Wednesday, 9 December 2009
I'm alive!
Well I certainly feel more alive this morning! Managed to get up with no problem at all so I think I am almost recovered now thank god. Looking forward to only working a half day today and going to Bexhill-on-Sea with Toni to see her nan and The Puppini Sisters.
Tuesday, 8 December 2009
More sleep!
The old body is making a SLOW recovery from Hard Rock Hell although I did feel like complete crap when I woke up this morning and it took most of the day to feel better.
Another quiet day at work meant no stress so I could completely relax when I got home.
Watched a few episodes of Stargate Universe and a bit of wrestling before grabbing another early night.
Another quiet day at work meant no stress so I could completely relax when I got home.
Watched a few episodes of Stargate Universe and a bit of wrestling before grabbing another early night.
Monday, 7 December 2009
And..................sleep!
I was SO relieved that it was a quiet day at work today as I was still completely shattered following on from the madness that was Hard Rock Hell!
Got home and did naff all, pottered about a bit and just chilled.
Sam came home with Connor and Livvy (who were staying the night) and we had an Indian for dinner and watched some wrestling before I hit the pit for some much needed sleep.
Got home and did naff all, pottered about a bit and just chilled.
Sam came home with Connor and Livvy (who were staying the night) and we had an Indian for dinner and watched some wrestling before I hit the pit for some much needed sleep.
Last.FM listening post
Here's last week's top picks music lovers!
Top weekly tracks:
Top weekly artists:
Overall top tracks:
Overall top artists:
Top weekly tracks:
Top weekly artists:
Overall top tracks:
Overall top artists:
Sunday, 6 December 2009
....and back again!
Woke up at a reasonable hour today after two massive days of rocking out. We straightened out the chalet, packed up our stuff and then loaded the car up. Scooted round to reception to check out and then went to the diner to have a cooked breakfast to set us up for the long drive home again.
Bumped into SPiT LiKE THiS whilst having breakfast so had a chat with them before we hit the road.
Journey back was good (and much quicker) and we were back in Southend in about 5 (ish) hours. We popped in to Dan and Laura's for a much needed break and coffee before Toni and I went back to SWF.
We had originally been planning on going to another set of gigs in the evening but decided against this as we were both shattered so went back to the house to relax. Watched some more of The Vampire Diaries and had a kebab before hitting the pit and the comfort of a lovely bed and much needed sleep!
Bumped into SPiT LiKE THiS whilst having breakfast so had a chat with them before we hit the road.
Journey back was good (and much quicker) and we were back in Southend in about 5 (ish) hours. We popped in to Dan and Laura's for a much needed break and coffee before Toni and I went back to SWF.
We had originally been planning on going to another set of gigs in the evening but decided against this as we were both shattered so went back to the house to relax. Watched some more of The Vampire Diaries and had a kebab before hitting the pit and the comfort of a lovely bed and much needed sleep!
Saturday, 5 December 2009
Hard Rock Hell: The bands, day 2
So here we are for another day of Hard Rock Hell!
Dan and Laura:
Toni and I:
THE GLITTERATI
The plan had been to watch THE GLITTERATI after a quick squint at Dumpy's Rusty Nuts. We had decided to give them a chance after their appalling behaviour at The Gaff recently. We saw one number as we walked through to see Dumpy's Rusty Nuts but that turned out to be it................
DUMPY'S RUSTY NUTS
Toni was intrigued by DUMPY'S RUSTY NUTS because of the name. Dan and Laura had been told to go and see them by some friends and so we did. It was incredible, there were more people watching Dumpy's Rusty Nuts on the small stage than there were watching The Glitterati on the larger one. Dumpy hasn't changed, the set was almost identical to ones that I was watching him play 20 odd years ago. His well crafted blues rock is as catchy today as it was then and the onstage banter/heckling and humour is thankfully totally intact. We were enjoying Dumpy so much that our plans to pop back and see The Glitterati were ditched and we stayed and watched all of the Dumpy's Rusty Nuts set instead. No photos cos the place was packed and we couldn't get a clear enough view.
GIRLSCHOOL
Another bunch of oldies, but goodies, GIRLSCHOOL kicked ass (Hysterica should watch Girlschool and takes on how things should be done!) A good mix of old and new tracks drew a large crowd. Whilst they have never been major players on the rock scene they certainly proved that they are as relevant and entertaining today as they were many moons ago.
See all the GIRLSCHOOL pics here: 051109GirlschoolHRHIII
TIGERTAILZ
WOW! TIGERTAILZ were on fire. They were just ripping it up and taking no prisoners today. This was best I have seen them recently. Bezerk album back to back once again followed by Girlschool joining them for a cover of Ace Of Spades, RESULT!
See all the TIGERTAILZ pics here: h051209TigertailzHRHIII
THE QUIREBOYS
It were just like back in the day! THE QUIREBOYS brand of Stones/Faces style rock n roll swagger is alive and kicking and the crowd loved it. Barring the personal changes this could have been a gig back in the 80s again. They were good and it was great to hear the crowd singing along to some classic tunes. Red lighting does NOT a good photo make but here are some anyway........
See all THE QUIREBOYS pics here: 051209TheQuireboysHRHIII
After The Quireboys we headed back to the chalet for some food and to get changed into different outfits for the evening!
Bitty Grim, Toni, Dan and Laura:
Toni and I:
W.A.S.P.
Blackie Lawless and co were on fine form as W.A.S.P. hit the stage. We didn't even try and get close to the stage as the place was packed. Once again we were treated to a great mix of old and new material with Mr Lawless (completely with trademark buzz-saw armbands) leading his cohorts through W.A.S.P. classics like L.O.V.E. Machine, I Wanna Be Somebody, The Idol and Blind In Texas. It was metal mayhem and the crowd loved it.
See all the W.A.S.P. pics here: 051209WASPHRHIII
QUEENSRYCHE
Unfortunately QUEENSRYCHE weren't as good as I hoped. I guess I had forgotten how I can only cope with Geoff Tate's voice in small doses! It was actually weird because he sings in a very charismatic high voice and yet talked in a very low dreary one. His crowd interaction just sounded like the most boring half arsed effort to communicate that I have ever heard at a gig. The crowd seemed to enjoy the band but they just weren't for me on this occasion. No photos of Queensryche as I just couldn't be bothered as we were too busy talking and drinking LOL
NEW YORK DOLLS
The NEW YORK DOLLS were another band that I had really been looking forward to seeing. They started with a bang and two great old tracks and then just seemed to fizzle out. The new material just didn't seem to have the trashy class of the old stuff and even when they played more older material they just never seemed to get their spark back again. That said, it was great to see them and it's just a shame that a certain Mr Thunders is no longer with us.
See all the NEW YORK DOLLS pics here: 051209NewYorkDollsHRHIII
Toni and I watched the New York Dolls from the seated area at the back of the arena, we just walked through and went and sat down. Dan and Laura came to join us only to be turned away. We looked around and saw that everyone in the seats had VIP passes on. We also noticed that the security guard that turned Dan and Laura away was only checking the passes when the people coming through were either men (or men with women), he didn't once check single women or women in groups. We can only assume that we got through because Toni led the way and I was in my tutu and so he probably didn't get past my legs as we walked towards and passed him! Dirty git! I felt really bad although it was OK as Dan and Laura went and watched some growly bands that weren't really out cup of tea.
LAUREN HARRIS
Wasn't very impressed with LAUREN HARRIS. Musically the band were pretty good but unfortunately for me Lauren's voice was all a bit High School Musical. Apparently she is the daughter of Iron Maiden bass player Steve Harris. She did announce that in 2010 they are not going to be called Lauren Harris any more but will adopt a band name. Wonder if it's because she wants to make it based on the talent of the band or because the "name" isn't working? Lauren didn't seem very comfortable on stage and had some really dire "stage moves" that showed her lack of confidence. They seemed to have a loyal following so good luck to them!
See all the LAUREN HARRIS pics here: 051209LaurenHarrisHRHIII
SPiT LiKE THiS
Sadly, the end of Hard Rock Hell was upon us. I couldn't think of a better way to end it all than to see our friends SPiT LiKE THiS blasting us out.
See all the SPiT LiKE THiS pics here: 051209SPiTLiKETHiSHRHIII
We had some photos taken by official HRH photographers at the event:
The Gang:
The Glitzes:
Dan and Laura:
Toni and I:
THE GLITTERATI
The plan had been to watch THE GLITTERATI after a quick squint at Dumpy's Rusty Nuts. We had decided to give them a chance after their appalling behaviour at The Gaff recently. We saw one number as we walked through to see Dumpy's Rusty Nuts but that turned out to be it................
DUMPY'S RUSTY NUTS
Toni was intrigued by DUMPY'S RUSTY NUTS because of the name. Dan and Laura had been told to go and see them by some friends and so we did. It was incredible, there were more people watching Dumpy's Rusty Nuts on the small stage than there were watching The Glitterati on the larger one. Dumpy hasn't changed, the set was almost identical to ones that I was watching him play 20 odd years ago. His well crafted blues rock is as catchy today as it was then and the onstage banter/heckling and humour is thankfully totally intact. We were enjoying Dumpy so much that our plans to pop back and see The Glitterati were ditched and we stayed and watched all of the Dumpy's Rusty Nuts set instead. No photos cos the place was packed and we couldn't get a clear enough view.
GIRLSCHOOL
Another bunch of oldies, but goodies, GIRLSCHOOL kicked ass (Hysterica should watch Girlschool and takes on how things should be done!) A good mix of old and new tracks drew a large crowd. Whilst they have never been major players on the rock scene they certainly proved that they are as relevant and entertaining today as they were many moons ago.
See all the GIRLSCHOOL pics here: 051109GirlschoolHRHIII
TIGERTAILZ
WOW! TIGERTAILZ were on fire. They were just ripping it up and taking no prisoners today. This was best I have seen them recently. Bezerk album back to back once again followed by Girlschool joining them for a cover of Ace Of Spades, RESULT!
See all the TIGERTAILZ pics here: h051209TigertailzHRHIII
THE QUIREBOYS
It were just like back in the day! THE QUIREBOYS brand of Stones/Faces style rock n roll swagger is alive and kicking and the crowd loved it. Barring the personal changes this could have been a gig back in the 80s again. They were good and it was great to hear the crowd singing along to some classic tunes. Red lighting does NOT a good photo make but here are some anyway........
See all THE QUIREBOYS pics here: 051209TheQuireboysHRHIII
After The Quireboys we headed back to the chalet for some food and to get changed into different outfits for the evening!
Bitty Grim, Toni, Dan and Laura:
Toni and I:
W.A.S.P.
Blackie Lawless and co were on fine form as W.A.S.P. hit the stage. We didn't even try and get close to the stage as the place was packed. Once again we were treated to a great mix of old and new material with Mr Lawless (completely with trademark buzz-saw armbands) leading his cohorts through W.A.S.P. classics like L.O.V.E. Machine, I Wanna Be Somebody, The Idol and Blind In Texas. It was metal mayhem and the crowd loved it.
See all the W.A.S.P. pics here: 051209WASPHRHIII
QUEENSRYCHE
Unfortunately QUEENSRYCHE weren't as good as I hoped. I guess I had forgotten how I can only cope with Geoff Tate's voice in small doses! It was actually weird because he sings in a very charismatic high voice and yet talked in a very low dreary one. His crowd interaction just sounded like the most boring half arsed effort to communicate that I have ever heard at a gig. The crowd seemed to enjoy the band but they just weren't for me on this occasion. No photos of Queensryche as I just couldn't be bothered as we were too busy talking and drinking LOL
NEW YORK DOLLS
The NEW YORK DOLLS were another band that I had really been looking forward to seeing. They started with a bang and two great old tracks and then just seemed to fizzle out. The new material just didn't seem to have the trashy class of the old stuff and even when they played more older material they just never seemed to get their spark back again. That said, it was great to see them and it's just a shame that a certain Mr Thunders is no longer with us.
See all the NEW YORK DOLLS pics here: 051209NewYorkDollsHRHIII
Toni and I watched the New York Dolls from the seated area at the back of the arena, we just walked through and went and sat down. Dan and Laura came to join us only to be turned away. We looked around and saw that everyone in the seats had VIP passes on. We also noticed that the security guard that turned Dan and Laura away was only checking the passes when the people coming through were either men (or men with women), he didn't once check single women or women in groups. We can only assume that we got through because Toni led the way and I was in my tutu and so he probably didn't get past my legs as we walked towards and passed him! Dirty git! I felt really bad although it was OK as Dan and Laura went and watched some growly bands that weren't really out cup of tea.
LAUREN HARRIS
Wasn't very impressed with LAUREN HARRIS. Musically the band were pretty good but unfortunately for me Lauren's voice was all a bit High School Musical. Apparently she is the daughter of Iron Maiden bass player Steve Harris. She did announce that in 2010 they are not going to be called Lauren Harris any more but will adopt a band name. Wonder if it's because she wants to make it based on the talent of the band or because the "name" isn't working? Lauren didn't seem very comfortable on stage and had some really dire "stage moves" that showed her lack of confidence. They seemed to have a loyal following so good luck to them!
See all the LAUREN HARRIS pics here: 051209LaurenHarrisHRHIII
SPiT LiKE THiS
Sadly, the end of Hard Rock Hell was upon us. I couldn't think of a better way to end it all than to see our friends SPiT LiKE THiS blasting us out.
See all the SPiT LiKE THiS pics here: 051209SPiTLiKETHiSHRHIII
We had some photos taken by official HRH photographers at the event:
The Gang:
The Glitzes:
Friday, 4 December 2009
Hard Rock Hell: The bands, day 1
Due to our later than expected arrival we unfortunately missed Die Apokalyptischen Reiter but from then on in we did manage to see LOTS of bands.
Dan and Laura:
Toni and I:
Dan, Laura & Toni:
KORIPLAANI
Finnish folk metal band KORPIKLAANI were really entertaining. Unlike most folk metal bands they actually started off as a folk band before adding the metal elements so the folk influences are for more obvious. Most of the songs are about drinking and partying and they, and the crowd, had a real blast. The played the wonderful "Beer Beer" which was the soundtrack for Swedish Chef Heavy Metal 3 (look it up on my blog later if you have missed out on this classic)
See all the KORPIKLAANI pics here: 041209KorpiklaaniHRHIII
DELAIN
Dutch symphonic metal band DELAIN delivered a mighty fine set of Nightwish style tunes. I have since discovered that keyboard player Martijn Westerholt used to be in Within Temptation so it is no wonder he went on to form another female fronted outfit. We missed them at the Rock Of Ages festival so was really glad we got a chance to catch up with them here.
See all the DELAIN pics here: 041209DelainHRHIII
HYSTERICA
Swedish all female outfit HYSTERICA had to be disappointment of the weekend. I have their CD and its not bad, nothing special but not awful wither. Their promo photos has a very "metal" image and they seemed to be portrayed in a very Manowar "bitches of meral" style which I thought would translate well onto a live stage. WRONG! Instead of coming out looking all Goddess Of Metal they came out looking like a combination of WAGs dressed a rock chicks, sluts and dominatrixes (not all my terms but let's go with them)! As if the confused image wasn't enough the music wasn't that great either with one of the guitarists being barely able to string a complete solo together. It was shame but hopefully they'll learn from it. Then again, the males in audience drooled like there was no tomorrow so I guess lots of people left happy!
See all the HYSTERICA pics here: 041209HystericaHRHIII
RATT
Following on from our disappointment with Hysterica (and a few more drinks) we went to the main stage and watched 80s hair metal oldies RATT tear things up and give us all a good time. Even though they have been around forever they were superb. All the classics came out, You're In Love, Round And Round, Back For More etc. Stephen Pearcy still has an amazing voice and as they just cancelled their UK tour I was very happy that they honoured the HRH date as they were definitely worth seeing.
See all the pics here: 041209RattHRHIII
EDEN'S CURSE
Not being overly fussed with either Terrorvision or Monster Magnet we drifted back to the smaller stage to watch EDEN'S CURSE. Another band that I knew nothing about but they were really good. Their guitarist was fantastic and they put on a really good show.
See all the EDEN'S CURSE pics here: 041209EdensCurseHRHIII
WINTERBORN
Another new band for me, WINTERBORN had some good power metal tunes done in a very European style (but then they are from Finland!). I have added this mob to my list of bands to check out further.
See all the WINTERBORN pics here: 041209WinterbornHRHIII
SONATA ARCTICA
And so we came to our final band of the night, the might SONATA ARCTICA. They were absolutely superb. All members of the band were giving it their all and the vocals and harmonies were perfect! A good mix of songs from across their ten years of existence and it was a shame that there was no chance for encores. Their UK tour date clashed with Eddie Izzard so once again HRH saved the day!
See all the SONATA ARCTICA pics here: 041209SonataArcticaHRHIII
Dan and Laura:
Toni and I:
Dan, Laura & Toni:
KORIPLAANI
Finnish folk metal band KORPIKLAANI were really entertaining. Unlike most folk metal bands they actually started off as a folk band before adding the metal elements so the folk influences are for more obvious. Most of the songs are about drinking and partying and they, and the crowd, had a real blast. The played the wonderful "Beer Beer" which was the soundtrack for Swedish Chef Heavy Metal 3 (look it up on my blog later if you have missed out on this classic)
See all the KORPIKLAANI pics here: 041209KorpiklaaniHRHIII
DELAIN
Dutch symphonic metal band DELAIN delivered a mighty fine set of Nightwish style tunes. I have since discovered that keyboard player Martijn Westerholt used to be in Within Temptation so it is no wonder he went on to form another female fronted outfit. We missed them at the Rock Of Ages festival so was really glad we got a chance to catch up with them here.
See all the DELAIN pics here: 041209DelainHRHIII
HYSTERICA
Swedish all female outfit HYSTERICA had to be disappointment of the weekend. I have their CD and its not bad, nothing special but not awful wither. Their promo photos has a very "metal" image and they seemed to be portrayed in a very Manowar "bitches of meral" style which I thought would translate well onto a live stage. WRONG! Instead of coming out looking all Goddess Of Metal they came out looking like a combination of WAGs dressed a rock chicks, sluts and dominatrixes (not all my terms but let's go with them)! As if the confused image wasn't enough the music wasn't that great either with one of the guitarists being barely able to string a complete solo together. It was shame but hopefully they'll learn from it. Then again, the males in audience drooled like there was no tomorrow so I guess lots of people left happy!
See all the HYSTERICA pics here: 041209HystericaHRHIII
RATT
Following on from our disappointment with Hysterica (and a few more drinks) we went to the main stage and watched 80s hair metal oldies RATT tear things up and give us all a good time. Even though they have been around forever they were superb. All the classics came out, You're In Love, Round And Round, Back For More etc. Stephen Pearcy still has an amazing voice and as they just cancelled their UK tour I was very happy that they honoured the HRH date as they were definitely worth seeing.
See all the pics here: 041209RattHRHIII
EDEN'S CURSE
Not being overly fussed with either Terrorvision or Monster Magnet we drifted back to the smaller stage to watch EDEN'S CURSE. Another band that I knew nothing about but they were really good. Their guitarist was fantastic and they put on a really good show.
See all the EDEN'S CURSE pics here: 041209EdensCurseHRHIII
WINTERBORN
Another new band for me, WINTERBORN had some good power metal tunes done in a very European style (but then they are from Finland!). I have added this mob to my list of bands to check out further.
See all the WINTERBORN pics here: 041209WinterbornHRHIII
SONATA ARCTICA
And so we came to our final band of the night, the might SONATA ARCTICA. They were absolutely superb. All members of the band were giving it their all and the vocals and harmonies were perfect! A good mix of songs from across their ten years of existence and it was a shame that there was no chance for encores. Their UK tour date clashed with Eddie Izzard so once again HRH saved the day!
See all the SONATA ARCTICA pics here: 041209SonataArcticaHRHIII
The road to Hard Rock Hell
Toni and I got up early to complete our preparation before heading off to Southend to pick up Dan and Laura and then head off to Prestatyn, Wales for Hard Rock Hell III: The Viking's Ball.
We decided that rather than get fleeced by service stations en route we would have a large breakfast before we hit the road. There was a cafe over the road from Dan and Laura's but unfortunately it didn't open until 10 and we wanted to get the journey under way rather than wait.
Instead we found a cafe in Basildon to grab breakfast. It was a proper builder's cafe and so it was almost tumbleweed city as four goths walked in LMFAO! Following a LARGE breakfast we then hit the road. Much amusement was had with Dan's Sat Nav (until the battery ran out anyway!). 8 odd hours later we arrived in soggy Prestatyn and checked into our chalet. After a brief rest and some mild preparation it was time to indulge in our first experience of Hard Rock Hell!
We decided that rather than get fleeced by service stations en route we would have a large breakfast before we hit the road. There was a cafe over the road from Dan and Laura's but unfortunately it didn't open until 10 and we wanted to get the journey under way rather than wait.
Instead we found a cafe in Basildon to grab breakfast. It was a proper builder's cafe and so it was almost tumbleweed city as four goths walked in LMFAO! Following a LARGE breakfast we then hit the road. Much amusement was had with Dan's Sat Nav (until the battery ran out anyway!). 8 odd hours later we arrived in soggy Prestatyn and checked into our chalet. After a brief rest and some mild preparation it was time to indulge in our first experience of Hard Rock Hell!
Hard Rock Hell III preparation
After the wonders of Eddie Izzard at the O2 Arena, Toni, Sam and I gave Mark and Sam a lift back to Wickford before heading back to SWF.
When we got home Toni and I had to prepare for our trip to Hard Rock Hell III. Packing, colouring, washing and straightening hair was the order of the early hours of the morning. We were shattered by the time it reached 3am and we had to get up early to go and pick up Dan and Laura.
When we got home Toni and I had to prepare for our trip to Hard Rock Hell III. Packing, colouring, washing and straightening hair was the order of the early hours of the morning. We were shattered by the time it reached 3am and we had to get up early to go and pick up Dan and Laura.
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