The many faces of Darth Vader

Hair cut and about time to.

For a while now I have need a hair cut but I have not had hair this long ever so I had been reluctant but that time came as it was becoming too long. So while getting it cut thought I would get a photo or two so now you get to see before, during and after.

Maybe i'll shave soon!

Mondy Tuesday happy days, Wednesday Thursday Camping days.

So after working hard in my new position at work its review time Tuesday, and it should be an interesting day. After the big take over what feels like 10 years ago we are finally getting to a point where things are starting to get sorted out for the department I work in much to everyone’s joy, now things are going well for them I think it is time I made a move on my job and what I can get out of it. I don’t mean to come across as selfish with all this talk of ‘what can I get’ but sometimes you need to spend some time looking at what’s on offer and just pushing and pushing, remember you can just ask, they cal always say no but you will never get if you don’t ask. I did think about the slogan ‘what do I want’ ‘money!’ ‘when do I want it?’ ‘Now!’ but with only myself singing I don’t think it would have the impact I'm looking for so I'm down to just plain old bartering. I think have done the work needed for me to walk in well informed and with all the points I think work in my favor so now it’s just waiting for the day.

As for this week I managed to get 2 days of which are Wednesday and Thursday so as a pre festive test I'm, with my lovely girl friend going camping! Thinking of Windermere lake but I would like to enjoy the sun at some point so it may be more of a weather based in to where we go. Thought it would be nice to get out of the big city for a few days and its perfect time to get that tent up other than my living room all ready for Lowlands! I can’t quite describe how much im looking forward to going in August and as a cherry on top they are showing Death Proof which was part of the Grindhouse movies, this is a Quentin Tarantino film and it was due to come to the Uk as a double bill with Planet terror (Robert Rodriguez) but the stupid Americans (no offence to you smart one’s) didn’t like it so now they will be coming out a separate releases in the UK but I get chance to see one of what I think will be two very good films.

Movie Watch

So I have some movie reviews to catch up with as for the last few weeks I have seen some amazing films so let me share thease with you.

Harry Potter 3D

Manchester Imax is showing the latest installment of Harry potter on a screen 85 feet wide with 14,ooo wats of sound and I can say it is like no other screen you will see. Now I'm not the biggest harry potter fan and I would say the other 4 film have got better as time goes on, I don’t read the book and I'm not excited about what happening but I will watch the films. So now on to this film and what a film, the visual effects are fantastic and have come on a long way from what we saw in the first harry potter. The acting is well…still somewhat wooden from the younger members of the cast but again it’s a nice change from what I thought were card board cut outs in the first movie but now you start to see some life and emotion. For me this is the turning point in the film and they have now become something epic, a step up in the film world. The story is something which sucks you in and keeps you moving alog at some speed and just when you think you have an idea off it goes again. I think you get something different if you had read the book, I'm not sure of that will be a good different or bad different though. The 3D was good and better that i have seen in full leangh films but only the last 20mins, its still worth seeing it.

I'm 27 and have seen a lot of film and this was the first time I ever wanted to be a wizard.

Ok Next film

The Simpson

Well all know and love the Simpson, if you don’t there is something wrong with you as it been with us for what feels like birth and now it has made the big jump from small screen to the BIG screen and you know what, even though it’s the same length of 3 back to back episodes it’s a dam good film. I had reservations as for me it had to be something good and not what I watched on tv the night before, it looks different as its not in CGI but still holds 90% of what you would expect Simpsons to look like but it now has more of a shine to it, the story is good but not excitingly new, and its funny, even very funny but this is what I expected it to be. I cant see this film wining any awards and after a few weeks its will just disappear until you see it at Asda for £9.99 but I dare you not to enjoy it, just try not to.

Die hard 4.0

So he is back, vest and all. Its good, it is. I sat there and enjoyed all of it, its fast, explosive, funny and nothing new. I cant explain it but there was nothing there to get you really excited. Maybe that’s what they wanted. I could not sit here and pick any holes in the movie, good cast, strong acting, a true die hard story, enough explosions and gun fights to keep the most hard core fan happy, the sexy bad girl, the slightly unbelievable action scenes, car chases, John beaten to a pulp but still fighting. You see its all there and its all pretty predictable but good. I would not say this is a bad movie and if that’s what you fancy on that night go and see it and I bet you enjoy it just not as much as you would have hoped.

Transformers.

Well its been a Long time coming and this would be another of the films I have been looking forward to and after a shaky start to the summer movies no thanks to the fantastic 4 upsetting effort we see Transformers hits the Big and Digital screens.

If like me you remember watching the cartoons many many years ago you may have had your own Idea of what it would all look like as a live action film and from the first teaser trailers from about a year ago to the main big trailers I have been very excited to see this film and I did, not just any old 35mm copy but I got to check it on the digital projector which Odeon have in the Printworks, now there are films out there which look good on the DLP but some that look just like the 35mm counterpart but Transformers looks hart stopping, the so bright and color full even to the extent off when I was checking it in last night to a full screen when the digital kicked it there was a gasp from about 150 people, its that good!

Now on to the film, well I don’t think I have the words, for me it was a blockbuster, not a big summer movie a blockbuster like we used to get. Its been a very long time since I sat in a screen for 2 ½ hours and had so much fun and excitement. The graphics of the film are just awesome and at no point did I sit there and not feel any of it, the acting is surprisingly good seeing as they used some small actors from some major roles. Its wonderful getting you on the edge of your seat with anticipation and then pushing you back with explosive action scenes as you hold out hope that good can overcome evil. this was the most enjoyable film I have see this year and I would recommend this to anyone. Now I want to be a Transformer!

Lowlands 16-20 August

030303
303 Allstars
Admiral Freebee
Abe Duque
After Forever
Air Traffic
Alamo Race Track
The Answer
Arcade Fire
Audion/Matthew Dear
Aux Raus
Basement Jaxx
Battles
Joost van Bellen
The Black Seeds
Blaxtar
Boemklatsch
Bonde Do Role
Brand New
Chatham County Line
Dave Clarke
C-Mon & Kypski
CocoRosie
Chris Cornell
CSS
Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip
Darko Esser
David Gilmour Girls
Devendra Banhart
Dinosaur Jr.
Dizzee Rascal
Eagles of Death Metal
Editors
Enter Shikari
Funeral for a Friend
Games in Concert
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
Goose
Groove Armada
Richie Hawtin
Hayseed Dixie
Heartthrob
Heideroosjes
James Holden
Interpol
Jack Peñate
Marike Jager
Jake The Rapper
Jamie T
Jimmy Eat World
Justice (live)
Just Jack
Kaiser Chiefs
DJ Karotte
Kasabian
The Killers
Kings of Leon
Klaxons
Lacuna Coil
La Kinky Beat
Laurent Garnier (Live)
LCD Soundsystem
Lily Allen
Little Cow
Loney, dear
Mad Caddies
Magda
Malkovich
MeloManics
M.I.A.
Mika
Moke
Motörhead
My Brightest Diamond
New Young Pony Club
Kate Nash
Nine Inch Nails
Noisia
Nosfell
Nour
Nymfo (live)
Oi Va Voi
Ojos de Brujo
Orishas
Pendulum (DJ-set)
Troy Pierce
The Pigeon Detectives
Polder
Pronghorn
The Rakes
Damien Rice
The Rifles
Rodrigo y Gabriela
Mark Ronson
Rotfront
Anthony Rother
Sandrien
Saybia
Shackleton
The Shins
Simian Mobile Disco (DJ-Set)
Sonic Youth
Tanya Stephens
Trentemøller (live in concert)
Tool
Turbonegro
Uffie & DJ Feadz
U.N.K.L.E.
The View
Patrick Watson
Andrew Weatherall
Welle:Erdball
The Whitest Boy Alive
Patrick Wolf

Movies:
300
Adam's Apples
Jesus Camp
Falkenberg Farewell
Air Guitar Nation
Glue
Red Road
Babel
Sunshine
Borat
Our Daily Bread
Die Fälscher
Night Of The Hunter
Knallhart
Unknown
Das Leben der Anderen
The Illusionist
Dixie Chicks - Shut Up & Sing
Interview
Rescue Dawn
Ex-Drummer
Q&A Ex-Drummer
Death Proof
Hot Fuzz

Ok where to start.

I had last week off from work as I could have just done with some time away, noting sinister just thought it would be nice. Somehow I didn’t manage to get up to much, my micro light thing I didn’t get round to but with the rain the way it is who would blame me? I did fix my lamp! You may think small task but it was not, it nearly a new lamp after all the bits I replaced.

I decided to get a new phone, Vodafone were not good and didn’t seem to be getting better so I decided to go with orange, they had some good packages with a few extras to seal the deal. After they came up with their best deal I told them that there was nothing there to clench the deal and what else could they offer? Digital photo frame for free! Well that was it for me and I got it and it’s nice, very nice. The other thing which is nice is orange Wednesday, my work will no longer let me take my girl friend to and staff shows of the latest films (I think the next step it to take away my free films and even now I have to wait 2 weeks before I can go and see them anyway) so now I would mind paying for one ticket for the both of us, I know this may come across as cheap but when you have spent the last 10 years not paying for cinema tickets it’s hard to change. So anyway I went with the Sony Ericcson K810i and its nice so expect to see some more (better quality photos from me)

The other thing I did do last week was to book my flights and tickets for lowlands just outside of Amsterdam which I'm really really looking forward to, I think it will be a fantastic weekend, so now its all booked and I now have my passport (last trip to Amsterdam didn’t go to well, well it didn’t go!) it came time to but a tent and did a get a tent. One thing at a festival is 99% of all the tents are green so when staggering back from a day of music you spend hours looking for your tent so I got one with a little colour in it. I would love to show you a photo of it but I can’t find any and I didn’t take any when we put it up drunk in the living room when we got it which sound like a good idea at the time and went well, got to learn how to put up a tent drunk.

Big Boss Week

Its been an interesting week so far, my boss is off so I get to take over for 7 days or so and make sure everything runs well, better that well even. It’s been hard work but in a nice way, I like the challenge and I have had a few to keep my happy but I think over all things have gone really well.

But after working the last 7 days and the last 2 of those days were 13hours I'm knackered, you know when you have to walk up some stairs and you mind says yes but your legs say no? Well that’s where I am but on the up side I have only got 2 more days to work this week before I get a week off! And what do I have planned for this week off? Have not got a clue but I can tell you I hope to be doing my micro light thing. Scary but think it will be fun.

So this is where this installment comes to an end as I can hardly see the screen through my sleepy eyes, only got 3 hours to go and I get to go home (even though I should be at a house warming to night)

S-Tones

The S-tones are playing down at Academy 3 on the 9^th of July, I had chance to see this band play an acoustic set a few weeks ago at the Troff and they were fantastic and now there are playing something bigger.

Tickets are only £5 which is a barging in anyone book, get you ticket from their web site (paypal) You can also check out there myspace from the site.

Hope to see you there

Knowsley Featival

So this weekend I managed to get hold of a few tickets for the Knowsley festival through work for free, I got to pick Sat or Sun but seeing as The Who were head lining on the Sat night there was no other day I could have wanted to go to. So the plan was to get the train to Liverpool and then the buss to the festival have a few drinks, enjoy the music, get the buss back to Liverpool and then back on the train (sound so simple in my head)

Myself, my girl friend and my roommate and his girl friend all set off and getting there was fine and was a nice trip over, thinking the event had only been on that day we hoped the fields would resemble as such with grass and everything and for the most part it was, we found a nice spot just down from the main stage and set up camp. Now trying to get a drink was just impossible, the web site said ‘ample bars’ but this was just not the case, people were waiting for a beer for what must have been 40mins so I opted for the next best thing Coffee! The weather was on and off, there was a good 10mins where I managed to get full use of my sun glasses but I hate to say I'm not one of these people who would keep them on once the sun has gone in.

We got there as The Thrills were playing and it sounded good, I’ll be honest I'm not up to date with their song but there were a few I sang along to, then we had The View and after that The Coral who were both fantastic. At this point it was starting to get cold so we had a walk and got ready for the final act. And at about 8:30 The Who came on and what a show, it was fantastic even though at this point the havens opened and our hops of a mud free exit disappeared (at this point I realized a piggy back was going to be in order and my girl friend was wearing jellies) but even with the rain it was awesome. Getting back to the bus stops was interesting as it must have been 6 inch deep mud and that’s where the piggy back came in as jellies don’t keep the mud out, so girl friend on my back, she had the brolly to keep us dry as I wade through the mud to the exit!

So the trip back we had 3 option.

Option 1 was to go back to Liverpool and get back the way we had come, but there was a replacement bus service which would have taken us 1:45 back from Liverpool.

Option 2 pay and get the buss back to Manchester but there were only 3 and we may not have got on seeing as we didn’t have tickets for that trip.

Option 3 get the bus to Warrington and get the train back to Manchester.

We left at 10:30 ish and got in line for Warrington just to stand there for ages as there was only a small road for all the busses to come down and most of the Warrington busses were at the back, while waiting one of the busses managed to get stuck on the side of the road in the mud which kept us entertained as it tried to get out which made it lean more and more to one side. At one point the easiest option to get it out of the way would have been to push it over in to the field. So finally our bus get to us and on we get after a speech from the driver on how its his bus and he want it clean just for him to try and get round the stuck bus, take the corner to wide and get stuck on the opposite side of the road next to the stuck buss. So now you have 2 busses both stuck next to each other blocking the only road for all the busses to get out. Now we have to get off and wait for someone to get both busses out of the mud. After 30 mins and most people thinking they could push a bus out of the mud a tractor came to our rescue and after 20 mins we were on our way with no chance of getting the last train. Bus stops, hand in air ‘TAXI!’, £40, back home! What a great time! Really! Fantastic day and would do it again

Bob Marley in Manchester

To celebrate the 30^th anniversary of Bob Marley’s Exodus album Manchester Odeon is showing Bob Marley live at the rainbow on Tuesday 26^th at 8pm. Exodus was originally released on Friday 3rd June 1977. He recorded the 'Exodus' album in exile in the UK, having escaped an assassination attempt in Jamaica.

In the UK alone it stayed on the chart for 56 consecutive weeks and included 3 massive hit singles. Bob Marley was established as the Third World's first superstar, a legacy that survives thirty years after the album's release.

I want i want i want

To go here, Lowlands

A year this summer

I have an anniversary coming up in the next few days and it made me think back to about a year ago around this time, from what i can remember i was still tiring to sell my house and spending most days working, painting or drinking. It was a very difficult time in my life and i had to go through some things which i never thought possible. One thing which I did learn is how many people cared about me and what was happening, I like the saying ‘friends are like stars, you may not always see them but there always there’.

One thing which I do truly regret is my cats, I had 2 cats. I had a boy called Indi and a girl called Toffee and to this day I miss them. I do often think of what I gave up to have the Manchester life style but I tried to find somewhere where I could have cats but I don’t think it would be fare for them to be stuck inside or in a big city.

Around a year ago after spending all day painting I was relaxing in my garden (before I started work on that) when Indi came out of the house in a very playful mood. At the time I had made a few videos and it was something I was interested in getting it to as I enjoyed it so I took some footage on my phone to see what I could do with it. I did end up with something and I liked it, the quality is not up to much and it is something you have to stick with when you watch it but none the less I think it captured the type of cat Indi is.

The cats are the only thing I do miss and I am truly happy with me, my life and who surrounds me. I would like to thank all the people who helped me to this happy place. Thank you

Two days off

Had a day off yesterday and at the last minute we decided instead of sitting in a dark screen for 3 hours watching Pirates of the Caribbean 3 we would go for a drive, where did we end up? Well in a place called Mostyn in Wales, to be honest it wasn’t a well thought out plan it was a just find the sea plan and we did, had a walk along the beach, had a brew, it was a very nice day and well worth the drive. Not quite sure why we just got in the car and went, maybe it down to my flat mate trying to get a car, seeing as I have one it would be a shame not to use it every now and then

On Thursday I went over to see my little sister who had just turned 16 that day! Wow 16! I know she is the one who is getting older that day but it sure does make me feel older. She had some of her school friends up who were a nice crowd but I did find myself trying not to embarrass her as I don’t think she would have lived it down. Due to her birthday most of my family came together, my sister came over from Spain, my brother from Manchester (Yes we do live next door to each other but you would be surprised to how little we do see of each other) and my gran. My sisters friends are all music loving and playing group, from rock to blues and they are very in to it much to my grans amusement, she could not stop laughing which made me very happy, seeing as she is 85 and there was a room of teenagers she did just potter in, sit down and start firing questions at them left right and center, normally you would expect the Old lady to feel intimidated but not this time! Go Gran! But I was the designated driver that night so drinking was off the books from me, now I didn’t mind until all the nice rum came out and everyone was having a merry time at which point I wish I had got the train, I would have helped if the weather coming over snake pass was better as well but it was not to be so a more than interesting drive home. But saying that it was still a very good night.