Going for gold

Don’t worry, you aren’t gonna be jumped upon by Henry Kelly.  It’s just me on a charridee raid.

Some of you may know that this time last year I was feeling rubbish about myself and feeling all frumpy and lazy.  So, I said to myself “lets get physical”.  A year later and I’ve lost almost 2 stone and feel a hell of alot better.

For a couple of years I have wanted to take part in the Bupa Great Manchester 10km Run.  Alas, I can be lazy and missing out is a forte of mine.  So this year I planned ahead and after a week of grovelling to charities I have been accepted to run for RNID.

I work for a hearing aid company and I thought this may be a cool thing to raise money for.  Plus, I have an awful bout of tinnitus, so it seems very apt to raise money for something that is close to me.  So kids, if you could give any money, i would be very grateful.  I would come and kiss you on the face if you really want me to.  Yeah, you really want it don’t you?

http://www.justgiving.com/gwane-athon

A Brief History Of Time

Ok, here is me apologising again for not caring enough about the little ol’ blogosphere.  I’ve been busy.  But I’m here now.

I’m here to tell you about my life so far.  Yes.  In two days I will turn 30.

I don’t know if anyone else thinks about how their life has progressed and wonders if they have done anything decent with the short time they have on this blue and green planet which is mostly harmless (Did I just quote that?!  Geek.)

Well, I don’t have don’t have much time to think, but when I’m on my bike, a lot goes through this little thought box of mine.  This week I have started to think of the highs and lows of the 30 years I have been here.

You can pretty much forget the first 15 years of as nothing is relevant.  All that happens is that you do what you are told and you don’t have your own money to do the things you want.

So, now I am going to try and list some bits which have happened to me (including some stuff from the first 15 years of my life) that I am proud of and ashamed of.  Ok, breathe in and lets go.

1) Appeared on stage (dragged on when I was 5) to appear in panto with Anneka Rice.

2) Performed as a mouse and as Pinocchio in two seperate plays in primary school.  (Oh, the shame).

3) Travelled to various countries around the world.  I’ve done the usual European countries including Amsterdam (8 times by the age of 20).

4) Have toured the USA (in 4 weeks I was called the devil, could have scored crystal meth and crack in Chicago bus station, saw lots of Amish people, got awful British tans in Seattle and Las Vegas.  Saw 2 people arrested on Greyhound buses, met a guy who just got out of prison on a bus. Went for a midnight jog while drunk in a very dodgy neighbourhood in Buffalo, NY.  Heard gunshots while in bed in Vegas.

5) Spent time touring Vienna, Beijing and London with The Lomographic Society.  Staying up for 4 days with half an hour sleep here and there, buying 10 beers and a bottle of vodka for £30 in Beijing.

6) Been out on 2 New Year’s Eve’s on my own as no one wanted to go out.  Once at Sankey’s Soap, Manchester to see Jacques Lu Cont. Once in a warehouse in Napier, New Zealand.  Hanging out with ELEMENOP and Steriogram.  The biggest bands in NZ at the time.  Yeah baby!  They bought me drinks.

7 ) DJ’ed with people like: Shitmat, Eddie Temple Morris, Utah Saints, Simian Mobile Disco and Lemon Jelly.  Missed out on playing with M.I.A.  The silly girl cancelled two days before the show.  Tut.

8 ) DJ’ed at various well known clubnights in Manchester and played at the smallest (Temple Of Convenience) to the largest (Sankeys Soap).

9) Sang karaoke with Elbow.  Oh yes.

10) Shot approximately 20,000 photographs

11) Walked roughly 15,000 miles between my house and Stockport town centre.

12) Had two unsuccessful long term relationships (one went gay…)

So, yes.  That is my life up to now.  Do you think I could sell the rights to a major publisher?  Nah, I didn’t think so.

 

Manchester: A city of firsts

I have a love/hate relationship with this fair city of mine.  One minute it wants to be your friend and get you involved with every possible slice of interest, the next minute, no one wants to know you and it is showing you the door.

I have almost picked the door on so many occasions.  But at moments like this, all I want to do is kiss it on the lips and take it for dinner.

I hope you have all heard of the Manchester International Festival. 18 extraordinary days of world premieres.

This is one of the most incredible things that I have ever come across.  Gigs, theatre, opera, exhibitions.  You name it, it most probably will have it.  Now in it’s second biennial year, this festival has really made its name in the national and international press.  I’m quite surprised the inaugural festival didn’t get the press it deserved, but this one is showing its worth to the international arts scene……from what I can see anyway.

I have been a massive fan ever since they announced the trailblazer event in 2005 for Gorillaz to play at the Opera House performing Demon Days in full.  I thought this was a massive coup,  but wait until this year!

2007 came and showed us events like Monkey: Journey to the West, The Pianist and Il Tempo del Postino.  This time, the big boys really showed their clout.

By putting shows on like Elbow playing with the Hallé orchestra, Kraftwerk performing inside the Manchester Velodrome with the GB Olympic cycle team and showing the world premiere of the new opera by Rufus Wainwright, you are definitely showing two fingers to the establishment.

From what I have read, the press seem to be on side with the festival.  Thank god.  For them to show any bit of interest on something cultural outside the big smoke takes quite a lot of work, but thankfully, they seem to love it.

Obviously  a lot of hard work, time and energy has gone into it.  And it shows.  They have set up camp in Albert Square, right outside the town hall, complete with the returning Tipi and beer garden (where I have spent alot of time this week).  I can’t count how many venues are involved, but it is a hell of a lot.

I have to congratulate the people involved.  Only just over a week in and I have been to:

Elbow and the Hallé

Prima Donna

Everybody Loves a Winner

Zaha Hadid Architects

Flailing Trees

An Audience With Guy Garvey

Antony and The Johnsons

Procession

And more to follow.  I am already broken.  I knew I should have taken some time off work.

Here is the view I had of the Elbow gig on Wednesday.  Jealous?

http://twitpic.com/a1xom

An apology

I have to say, I have been rubbish.

I have let this lovely blog to rot in the basement of my heart.  Alot of the time I have felt that  don’t need to write things as my mind has been quite happy.  I only really blog when passion takes over.  Maybe it’s a bad thing that the passion hasn’t been there.  Maybe I’m dead inside?

Plus I have a bad net connection.  The issues of robbing wireless complicate matters.  But if I’m stealing it, I can deal with the consequences.

Right.  So i’m going to blog the hell out of you.  Are you ready?

What suits your mood?

It’s amazing.  Sometimes I think I am psychically linked to people and things.  I was just heading out to the shops when I popped on the radio as I walked down the road.  There was quite a melancholic song which made me feel a bit glum and got me thinking about things.

10 minutes later Gideon Coe started the topic of the night talking about mood music.  He discussed that he wasn’t in the mood for listening to the new Passion Pit albumand he wondered if people had music they listened to when in a certain mood.  This got me thinking.

For some reason I always put on female singers when one particular friend comes round to mine.  If i’m cycling, I like a pumping record.  Something like Doves or Super Furry Animals.  If I go walking in the rain I will pick something like Second Coming by The Stone Roses.  If I’m ridiculously drunk and walking home from somewhere and I hear a song that gets me pumped, I like to go for the repeat option.  I hope no one watches me when I walk home drunk.  I tend to punch the air and start singing thinking I am Bruce Springsteen.

There is nothing like that hyped up drunken emotional state when you have the tunes pulsating and resonating only in your headspace.

I could go on about records you recognise ex girlfriends by, but that would take up a lot of your time.  Maybe some other time, yeah?

So, I’m off to see Maximo Park this weekend.  Should be a wonderful jolly of in Norwich.  Yeah, don’t ask.  It’s a long way, but it should be a nice weekend away.

That awkward moment

It’s happened to us all.  The awkard silence between you and an ex when you have no idea what to say.

I got that today.  I have to tell you, it was nasty.

I don’t know what it is about her and me.  I have the most excellent time, think she is out of my head, then all of a sudden she gets in touch or something about here pops up out of nowhere.  I think its just fate now.

So, this weekend I have spoke about her a few times to various people.  I haven’t spoke to about here for a while, but she came up in conversation.  It didn’t bother me as I was in control of the topic of chat.  I was discussing that nothing was bothering me and all was cool in my head (which it is).

Last night was a little different.  Being a Bank Holiday, it was time to drink booze.  Sun + Booze = Light headedness and silly talking.  A few of us were having a few beers and a bite to eat and conversation changed to what was happening later.  My friend was going to meet my ex.  My friend was the reason I met my ex.  So she was saying that she was going to hook up with the ex and she ok with the whole situation if I turned up.  I said I wasn’t comfortable with it, as it has almost been two years since I last saw her.  Me and my chum got talking about her, although I was quite surprised as we never talk about it.  I pestered her and her fella lots when we first split, so I never talk about it now.

So, I don’t know how it happened, but my friend started talking about when we split and she mentioned that someone said something which was pretty much the reason we split.  Ramble ramble.  But one thing got to me which really hurt my feelings.  I learnt that some people lie and create situations which doesn’t help anyone.  A certain accusation was made against me and it seriously pissed me off.  I got a bit upset by it.  Not good.

So, the next day.  I haven’t seen her for a long time and guess what happened?  Well done.  I bumped into her in front of the beans in the supermarket.

I was hunting for honey with my pal and I saw a certain shape of a girl I used to know.  I started at the feet and thought I recognised them, then slowly scanned up and saw that the rest of her matched the person I knew aswell.

I stood there a bit confused and baffled.  My friend chatted to her while I stood there totally confused.  She looked even more confused.  I haven’t heard that nervous ramble for a while.  A wave of jellyness hit my body.  So hard I thought I was going to fall over.  It was the most awkward 2 and a half minutes of my life.  She looked like she was trying to think of an excuse to move on  and I think we were aswell.  Eventually, we got out of there and discussed the odd moment.

It actually felt horrible, but I made it through almost unscathed.  I think my friend felt the tension and helped out as much as poss (thank you).

But, yeah.  I don’t want that to happen for a while.

Some wierd things have come out of the chats about her this weekend.  Some good and some truly bizarre.  But i’m cool with it.

22 Grand Job

In the city, it’s alright.

I’ve been told I work too hard.  I dont do a particulary taxing job.  I have to pester people to get some more rewarding work out of them.  Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t.  I get paid pretty well for what I do, so for alot of the time I just get on with it.

I tend to have a smile on my face for the majority of the day because that is me, but occaisionally I do get stressed and throw a mini tantrum in my head and sometimes it spills out.  This happened a few times last year.  I think its because I don’t take holidays.  My old boss forced me to take holidays.  If it wasn’t for them I would have probably taken the whole of December off.  I get 4 weeks holiday and I took 3 of them between November and December.  This doesn’t sound so bad, but my holidays run from January to December.

What’s the point of taking holidays when you can’t think of anything to do.  I don’t like to take days off if i’m just going to sit at home.  I need a purpose, an activity.

I can’t do holidays with friends.  I would get frustrated as I like to go explore at my own pace.  This is sometimes fast or slow, but I wouldn’t want to burden someone with my way of moving.  This is why I went to two festivals on my own.  Well, one was with people, but I never saw them when we were there.  I slept lots due to not taking holidays.  This was very silly as it’s all about the music for me, as some of you may have found out by now.

Festivals are quite cool to go to on your own.  I find it a bit frustrating if you have someone trying to talk to you when you are in the zone while listening to your favourite band.   Going on your own makes you discover so much more.  Sitting in a sunny field with a copy of the Guardian, Guardian branded flip flops, some Bloc Party wannabe band playing in the background and bad lager is a great thing to do.  You should try it.  To be honest, this only happened as no one else wanted to go and I missed the year before as people said the same.  There was no way I was going to miss it again.

So, back to my point.  What is the point of lying around doing nothing.  I need things to do, and I need to do them with someone.  I can only go on holiday on my own or with another half.  They complete it.  Someone you can completely relax with.  I’ve been on a few trips like this, but not enough.  Two particular trips definitely bring back great memories.

I’ve been planning a trip away to Japan for almost a couple of years now.  I won a competiton and have found a few cool trips to go on, but the company I have to book through keep denying me these trips of a lifetime.  The past two years were the perfect time for me to get away and clear my head, but it still hasn’t happened.  I may have not come back.  Maybe one day.

This year, I have promised myself a break.  Even if it is only on my birthday.  It was going to be Japan, but lets see what comes up.  I hope something wonderful comes up.  I may have to let someone take me away.

Have I spent too much time on my own and am now a grumpy old man?

Pleased to me you

This is a tale of new friends and love lost.

I’m a people person.  I think I always have been, apart from the crippling shyness I had until I left school.  I’ve always worked in front of people and I have always been in situations where you have to talk/ask/beg for things when working in clubs and what not.

So, I like being around people and I like to think my friends are eclectic.  I have groups of friends who have never met each other.  My local friends who I like to call The Nosebleeders wont come into Manchester, so they never meet my music friends.  Other groups of friends just never cross paths as the different things I like all require different groups of people.  Lets call them my Spice Girl friends.  I don’t know why, I suppose they all have different traits.

As I have spoke to you before about my music obsession, most things in my life do revolve around music in some form.  It can be a bonding over hearing a song and discussing its truly outstandingness, or it can be finding out a person you have just met loves a song as much as you.

Most women that I end up having a relationship with tend to blossom from a musical connection.  My first girlfriend and I bonded over the finer points of Brit Pop, my next major other half met me in a club getting hot and sweaty on the dance floor to Jacques Lu Cont and my last squeeze let me dj at her birthday.

That’s enough about music for today.  I’d like to talk about helping people.  I can be quite helpful.  Or so people tell me.  I just do.  I can’t see why people can’t help others.

So, let me take you back.  I was super active within the Lomo worldwide community for quite a few years (not so much anymore unfortunately) and I had a friend in New Yoik!™ who had a friend who was travelling around Europe and wanted to come to Manchester.  I offered the services of tour guide/helper outerer.  We hooked up and fun was had, although my good lady at the time wasn’t too happy with the whole situation.

She said that it was weird that I could meet this person and help her out.  I think the main beef was that this person was female.  But she said it was that she couldn’t be friends with any one out of her group.  We discussed this for a while, but I was always on the losing side as she was a very headstrong girl who knew what she wanted.

Since that moment, I’ve thought to myself how or why did she ever go out with me? I came out of nowhere being the guy to help out other people with a photoshoot and next thing I was in that group.  But I infiltrated in a way.  Her logic didn’t really stand up.

Since then, I find I have pulled back from my helpful duties and have become a little bit of a recluse.  Not Richey Edwards, Syd Barrett or Lord Lucan missing, but almost.

So, I leave you with one of the tunes I was playing lots when we first met.  I apologise for the video.

Enjoy

Music be the food of love

Listen up people, I’m going to give you a big insight into my little world.

I love music.

Yes, that’s right.  Music is a big thing for me.  If you read my last writings you may have noticed a little craziness passing over me when mentioning music.  I don’t understand people who don’t listen to music.  It saddens me dearly.  It can do magical things to us all.  Make us laugh, cry, shout or punch the sky.  There is a lot out there and can be a struggle to find what you want, but the hunt is the deal breaker for me.

There is nothing like coming across that moment when you could be in a club and you hear something that makes you wet yourself right there and then.  It makes you run to the dj with a pen and paper and get them to scribble it down for you.

Another moment you may be listening to the inane twaddle that comes out of a dj’s face on the radio, the next thing you are dancing in the kitchen with a wet knife near your jugular.  Be careful, but always enjoy yourself.

So, anyway.  We all have moments of the rush that feels like a crazy Christian preacher has just “touched” you.  I hope you do.  If you haven’t you sure as hell haven’t lived.

Sometimes I don’t feel like I have the most varied music collection in the world, but it’s mine and I love everyone of my records and would never sell any of them to feed a crack addiction or buy food.  I’d just kill someone for the £5 in their wallet and maybe steal their socks…

I’ve been told that my music taste is just leftfield  from the mainstream and that’s the way I like it.  Although I can be one of those people who decides he hates a band once they get in the charts.  Yes, I am a bit of a Nazi.

I once appeared on the Steve Lamacq show on BBC 6Music (plug plug) in a section called Good day, Bad day.  On this you have to pick onegood and bad day song.  Easy really.  Also they ask you various things about your musical past.  These things are:

First record bought:  Feargal Sharkey – A Good Heart

1st Gig: Grass Show, Mansun, Sleeper – Manchester Apollo, August 1997

Best Gig: Underworld – Manchester Apollo, September 1999 / Flaming Lips, Cake, Modest Mouse, De La Soul, Brooklyn, August 2002.

Good Day: Zoot Woman – Grey Day

Bad Day: The Aloof – One Night Stand

On the show you have about 10 mins to talk about this and we ran out of time too quickly as we just rattled on.   I didn’t expect him to say that we could have talked for hours and that really meant something to me coming from him.  Maybe he was just lying and trying to get me off the line, but I had super respect for him after that.

I want to finish by saying that nine out of ten people I know who I class as real friends, I met at gigs, clubs etc and probably nine out of ten girlfriends (not that i’ve had that many) we have bonded over music.  If I don’t like your music taste, it’s not going to work between us.  Sorry.  I think this is why I am single……

Everything I have just written was not what I planned, but I would like to finish on my all time favourite song.  This reminds me alot of good times and bad times (you know who you are), but the song will always be my favourite.  Please sit back and relax.

The Nations Favourite

I’m quite a passionate fella. From music to shoes to images to good cuts of meat, if it is something that you get a tingle from, that’s good from my point of view. I found out I have quite a love for the royal family this week, but that’s not the topic for today.
Today I will be talking about BBC 6 Music. Possibly the greatest radio station invented. Apart from Triple J and Kcrw, 6Music is a truly diverse radio station that tries and gives you a taste of most music styles.  They have shoes devoted to new unsigned music, to funk and soul, to rawwwwk.  I don’t listen to the latter as it just ain’t my bag.

But anyways,  this is the station I came to after I fell out of love with Radio 1 and XFM.  When you work in a job that you can listen to the radio for 8 hours a day, you don’t want to be hearing an Eminem song at least 4 times.  It just gets dull after a while and by the end of the week, you are ready to write a nasty letter to the head of the station.

I will tell you a little story from about 4 or 5 years ago.  When XFM was first starting in Manchester, I used to live round the corner from a certain pop star/DJ who got asked to join.  He was working at another station at the time.  He was the head of music and a dj for the small station.  I met him in the pub one day and he asked me what he should do.  First of all I was shocked he asked for my opinion, but I thought it was nice to ask.  He gave me the pro’s and cons of both and I gave him my pro’s and cons.  One little piece of genius I gave him was that if he did go to XFM, he would be playing The Libertines every third record.  He smiled at me and I think he understood.

So, yeah.  That is what I have a problem with.  Repetition.  I just can’t stand it.  There is so much music out there, why do these stations have to play the same stuff to the point of you becoming frustrated and hating the song.  I can understand they need to play them so the bands can actually sell some records, but when they are playing it at least 4 or 5 times during the daytime shows, it can get frustrating.

This seems to be happening to 6Music.

It seems to me and alot of other online people that the station is being taken to the lions den.  Most people can blame this downturn on quality to 1 person which extends to 2.  The first is Lesley Douglas.  You may have heard this name. Have a look at the controversy she has created.

She was put in charge in 2004 and was also in charge of Radio 2 aswell.  The main problem I have with her are the choices of DJ’s she picks.  The appointment of Russell Brand back in 2006 was fine as he was funny and he does know a little bit of music.  This is what 6Music needs.  Its a station that is all about the music.  The charter says they have to play  a certain amount of live music and documentaries.  Anyway, back to Russell.  He only did about 6 months and then was taken off the subs bench and put on the big pitch known as Radio 2.  The boy was a bit too big for the station, but brought alot of people to the station.

The next dj that goat alot of people’s goats was a boy called George Lamb.

Urgh.

I won’t try and write too much about him, but his style has never really settled with the listeners and press.  He’s more of a commercial radio/tv star with catchphrases and inane banter.  He’s another one you can google to your hearts content.  Shouting Shabba and asking people what they want to laminate isn’t entertainment.  He also uses his show as a platform of self gratification by getting people to phone in to rate the show.  If you are a good dj you shouldn’t need to do this.  Just let the chat and music speak for itself.  He has also given his personal opinions online regarding the London Mayoral elections, which everyone knows that is a big no no.  Everything that comes out of his face is just like a horrible digital white noise.

There have been many rumours that he will be leaving for Radio 1 to take over from Chris Moyles, but this has not come to fruition yet.  Damn.

If you want a reason not to listen to George Lamb, here it is.

Join the Facebook group to get rid of him here and sign the petition here.