party concept is a strange one, my experience of them in Europe
is that because we have GA, they are held the night before and are generally
merry (drunken) gatherings. Across the pond they were more structured and on
the day of the gig, the structure is partially because of the link to the fundraising
of Wishlist foundation, but they are equally jolly affairs and a great place to
meet new people. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">As
per the invitation from the previous evening, a couple of us headed across to a
hotel to sit in on the radio show broadcast. It was great to see the show in
full swing, to listen to the callers and scarily, speak on air! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I
loved the Montreal
show, the seats we had were great (especially as other people in the row didn’t
show up) and my ticket buddy was passionate and hilarious (interpretive dancing
to PJ will never seem the same again!). The band seemed to be enjoying themselves.
It was certainly a brilliant way to kick off the Canadian tour and the rest of
the crowd were smiling as much as me upon leaving the venue. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The
last day in Montreal
was spent exploring, chatting, relaxing and seeing a friend eat the most
massive smoked meat sandwich anyone can ever imagine!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Toronto beckoned; we took
the train in order to try and see more of the country, there were a lot of
fields...and a lake I swear could be an ocean as I saw no land on the other side!
In Toronto we were being joined by another Brit, a PJ friend who I bizarrely
met through my liking of Band of Horses; she was to be my roomie for the next
few shows. It also became apparent that whilst others had had luggage lost getting to Montreal, I had just left some of my stuff there before getting to Toronto. I really am rubbish sometimes! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">During an initial meander through the city, (trying to find the
biggest bookshop in the world - which we failed to find on that attempt) I
gathered that Toronto
had a buzz about it. The buzz was a bit of an odd one, I put this down to the
Toronto Film Festival happening, there seemed to be a lot of media ‘in the
know’ types about. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">PJ20,
the Cameron Crowe documentary was being shown twice during this fim festival. I
really wanted to go, but had no ticket to either screening. For us instead of
the première, we headed to Niagara
Falls. Niagara was somewhere I really wanted to go, I
love waterfalls and rainbows but I have to say initially I was not enamoured. The
area built up around them is, umm, tacky and in some parts desolate! The Falls
themselves are indeed marvellous, I loved the Maid of the Mist and it was great
to add some more friends into the mix who joined us whilst we were there. It
was a pretty long day, but a good one. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Back
in Toronto, show day approached and we ventured to the top of CN tower to see
the city from above, it was really good to spend such relaxing time with great
friends. From there another ace pre-party was calling and then, the first of
the two Toronto shows... </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">OK,
I could wax lyrical about this show, filling an entire page. For me, this was
THE show or the shows, it was pure elation. Toronto 1 was not the longest of
sets, not full of rarities, I was not front row. It was just great, a set including the ‘Man’ trilogy
amongst others and progressed, for me, to hit immense status when I got to see Pearl
Jam perform Mother Love Bone’s Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns and then an awesome
version of Rockin in the Free World with Neil Young! The band were absolute
loving it, you could feel their sense of joy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I
left that venue, feeling amazing, on a complete rush, still hyper hours later.
To be honest thinking back about it has made me feel happy, as I type this, I’m
grinning. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The
fact music can produce such emotion it a pretty special thing, something that
often gets forgotten about in our day to day lives and the current social obsession
with instant gratification. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">As
I mentioned, the PJ20 film had two showings during the film festival. We chose
Niagara over the premiere, and I had hoped to get tickets to the second showing
but until the morning of the screening still had not managed it. Now, I had
made it pretty clear how much I wanted to go, however I didn’t expect a friend
to get up at stupid o clock in the morning, walk to the box office and manage
to get three of us last minute tickets. That gesture meant a lot to me, it
still does. So, I got to see the film, in Toronto, surrounded by PJ fans, oh
and Eddie Vedder and Neil Young! That was kinda cool! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Toronto
night 2 was another night of grinning, and a bit of crying (Light Years), it
was a brilliant set, so many good songs and the atmosphere was great in that
venue. It maintained the high of the previous night. I loved those Toronto shows
so much. I got to see them with good people even if we were seated all over the
place! Everyone seemed to have that same sense of happiness and joy after those
shows. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I
wish that I could have either of those nights again, in a GA crowd with all my
PJ friends, you could pretty much give up on me there and then, I’d be done! I’d
have had pretty much the highest high. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Our
Scottish friends and others left us at this point, what an ace ending to their
tours! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Another
train took us to Ottawa, and to a sweet little B&B which was to be our home
for the next couple of days. Ottawa, I have to say, underwhelmed me. I think
being the capital I expected, well I’m not sure, but it seemed a very innate
place. Everyone was lovely, but it was neither buzzing nor relaxing. Some of
the architecture was very pretty, the parliamentary buildings felt like scaled
versions of those in London and the tales of winter snow and ice were
enamouring. It just felt like it needed an adrenalin shot. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The
show was in a venue not designed for people travelling without a car, and
getting there seemed like a triumph in itself! In order to give back to the
Wishlist Foundation for all the pre-parties, I decided to buy a show poster and
donate it to the raffle...which was then won by one of my friends, sods law! :D </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">After
the highs of the previous gigs, Ottawa had a lot to live up to, and whilst there is never
a bad Pearl Jam gig, this one didn’t, for me at least, make the level set previously.
The band tried hard to engage the crowd but it just didn’t seem to work at
times. There were people in my row who hardly stood during the show and others
who were quite blatantly checking emails and facebook. That’s a hell of an
expensive night out to check your emails! Even Eddie seemed annoyed with
elements of the crowd. However, there was a great dedication to the guys from
Wishlist and the band as always put on a great set. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The
bus back to town was awful, overcrowded and actually quite dangerous. I was
relieved for us all to get off safely to be honest. It did put a dampener on
the time I’d spent there. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">After
an early morning goodbye and thank you for being awesome to my roomie friend, I
was on the way Hamilton. I wasn’t going to go to this gig, it was a late addition
in the planning, but my ace film enabling mate was going and had a spare ticket!
I am so pleased I went to the Hamilton gig, it perked me up after Ottawa,
provided the perfect closure to my trip. The gig was great, the band seemed so
ramped up and the people I met at the pre/post parties were truly awesome. I definitely
made some good friends that night, whom I hope to meet again. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">My
somewhat weary self was ready to come home after seven gigs (including PJ20). I
loved my first trip across the pond, it was great to see new surroundings, see
shows in new places and experience new ways of doing things. If I was to name
one of the places in Canada I visited that I’d like to return to, it would be
Montreal. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The
seated shows I did get used to but I still prefer GA, apart from the rest during
the encores at the latter shows (I’m such an old woman!) and the anticipation and
excitement of ticket collection. I never expected to win the lottery, and my
10C number is shockingly high, but to see fans crying when given tickets in
first or second row was cool. That opportunity meant so much to them and that experience
would stay with them. I have to be honest, I did miss the raucous nature of GA,
I missed not being part of a collective during the gigs but I was very lucky to
have great ticket buddies and to meet good people along the way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I
never expected a desire to see a band taking me on transatlantic flights, it
hardly seems real that I went. Sometimes I look at the photos I took over there
and have to remind myself it was me who took them. I want to go back to Canada,
I would love to see the other coast, Vancouver etc, so it isn’t fully removed
from my travel list but this trip did make me feel like I’d accomplished
something. Life has a way of changing the path you think is laid out ahead, following
that new path could take you to a place in your life you hadn’t thought you’d
reach, in my case this trip was part of that. </span></div>Dottleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01933055223773716818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062464767225407627.post-75204988189465694302012-03-04T21:04:00.004+00:002012-03-04T21:06:08.604+00:00A Question of Happiness...<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">A conversation last night with a friend has led me to
thinking, this as you will know is not always a good thing. Despite my
general aptitude to positivity, I am also naturally suspicious and maudlin. I’d not seen my friend in a
while and our conversations reflected that. She kept asking me if I was happy, truly
happy. I’m fine was not an appropriate
answer apparently, nor was yes I’m happy... she persevered. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The more she did, the
more difficult it was to answer her. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I am happy, I have an amazing and supportive family, friends
who mean the world to me, I have a good job, I work with good people, I live in
a great place and I think I am thoughtful and generally a good person. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">But there are always things in life that you’d improve and
change. Confidence and fear are probably mine. I am insecure, it’s a deep
rooted thing. Whilst I would love to blame that on my ex, I can’t, his
behaviour just didn’t help the situation. I find myself seeking reassurance when often my instinct is right anyway. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I’m comfortable that I am not the
best girl, that I do not tick
the normal boxes for blokes and nor do I
live in an episode of Sex and the City or Friends. That's just life. My confidence levels vary daily, I'll be
honest they vary throughout the day and I often over analyse things, I look for reason and excuses. I am very good at putting on a front of confidence though. I do like myself more than I used to (and to say that aloud is very strange) and I don’t feel the need to change me for other people to like or to accept that I am a human
version of marmite. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I am often told off
by those closest to me for putting other people first, I class it as treating
others how I wish to be treated. A PJ friend the other day posted this phrase -
Never allow someone to be your priority while you're just their option. This
applies in so many situations, and maybe I should take heed. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">You know, deep down
I just want an easy life, no games, no
dramas. I want to have fun, to smile, to know and spend time with good people,
to love and to be loved. Why is that so hard to get? </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">So no, I am not truly happy, but </span><span style="font-size: small;">I guess the question really is - being honest, are any of us
truly happy all the time? </span></div>Dottleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01933055223773716818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062464767225407627.post-29184182864603736372012-03-03T01:42:00.001+00:002012-03-03T13:54:08.187+00:00PJ20<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I’m not a person with an addictive personality, but
seeing Pearl Jam live is like a drug, and I say that in all seriousness. Since
2009 I’ve been to 14 Pearl Jam shows, seven in Europe and two in the USA and five
in Canada; and yes I have no doubt you’re thinking that’s mental and you’d be
right! I’ve only seen them three times in the UK, and yep if you are a PJ fan
reading this, I did turn down Shepherds Bush tickets – *tut* but I didn’t know
then….and no, I didn’t go to the O2 gig, so yeah, I missed out on Footsteps! For
those non PJ peeps, no they don’t play the same set each night! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Prior to taking this trip, I had spent hours
considering, digesting, worrying and a bit more worrying, (yeah - I worry a lot) about whether to go and
generally driving my friends mad. I had also spent time in the days before flying
out suddenly trying to arrange last minute trips for some friends to come out
for the party. But now I was on my way....On the 1<sup>st</sup> September I took the night train to Heathrow
to fly to the USA, my first time out of Europe, my first long haul flight and all
on my own I arrived in Chicago, there to meet friends and to go to PJ20. I waited for Yvi to join me at
the airport, it felt odd to be in a country I recognised so much..but from the
media! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Me and Yvi stayed in downtown Chicago, near the shuttle pick up to take us
to the venue. On the day we arrived there was a pre-party up near the site, I
was gutted to miss it, and latterly it seemed that being there meant you being ‘in
the know’. Anyway, despite the tiredness, we ventured out to explore the Millennium Park
in the centre of Chicago, met up with our
Scottish friends and then succeeded in finding a Chicago theatre to enable copious photo
opportunities for Yvi to recreate an Eddie Vedder poster! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The following day, after I managed to find a
cashpoint to accept my card, we headed to the bus, picked up our wristbands,
and felt part of the bubbling excitement.
We also came across a couple of lads from Ireland, who it turned out, would
be a hilarious addition to the weekend. Alpine Valley is a music theatre in
amongst a ski resort a couple of hours drive from Chicago
in Wisconsin (or Michigan if you’ve a mis-printed hoodie like me). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">We had ticket issues that had to be resolved which
meant a lot of hanging around on that first day. Initially it was fun chatting
to people, even when the rain began, there was a lot of laughter hiding behind
a van drinking from random bottles – neat Pimms anyone? I had 10C tickets, so
also got the goody pack with the Vault #1 release etc. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">However, the enjoyment began to be lost on me when
after hours of standing in the torrential rain I squelched when I moved and my
jeans were so wet they were falling down with the weight of water. I could hear
bands/acts playing that I wanted to see and yet I was standing outside the
gates – this isn’t what I’d gone for! Others were tailgating in the car parks,
a whole new concept to us Europeans, we just don’t do that over here, and sadly
we missed out on that too. Finally with the tickets sorted, walking in was a
godsend, though the merch stand for dry clothing and the 10 Club toilets were
the most immediately welcomed thing! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Don’t worry, my smile began to return in dry
clothes and I was lucky enough to go into the PJ20 museum whilst sheltering
from the storm. Some of the stuff in there was amazing to see, it gave you a real
sense of the journey of the band, it really was a collectors dream. In the
poster expo, I was able to spend some time talking to the guys from Ames; they
liked my accent apparently! Yvi fulfilled her poster addiction!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Venturing down to find our seats (after initially
sitting in someone else’s – oops!) it was like a European representation in our
row, and I was about to experience my first seated show. I have to say I liked
the fact you could put merch under your seat, but it felt very alien to me,
there was a sense of restriction. We watched Mudhoney (for the first time, fab),
Queens of the Stone Age (ace) and The Strokes (hmmm not for me), before getting
the shot of Pearl Jam we’d come for. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">As Philip Glass began, I got that first sense of
religious Pearl Jam ferver. Leading into the
chords of Release (I love that song as an opener) Yvi was
already in tears, and as I hugged her, the pent up frustration of the day ebbed
away, as the realisation dawned of where we were. It was a solid main set; there
was an odd flow but it still felt comforting in an exhilarating way. I loved In
The Moonlight, and I got to hear some tracks such as SOLAT, Life Wasted, Help
Help, Deep etc. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Ed seemed to have an ease with the crowd, the
interaction was there, probably moreso than I'd seen before other than in Berlin. The encore was fast approaching and there had been rumour
after rumour of who was going to appear. As Chris Cornell walked on stage,
there was Temple
of the Dog re-forming, in front of me.
It was special, it was happening and god did I grin. Then, track two of
the ToTD reunion, was Stardog Champion, a Mother Love Bone track. I don’t think
that had been played since Andy Wood died. I didn’t mind the time given over to
Cornell on lead vocals, and the band definitely didn’t but I know it led to a
few gripes among the purists. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Weary after a long but jubilant day, the
bus journey back to Chicago was pretty harsh to be honest. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Morning of day 2, Yvi and I overslept,
two girls getting ready in under 30 minutes has to be some sort of record! The bus driver thought it would be good to
put a film on...it was an horrifically
bad decision and the speakers caused a high pitch squeal for most of the
journey which wasn’t appreciated! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Day 2 turned out to be the day I had
wanted day 1 to be. In from the start, we managed to see all the acts, and it
felt like a member of Pearl Jam played with them all! For me Ed and Glen
Hansard, and Ed with John Doe were the stand out appearances. We got to spend
time in the 10C area, amble around the site, chat to the poster artists (I was
very chuffed that Brad Klausen liked my Eddie Vedder wave necklace!) and catch
up with people we’d missed thus far. There seemed to be a buzz on day 2, that
felt stronger than on day 1. At one point we were deciding what to do next, and
turned around to see Mike McCready an arm’s length away just walking across the
site (with minders lol!), stopping to chat to people, I said hi and Yvi was quick
enough to get a photo. This band, let’s face it, they don’t have to mingle,
they know they’ve a rabid following, but I felt it showed the connection to the
fans and to the other acts on the bill that they kept popping up around the
site. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">There
was a proper sense of community across the venue, so many smiles from so many
nationalities. We had lawn tickets and it was obvious that many of the people
around us weren’t used to GA! It was slightly awkward where we were standing,
people didn’t seem to know what to do without seats. However, with Wash as an
opener, Love Boat Captain, All Night, Jeremy,
Black, an improvised track, Liam Finn on Habit and Glen Hansard on Smile,
plus more ToTD - I guess you just had to be there to see how much the band were
enjoying themselves and just how infectious that was. Day 2 made Day 1 work, it tied
together the sets. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">It made me smile. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">It’s odd, had I written this before I
went to Canada there would’ve been mention of Rockin in the Free World, but
Toronto blew this version away. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">We were able to find time to sightsee
in Chicago the day after the gigs, still on that high, we had lunch in the
Chocolate Factory (*sigh* Big Bang Theory addiction) and saw the city from
great heights. I’d like to go back and see more, I didn’t feel I had enough
time to explore. After a tearful goodbye with Yvi, I decided to go back and take photos at Millennium
Park, ending the weekend where it had begun. I had wanted time to reflect
before the next day moving onto Montreal. In fact what happened was I stumbled
across a Soul Train party and ended up dancing with strangers in the dark! You
know, as you do... </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I am so pleased I went to PJ20. I have to admit, I didn’t
have the emotional attachment to the gigs I thought I might have, but there was
still that chemistry, that magic. Some people were never going to be happy, they were expecting
things that were never going to happen; their hopes would have always been
dashed even if the band had played until dawn (night 2 had a 33 song set, I reckon that's pretty good going when you've played throughout the day with other acts too!). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I like to think I don’t go anywhere with an expectation, though I guess
in the case of Pearl Jam shows, there is a certain level set. You’re
always going to get those people, those purists, who want all rarities, or all
songs from particular albums, I’m not one of those. I don’t need to be front
row, listening to a song never played before to enjoy myself. For me, it's about connection, to the music, to the people around you, to the band. It's about feeling the sound in your chest cavity, and aching for it to continue. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I wouldn’t have been anywhere else - why did I worry? </span></div>Dottleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01933055223773716818noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062464767225407627.post-16022646004855733882012-02-29T22:06:00.000+00:002012-02-29T22:06:20.785+00:00Thank You!<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>It’s
odd to think of anyone reading my thoughts; so I’m really astonished by
the positive reaction to my first blog post last night. Thank you! </span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Just think, if I had written a piece after seeing
Pearl Jam for the first time in 2009, you wouldn’t have been able to
understand it for the giddiness! Manchester 2009 was my first shot of the PJ live drug that
so many of me and my friends thrive on....and we'll back there in June to see them again. </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Re-reading the post last night and reflecting
on that 2010 tour is strange; bizarrely after the total elevation of that
experience, I came home to find my job was being made redundant and I was to be
redeployed into a new challenging role. The huge high I came home on
allowed me to cope with the inevitable low. Unbeknown to me, it was probably
for the best, but things are often better on reflection don’t you think? </span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>In the whole reflective mood, I’ve
been thinking a lot about how friendships form over the last few weeks for a
variety of reasons. I have best friends I’ve known for years, they went
to college and uni with me. They knew at my most insecure, cried with me,
hugged me and have seen me at my absolute worst. Oddly they maybe haven’t seen me
at my best, they don’t do the touring thing, and being honest they’re
not over keen on rock music! It is testament to the strength of our
friendships that they still support me, they know this madness makes me happy even if
they don’t understand it. </span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Beyond them, I
have amazing friends that I am lucky to have found through different parts of
my life, and then there are Pearl Jam related friends. This latter collective,
well they have had a huge impact on my life. Many I met through the forum, through
others and through Twitter/Facebook. It’s kind of like we’ve
developed a close group of misfits, with this common passion. Some of these are
those I toured with in 2010, they’ve not managed to get rid of me yet,
and I treasure them. It makes you think that whilst the internet provides us with
everything we ‘need’, and it even provides a means to form friendships;
it is still the human emotional interaction which makes you (well me at least) smile.
</span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>My experiences
in 2010 have since led me to venture across the pond to Chicago/Alpine Valley
for a Pearl Jam anniversary ‘festival’ (they called it a 'destination weekend', be honest what the heck is that?) and into Canada for five shows. There will
be a couple of posts coming up about these experiences in the near future. </span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Writing about the past when in the present I
am in the midst of planning my 2012 Euro tour </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span>(I’m planning
on going to Manchester (1&2), Berlin (1&2) and Stockholm, oh and a Chris Cornell solo gig on
my birthday - sqweee!)</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span>. I can't tell you if it will have the same impact on me, but I can tell you that I cannot wait to be amidst that group of misfits and meeting new people, making new friends. </span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I’m
not sure where this blog will go; it will have an abundance of Pearl Jam
related content, but also other musical interests and as it’s my blog, it
will no doubt have some rants, mutterings and musings about life in general. I
write in a stream of consciousness (you may’ve gathered). This is how the
thoughts are in my head, the inner conversation I have about, well, everything.Being inside my head...now there's a scary thought!</span></span></span></span></div>Dottleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01933055223773716818noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4062464767225407627.post-54021224231706014342012-02-28T20:40:00.001+00:002012-02-29T22:07:06.556+00:00Why Hello!!I've often thought about writing a blog, why anyone would want to read it is beyond me, but I enjoy writing and this I hope will provide an outlet of some sort.<br />
Today on Twitter I saw a tweet from the editor of Kerrang, about how bands influence your life. In 2010 I went on my first 'tour' to see a band, Pearl Jam. (You'll hear more about them if you read anymore of my posts!)<br />
I wrote this sitting in an airport terminal in summer 2010, at the end of that tour, it is full of grammatical errors, but it is as I wrote it, how the words hit the page.<br />
Have a read, you might get to know me a little better....<br />
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
July 2010</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-left: 36pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Well, here I am sitting at Manchester
Airport, waiting for my flight home to
Cornwall. For
the first time ever, I do not want to go back. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-left: 36pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Yes, home means seeing the family and friends that I have
missed, but it also means the end of a most amazing journey and experience.<br />
<br />
Just over two weeks ago, I once again sat in an airport, but then it was in Newquay,
and I nearly never got on that flight to Dublin.
It was a very different feeling and reason though, it was because I was scared,
nervous and anxious about what I was about to undertake. I’d loved this band
since was 11, seeing them for the first time in Manchester 2009, but this was
different. It was a very bizarre combination of feelings because I didn’t know
what to expect.<br />
<br />
What I certainly didn’t expect, was to have the time of my life...<br />
<br />
Arriving in Dublin,
and overcoming my first hurdle of finding my hotel (though it was the day I
left the city before I could open my own bedroom door!) the panic subsided; from
then on I was immersed in the wonderful world of Pearl Jam touring. <br />
Dublin was
special; it was all about meeting people for the first time (though many I
considered friends via the internet before this). It was great to put faces and
proper names to the avatars and forum names which were more familiar. It amazed
me how such close bonds were made in the run up to the tour. I was amongst people
of all nationalities, backgrounds and ages, some travelling thousands of miles
to be there.<br />
<br />
Anyway, this initiation into Pearl Jam touring involved a couple of pubs
somewhere in Temple Bar, drinks in the Hard Rock Cafe, invading an tour of
Dublin Castle for American tourists, the Guinness Factory and a fantastic pre
party which, I seem to remember more of thanks to photos emerging on Facebook
(...hmmm...I really should have known better than to drink so much!!)<br />
<br />
After my hangover cleared on gig day (and despite the boys eating food in front
of me – bleurgh!), soon 10 Club tickets were in hand and we waited patiently in
line at the designated entrance . In the venue, I immediately went back on my
commitment not to do the rail, although it was to the side (Mike’s side) not
the centre, with all those real hardcore people. The boys went to the pit, and
I was left holding the posters, but damn it was really good. Eddie came to
within touching distance of us and I had mild palpitations. I sang and danced
all night and by the end of that gig, I had that deep feeling of happiness and
exhilaration that I would continue to feel for the rest of the tour.<br />
<br />
The following morning, as the Pearl Jam rail express rolled from Dublin to Belfast,
our tired yet happy selves headed across the border with it. Time was short in Northern Ireland;
I was there for less than twenty four hours. En masse we checked into the
Premier Inn on Waring Street
and settled down to watch the England
footie match (the one we won!) and I already felt part of something special.<br />
Everyone in the room in Belfast
knew it was great gig, the set list was fab and I saw nothing but smiles coming
out of that venue. Mine was a grin, total elation, as I had heard ‘State of Love and Trust’ live for
the first time; it really was like I’d won the lottery. It was this song that
got me into Pearl Jam about twenty years ago and I still love it, it’s my
favourite Pearl Jam song. Belfast
had an amazing effect on everyone that night; it was the 'sleeper' gig of the
tour.<br />
<br />
And so to London,
which is where my previously maligned princess like tendencies came in useful,
well the plug sockets and the terrace balcony on my hotel room did at least!<br />
However, geography got the better of me and I managed to get myself and the
boys lost on the way to the pre-party, when we arrived, most people had gone
and London the
24 hour city was closing at 11pm. The next day, we did make it to the British Museum for our sightseeing spot (and it
quickly became apparent one of us had an obsession with old pots!!).<br />
Hyde Park Calling was a great gig, predominantly due to the fantastic people I
spent the gig with. Everyone around us thought we were mental, and to be honest
to anyone outside of this bizarre yet wonderful group, we are mental. I
understand why people don’t get it, in some ways nor do I! We formed a
collective at that gig, we made the atmosphere for ourselves and it was great. We
weren’t down the front or in the thick of it; we had space and a sort of
camaraderie between us all.<br />
<br />
Whilst some people went off to Glastonbury and
others to Nijmegen, a few of us went straight to
Berlin with
blisters already forming on blisters.<br />
I was unsure of Berlin
before I went; I had visions of a grey, dark place with a very structured
populous. I couldn’t have been more wrong. It was a brilliant place, far beyond
expectation, and one I want to visit again. We visited museums, were amongst
hundreds of thousands of Germans when they beat us at football, went to a jazz
bar, ate good food, discovered German Maccies are better than English ones, got
pretty (very!) drunk on rum and cried at the Holocaust Memorial. It was hot but
you could stand it, and I can't remember feeling so happy and elated for such a
long time.<br />
Other people began to join us in this marvellous city, the day before the
Wuhlheide gig, and so happened an impromptu gathering to watch football, drink
and chat. Not necessarily about the band, but of all sorts of things, which
made this group of people more than fans but friends (oh and of course I have
to mention the where’s Marco debacle).<br />
The Berlin
gig was the hotly anticipated gig to go to, prior to the tour happening. It was
a Pearl Jam show, not a festival, in the most stunning outdoor setting, and
happened to be on the exact date of the Roskilde
tragedy, in which ten years before nine Pearl Jam fans had died. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-left: 36pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;">This gig lived up to the hype and part of the feeling from that
night remains with me now. Despite being spread out amongst the venue, the
friends bonded previously, managed to spot each other and connect. We all felt
honoured to be there.<br />
It was an emotional night, not just for the band, but also for those there, for
many personal reasons. My grandfather died a few months ago, a man who had been
a very large part of my life. I played ‘Light Years’ a lot around that time.
So, when the band struck the first cord of that song in Berlin, my eyes filled and I was very glad
to have sunglasses on so those around me couldn’t see my tears, but I think
they knew.<br />
The night ended with drinks in the 10C bar and a very funny train ride back to
the city centre, oh and a 10C engagement!!<br />
<br />
Stupid o’clock the following day, the few of us who had spent the extra time in
Berlin headed for a couple of days in Paris. The flight felt
like it lasted days, and when we emerged it felt like we’d walked into a blast
furnace. Hmmm... Paris
was hot and smelled, I didn’t much care for it, but it was the basis of some
conversations that had me crying with laughter. My friends at home had
commented about my going to the apparently the most romantic city in the world
with three lads I barely knew from the north, and you know what I couldn’t
think of three better people to be stuck in Paris with.<br />
<br />
Arras was
calling swiftly, and so after an argument with a French rail ticket inspector,
I arrived in this very pretty town late in the evening. Most people were not
arriving until the day of the gig, so I had a relaxing time on my own, and
caught up on some sleep. This was to be the last gig for a lot of people
touring with me, so it was kind of poignant. Once again, we met, ate, drank,
chatted and watched football before heading to the venue. It was a interesting
setting, in a citadel, which is a UNESCO world heritage site. The gig was
great, and I thought some people may explode when the band played Baba O’Reilly
as the penultimate song of the night. The following goodbyes were hard, and it
hit me how close to this group of people I had become. As we went our separate
ways, I walked back to my hotel with tears streaming down my face, this group
of people, my friends, felt like a family and I was going to miss them.<br />
<br />
I was going to another gig the following day, and as I waited at the train
station for a lift from another of the group (kindly dropping me and another to
Belgium on his way home to
the Netherlands)
I knew the Werchter gig would be different.<br />
I was staying in Leuven, not a place I had
even considered as anything other than a place to sleep until I got there, and
realised it was a lovely place. However, time was short and it was off to the
festival. After a trek from the festival bus drop off point, I sheltered in the
shade of trees listening to the preceding bands. I managed to find some more
friends from the 10C group, a Scottish family travelling to watch the band
together, and so spent the rest of the day with them, what a great family they
are. It felt very strange to be at a gig without the boys, Yvi and the others,
somehow like I was cheating on them. But I made the most of it, with Alice in Chains, Them
Crooked Vultures and Arcade Fire on before PJ. I was very lucky to have my last
Pearl Jam gig of this tour end with Dave Grohl on stage at the same time (man,
can he play mean tambourine) and also a fireworks display. It seemed kind of
fitting that that was the end.<br />
As I dragged my sorry and sore feet to the bus to Leuven,
I was beginning to think about the impact the last couple of weeks had had on
me.<br />
<br />
The last leg of my journey was to Manchester,
not to see Pearl Jam but to see the Black Keys. I spent my free night, in the
city online talking to those I had been with previously (yes we are sad people);
I was shattered so didn’t mind not venturing out! I was secretly pleased to see
that we were all feeling the same level of depression and need to meet up
again.<br />
<br />
Last night, was the Black Keys gig, and during the day yesterday I met an old
friend for lunch and some shoe porn in Selfridges and Harvey Nichols. I could
feel the excitement rise in my voice when she asked me about my trip, it felt
like I was about to explode with all the stories, anecdotes and feelings of the
last two weeks. Back at the hotel, I phoned home, to check about arrangements
for my journey from Newquay airport, and found myself waxing lyrical to my
fifteen year old brother, it’s probably the first time he’s heard me like that.
Mainly because it’s the first time I have felt this happy in a very long time.<br />
<br />
The gig last night was good, the hugs from the boys and the sentiments with
which they spoke of the tour was enough for me. It was more about them than the
music come the end of the gig. Saying goodbye was short and sweet, as it was
more ‘til the next time, than goodbye. I still cried on my walk to my hotel
though.<br />
<br />
And now I sit in this airport, writing on a pad I took from my hotel room,
waiting for my gate number, not wanting to leave. I have met so many good
people during this experience, ones who will remain part of my life I hope.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
In addition to meeting new people, I have met someone I thought I had lost a
long time ago, me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> For a long time now I
have not thought very much of myself deep down. I rarely let my guard down,
sharing only parts of me with people; for fear that they will not like me or
will hurt me. On this tour I was accepted and liked with no prejudice, and I’ve
come away from this liking myself and who I am. Rediscovering feelings buried
within.<br />
<br />
I have had too many good times in the last couple of weeks, they are becoming
indistinguishable in my head, all I know is, I think about the tour and smile!<br />
<br />
To all those I met on tour, to those that helped me have the courage to go on
tour and to those I never met but made those gigs amazing – thank you.<br />
<br />
Until the next time.....</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>Dottleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01933055223773716818noreply@blogger.com0