Nik's Ramblings

Music (and what's happened)

2016-09-22T21:11:00.001+01:00

Seriously what's going on with my favourite type of music!? Metal is suffering in my humble opinion. Bands labelled as 'not metal' such as Bring Me The Horizon whom I fell in love with, possibly to stand against the haters and then simply because their music was good and suited what I wanted, well, they've actually become 'not metal!' The latest Metallica song is lame, Slipknot have been consistently great live but just roll out the same old show every time. It's a conundrum.

I've discovered some new bands which have satisfied my needs, the latest Nails album is stunning and when I'm having a 'black', which crops up quite often they burn my ears of and help me address things, BUT they went and split up! Puppy are floating my boat lately in a rather metal Smashing Pumpkins meets Iron Maiden style. The latest Blink 182 album is probably my most listened to album this year and they're old skool.

There's more but I'll probably rant about it another day.

I've had country music on my ipod in the last 12th months and they're are some stunning artists out there, Zac Brown Band, Chris Stapleton to mention two.

So how do I really feel.about metal? I'll stick with it of course. Parkway Drive have a stunning album despite the new sound and are IMHO the best live band on the circuit right now. The new Korn (nod to my bestie @_lalabum) tracks are stunning and although I'm not the biggest Korn fan they are certainly flying the metal flag in a age where things appear to be suffering.

I'm sure metal will survive and with new Alter Bridge coming soon and sounding great and new Meshuggah heading our way to continue the great releases from King 810 and A Day To Remember the latter part of 2016 could be a blinder...

Let's get ready to ramble

2016-09-22T20:49:00.001+01:00

So it's been ages since I blogged. So much has changed. I became a dad, I lost my dad, I've moved jobs, I might have to move jobs again. Some things remain the same however, I still love music and film, I still read graphic novels and collect ridiculous action figures (I just have to buy two now, one for the little man to play with and one to stay in the box #nerd). So as I get time prepare for more of my random ramblings...

Download Festival 2012 Sunday

2012-06-12T21:13:00.000+01:00

Waking up it is clear that the rain has cleared and well its almost sunny, today will be a good day.

Breakfast is great once more, full marks to the http://www.slugandlettuce.co.uk/derby/ near the Cathedral in Derby - brilliant food.

The journey to the festival is uneventful and this is a good thing as the lunatic taxi driver from the night before felt it appropriate to enter roundabouts at 55 MPH - seriously we are glad to be alive.

We arrive for Anthrax who are brilliant, Indian Headresses, circle pits, Joey runs the along the front of the crowd singing his heart out, the great part is where the steward tries to grab him in some confusion, does he stop singing - nope! Anthrax deserve to one of the Big 4.

Sunday was always going to be a lazy day and when the sun comes out fully and the arms start burning its time mighty Zakk and Black Label Society to bring it. Bring it they do, stomping through some sludging heavy metal hits, stopping briefly (yeah right) for a guitar solo moment. Too be honest it went on far to long (sorry Zakk), talented as you are and as awesome as your playing is, at a festival, I just want hits!

Next up and taking it down a notch!! Lamb of God hit his squarely between the eyes, hard riffs, hard lyrics, hard language, apparently we are all MuthaHubbards on more than one occasion, at least Randy was grateful to us all.

The third quarter of the Big 4 step up next and deliver a consistent set. Megadeth are still a great band but for me they were just as good as last year, which is still good but nothing new, I guess if it ain't broke...

I put my laziness to one side at this stage and leave the main stage (I have no interest in watching Soundgarden, I only know one track for a start and haven't quite got past Chris's solo stuff!).

Heading off to the closest stage which is the Red Bull Bedroom Jam stage I catch the end of an acoustic set as I pass the Jager stage, Saint Jude I think they were and it sounded decent. http://www.saintjudemusic.com/

The Red Bull tent has for me a complete unknown band on it, The Dirty Youth, http://www.thedirtyyouth.co.uk/. It was loud, brash, hard and heavy and the singer was, well simply put, very appealing. Above that though she can seriously belt out a tune with attitude. They made Paramore look like nursery rhymes. Seriously enjoyable.

Back to the main stage and the moment is here, the legends Black Sabbath hit us hard. The riffs are simply outstanding and legendary. The sound was perfect, heavy enough to rattle my rib cage. The drummer worked so hard he made Joey Jordison look static. They were exceptional, despite some singing issues from our God Ozzy.

Best Download Headliner to date; two words

Bloody Brilliant.

Download once again delivered an excellent line up, a brilliant weekend, roll on 2013 and Mr Copping will need to perform a miracle to top Sunday's Masters of Heavy Metal - Slipknot headliner perhaps?

Download Festival 2012 Friday & Saturday

2012-06-11T23:30:00.002+01:00

So its here again, another Download Festival. Like those before for us it began with drinks and a game of pool in Derby at The Waterfall. Perhaps its a small tradition but I would not normally find myself drinking Guinness at such an early time in the day, but we are heading for a festival right?

Actually we appear not to be, the first taxi we approach says simply, "I don't wanna go there so the price is £35", we respond calmly, actually the agreed and advertised price is £20.

It turns out as we quickly find out that as well as the delayed opening of the festival the road network heading there is Gridlock, nothing moving in or out. It takes us and a very nice taxi driver - Taz! 2 hours to get from Derby to Castle Donnington - Google it - that's a long time - especially when https://twitter.com/#!/_Lalabum has had sausages = phew!

Sp our first day ends up being an evening really after the long walk to the entrance of the festival and then, well then comes the mud! You know if I wanted mud I would have headed to Glastonbury, actually I wouldn't, but you get the idea. It's really muddy, I mean REALLY.

So what do we see on our brief Friday visit?

We catch the last few songs of Little Angels, transporting us back in time to younger days. The voice may not hit the high notes but they sound good and draw a good crowd, they're fun whilst you buying the beer tokens.

Its at this stage that things get weird and well if truth be told laziness kicks in. You see we've arrived at the Zippo Encore Stage (which will be known from not on by its former name, The Second Stage), the mud is high, the drizzle is a pain and we're tired, some of us (me!) are too lazy and tired to walk back to the next stage, this is the weird bit - Machine Head are about to get it on!

From where I am standing I can here the opening I am Hell - shit, that's loud, really loud. Part of the group spilt off to watch them and by all accounts they tear it up - I have no doubts.

By choosing to remain static we watch Opeth, who for me are technically brilliant but I still question whether they are a festival band. Mikael never ceases to wow me with his technical abilities but it appears that they are favouring their lighter side more often than not these days.

Following this we enter unknown territory, Nightwish, who appear to begin with bagpipes and by the end of their set we are jigging, that's right jigging along nicely having know nothing about them previously. They have some great band members resembling Lord of The Rings cast members and some looking truly Metal. We sum up their set as Metal infused Enya with a large dash of Michael Flattley Riverdance Rock!

Our final act of the evening is the mighty Slash & Myles Kennedy, oh and lets not forget the Conspirators. Slash as always delivers, he is simply Cool! Myles delivers, he is a great singer an front man. Paradise City on a cold damp Friday night - a nice ending to a pretty hellish beginning.

Saturday comes. the weather is much nicer. Breakfast rocked and we return to battle the mud.

We get there later than expected (actually we expected it). We miss Black Veil Brides, a band that divides so well the community. I like the album, I have a soft spot for Glam, I was keen to check out their show but alas that must wait.

I am however there for one of my favourite bands Trivium and boy do they deliver, they are full on, they own the stage, they own the crowd and they will definitely be back in a higher billing spot in 2013 Awesome.

At this point and because the mud is less brutal (or we're just used to it) we head for a tent, the Pepsi Max Tent to be precise.It is mainly to avoid Steel Panther, who I have now seen three times and whilst I admire their show and homage to all things Glam (see that soft spot returns), I simply couldn't take the same jokes again.

The tent produces some surprises. The Treatment are all things rock n roll, like transporting me back in time top my soft spot era. They are a welcome surprise.http://www.myspace.com/the_treatment

We trudge back to the Main Stage (R.I.P. Jim Marshall) for the D - Tenacious D that is, I love the film Pick of Destiny, I love the film School of Rock, I love Kung Fu Panda (ok there's no metal but its cool). The D leave me cold. Three acoustic songs in and I am bored, very bored.

I return to the Pepsi Max Tent for my second surprise, My Passion.http://www.myspace.com/mypassion. I very nice band to hear in a tent, thumping, bassey, solid songs with stage presence and attitude. I liked this a lot. It was, how do you say, Different.

Followed on by this was my reason for visiting the ten, Sylosis, who despite some shoddy sound still slayed the riffs and pulled in an enormous crowd partly due to the act to follow, Corey Taylor.

Corey Taylor unplugged - genius, pure genius. What a singer (best singer in metal IMHO), what a guitar player (who knew he could plays those solos), a country version of Spit It Out (is it wrong to almost prefer this version?), a guest appearance by Lizzie from Halestorm (what a great voice) - at the end he gets a Golden God award from Metal Hammer and he cries - it is a Top 5 Download Festival Moment - one for the history books - stunning moment in time.

Next up Metallica. I am going to say little on this as I will get killed. They were as I expected great, however I have been treated to their greatness for so many years on records live and studio, with and without orchestra; I have hyped this moment up so much that I was left cold- there I said it. Yes they have awesome presence and yes their catalogue of hits is awesome and perhaps it was where we found ourselves in the crowd with sound that lacked - it just failed to live up to the hype in my head so I took a walk to but my little man and rock and roll bib!

Whilst walking I heard You Me At Six performing against the Metallica Juggernaut an you know what they were bloody great. I stayed and watched 5 songs, got to see Oli Sykes get angry with them and heard them applaud genuinely those fans who watched them tonight - they are a brilliant British act and its a shame for them that they were pitted against a quarter of the Big 4.

Sunday will be next - but I need longer to prepare (I am still in awe)....

Randomised

2012-04-11T21:22:00.002+01:00

So I have been absent blogs for some time. It's not that I haven't had anything to talk about, it's just that I haven't found the time.

So after seeing a fellow tweeter twitter.com/@staceinspire tweeting a simple blog I thought I'd follow suit.

So I promptly went to my computer, switched on my iTunes and hit shuffle. At this stage and prior to pressing play I realised that this could be very interesting. Essentially the aim is to write down the first 10 songs your system plays on random. There is no reason for this, no deep meaning, no interesting analysis to be found. It is a simple but fun quickie!

Now my iTunes library has over 3000 songs. A total of 8.8 days playing time, it is an eclectic mix and could have thrown up some surprises.

So here's the list as it happened, no cheating, no hiding...

1. The possibility of life's destruction - Machine Head from The Blackening (Special Edition)

2. Slow Burn - Atreyu from Leads Sails Paper Anchor

3. Begging For Mercy - Bullet For My Valentine from Fever

4. Just because I can - Seasick Steve from Man from Another Time

5. You'll follow me down - Skunk Anansie from Smashes & Trashes

6. Away from the Sun - 3 Doors Down from Away from the Sun

7. Harder than you know (Acoustic) - Escape the Fate from This war is Ours (Deluxe Edition)

8. The little things give you away - Linkin Park from Minutes to Midnight

9. Utrydd dei Svake - Kvelertak from Kvelertak

10. Mutiny - Pendulum from In Silico

At least it didn't find any of my Rascal Flatts tunes or Gaga tunes :-0

So there you have it, it's worth a try, you might find some surprises in your library, perhaps rediscover some old favourites.

On a completely separate note and to aid my rehabilitation, I have deleted and purged all ties to Made In Chelsea - series 3 is way too scripted lol

The amazing months that led to pain. Ouch.

2012-03-03T11:19:00.001+00:00

So the last two months have been amazing. On January 3rd 2012 our life changed forever, for the better. We became parents to our beautiful amazing boy, William.

Adapting to fatherhood is part of the challenge, your Xbox takes a back seat, buying Blu Ray discs to watch is a crazy notion, heading out for drinks and or food, seriously!? It takes 4 attempts to watch a programme, thank you Sky+ pause and watch facility.

But you know what? As a friend (https://twitter.com/#!/Shugga_GB) of mine said "you now have the best gadget possible ". He's not wrong.

Two months has flown by, the changes are gobsmacking, every day he looks different, each day something different happens. A change in his cry, a smile, perhaps even a giggle.

So to celebrate his birth I wanted a tattoo. It's taken me forever to get one having always been interested in them. The artist work is amazing in many tattoos, they are seriously talented people.

Years ago I accompanied my mate to get his first tattoo, in he went, out he came, inked and in pain.

For me getting a tattoo has been something I have toyed with for a long time but the priority for me was it needed to represent something to me.

I could have chosen many things through my years, a tattoo of my favourite band, dangerous as this could change, your girlfriend's name, yeah right, do people still do this one!?

To be honest I have never known what to have. When the little man arrived it was the event I had been waiting for.

So why a star?

A number of reasons really, firstly, he is and always will be our little star: fact. The week he was born we were watching stargazing live, his nursery furniture etc is 'wish upon a star' and he was bought his own named star in the Capricornus constellation by his Aunty Laura https://twitter.com/#!/_Lalabum

So I went with moral support from Mr. P (https://twitter.com/#!/Venron_Uk) to VividInk Birmingham (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002103009937) and experienced the most pain I have ever felt! It wasn't their fault at all, its just that the descriptions from others about being tattooed didn't quite come close to the reality lol The very first line drawn felt like a knife being drawn down my arm, I honestly wondered if I could survive it. Having said that one line would have looked stupid!

I am so pleased with the result and it will be with me forever, a constant symbol of my love for him and his mother - turn the 'W' upside down for an 'M'. Thanks VividInk - great job. :-)

Will I end up with a sleeve? The pain may restrict that idea (man up!) Probably not. Although I'm already planning the next ones - tattoos that is!

We wish you a Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T11:37:00.001+00:00

So I still haven't finished my session on Top 5 albums for 2011. Truth is, I cannot decide on the final one.

Recently I purchased KoЯn's 'The Path of Totality' which is an album made by KoЯn alongside big Dubstep artists. To be honest I know nothing of the Dubstep world, I have occasionally listened to a track and have always enjoyed the grimy bass lines. On recent listens to Your Demise I was surprised to hear a number of Dubstep breakdowns.

Jonathan and his crew have always pushed the boundaries of metal IMHO. They have mixed so well the funk of Rap/R n'B with metal. They have some of the biggest tunes which never cease to create a pit. 'Are You Ready?' starts something particularly metal, I defy anyone not to enjoy this epic tune.

http://youtu.be/cK8YSsjIaDs

Last week I made an impulse buy of the new Malefice album, 'Awaken The Tides'. I love it! Simples.

It combines elements of my favourite genres, songs sound like everything from Devildriver to Death. There is a brutality to it and yet some calming elements. The guitar solos hit the mark and some songs have some real surprises. British Metal at it's best.

http://youtu.be/QscyQuHWV_w

So basically I can't choose a final album for 2011, I would need to revisit the Black Tide album ' Post Mortem' a brilliant follow up album to their debut. Then there would be Children of Bodom's 'Relentless, Reckless, Forever', maybe for me not quite as strong as 'Blooddrunk' but still hits to hard in the solar-plexus.

http://youtu.be/jxw6pnPfDc4

http://youtu.be/B3Oc9FVWNmk

It has been an awesome year for Metal in 2011. I hope 2012 will bring it just as strong, the Download Festival Lineup 2012 says that it will! Black Sabbath anyone \m/

More importantly we're having a baby in 2012 and it can't get more awesome than that : FACT.

So wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and a brilliant New Year. Thanks for reading :-)

5 Albums I loved in 2011 \m/ No4.

2011-12-10T10:10:00.001+00:00

Terrible admission - I only have two albums by this band and I discovered them late, really late.

In fact my introduction to the band was via a cover version of one of their biggest songs, covered (IMHO) very well actually by Lost Prophets.

I have seen the band live twice, firstly at a festival and secondly supporting the forever awesome Slipknot. On both occasions it is clear to see why this band has become the juggernaut they are today.

They ooze metal, the personify it. When I read once in a magazine article the lead singer and guitarist cut into his chest the words 'Metal as F**k' whilst very, very drunk, I knew that this band was hardcore metal.

The first album I got is still one of my favourite albums. It is a work of total genius. Catchy choruses, amazing guitar solos combined with brutal drums and singing. It is an album that gave me epic songs, 9 and 10 minute songs, songs that twist and turn so effortlessly taking you on a full journey.

It could stand head to head against any of the great albums out there - worthy of its place in greatest metal albums ever.

So how did they top that?

Well in 2011 they released an album which is some ways moved away from the seeping epic tracks, there are no 10 minute songs. That said what they have packed into the regular 7 minute masterpieces is awe inspiring.

From the opening track you release that this band mean business - BIG business. The songs are fast, really fast and brutal is the word that springs to mind. It conveys energy, it is Metal. The drumming is epic, the solos are crisp and intense, the lyrics are thought provoking. Everything about the album is everything I had hoped for.

Even the song which sounds like 'Careless Whisper' is fantastic (Stacey from http://staceinspire.wordpress.com/ told me that Phil's guilty pleasure is 'Careless Whisper' and I can see that now lol)

The album is genius - a triumph.

Have a listen for yourselves;

http://youtu.be/8OCBWPQswNo - can you hear George singing lol

http://youtu.be/jxjeqCd6Zm0 - title track \m/

Now I still need to buy their earlier albums - doh!

5 Albums I loved in 2011 \m/ No3.

2011-12-05T18:12:00.001+00:00

Once upon a time, that's how a good story begins. Alternatively, A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

There was a 'younger' man in search of some new music. This jolly fellow (sometimes jolly) travelled around many parts of the UK in a vehicle absorbing as much loud music as possible. As his thirst for more and more brutal and ear-destroying music grew, he sought out new music regularly.

One day whilst visting the lovely city of Hereford and with some time to kill he visited a small record shop (it was of course a CD shop but record shop fits better with this style of story!). As he browsed the racks of music he was drawn to a particular band, a band he had not heard of, a surprisingly a band that was playing in the store (wouldn't happen nowadays I'm certain). The band was Trivium and the album was Ember to Inferno.

With the album purchased the journey home seemed (and maybe did) take much less time. The brutality of the album was exactly what our intrepid explorer (over egging the story now) had been looking for. Somewhere between the brutality of Slayer and the thrash of Metallica with the harsh vocals of Death Metal.

My love for Trivium began with that album and has pretty much never waned. I have seen them on numerous occasions and their ability to recreate the energy of a record is second to none. The energy and shear enthusiasm on stage is a joy to watch.

I have always loved guitar solos. My allegiance to thrash metal as a college kid was due to the magnitude of the solo. I have never mastered the guitar solo and perhaps this is why I still to this day love a great solo.

I love the local band I Hate You More (http://www.myspace.com/ihateyoumoremusic), again for the energy and enthusiasm and because, well simply put, there really nice dudes who play exciting music. How excited was I when they unveiled a song (The End Still Remains) with a guitar solo!! The circle is complete.

Trivium are a solo fans dream. They play so effortlessly and interact so well together it reminds me of watching Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman. They have also created some proper Metal anthems, including IMHO; 'Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Matyr', 'Ascendancy', 'A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation' and the aptly named 'Anthem (We are The Fire)'. I enjoyed the first show so much when I saw them I went a bought myself a Dean guitar after watching them play - can I do it justice, hardly but damn it looks cool.

Trivium have come into come stick over the years, the album 'The Crusade' was pretty much condemned by critics and while yes it might not be perfect it still had some stonking tunes. 'Shogun' the follow up again for some apparently fell short too. I absolutely love the title track 'Shogun' for its 11 minutes of pure joy (I think its the prog in me - Opeth are the masters for me of metal prog - disappointed by Heritage though).

The were also in some ways immediately hated by sections of the Metal community for daring to say at one point they would like to be a big as Metallica. Jeez, a band needs an aspiration don't they!? Surely every Metal and Rock band alive would like to be as big and as successful as Metallica, is that such a bad thing? Actually with the release of the Lulu project perhaps they have already surpassed them ;-)

Anyway, the new album by Trivium was therefore immediately pre-ordered as soon as the release date was issued. Upon first listen, 'In Waves' (album and first track) did exactly what was required. It took me back to my favourite Trivium album days of 'Ascendancy' - brutal lyrics, fast guitar work, catchy hooks and chorus - a blinder.

As the album progressed and with more listens it becomes apparent that this album has a certain Punk Attitude about it. Songs are aggressive and chug along almost at times like a Gallows-esque album whilst maintaining the Trivium sound. Interestingly when you import the CD to iTunes it categorises the album in the Genre 'Punk'!

It is for me a standout album of 2011. Has it topped 'Ascendancy' as my favourite album, possibly not but its is a close run thing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XD2jKlCiK0&feature=artist - not so heavy

http://youtu.be/0Xfvk028Kv0 - a little for Trivium heavy

5 Albums I loved in 2011 \m/ No2.

2011-12-04T16:38:00.001+00:00

Moving away from Mr Grohl and his merry men of Foo and in a totally different direction.

My first introduction to part of this band comes from my enjoyment of his other work. Killswitch Engage pump out some consistent tunes. Anthems even.

I first bought the self-titled debut album after it was re-released and too be brutally truthful I didn't really get on with it (perhaps I should go back and revisit). It was hard and heavy and the guitar riffs were very, I mean very, catchy but for some reason it didn't connect with me.

As my life in Metal music progressed I continued to discover Killswitch songs and eventually I bought another album, this time 'As Daylight Dies' - a good while after my first encounter.

The songs were much more catchy, the hooks and choruses could be sung along to at great peril to family, neighbours and other cars. I was hooked again by the riffs. I decided it was time to go and see them live, still relatively blind to them and knowing nothing but these two albums - maybe that's how it should be when discovering music.

I headed to the Hummingbird, by now called the 02 Academy on a Saturday night and was treated to a very short set of riff-tastic tunes. What's more I learnt some things. Killswitch had some awesome tunes I did not know (ashamed!) - Last Serenade, End of Heartache, Bid Farewell - jesus I had been slow to get a grip with this. Adam D likes to wear pink and is a mediocre comedian (he should stick to riffs) and finally Howard makes dressing for an office job look cool.

What struck me too was that I had completely forgotten Jessie Leach and was now completely Team Howard.

So fast forward and I am faced with news of a new album coming out - an album being created by Adam D and featuring Jessie Leach, the original Killswitch singer.

Hmmm I thought, I know exactly what this is going to sound like and well to be honest I'm not that bothered, after all I've got Killswitch now; right?

I mean I have seen Killswitch Engage about 4 times now and they haven't disappointed - the jokes don't improve - but the performance and music is still brilliant.

I ignored the release of 'The Hymn of a Broken Man' for some time but it niggled at me, ate away at me and reviews and pundits alike talked highly of the album. So I did what most music fans do at some stage I found the album in the ether...

...2 days later and the CD is in my car and boy is it great.

The riffs on the album are relentless and genius. The energy is off the charts and it feels like an album created by people who love what they do and want to prove something. The vocals on the album are brilliant showing the full versatility of a great singer - Team Leach once more perhaps. The acoustic songs and the slower songs meet the singing and almost classical guitar playing effortlessly - a beautiful moment. 'The Forgotten One' is a stunning record.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qX9SymWdBjs - so could be used in my favourite TV show Sons of Anarchy.

Enjoy folks and seek out this album \m/

5 albums I loved in 2011 \m/

2011-12-01T19:51:00.001+00:00

So I have seen many other bloggers start to talk about their albums of the year. I am certain that I do not have any power or responsibility and have never been able to influence anyone in music decisions, however 2011 has been a superb year for music I like.

I cannot even begin to rank albums 1 to 10 but I will attempt to narrow down my Top 5 favourites for this year, in no particular order.

So for my first choice I am going to start with everyone's favourite ex-grunge king, the Tenacious D Satan himself and his band of merry men (one of which is Taylor Hawkins, not as a friend once announced on the Download Festival bus full of fellow metal heads, 'ooh Taylor Swift is here with his band' - still LMAO).

Foo Fighters - we all know them, we all love them, right?

For me I have never been a huge Nirvana fan. At the height of their fame I rallied against the craziness, I despised the 10 year olds wearing the smiley face t-shirts, I mean what would they know, surely they were just trying to be cool, making a grunge act cool. Some say that the rise to fame and the coolness is ultimately what prompted Kurt to end it all, others say it was Courtney's fault - I have no idea.

Back then I enjoyed Slayer, Megadeth, Metallica (pre - Lou Reed WTF) and Anthrax, I didn't really connect with Nirvana. A good friend once saw them play at the Hummingbird in Birmingham where Kurt came on stage, promptly threw up and then the gig kind of continued - seriously I just didn't get it.

In contrast and quite weirdly I did get Mudhoney - In and Out of Grace is still a tuuunnee. I did like PWEI and Neds Atomic Dustbin, but to be honest they were Midlands bands so that was enough for me. Eventually, when I stopped being the opposite of everyone else and my friend made me listen to the Nirvana Unplugged album I finally understand the genius and tortured characters. I would still not call myself a fan - I only own the Singles Collections.

Anyway in this band was a man called Dave Grohl who has undoubtedly conquered the rock world. He is cool: fact. And, nowadays cool is OK for me - I mean I like Bring Me The Horizon and they are cool dudes - man up Metal world, it can come in all shapes and sizes - I mean look at us lot!

I bought the Foo Fighters debut album and immediately enjoyed the old sound and the punk-esque style they were creating. The Colour & The Shape came next which amongst all its tracks (love Monkeywrench) it gave us the anthem that is Everlong. After this "There is Nothing Left to Lose" and the now famous comedy videos which accompanied the hits "Learning to Fly" etc... The Foos had been consistently great.

I was also a particular fan of Dave Grohl's side project Probot (more please!!) which brought together some great collaborations including Lemmy of Motörhead, Conrad "Cronos" Lant from Venom, King Diamond, Scott Weinrich, and Max Cavalera of Sepultura.

Then the album 'One by One' arrived and I felt that the Foos were starting to wane, there were a few stand out tracks but my doubts were creeping in. "In Your Honour" and "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace" passed me by completely as my attention moved away from the Foos and I wrote them off.

In 2011 I heard a rumour - the Foos were returning with a new album. Sigh! I was just not excited. That is until I took a gamble and purchased the album on one of those bored Monday mornings browsing the shops simply looking for some new music.

The gamble paid off - the album was and is a blinder. It stayed on my stereo for weeks, play after play, time after time, until my good lady nicked it for her car.

They were back to former glories. Now maybe it was because they mixed an recorded the album in (I believe) Dave's garage. That gave us the old skool sound once again, my nostalgia for their first album returning. Or maybe it was simply because the album has kick-ass sing-a-long tunes on it. I like angry, screaming, incomprehensible Metal as much as they rest of us (excluding of course you readers who hate metal!), but there are times I just like to ride along in the car and sing like a maniac - this album lets you do this relentlessly.

If you haven't picked up this album then stick it you your tweet to Santa - it rocks: FACT!

http://youtu.be/kbpqZT_56Ns

That's it for album number one - 4 to go...

30 Day Challenge - TV Shows

2011-11-05T12:09:00.001+00:00

So it's been a while since I sat down and blogged about anything. I have, if I'm honest, thought about it many times but the lazy gene in me prevented me from actually doing it. Another couple of reasons were that this blog would be the last of the TV challenge blogs and again being totally honest, I have no idea what to blog about next.

The other reason? That's simple - I'm going to be a DAD! This changes the perspective on everything. There are of course a whirlwind, some may say a total hurricane large enough to have Storm Chasers outside our house, of emotions which hit you. Excitement and terror in equal proportions are the two which spring to mind as the overpowering ones.

Being totally frank, we are so excited it's amazing. We have no idea what our little 'bun' will be and we don't have any preference, all that matters is health.

The planning now of the nursery room, the buying of the endless supply of baby gear, some of which is so cool [gadget geek smile :-)], the paiting, the buying, the name choosing, the midwife appointments, the advice from every corner of our circle of friends and family.

It is a truly amazing time.

In addition to the exciting news, on another slightly less exciting front I got a new job too - culture shock after spending time self-employed with most appointments in the evening meaning the days free - not so anymore - 9-5 is back, even some Saturdays too.

On to the last of the TV Blogs then.

SAMCRO a.k.a. Sons of Anarchy - Best show on television - period.

What's not to like, guns, bikes, drama, action, sex, violence, gripping storylines and perfect performances from the cast. Now in its fourth season and getting better and better.

I won't delve too much into storylines or spoiler territory however if you are looking for a quality action drama series to pass the time then this has to be one of the greats.

The story revolves around the small town of Charming where the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original (SAMCRO) defend the town from other motorcycle gangs with their main priority to stop the drug trade from affecting their small community. Naturally they don't particularly do things legally, running guns being their main source of income - better the devil you know - would be the message on the Welcome To Charming sign.

In addition to the defence of their realm, SAMCRO has some very difficult and tangled lives, the club members are often conflicted, family members have lots to discuss on a regular basis and the twists and turns of the plots keep the show fresh.

Cast performances are stunning with award winning performances from Katy Sagal http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005408/, Ron Perlman http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000579/, that's right film buffs, Hellboy himself.

But the main surprise - http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0402271/ - Queer as Folk anyone?

If in doubt as the the changes to support his brilliant portrayal of Jax Teller check these out;

then

http://lordoftheflies.org/img/T305.JPG

and now

http://images.hitfix.com/photos/477660/sons-of-anarchy-jax-teller-charlie-hunnam_gallery_primary.jpg

Word of advice - WATCH THIS SHOW - It'll make everything better :-)

http://youtu.be/x3-R7XnfL8U

30 Day Challenge - TV Shows

2011-09-02T11:10:00.000+01:00

Wow, life is busy. Who would have thought that life would get in the way of blogging! So after some time away I thought I had better get on with finishing this latest 30 day challenge. In some ways, depending on how you take the title, I have already lost the challenge since it has taken so many more days to reach this point in a 30 day challenge!

Two categories to cover off today, once again the first relates to Sport (oh joy!).

Favourite Sport to watch on TV.

Well as with my previous post, I guess I have kind covered this off. I tend to turn on the TV for a sporting event very, very, very occasionally. I have been known to watch a boxing match, one that is free to watch of course, seriously don't Sky get enough from us already without charging money to watch an event!? It is one of those spectator sports that always conjures up the magic of watching Rocky, never actually delivers that magic and yet you continue to watch in case, just in case there is a wonderful knockout. We haven't really changed that much from ancient times, only there are less lions and decapitations in the arena nowadays.

I am a definite armchair sports person, I should be way more active than just Kinect Sports but hey there is always a balance in the universe and if you like to go running [you know who you are ;-)] then that's the Yin to my Yang - Balance!

So enough sport, lets talk about a challenge subject that really gets my goat.

Favourite TV show which has been cancelled.

It has come to my attention this year that some TV bosses are blinkered, blind perhaps. This year two shows have left our screens which makes me very sad indeed.

Before I name check and 'big up' the shows (again) I'll check my understanding. It seems that in America which has given us many great shows, each Network has to choose its shows carefully. Budget constraints perhaps? I would hazard (ooh Richard Mark's just popped into my head!) a guess that this is definitely a costings issue. My limited understanding is that they have a set amount to spend, they allocate to the shows and when its run out, so does the show!

TAKE NOTE UK BASED NETWORKS - instead of Law & Order UK, which quite frankly is an embarrassment to the Law & Order franchise, in fact I wonder is there such a season as Law & Order France - non. Perhaps Law & Order Germany - nein. So why did we bother!? Rant over.

Sorry, where was I. Oh yeah. Perhaps we could purchase some of the great television shows and keep them going, viewing figures must be very different in the UK to the USA, surely we are a big enough viewing figures family to warrant these ideas. Of course who am I to suggest this, merely an armchair viewer. If I lose a show, do I have a voice after the ranting stops - nope!

So which shows cancelled have annoyed me.

Lie To Me - gone! This is a travesty. It which and remains a brilliant show. In past posts I have compared Tim Roth's (British Actor, top of his game, go , go Mr. Orange) with Hugh Laurie (another British Actor at the top). They are without doubt spectacular at their characters and draw in the audience so well that we go with them even when our senses and conscience say, "No".

Lie to Me has in defence of the Network managed three series and yet I feel we are left wanting. Maybe it's just me.

English Actor - hear that English networks - ENGLISH!!!!!!! You can do it - Torchwood people - English with huge American budgets. - Anyone listening?

So what else?

The Chicago Code.

Brilliant!

Witty, fast paced, solid characters, action, comedy, intrigue, corruption, conspiracy, thrilling, gone!

One series - gone!

I don't get it. It once more left the viewers wanting - perhaps the door is ajar, the light only fading and not extinguished. We will wait and see - without holding breath.

What I have learned from these two sad losses in 2011 is to tailor my viewing. I find it valuable now to reach for the power of Google or IMDB and check if a new series has been commissioned.

Take, Southland, Boomtown, K-Ville to name a few. Shows that seem to have disappeared. Recently the fantastic Falling Skies finished but save me from agony we had already checked for a second series.

After all, a great deal of time is invested in a season. You go through the emotions with the characters, it engages you in the plots, it feeds your conversations and blogs with your friends. To have this taken away feels like the end of The Empire Strikes Back all over again - wowed, invested and begging for more and yet downtrodden, shocked and saddened - roller-coaster analogy anyone!

30 Day Challenge - TV Shows

2011-08-17T23:15:00.000+01:00

Favourite Documentary.

All I can say for this one is please read this previous post which mentions Ross 'I used to be in a Soap Opera :-(' Kemp's Extreme World http://nikpriestley.blogspot.com/2011/06/30-day-challenge-tv-shows_24.html

The next category I have almost nothing to say as it is entitled Favourite Sports TV Programme.

Now most of my friends will know that I am not a great fan of sport. That's not to say I don't appreciate sport and can enjoy the spectacle of a good game. I have been known to watch football and enjoy the game but I am not a football fan, in fact I am the complete opposite to a fan really.

I do enjoy Rugby, it's more aggressive on the pitch and much more refined in the terraces - no seriously, you can have a beer whilst watching the game and be surrounded by fans of both teams whilst experiencing no tension of aggravation. Imagine if you can - drinking a beer whilst watching a Millwall match wearing a Chelsea shirt; oh and the fans are all mixed. Bliss!

In occasionally watch Formula One but only ever really last a few laps either at the beginning or the end of the race, I have never managed a full race.

I never used to enjoy Snooker until a friend (who designs bespoke furniture - blatant plug https://twitter.com/#!/TwinDesignuk & http://www.twin-design.co.uk/) introduced me to Judd Trump. He was a breath of fresh air to a relatively slow and measured sport. He played Snooker like a Pool player - The Colour of Money anyone!

When I was younger I did watch some sport (well one sport - the other is entertainment) on a Saturday morning. If I was experiencing a hangover, on very few occasions; I enjoyed watching Football Italia and revelling at their goal of the week/month which usually included a player flipping over mid-air, followed by a double twist and then heading or kicking the ball into the net from the half ay line - typical flamboyant Italians.

The second "sport" was wrestling! Spandex, rock music, long hair, bad dialogue and choreographed moves - highly entertaining. Triple H, The Undertaker, The Rock - good times!

So as for favourite Sports programme, I really don't have one. I guess the show that came close to being a favourite was The Contender with Sly Stallone. This show brought together two teams of opposing boxers who each week would work as a team to beat the other in numerous challenges. At the end of the show, two boxers would fight and the loser would be eliminated. It was mostly a reality TV show but had the element of sport in to sneak in under this category. The other bonus was that it was often on late at night after you had got home from the pub - perhaps that is why i enjoyed it so much. In addition it was hosted by Rocky - how cool was that.

The show brought all the elements needed to grab you, sad stories, drama, tears and laughter - even the hardest boxer at times would shed some tears, it also had boxing every week.

I'm sure if you look online there are episodes to watch and perhaps when you get in from the pub you could enjoy one too.

http://youtu.be/egDhTAMfpW0

30 Day Challenge - TV Shows

2011-08-12T10:19:00.000+01:00

Favourite non-animated Children's show.

Non-animated, jeez! That rules out all the obvious choices, He-Man, Thundercats, X-Men, Batman, Spider-man, Jamie and The Magic Torch (youngsters Google it), Willow the Wisp.

I could have talked for ages about some of these, I could have written about the marvellous Touche Turtle or perhaps reminisce about Danger Mouse - that wasn't animated was it - that's it I'll choose Danger, damn it - it was a cartoon!

Non animated? Was Buck Rogers for kids? Perhaps Battlestar Galactica - you know the original with Face from The A-Team.

But you know what I'm gonna do what I have the prerogative to do; that's right; cheat!

You see there is one children's TV programme that was not animated. It wasn't actually actors either, well sort of. It spans generations, defines generations. Started what the Simpsons has continued in having famous people join in and star in. It has developed into films, some really good films. It promises to deliver another great film too;

It sent Pigs into Space for goodness sake -it's a masterpiece!

http://youtu.be/UX07sTSHiTs

The URL is particularly funny too - look closer :-)

30 Day Challenge - TV Shows

2011-08-11T18:46:00.000+01:00

Favourite Who Done It?

Once again with the madness surrounding us in the world today the question of 'Who Done It?' could not be more prevelant. It is a question that is on everyones lips and dominates everyones thoughts.

There is one terrible example in Birmingham of the needless death of three men simply helping their community mown down by an utter monster; leaving everyone devastated, speechless and with one buring question 'Who Done it?'

Writing these blogs seems at the moment to me a trivial act and yet it is also a way of maintaining normality whilst the events surrounding us swirl into the abyss.

I have talked in many blogs of my love of the C.S.I. series, the quintessential 'Who Done it?' shows. The way they create more and more unique and outrageous events never ceases to amaze me. In a show which has run for this long and has two off shoot shows it would seem an impossible task to keep things fresh and yet it seems to achieve this regularly.

The brilliant Luther recently shown on BBC reminded us that Britain can compete in the 'Who Done It?' world and that the BBC doesn't just bombard us with the tripe of the soap opera (sorry - I'm not getting on that soapbox again).

I think that today I will simply say that I thoroughly enjoy 'Who Done It?' shows; from C.S.I. to Midsommer Murders through Whitechapel and The Mentalist they have all been able to deliver consistent entertaining programmes.

My blog today is dedicated to those who lost their lives and livelihoods in the recent violence and destruction. Tariq Jahan is a man who has shown the world that Britain is not completely broken and we should be very proud of his bravery and dignity.

30 Day Challenge - TV Shows

2011-08-09T12:08:00.000+01:00

Favourite Horror TV show.

As I write this blog the world outside has gone totally mad. It appears that unlike other countries who face real difficulties and have no alternatives left but to turn to protest and in many cases riots, the mentality of the few is to simply arrange criminal acts with no cause whatsoever.

Having just spent 10 days seeing and studying the memorials, cemeteries and places involved in both World War 1 and 2, I am sickened by these criminal acts. The sacrifice made by the brave men and women would and should have never led us to this. To fight so hard and sacrifice your life for peace and against tyranny is a worthy cause above and beyond many other causes.

Today's youth appear to have no sense of what it means to live in a free world, they certainly have no understanding of what 'fighting for a cause is'. To attack your own towns and communities is just insane. To burn down shops and homes is despicable. To simply steal and loot peoples hard earned businesses defies belief.

Mindless, insane, pointless beings wandering streets, destroying buildings, causing chaos, kind of reminds me of my favourite TV show.

http://www.amctv.com/shows/the-walking-dead

THIS IS JUST NOT AS ENTERTAINING AND I CONDEMN THIS MINDLESS IDIOCY.

30 Day Challenge - TV Shows

2011-07-27T12:38:00.000+01:00

Today we're talking Sci-Fi and Fantasy favourites.

Now being as I am a Sky+ HD (showing off now!) subscriber I appreciate that for 'Fantasy TV' we've come along way since The Red Shoe Diaries; oh wait, it's not that kind of fantasy.

I'll get the negatives out of the way first so that we can finish on a positive. I had high expectations for Game of Thrones. I like Sean Bean, he plays good gritty characters. I liked the crisp clean and stunning settings, particularly as the HD showed them off very well. I enjoyed the first episode, the scene setting, the introduction of characters and the adult nature of the series. Too often, fantasy series get cleaned up for a mass market but Game of Thrones was going to be firmly in the adult camp.

Here was my problem - I can understand an epic, sweeping series needing to establish characters. I understand that we need to know about the politics, honestly I get that. I like The Godfather so political character driven pieces are not an issue. But and it is a big BUT, Game of Thrones seemed to move along at one pace, continuing to seemingly just build characters and politics and just never get going. For me it just didn't hold my attention.

As for my next choice I was guilty of writing this off in it's first series.

Spartacus : Blood & Sand was in my opinion when I first watched the opening episode a complete mess. The acting came across as terrible. The sex was turned up to 11, the violence was up to 11 - actually these two elements are way above 11 now I look back. It was somewhat like watching a poor mans '300'.

So after the first episode I stopped watching it.

Fast forward to a few months later and Spartacus : Gods of the Arena arrives. I Sky+'d, I watched and I admitted I was wrong. Although this was a prequel, it for me showed the series in a better light. For one thing, the acting was much better, it's not going to win an Emmy but its was better. The sex and violence was still way up the scale and the language would make sailors blush. I think I might have liked living as a Roman!

I watched the series and got caught up in the characters, rooting for my favourites and wishing the demise of those I disliked and there are plenty of those. Thankfully Sky decided to play the prequel immediately followed by that original Blood & Sand series so I was able to re-watch and persevere with the whole second, which is actually the first, series (if that makes any sense!)

Masses of sex, a swear word every 5 minutes, naked men, naked women, battles galore, backstabbing (literally), blood, guts and more blood - what's not to enjoy.

http://youtu.be/yHxn8mTpAJU

What has come along since, well I'm loving Torchwood and Falling Skies has definitely got the makings of one of my favourite series, we will see as it progresses - it is after all enjoyable watching Dr. Carter kick some alien ass!

30 Day Challenge - TV Shows

2011-07-19T16:22:00.000+01:00

♥♥♥ Favourite Romantic Show ♥♥♥

I've watched a number of shows which involve romance. None of these I would particularly call a Romantic show.

Starting with Buffy The Vampire Slayer, oh way back when. She was born a 'Slayer' which meant that she had the power to destroy evil. The evil we speak of here consists of demons and vampires amongst other-worldly entities. So whilst fighting the ever present evil, after all the town of Sunnydale was built on the 'Hell Mouth' from where all evil comes; naturally. Buffy falls in love. Who does she fall in love with? Her classmate, her best mate (ooh that would've been a very different show), a teacher - of course not, a Vampire - the ever dashing Angel.

You know there's nothing like forbidden love to carry a series through. After Angel, who of course remains her one 'True' love she also had a fling with Spike - you guessed it, another Vampire. If it worked once hey!

So forbidden love rules the day, a recipe for success it seems and one that is found in another of my favourite TV series. This one is very much more adult in nature, Blood, sex (lots!), bad language and once again forbidden love. True Blood has taken the story and created a magical world which twists and turns like a rollercoaster. I have spoken before of this so will not bore you again.

There have been other romances which move in and out of the programmes I enjoy. Everyone remember The X-Files?, Mulder & Scully? Will they, won't they? We had to wait for the movie to actually see the relationship reach a conclusion. I guess that for some series once the main characters have 'gotten together' where does the story lead? If you take House as an example - wow! (No spoilers as always but I encourage to watch and learn about main characters in relationships).

There was once series that took the characters relationship and developed the whole programme around it.

Lois & Clark; The New Adventures of Superman took the relationship beyond the movies. It followed the comics. You see in the movies (R.I.P. Christopher Reeve) Lois and Clark. a.k.a. Superman (oh I hope I didn't just create a spoiler for someone!) got together which we as the audience had always wanted but by the power of mind control and emotional kisses all was forgotton - sorry what was I typing about!?

In Lois & Clark, they are together- Brilliant! As it should be. So the series relies not only on The Man of Steel and his saving of the world but how this impacts on the relationship and the influence it has.

One of my favourite Superman books - get it here --->The Death and Life of Superman by Roger Stern http://t.co/OMT1rMJ tells the story, well the title is obvious. In the book, Lois & Clark are married which again adds a new dimension to the story many of us have only experienced through the movies.

Whilst I mention books, there is a very exciting movie due out next year http://www.thedarkknightrises.com/. In the movie we will see Bane who in another of my favourite books plays a major role Batman: Knightfall by Denny O'Neil http://t.co/C5mZOBO

So TV shows have kept up the romance for a number of my favourite shows, even Gil in CSI got married.

Do I have a favourite Romance Tv program? I'm not sure I do. I just have lots of series in which romance plays to a larger or lesser extent a part of the drama, action or comedy.

http://youtu.be/7G_x-ZPeslw

http://youtu.be/HMPJT0NzJIs - I guess ultimately this will always be my favourite love story.

30 Day Challenge - TV Shows

2011-07-19T10:06:00.000+01:00

Special offer today - Two for One.

The categories covered today will be best comedy TV and best Action TV.

I'll start with best comedy and you will understand why I'm offering a 'two for one' special with this blog.

The simple fact is that since Scrubs stopped there has been a void in our lives, I feel I can include you all collectively in these blogs now. So it was with great delight that the makers of Scrubs created a new masterpiece.

I will sum up my favourite comedy TV show with two words;

'Penny Can'

For more information please review the following http://nikpriestley.blogspot.com/2011/06/30-day-challenge-tv-shows_23.html

So now to favourite Action TV.

Being a bloke, I like action stuff. (and yes I am aware that this is not an exclusive male liking). Whether it be Action Man (more of in a moment), He-Man or X-Men, action has always been on my TV screen. Childhood favourites were of course The A-Team, lots of action, explosions, making things from stuff and of course the 'no death' policy. There was Knightrider a.k.a. The Hoff & His Car, naturally the car, K.I.T.T. was the star but The Hoff always seemed to be cool even with the swagger and curly hair. They even made a reboot/remake of the series which I have to admit I enjoyed for all it's cheesy moments and nice cars.

Airwolf delivered some nice helicopter action at a weekend and Street Hawk attempted to deliver motorbike action - I was less than convinced about this series.

Action TV has not gone away but has evolved in many ways into more action/drama type programmes. There is way more drama for example in the CSI programmes although Miami attempts to create more Action than the others with its glitz, high speed Hummer moments and lots of explosions. In the same way NCIS: Los Angeles delivers way more action than the original NCIS.

So perhaps it is the cheesy action that I crave, after all I am a big fan of The Expendables, Tango & Cash, Universal Soldier etc and these have their moments of Mozzarella.

I referred earlier to Action Man, the eagle eyed doll which many of us owned as a child. I'm guessing that once we had chosen our outfit for our Action Man, perhaps even lucky enough to have the vehicles too; our Action Men were thrown around the garden or the urban environment (house) just like their real counterparts. Often the 'eagle eyes' would cease to function after being blinded by a flashbang, no sorry that's being covered in mud, the limbs would become loser, more adaptive as they fought to defend what was right; oh wait hold on, I mean loose because they didn't really like being thrown against the wall. Occasionally they would suffer a terminal injury from defusing the bomb to save the world, no wait, wrong again that was just because if you pulled and twisted too far, their leg falls off.

Anyhow, onto our screens came the real Action Man character and 'No' I don't mean G.I. Channing!

I have been lucky enough to watch this series in High Definition and it has been very, very pretty and that includes our Action Man hero! The scenery in the series showed perfectly why this is a destination of choice for many. The characters in the series are nothing new, quirky funny back up characters, terrible despicable criminals, partners who initially do not like each other, a team of misfits hand picked oh and of course each has a back story which needs to raise it's head often. The weapons, vehicles and set pieces in the series have of course not disappointed the Action Junky either. Finally it has what all great Action series need, a conspiracy!

Someone once commented on Facebook about the series and I think it sums it up perfectly The 'O' in the title, definitely stood for 'Obvious'.

But that's the beauty of this type of series, its an escape, a moment we can take our brains out and just vegetate on the sofa. It's not big and its not clever, although by God, it tries to take itself serious. Our very own Action Man can drive like Senna, fly a helicopter like TC in Magnum P.I. He can track the bad guys using the woods, mountain climb, deep sea dive, a master in martial arts, weapons & tactics. He is an all round Dude - struggles sometimes spotting the 'Obvious' but hey we all have flaws right.

It has been a nice change to many of the dramas I watch and yes, I look forward to the next season and some more time to 'take out the brain'.

As reboots/remakes go this one hit the spot well - http://youtu.be/T7Ba_jz22sI

30 Day Challenge - TV Shows

2011-07-15T17:31:00.000+01:00

Favourite Animation.

Obvious choice here would be The Simpsons. This show has no doubt become integrated into virtually everyones lives. The humour, the reality and the simple genius of the show sets the standard not only for animated shows but for many shows on television.

If you simply look at the famous cameo roles that have taken place it amazes to see so many people clamber to become a yellow citizen of Springfield. The shows openings are genius, the couch moment, the saxophone tune, the till register and of course the blackboard (oooh how non-pc of me - showing my age too) all make up the magic of the show. If you look at Cougar Town, it has clearly copied elements from this show with its ever changing titles.

Since I was young cartoons as they were known became a staple part of my TV diet. Shows like Transformers and He-Man are still great to watch now. You only have to look at the success (that's right Kermode - SUCCESS!!!!) of the Transformers movies to see that the appeal has not gone, just evolved with the technology. He-Man - erm, let's leave it there.

Technology has played a major part in the evolution of animated favourites. You'll have to forgive my chronological timeline here but this will emphasise the point.

Spider-man - back in the 70s (I think) there was this http://youtu.be/qyYrxQx7RBc - apparently 'He Comes Alive' and 'You'll see it all'. How exciting - cue the disappointment. Then we have this http://youtu.be/4o29VoxtsFk - you'll be humming that tune for days now - sorry. Eventually the animated series reaches the levels we expect in modern day times http://youtu.be/uvrNHlo3dEs. Of course you have the movie trilogy which was as a huge Spider-man fan a spine-tingling event. Despite some of the obvious flaws, like for example Spider-Man 3 having way too many bad guys at once they have been a triumph.

Batman too, my favourite super-hero has also been through some significant changes due to technology.

Ka-pow! through to Heath Ledger (R.I.P.) via the animated series and original movies - I'm trying not to throw things at the thought of George and Val!

So animated TV has grown with the times, yet today I would be hard pushed to choose a favourite. There are shows I dip in and out of such as Family Guy which makes me chuckle when I watch it but I do not watch them religiously. There is South Park which kept me amused for a while until it became a simple idea of how to shock the audience the most or at least that's what happened in my eyes.

I know there have been plenty of others and I welcome suggestions as always, I guess though for me it will always be the simple shows that you remember with fondness;

http://youtu.be/43M55Ay6RKA

http://youtu.be/pjw2JshcIT4

Oh I just remembered I do like this as well;

Parental Advisory Lryics!! http://youtu.be/n3jfbAcsfX8 -

30 Day Challenge - TV Shows

2011-07-14T10:26:00.000+01:00

Favourite Soap Opera show.

So you will have undoubtedly read my about my intense dislike of Soap Operas in previous posts. Rest assured, I will not be rehashing these thoughts.

In situations like this where one must choose something they do not believe in or decide on something they have no love for I often say to myself; "What would Brett Michaels do?". Actually, I have never said that but hey it's my blog and it could all be lies!

So I have a choice and it's not really a Soap Opera. However before I full admit to cheating once more let us see if I can shoehorn this in.

Set in a hospital - check!
Doctors (good looking) - check!
Nurses (also good looking) - check!
Tormented characters - check!
Perfect, righteous characters - check!
Death - check!
Sadness & Loss - check!
Drug addictions - check!
Tangled love lives - check!
Huge set piece disasters - check!

10 key elements to build an Opera made of Soap.

The series ran for years (1994 - 2009) and gave us some major Hollywood stars. It merged together all the elements needed for a great drama and somehow mixed this with elements of Soap Opera without detrimentally affecting the storyline. Throughout the years we saw love lives grow, love lives shattered, people killed off, key characters battle their own demons, be it drink, drugs or illness. There were episodes set in other countries such as the Democratic (I smirk at this title!) Republic of Congo and went on to help raise awareness of key issues affecting the people there including civil war.

The series focussed on other major issues such as AIDS or Racism helping to raise awareness and inform the audience whilst not patronising them.

When the series ended (and one major star returned - no spoilers as always) it was a truly sad episode. Perhaps in some ways a historical episode, meaning that it will be preserved as one of the great TV shows ever created - perhaps?

I still remember a key scene from a key episode leading to the almost total demise of a main character. It involved a stabbing in the hospital and the affects and aftermath. It was truly an epic episode and filled with heart rendering and sad moments. It also for me highlighted the dangers that hospital staff face every day and reminded me that they do not get enough thanks and recognition for the work they do.

Wikipedia has a great page on this superb series http://bit.ly/ciXJEz.

Was it a Soap Opera, Casualty and Holby City; one would assume aspire to reach the heights that this ground breaking drama reached. So in essence, if they are classed as Soap Operas then this series must fall into the same category. I cannot help but feel it deserves a much better place than amongst these - STOP IT - I promised to to recover old ground!

http://youtu.be/ICMm2xvqkF8

WARNING - http://youtu.be/LZ98ke7ma3s - SPOILER ALERTS

Soap Opera - phew - I think I got away with it...

30 Day Challenge - TV Shows

2011-07-13T10:14:00.000+01:00

Favourite Drama.

So after the interruption to proceedings I am back to decide which Drama on TV I think is my favourite. Once again this challenge brings me to a Sophie's Choice, after all I have already named so many Dramas I enjoy watching.

So I guess the question is, what decides if the programme is a Drama or a Thriller? Are C.S.I. shows classed as drama or thriller? Are they not both to some degree?

The definition of a drama is;
–noun

a composition in prose or verse presenting in dialogue orpantomime a story involving conflict or contrast of character,especially one intended to be acted on the stage; a play.

the branch of literature having such compositions as itssubject; dramatic art or representation.

the art dealing with the writing and production of plays.

So I pick here the 'conflict or contrast of character reference to help me narrow down my choice.

I like conflicted characters. It might stem from my younger days as I watched Darth Vader attempt to regain some of his humanity (hopefully no spoiler there!) or perhaps Rick in Casablanca struggling to stay on the fence and yet unable to wrestle his conscience and remain impartial.

Shows I have mentioned previously, House, Luther and Lie To Me all star as a central role characters with inner conflict. I think it adds to the drama, I think it takes the shows to that level beyond a simple thriller. Of course each show has an element of thriller within it. This adds to the excitement and enjoyment of watching but it is always ramped up, accentuated by the turmoil our central characters go through that simply adds that extra dimension.

My choice today is not therefore an unsurprising one. What perhaps makes the show different from the others is that ultimately this show contains a whole set of characters who are conflicted in some way. To be fair, they are no where nearly as conflicted as our main 'Hero'.

And there I have it - the debate point, the spark that makes this show so bright.

We, the audience are with him all the way. We support, like, maybe love the character. We forgive the flaws and the mistakes and relate to his stress of life, the job, the family. We sympathise with him, we make him our HERO. And yet, after all this I catch myself, fleetingly, briefly questioning - isn't this guy a serial killer!?

That is the magic of the show - a brother, a son, a father, a husband, a man in a responsible job, a crucial job is actually a very, very poorly man (in the head!).

The acting in the series is brilliant. Not too serious, not to too hammed up, plenty of dark, black humour and there needs to be considering how many deaths there are. The supporting characters all play their parts beautifully and our central character is brilliant - how else would we be rooting for the serial killer for all this time?

If you have never watched this series then I urge you to do so.

http://youtu.be/-u2Xgcd3lq8 - Parental Advisory Lyrics!

30 Day Challenge -TV Shows

2011-07-11T22:40:00.000+01:00

Dear All

Due to riots and a new banking crisis affecting the inhabitants of Fraggle Rock, all Blogs have been delayed. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

In the meantime please do re-read any of my previous posts and encourage your friends to read & follow these ramblings. Thank you.

30 Day Challenge - TV Shows

2011-07-07T14:38:00.000+01:00

No one expects you to like.

Reality TV. Am I a fan or not? I can't decide. Why am I so indecisive about this, let's look at the facts.

Every year some utter Pop music dross is created and let loose into the world. It is the kind of music I choose to ignore and would never choose to listen to, go and see live (Hmm Live - there's another can of worms) or purchase. And yet, every year I tune in to see the car crash television moments at the audition stages. Be it, American Idol, X Factor or Must Be The Music from the car crash moments I get hooked. I know every year that this is the hook, where and how they get you. Slipping in that one person who can sing well live and is different (not Cher 'weirdo' Lloyd different but Daughtry different) and that you want to see progress through the weeks to ultimately triumph or crumble before our eyes.

I have in the past watched a series of Big Brother, the one with Kate Lawlor in. It was ok, weird people in unnatural circumstances slowly going stir crazy - if you like people watching, and I do, then this kind of voyeur television is just the ticket. The problem for me is that it gets old and boring. We've seen it, in many cases on Big Brother, we've seen it all (Kinga *vomit), however the TV stations and the Davinas of this world do not realise that the audience has seen enough. They try and up the anti, try and become so over the top and enthusiastic about a series that, for me anyway, it becomes overbearing and cringe worthy.

The new breed of shows, and so some of my friends who read this will know where this is going, are reality shows about real people, in 'real' situations, doing normal stuff that we all do.

The Only Way is Essex took its lead I guess from the American shows, The Hills, Jersey Shore etc. These ideas were born out of Beverley Hills 90210 perhaps? Let's take the fictitious show and design a real life version - we give you posh, rich people doing stuff in great Cities around the world - The Hills was born.

Now before I say anything about these shows - I have never seen TOWIE, I cannot stand The Hills and the people in Jersey Shore are just plain dumb! Like I said though, I haven't actually watched any of these.

BUT - and it's a big BUT (I've got Sir Mix-a-Lot going round in my head now!) There was one show that caught my eye (well I'll be honest a couple of the pretty ladies on it caught my eye). Having worked and spent some time in London I have always been fascinated by the rich and their lifestyles in London.

When I was much younger, a friend of mine introduced me to the word 'Sloane' which at the time described the rich, trendy types who frequented the Mayfair, Kensington and Chelsea areas. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=sloane

The fascination began and when I saw the adverts for Made In Chelsea I was hooked.

It is always great to see how the other half live. To see the restaurants, bars and clubs that although I wouldn't necessarily choose to frequent are interesting to see inside of. I don't think I'll ever go to a Polo match and spend my time 'divoting' whilst sipping Champagne or Pimms. I don't think I'll ever be chauffeur driven in a Rolls Royce Phantom and I definitely don't have friends that I could or they could whip us away to Cannes for a weekend without a care in the world. I'm pretty sure my best guy mates don't have any jumpers with Pink Pigs on, or are bi-sexual or wear makeup - actually one does wear professionally done nail polish!

Made in Chelsea became a firm favourite of my weekly TV schedule, tweeting about it whilst watching it, discussing the pros and cons of the characters with friends and colleagues, trying and failing to convince https://twitter.com/#!/_Lalabum that it is worth watching.

What surprised me the most about watching Made in Chelsea was that it highlighted one of my failings. It made me realise that I am as guilty as the next person when it comes to judging a book by its cover. The assumption about someone based purely on appearance (and a number of the write ups prior to the show) is truly a failing and as a supporter of the S.O.P.H.I.E charity http://www.sophielancasterfoundation.com/ - I was surprised.

Let me quickly explain, anyone who saw the series will probably understand. Let's take Ollie as an example. A makeup wearing (face, neck and abs!), long haired individual (not in a Metal or Rock way) with a very interesting dress sense (Pig Jumper & Bright Yellow Ski Suit), he also looked the spitting image of his girlfriend. From the look and the description given in the Radio Times write up a character that I assumed would be annoying. How wrong was I? Ollie was brilliant, so funny, so entertaining and quite simply one of the best characters in the series. Book, judge, never, a, its, by, cover - rearrange!!

Then there was Hugo and Spencer - a double act of best mates with designer beards which in Spencer's case came and went like the sun and moon. Rich beyond belief, off to Cannes at the drop of a hat etc, etc. Turns out Hugo was a complete Dude, said the right things, was very funny and pointed out the misgivings of his best mate on many occasion. Would Spencer be as good? - would he hell. Playing love life games, immature games and.... (no plot spoilers here)

So my choice for today, something you wouldn't have expected me to like which taught me a lesson about misjudging people http://www.e4.com/chelsea/

http://youtu.be/m1SyNyDoj8M

In my defence - I did call Francis right.