draxil

While I'm doing tech-tests for potential jobs I've been confusingly travelling back and forward in time.

Early in the weekend I started listening to to the latest episode of Mark Kermode & Simon Mayo's film show (wittertainment), in podcast form. They referenced Mark's old job on the old Graveyard shift on Radio 1 in the 90's, a solid staple of my teenaged years, really the only thing I listened to on Radio 1.

This triggered a pang of nostalgia, so I shared it with my Farcebook tribe knowing it would hit a chord. And indeed it did.

But then my old mate Wiggi, pitched up a link to a youtube of the very episode of the old show that Kermode and Mayo were referencing. (anybody still with me at this stage deserves a prize).

As the weekend has gone on I've continued to listen to both shows incrementally (one is playing on my phone the other on my desktop), so I've been pinging backwards and forwards in time and at either end I've been listening to Mark Kermode go on about films, in pretty much the same way.

References:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FxH4P2zAbo
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0011llz

I've played for "Nature of Hell" before, and last time it was a bit stressful. That time around I had a few weeks to prepare, I decided to try and go back to bass guitar for some reason and I'd never heard any of the songs before.

This time around however, I'm loving it. I have a full month to prep, I still remember how a lot of their songs work. Plus I'm sticking to my trusty double bass (although I might do a few guitar style, but that's an optional extra).

Another factor is I'm in a much better mental state for practicing. I write a lot of this up to the mediation routine I'm in, I'm very conditioned to: wake up early, walk the dog, meditate and then practice a NoH song before I start work. A few years ago I was still in the "Drag self out of bed in time to have breakfast and work" mode and then my evenings were pretty cluttered as well.

I guess all this is summed up by: I'm enjoying playing with NoH this time around, I'm looking forward to the gig!

Last night, in the middle of a song there was an ugly splitting sound:



It's split at the point where it was repaired by the guy who I bought it from in Windsor, (originally "my" bass was going to be a different one, but the girl who had my actual bass dropped it and got "my one in exchange while this very repair was happening).

Fortunately I've found a guy who can look at it but there's an anxious wait before I find out if it's repairable or not :S

Hah, 6music have a last.fm profile. That's pretty clever if you ask me. Apparently my musical compatibility is HIGH which actually in last.fm terms is pretty moderate really. I actually have a higher music compatibility score with mr_road, which just calls the whole system into question really :)

Ah well, back to listening to Andrew Collins presenting 6music's "Goth Day".

In short: Reading 2007. Awesome.

Despite pre-festival scare stories about the flooding from the river the weather was great (but not so hot that it killed). The Best Pub In The World™ was well on form ( mmmmmmm Dr Hexters Wedding.... ), the BHS cooked breakfasts were juicy and of course there was some music as well.

On the first (music) night we arrived back from the Pub just in time for a storming set by the Subways, which was followed by a possibly even more storming performance by The Living End ( including the sillyness of a guitarist playing a guitar solo from on top of the double bass which was obviously still being played at the time ). That twosome wasn't really topped all weekend, although there were several near misses.

The first few days of headliners were pretty rubbish. We did briefly go look at the Chillies who I always really want to be excellent, but actually were as disappointing as ever so we left.. That enabled us to see some fantastic stuff in the "Alternative" tent. I have no idea who either of the bands in there were (damn not saying your name..). The first of them was a very (proper) edgy talented indie outfit who did live visuals on the screens ( playing speed chess, ripping up flowers, flicking through a photo scrapbook). The second band in there was a very cool instrumental rock band who I'd love to see again. If I knew who they were..

The last day however made up for the first-two in main stage headliner-ness, as NIN and the pumpkins fantastic.

The camping antics were on top form this year as well. We were camped with a dynamic group ranging from the wiggi to a bunch of private school girls who came with my brother ( kindof a buy one get one free ). The atmosphere on site was really good, and the last night rubbish-bin-drum-parties were fantastic ( although the overly officious & grumpy Scottish security may not agree ).

Can't wait for next year :)

Live are the only band I can think of who can make a highly charged emotional song about.. Leaving a tip.

Bizarre... There are rumours that the semi-reformed Smashing Pumpkins are playing at Reading this year.

It's weird to imagine what such a distinctive band would sound like with almost none of the original members in it (Just Billy and Jimmy). A bit like the new "Wonder Stuff" albums really :)

So I've read some good books recently:

Chung Kuo (David Wingrove)

( Babblin about Chung Kuo )

Snow Crash (Neil Stephenson)

( Babblin about snowcrash )

I have to say given the relative pace of these two books that reading Chung Kuo and then Snow Crash one after the other is defiantly recommended. You get a grand and fantastic deep, detailed, hi-sci-fi epic followed by a fast, crunchy, roller- coaster of plausible-near-future-cyberpunk. Nice.

Work Music

Because of my rediscovery (at home) of the lost art of CD playing, my last.fm profile has spent a few weeks basically charting what I listen to at work. I have to say for the last few weeks that's not been subtle:



Turns out that Bloc Parties - Silent Alarm is the best "shut out the office and actually get some coding done" album in the world (ever). Who'd have thunk it?

This is such a strong album! Especially as I hated it to start with..

God damn the three-way headline clash at reading (muse/raconteurs/reelbigfish)... I can't decide..

Yay. pandora.com just got kr0n to turn TV off in favour of music! Exxcellent.