Idiosynchronise

Endgame

2011-09-04T13:18:00.002+01:00

Ok, so I finally bit the bullet and quit Football Manager. Being more or less the only game I still played, I realised that I would have to quit before uni started again. FM was so easy to just pick up on a rainy day - of which we've had quite a few. I was gifted the "part of the furniture" achievement on the day I quit, how ironic. Deleting it was the last step of a long adventure (what a geek). Before I step back into the world of uni I thought I'd list my fave games that I've played. No decision taken lightly...

1) Half-Life 2 (2004) / Half-Life 2: Episode Two (2007)

"Rise and shine...Mr Freeman..."

I could have just said The Orange Box for this, but that would be cheating. So instead I'll cheat only slightly, and say HL2 and Episode Two. Half-Life 1 was the first game I played on PC (apart from Rayman...of course) and scared the shit out of me. Valve are just amazing developers, and the sequels are even better. So many memorable levels in this (the boat levels, ravenholm, etc), and a sense of atmosphere that is rare in FPS games. Flawless. Now where is Episode Three...

2) Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos (2002)

Humans, Orcs, Night Elves. What more do you need?

In my eyes, still the greatest RTS game. I only got this because I had to exchange C&C Generals, which wouldn't work on my PC at the time. From the epic movie-like cutscenes to the magnificent storyline, faultless voice-acting and soundtrack, this is a beast of a game. The expansion, The Frozen Throne also deserves a mention for being almost a game in itself. I waited for Warcraft 4, but instead we got WoW.

3) Freelancer (2003)

A Liberty fighter.

A cult favourite. A free-roaming space adventure, the story revolved around a conspiracy and was very well written. It is largely left to you if you want to pursue the storyline, explore, fight, or trade. Amazingly fun to play, Freelancer generated a huge community revolving around various mods, several of which change the game completely. Almost a decade since its release and with Microsoft having long dropped support for it, Freelancer is kept alive by the players. Back in the day, this was the first game I played online, and had a lot of fun on the Freeworlds and Crossfire mods, which still survive.

4) The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006)

"Stop right there criminal scum!"

The most ambitious game I've ever played. Massive. One of those experiences that eats away at your life, you can spend hours just wandering the world and exploring. Several storylines and guilds gave direction, the most notable being the sinister Dark Brotherhood. Some of the quests were hilarious, others grim. But with no companions and the poor voice acting, it quickly gets lonely. The name on everyone's lips right now is the sequel, Skyrim, which includes dragons. And hopefully better voice acting.

5) Unreal Tournament (1999)

"DOMINATING!!"

They say you either played Quake or UT. I played the latter, and there have been many reincarnations since. One of the original deathmatch games, which expanded to become the successful series. UT2004 and UT3 being the highlights, but the original is still the most fast-paced and easiest to jump into. Legendary.

Honourable Mentions

Battlefield 1942 (2002): the nostalgia of playing this with mates 'til the early hours.

Bioshock (2007): flawed but cinematic beauty.

Deus Ex (2000): highly regarded, but I haven't finished it yet.
FM 2010 (2009): if you can get addicted, a game has done its job.
Mass Effect (2007): as Deus Ex, reserving judgment until completed.
Medieval 2: Total War (2006): my favourite of the series.
Portal (2007): can't forget this and it's phenomenal sequel.
The Longest Journey (1999): one of the best stories in gaming.
World of Warcraft (2004): never got into it like others do, but still great.

Brand New Start

2011-08-31T11:00:00.000+01:00

Ok. I confess, I have neglected this blog for over two years now. Originally intended as a music blog where I would review albums and gigs I went to, things quickly became sporadic and I got lazy about updating pictures. In my defence...blogger was a bitch to use, and it didn't help when my photographs went haywire. In the two years I've spent at university, I can hardly say I would have found time. About time that changed!

Greece and project work aside, this summer has been a bit quiet. I haven't been doing much, but it's been good to be back home. It's September as of tomorrow, and something like guilt is creeping into my mind. Two things I've struggled with called "focus" and "direction" recently need to be found in massive abundance over the next year or so, in order for me to gain something from this degree. Plus, near half of my degree will depend on essay and dissertation work, so it is gone time for me to brush up on my writing skills! Self-discipline is a great thing if you can find it, but first you must find willpower. I want this year to be a fun and enjoyable one, without ruining what I must do. Truth is, I'm not even 10% sure where I will be this time next year. I've quit my job, I'll be living closer to my studies again, so I really don't have any excuses this time. I dislike the expression, but in essence, it's time to sort my life out.

GIG: Bad Company/The Joe Perry Project

2010-04-08T22:41:00.002+01:00

For me it was a case of third time lucky with Paul Rodgers, having been silly enough to miss him twice before in Newcastle. With Bad Co reuniting for this tour, I was keen to see the legends in action.
However it was Joe Perry of Aerosmith and his band who opened proceedings with some raunchy rocking sounds from his new album, Have Guitar, Will Travel. Produced when hundreds of rumours were circling about whether or not Steven Tyler would continue in Aerosmith, it comes from a man with an ambition to develop his own music. Though very different from his roots, stand out tracks such as We've Got A Long Way To Go and Wooden Ships gave a great example of this man's guitar skills. Aerosmith are due to play a few gigs this summer, but only a few months ago it was Perry had put forward names such as Rodgers himself for a replacement. As for the gig, the Project were very good, but singer Hagen did seem out of place occasionally despite his vocal talent. They were a good warm up for Bad Co, but I believe it is nothing more than Perry exploring his musical style. They finished with the unforgettable Walk This Way, which was a nice touch. I hope the so called toxic twins can get back to where they belong or a great rock band will be lost.

After a short break, on came Bad Company, currently including Paul Rodgers, Mick Ralphs on guitar and Simon Kirke (also of Free) from the original line-up plus touring guitarist Howard Leese and bassist Lynn Sorensen. It was clear to see that these guys had lost none of their flow. Storming on with Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Rodgers strutted about the stage, the true frontman he is. Though a fair bit back, the acoustics and light show were brilliant and Rodgers' voice got everyone on their feet with one twirl of his microphone. Every song was a classic, and Rodgers and Leese took turns to play on the grand piano situated on stage. Burnin' Sky and Feel Like Makin' Love were stand out tunes from their seventies albums. A brilliant acoustic version of Seagull provided a breather before the pace picked up once again for Rock N' Roll Fantasy, for which Joe Perry reappeared on stage to provide a memorable performance.

The crowd favourite was always going to be Shooting Star, and behind the band a vast screen showed a montage of lost legends like John Bonham, Jimi Hendrix, and Freddie Mercury, the crowd singing along. Rodgers still has one of the best voices in rock today, and this showed through the brilliant encore of Ready For Love and Bad Company. Though I prefer more intimate venues, Bad Company started out in 1973 and on a chilly spring night in 2010 they blew us all away.

GIG: The Answer

2009-11-29T22:20:00.001Z

A short mention first of all to support bands Toxic Federation and General Fiasco, whose sets I largely missed due to arriving late etcetera. As you do.

Oh wow. On a cold night in March 2007 I saw these guys at a very small venue at Northumbria University with a small but dedicated crowd. I was impressed then, and bloody hell have they grown - in fanbase size, talent, and so much more. This time they headlined the oh so very slightly bigger O2 Academy nearly a year after supporting AC/DC touring the USA. Having released debut album Rise in 2006, they were touring to promote the sophomore Everyday Demons. The special edition comes with a live CD recorded in Japan - where the band are liked very much. They've good taste, those Japanese rockers.

It was a very confident performance and in addition to tunes from their first album such as Never Too Late, Under The Sky, and the foot-stomping Preachin' they played much of the new stuff, including the spectacular Evil Man and the darker Why'd You Change Your Mind. The first album having probably sold more, I prefer Everyday Demons - purely because of its depth. As a band The Answer have come far and matured. We salute you!

GIG: Black Stone Cherry/Duff McKagan's Loaded/The Parlor Mob

2009-10-20T21:51:00.003+01:00

Black Stone Cherry made it their fourth return to Newcastle in just over a year and a half with this, their second headlining gig at the O2 Academy. They must like the place, and what can we say, we love them right back. With the young classic Parlor Mob and the punky Loaded supporting them, there was something for everyone. I hadn't anticipated it but tickets sold out many weeks before the show, which just represents how far these guys have come and how far they will surely go.

Classic rockers The Parlor Mob hit the stage first with a fury and energy many of the crowd weren't expecting. Having not long released their debut album, this is a band who seem to be developing their own style of hard rock, and will learn a lot by big tours like this. Though their set was short and sweet, they won their own new set of fans (including me) with their enthusiastic spirit. I think we'll be seeing more of The Parlor Mob....

Next up the newly re-branded Duff McKagan's Loaded brought the star to the show with the man from Guns N' Roses himself promoting his own very talented band with what can only be described as dirty rock and roll. I really enjoyed their first underrated album, and having released the second one its good to see Duff singing again while Velvet Revolver are on (apparent) hiatus in the search for a new vocalist. On the back of this, I reckon Duff wouldn't do too bad a job himself. Having powered up the crowd enough, they finished off with the mighty Guns' classic It's So Easy. Brilliant.

The two opening bands couldn't have done better to set the atmosphere alight, and after a short break Black Stone Cherry came on to the now familiar sound of Rain Wizard. This might sound weird but after liking BSC since early days, it was encouraging to see so many people singing along. They go from strength to strength and I already cannot wait for their next album. Each tour they come up with something different, and this time they did a little medley/jam, including an amazing short piece of Skynyrd's Sweet Home Alabama. After all, they are from the deep south. One of the best bands out there right now. Bring on the next tour!

GIG: Massive Attack

2009-10-01T13:24:00.014+01:00

For some years now, I have wanted to see Massive Attack live. My brother got me into their music at a fairly young age, and I remember borrowing Blue Lines and Protection for a fair few years. But they've never actually visited Newcastle before and with the track record of the band, you never know if they're going to produce another album or split up. Thankfully they announced a tour to support a new album (which has now been delayed, and an EP, Splitting the Atom, has instead been released) with a date at the O2 Academy in September. I had even booked tickets in the pre-sale as I was paranoid about them selling fast, which they did.

Now to the gig. It was very much a family affair, Massive Attack being one of those unique bands you can't really categorise attracting many ears. I'm not even going to go into the "trip-hop" conversation! Personally, I was absolutely knackered from fresher's week and was recovering from the worst cold ever. I needed a good night out to cure (or reignite?) it. I went in having no idea what to expect from a live Massive Attack performance. Martina Topley-Bird was the opening act for Massive on this tour, and she has a great voice. Her set was fairly short. By the time she had left the stage the Academy was packed to the brim. Anticipation!

We got close to the front before they came on despite the numerous people with the same idea. The lights went dark and the music started...and the most amazing light show I've ever seen began. Behind the musical kit was a massive screen with various things on it. The photos explain this better! I had an "oh shit" moment when the silhouettes of 3D (Robert Del Naja) and Daddy G (Grant Marshall) appeared on stage. They started with some new tracks which should be on the new album, on one of which Martina Topley-Bird herself sang. The new stuff is quite different to old Massive, but it is a brilliant new direction. The man himself Horace Andy came onstage to sing new track 16 Seeter before the familiar tones of Risingson raised the crowd's spirits. By this time everyone was completely into the performance. On certain songs the screen behind showed various symbols and figures such as local crime rates and other interesting stuff. Massive Attack, if anything, are more than just their music. More classics followed with Future Proof and Teardrop. As for crowd participation, Horace Andy reappeared for a rowsing and heavy version of Angel, the ultimate slow-build-up-release.

Possibly the best song played that night was Safe From Harm from Blue Lines. The female vocalist (whose name I can't recall unfortunately) belted this one out just like the original version, only right at the end Massive Attack's current lead guitarist played the most mind-blowing guitar solo which strangely seemed to fit right in to the song. After this 3D danced his weird dance with his back to the audience as the light show played on to Inertia Creeps. Creeped out indeed.

Massive Attack had saved the best 'til last however. New EP Horace Andy track Splitting the Atom was followed by the almighty Unfinished Sympathy, before rolling into a new epic track called Marakesh. At this point of the performance, my mind was flying high above the clouds, truly in a world of its own. Just when I thought they had finished, the drums kicked in to Karmacoma. Jamaica' aroma.

One of the best if not the best gig. A unique experience.

GIG: Megadeth/Testament

2009-02-19T16:34:00.011Z

For some reason (I know not what), one of the "Priest Feast" gigs (a UK tour with the above two bands supporting Judas Priest) in somewhere like Nottingham was cancelled. And for another reason, Megadeth and Testament decided they would come up north and play at the newly sponsored O2 Academy. Something tells me it's due to Megadeth's great reception this time last year. Whatever the reason, it meant I and a mate got to see one of metal's greatest for the second year running. We decided to forego the walk around town and instead freeze our balls off waiting in the very long queue whilst analysing the impatient crowd and watching people walk by. We got in finally for about 7.15pm and after a few seconds of regretting to bring merch money for slightly-better-looking-t-shirts we remembered what we came for and proceeded to the Academy floor waiting for Testament to show their faces. They soon did and although the fuzzy sound system didn't to them justice they impressed with their enthusiasm, especially that of lead vocalist Chuck Billy, who has Native American ancestry (random interesting fact, I know). However what seemed like every ten minutes of their set Billy would say "We love you Newcastle, you're the best crowd on this tour yet" or "It's good to be back" or something similar. I hope they were telling the truth, but I was there for one band and one band only. Nevertheless, these guys have been touring for over 20 years and have their own set of devoted fans.

Half an hour later and the lights went down to Sleepwalker followed by Wake Up Dead as Mustaine, Broderick, Lomenzo and Drover rattled onstage. Being at the front quickly became a struggle to stay upright, everyone jostling to get forward to see Dave. It was a great atmosphere again, and there were few surprises in a typical Megadeth set with perhaps the exception of the excellent Ashes In Your Mouth. It just so happens that a "typical Megadeth set" is a truly metal set, and it was very enjoyable. I had faint hope beforehand for at least a hint of new material, but it seems what will be Megadeth's twelfth studio album is still very much in the works. After their last album United Abominations it has a lot to live up to, but I can wait.

No pictures save the ticket this time I'm afraid, I was too busy being crushed at the front to even consider reaching for my phone. This didn't stop a few others however, a guy next to me cried out "aww sh*t, me screen's broke" in typical Geordie spiel when he brought out his Nokia to get some shaky shots of Mustaine and his brilliant looking custom guitars. Whilst watching an incredible Tornado of Souls I realised that Megadeth now look a very solid band. Last time guitarist Chris Broderick had just joined, and I remember being impressed at how skilled he was. This time I was impressed at how well the band looked as Megadeth, not just Dave Mustaine and a few session musicians. A lot of talented guys have passed through Megadeth, but they're looking superb and I've got a lot of anticipation for the new album, due about September-ish 2009. Watch this space.

GIG: Apocalyptica/Swallow the Sun

2008-12-08T20:56:00.004Z

I won't lie - I knew little about this band before a mate got me into them and let me borrow an album (which still needs returning!). But I agreed to go along on this proposed five-band-weekend because it would probably be good and different. So we went along pretty early and got into the place before the support had come on. The support were supposedly a doom-metal band, but I'd thought the guitarists would at least be pretty sweet. Well...they disappointed. They were pants. Each to their own, fair enough - but all the songs sounded more or less the same to me, nothing different. I was relieved when they left and had to keep telling my mate that this WAS worth it! And then on came the cello-chairs! These skull-shaped chairs (why is there four? I asked!) were prepared and looked damned good. The lights went down and four cellists came on stage. FOUR!!?! Holy mother of music. Four cellists and a drummer are what consist of Apocalyptica. Originally a Metallica-covers-only band, they now do their own music and also cover some other stuff. Two minutes in and it was the weirdest band I've ever seen. But...it...was awesome. There's nothing like the sound of the cello version of For Whom the Bell Tolls, one of my favourite Metallica tracks. The guys seemed really relaxed and were talking often to the crowd in their Finnish accents. Funnily enough, one half of the crowd wanted to mosh the hell out of these songs and the other didn't, which made for some hilarious elbowing incidents. I was more or less stuck in the middle, but I really was enjoying it. The enthusiasm of the band reflected on the audience as they gave their versions of some really heavy stuff - some of it their own of course. Apocalyptica have been going since 1993 but only since 2005 have had a drummer. The fourth cellist, as I later discovered, is Antero Manninen, an original member who left but has rejoined as a sessions musician. He's the guy who sits with the sunglasses on looking unbelievably scary, or just cool. The other three danced about the stage like madmen, but it was all fun. When it comes down to it, Apocalyptica consists of classically-trained musicians who are bloody good. Not all was heavy cello, as they played us Metallica's Nothing Else Matters, One and their own beautifully moving Farewell. At the end Eicca Toppinen declared: "And now we will punish you by playing classical music!" before mastering their version of Hall of the Mountain King. Different? Definitely.

GIG: Black Stone Cherry/Stone Gods/Sevendust

2008-12-07T16:06:00.003Z

Well my tickets for the Carling Academy said doors at 7, but I was chilling in a little bar in Pink Lane so I did not arrive until half an hour after the doors opened. When I got there it was to discover US rock band had already played their set - which must have been very small. I'm not a great fan, but I was a little surprised that they had already come and gone, which was a shame. Anyway the place felt pretty good when Stone Gods rocked their souls on stage. As all know, this band is formed from the remnants of love-them-or-hate-them-band The Darkness, with guitarist Dan Hawkins and former Darkness bassist Richie Edwards taking the mantle of frontman. I was eager to see how they performed, and if they would live up to their great debut album, Silver Spoons and Broken Bones. Well, they did. Being quite different from The Darkness' glam-rock sound, this was all rock n' roll. Opening with the epic Burn The Witch, Richie flaunted his guitar at myself and the crowd with brilliant enthusiasm. They powered through tracks such as I'm With The Band and Defend Or Die with mean vigor. At one crazy point in the set, Richie Edwards disappeared from view for a minute, only to reappear 2 feet in front of me, running through the crowd with his white guitar! Not half a month earlier, Stone Gods were at the Carling (soon to be O2-sponsored) Academy supporting another band of upcoming rockers, Airbourne, and have obviously built up a rapport with the Newcastle crowd - they've already booked a headlining tour for March '09! Safe to say I'll be attending. Phoenix from the flames.

I'm pretty biased here as Black Stone Cherry are one of my favourite current bands. Having seen them earlier with Whitesnake and Def Leppard, I was really anticipating seeing them in the flesh and not ten miles away (can you tell I prefer the Academy as a venue?). They kicked off with Rain Wizard not too long after Stone Gods had left. "Here comes the raiiiiiiiiiiiiin!!!!" - and there were the familiar tones of Chris Robertson. At this point I was once again in awe of the band who I think are one of the few who stand out from the mass of modern US rock bands. All four musicians of BSC are very talented and fit their own niche perfectly. Sounds like crap, but they're all great at what they do. I was particularly stunned by John Fred Young's five hour drum solo (ok, it was more like ten minutes, but it was superb), and at one point I looked around to find everyone with their eyes and mouths wide open. He even went on to play just with his hands. These guys don't mess about. Cherry played a good mix of stuff from the first and second albums, including Backwoods Gold, Long Sleeves, and the mind-blowing Lonely Train. My juices were flowing when they blasted out The Bitter End, a personal favourite. Chris Robertson showed just how much he meant the words he spoke when he introduced and sang Peace Is Free. It was difficult not to feel close to the band at that point!

All in all it was a fantastic night, topped off by shaking hands with John Fred Young and getting his signature after the finish. Hope they're back soon, what a great bunch of guys.

ALBUM: Black Stone Cherry - Folklore And Superstition (2008)

2008-08-28T19:33:00.009+01:00

It's finally here, I'm reviewing it al last. Black Stone Cherry got their name as a southern rock band hailing from Kentucky, USA. Their first self-titled album got a lot of attention, and as a result Folklore and Superstition has been surprisingly high in the charts on sites such as play.com lately. The debut contained pure rock and riff-filled tunes, and the band have cemented their reputation and gained many avid fans including myself on their recent tours - I saw them supporting Def Leppard and Whitesnake earlier in the year, where they played the first song from this album, "Blind Man" as a taster. This is very reminiscent of the first album - quite heavy and obviously southern-inspired lyrically.

Now I can listen to the album in its entirety. The second song, Please Come In, has a riff that made be believe for a moment that I was listening to Led Zeppelin. There are actually some slow parts to this song, which partly prepares you for the rest of the album. The next two songs,Reverend Wrinkle and Soulcreek, are sure to be live favourites on their upcoming UK tour (with The Answer supporting). Behold! For the next song on Folklore... is surely BSC's first ballad.Things My Father Said is a moving slow song that will probably split opinions of lovers of the first album. It's a really good change from the rock and roll, I think. But fear not. The very next song, The Bitter End, is as good as the legendary Lonely Train, the key track from Black Stone Cherry. A catchy chorus is trailed by a short guitar solo - clearly single material? The dark Long Sleeves is followed by ballad number two, Peace Is Free - "can't you see?". Devil's Queen andThe Key are typical BSC stuff, and You is yet another ballad. Sunrise is my most played however - probably the best song on the album for demonstrating the brilliance of Chris Robertson's voice, and even has a touch of the caribbean! The Ghost of Floyd Collins is a spooky southern ghost story with atmosphere, and a great roundoff to the album.

Folklore and Superstition is different from the first album in many ways, but it retains the music that makes Black Stone Cherry such a good band, and the leaders of modern southern rock, taking after bands such as Lynyrd Skynyrd. The band have obviously had time to be inspired and produce some great lyrics and some intense guitar and drum work in between their constant touring. This year they have supported the likes of Def Leppard, Whitesnake, and Shinedown across the globe. Black Stone Cherry are going up in the world, and this album demonstrates that they ain't no plain old rock n' roll band - they have depth to their material. Between the four of them they are one of the most dedicated and grateful bands out there right now. There really is something for every rock fan on this album - and it is far from generic. Traditional southern rock songs, ballads with a twist, and some very heavy material. Variation is the word - but I'm sure this one is going to become a classic, and a great of 2008. Well done guys, we salute you.

ALBUM: Shinedown - The Sound of Madness (2008)

2008-07-27T21:44:00.008+01:00

Aha, my latest and greatest import buy, its Shinedown's third album The Sound of Madness. They are pretty unknown here in the UK, which is why I had to import it, but this way I got the special fanclub limited edition, including three extra tracks, fanclub membership for a year, and numerous other stuff. Who says buying CD's isn't still good? For those who don't know them Shinedown are an American band from Jacksonville, Florida, and one of my favourite bands. Their first two albums are nothing short of brilliant hard rock stuff - Leave A Whisper (2003) and Us And Them (2005). The new album is a departure from the usual, to say the least. The band have went through a bit of an overhaul, with two of the original four (Jasin Todd and Brad Stewart) leaving for various reasons. The current band consists of original members Brent Smith (vox), Barry Kerch (drums), and new additions Nick Perri (lead guitar), Zach Myers (rhythm guitar) and Eric Bass (bass). Perhaps due to this, the new album is heavier, more intricate, and in my opinion a lot greater than the first two albums. None of the Shinedown feel is lost, which is a great bonus too.

Well, this album was waiting for me when I got back after a holiday. I was a little disappointed it hadn't arrived before, but this was due to release dates/import delays etc. First impressions? Awesome album artwork. The normal edition is white with black birds on the front, and the limited edition is as above. I stick the album into my CD player, and Devour kicks off with a bang. Devour is in fact not only the first track but also the first single from the album. It's quite heavy and political lyrically, and a great way to open the album, as it sets the tone for the rest of the CD. It sticks by the good old album rules: open with a fantastic track, and then push the dial up to eleven in the second track, Sound of Madness. In many ways I enjoy this more than Devour. It's catchy, heavy, and has some great guitar pieces in the latter half. As with much of Shinedown of course, the thing you appreciate most is Brent Smith's voice. These lyrics are also quite political, a little similar to the track that didn't make this album: Junkies For Fame. Third track Second Chance is about leaving home and striking out on your own - there is obviously a lot of inspiration from Brent himself here, and its one of my favourite songs on the album. Fast-paced Cry For Help gives way to The Crow & The Butterfly followed by If You Only Knew. I prefer the former out of the two...ballads (?), but they are both beautiful songs, the stuff Shinedown are loved for, and the very thing that makes them stand out from a lot of other rock bands. Sin With A Grin and What A Shame are good songs with meaningful lyrics, but Cyanide Sweet Tooth Suicide is a really frickin' brilliant heavy rock song that calls out to be played at full volume. The final two songs Breaking Inside and Call Me wrap up the normal edition. Breaking Inside has a catchy chorus and guitar stretch near the end, which makes it a contender for a single. Call Me is a song that could easily be found on any of the other Shinedown albums, a superb conclusion.

Now to the bonus tracks. For me, these three make the album a five-star rather than a four-star. You'll find no slow songs in this special section, because I Own You, The Energy, and Son of Sam are three angry rock n' roll tunes, truly gems in Shinedown's whole damn discography. I Own You is now one of my favourite Shinedown songs. Never before has an album been able to fire me up so much, and I have no doubts in recognising this as my favourite Shinedown album yet. I'm glad they were able to overcome problems in the band, problems which show in the lyrics and the way they play. Hell, they've come through this better than ever. Long may it continue. Now if they would just do a UK tour...

GIG: Def Leppard/Whitesnake/Black Stone Cherry

2008-06-25T22:06:00.056+01:00

It has been some time since my last entry! Forget reviewing albums for the meanwhile...it's live time. This was the first time I'd been to a proper gig at the Metro Radio Arena. Last night was amazing, as you'd expect from three of my favourite rock n'roll bands. I had been looking forward to this for many months, and was a little apprehensive beforehand as I didn't want to miss Black Stone Cherry open. As it happens I was standing at the door to the inner arena when I heard the familiar sound of Rain Wizard kick in, so I wasted no time in getting in there. I was immediately impressed, and while the crowd wasn't huge, they were fantastic and I was just craving to be nearer to the front. The acoustics were pretty crap for these guys unfortunately, but the guitarist was all over the stage, Chris Robertson's voice was unmistakeably good and the drummer (John Fred Young) was something else. He was a beast, it must be said. I've never seen a drummer so hyper! All drummers should be like this... The bassist (Jon Lawhon) has a great Kentucky drawl which made me chuckle a bit when he was chatting to us crowdgoers, and the dudes seemed really down to Earth and genuinely pleased to be on the tour, getting such a glowing reception. You don't get that often. With only a thirty minute spot, they had to impress and did so in style, finishing with Voodoo Child (Slight Return), complete with guitar-behind-neck-playing, and teeth-playing also. Just bloody awesome, what a warm up for the night! Wish they had played Crosstown Woman, though...that's a personal favourite.

BSC exited stage to great cheers, and pronounced that they would head towards the merchandise stand. Well, it was time for a beer and a t-shirt. There was no Lepp tees left, so I had to settle for a sweet BSC tee. I was determined to get in a good standing position to see Whitesnake kick off their shenanigans, so didn't hesistate long and therefore didn't get to meet the BSC guys. Another day!

A short wait, and the lights went down and on came David Coverdale. Talk about stage presence! Full hair and howl, Whitesnake opened with Best Years off their brilliant new Good To Be Badalbum. Coverdale was immense, talking the audience up and getting roses from the front. "Make some f***ing noise Newcasttteeeleee!" Hell yeah! I was surprised that they played a lot from the new album, but there was enough classics to please all. Love Ain't No Stranger was special. Coverdale and Aldrich did some acoustic stuff, with Aldrich sat on a special "Whitesnake" stool ("Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, Whitesnake...have furniture!") doing Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City and the smooth The Deeper the Love. The best crowd reactions were saved for Is This Love, Here I Go Again..., and the absolutely stunningly frawkin' good Still of the Night. Not forgetting Fool For Your Loving, of course. Credit to the man, he gave equal part to each of his excellent musicians. Doug Aldrich and RebBeach are awesome. Who says they can't still do it? They did, and we all wanted more! The man was loving the crowd. Cov said, "It's good to be home" - I guess this is the closest the guy gets toYorkshire on tour these days. Ey up!

I made a wise move not to leave after Whitesnake left. This let me to move to the front a little more while others dashed to the bar...and I waited for Def Leppard to appear. After quite a while of Stones and AC/DC tunes over the speakers, the lights went down once more and the humongous screen lit up across the arena. This was a montage of Leppard since the beginning to some guitar build-up. "That...Was...Then..." it proclaimed, "This...Is...Now!", and to great roars, on came Def Leppard playing Rocket.

The place came alive once more. The vibration of the speakers was intense. Leppard proved immediately that they were no ordinary "old rock band". Joe Elliot still has a tremendous voice, and with guitarists Vivian Campbell (thought he was particularly skilful!), Phil Collen, and Rick Savage behind him, the place shook with the rocking souls of what seemed to be a few thousand people. One-armed Rick Allen is one heck of a drummer too. Leppard had more old hits to

perform this night, and the only ones off Songs From the Sparkle Lounge were C'mon C'mon, Nine Lives, and Bad Actress (in the encore). These tracks are sure to become classics in turn. Personal favourites were Animal, Hysteria (one of the best ever), Rock of Ages (superb),Photograph, and of course the legendary Pour Some Sugar On Me. They even did some great acoustic stuff when they came right to the front of the catwalk-type-strangely-setup stage. The lights went off, and a spotlight was shone on Rick Savage's Union-Jack-flag-bass. I didn't know it at the time, but this was a version of David Essex's Rock On, from the Yeah! covers album. It rocked, anyway. The encore was the best, however. They came back on to perform Bad Actress, and then Elliot said: "Do You Wanna Get Rocked?", and we all sang Let's Get Rocked. "We'll see ya next time - and there WILL BE A NEXT TIME!" Elliot shouted over the screams of the audience. There better bloody well be. Pure Rock N'Roll, nothing like it!!!!!

ALBUM: Year Long Disaster - Year Long Disaster (2007)

2008-04-18T14:19:00.019+01:00

Due to blogging errors etcetera, this is a little later than I would have liked. Nevertheless...here it is. I've had an album overload lately, but this is probably the best one I've bought. Year Long Disaster are a fairly new band, one I saw live when they were supporting Velvet Revolver (see previous post), and they consist of Daniel Davies (guitar/vox), Rich Mullins (bass), and Brad Hargreaves (drums). I had liked them before, and seeing them live just intensified my interest in them. I was compelled to buy their debut.

So what's to like about this album? Well, for a start they're fantastic musicians and an excellent band to see live. Davies' gritty, raw voice does a hell of a lot of good to set them apart from other bands. Another thing is that every song on this album a) is different, b) has awesome riffs, and c) leaves you wanting more. The two opening tracks are very original rockin' songs which give way to a few slightly slower songs. While my favourite track is Sapphire, the very last song (apart from the hidden track), Swan On Black Lake, is just magical, honestly. A slow four-minute build-up suddenly drops for some stunning guitar pieces...

One other thing I must say about the album is the cover. Sure, covers don't matter much in these internet-downloading days, but I love this cover. The artwork and the band logo (under the CD) are great intricate designs.

If you buy one rock album today, this week, this month, this year even, get this. For me, it doesn't really sound like any other band. There's shades of 60s and 70s heavy rock there, but unlike many other bands today, they're pretty goddamn original!

ALBUM: Dire Straits - Love Over Gold (1983)

2008-04-10T16:06:00.027+01:00

I've decided to do an album of the moment thing, cliched but there you go. Since I was probably two years old I've had Dire Straits music following me around...blame the parents. In 2005 I saw Mark Knopfler live, and he was just the best, including his solo material. But I still love Straits most and when I first heard Telegraph Road a few months ago I realised I didn't really know them. So the other day I found Love Over Gold in a small local record store (one day I'll own a record store just like it...High Fidelity style hopefully) for a bargain. I tried to buy Communiquetoo, but the CD was conspicuously absent. Sure, I may have heard 4 of the 5 songs on this album before, but unlike the majority these days, I still enjoy buying and owning CDs. The internet may have gave rebirth to the live gig thing, with people discovering artists so quickly, but CDs are still something to have. If I had it my way, vinyl would be bigger too. But then I wouldn't be able to rip it to my MP3 player, would I?

Love Over Gold is one hell of an album, not to mention great album cover. Telegraph Road and Private Investigations are serious songs with exquisite guitar pieces. Telegraph... is just one, epic 15 minute song really. You need to listen to understand. Industrial Disease gives way to the title song, and currently the last song, It Never Rains, is my current favourite. Knopfler's guitar at the end is almost haunting...a brilliant end to an underrated album.

GIG: Velvet Revolver/Year Long Disaster

2008-03-20T00:09:00.024Z

Here was a gig I had been longing for. For a long time in high school I had maintained the opinion that I didn't really like much Guns N' Roses stuff, and that Velvet Revolver rocked the pants off them - an opinion I later went back on bigstyle, of course! All the same, I've been a long time fan of VR since I saw them on TV when they were playing at Live 8. I mean come on, they are 3/5ths Guns N'Roses for heaven's sake. Contraband was brilliant, and Libertad was the soundtrack to my summer in 2007. Of course I was going to go and see them, no question. I found out that a newish band called Year Long Disaster were supporting them, so I listened to some of their stuff before the gig too - mainly through MySpace - which was pretty good.

Well, the evening came and I was once more super energetic for this. This was Slash, Duff McKagan, Matt Sorum, Scott Weiland, and Dave Kushner. And possibly a support band I would really enjoy. Well, I was waiting in the cold queue outside when I happened to see two familiar faces from college, so we hung out while waiting for the music to start. This was a great start to the night, I thought. Then Year Long Disaster came on. Now support bands usually aren't always up to scratch, right? Well this trio of rockers were electric, they really left their mark. The guitarist was all over the stage, the drummer was solid, and personally I was really impressed with the bass playing. I'll just mention in passing that guitarist/vocalist Daniel Davies is the son of The Kinks' Dave Davies, and this has gathered them some attention, but that is not the reason they should be getting attention. They play solid rocking seventies stuff, and I was wondering who had chosen the trio for the support. Class choice - these guys should be big, and I made a mental note to buy their album.

We must have waited around nearly an hour after they went off for VR to appear, admiring the massive Marshall amplifiers and speakers. They were huuuge. Numerous tunes played, and we waited. And waited. Suddenly, NWA's rap song Straight Outta Compton blasted out from the speakers. For a nanosecond I thought I was at the wrong gig. But no...flashing lights betrayed a silhouetted presence...of the unmistakeable Duff. Soon Slash, Scott, Matt and Dave joined him, and they kicked off with Let It Roll. Boom. The place was alive. The setup of the mega-amps at front of the stage enabled a lot of awesome-guitar-stances by Slash and Duff, while Weiland played the textbook frontman, moving all over the place like...a skinny chicken? Whatever, it was rock at its best. Some of the new stuff such as She Mine, She Builds Quick Machines, Mary Mary, and American Man were played at full blast, the crowd swaying with the band. The stuff that made the crowd happy of course were songs from respective previous bands. It's So Easy was just the best...Axl or no, Scott pulled it off with his megaphone-actions. Amongst others were Mr Brownstone ("I get up around seven....get outta bed around nine...") and a few Stone Temple Pilots tunes - Sex Type Thing, Vaseline, and Interstate Love Song. I know many say bands shouldn't rely on their previous discography as backup, but I disagree, and so did everyone else that night. One of the best moments was when the stools were brought out for Patience, one of the only slow (GN'R) songs in the setlist, but one of the best. Between this they went back to the original VR stuff, making me go mental by playing Sucker Train Blues. Love that one. Set Me Free, Big Machine, and Dirty Little Thing and all the greats from Contraband were played. Slash, safe to say, was an absolute genius, a real rock god. At one point the other band members left the stage, and Slash played a ten-minute solo of epic proportions. The guy knows how to play frawkin' guitar, and you knew you were watching one of the best guitarists the world has to offer. He was typical Slash as well - top hat, cigarette in mouth, double-necked guitar etc. It made for one of the best nights ever. However, they saved the best til' last, with Slither - one of their heaviest songs - ending the night on a high. I lost my position as a sole entity and became a part of the moshing, swaying crowd. Helluva night!

GIG: Joe Bonamassa

2008-03-02T00:09:00.012Z

The first time I heard Joe Bonamassa was Asking Around For You, on the cover disc of the first issue of Classic Rock magazine I bought (issue 94). However, I didn't immediately start getting into his albums or anything. It was a slow process, you see. After that, I started hearing more and more about this guy, and gradually became more intrigued. His cover of Zep's Tea For One has to be heard. Young guitar maestro? Opened for BB King when he was a wee bairn? Wow, thats some achievement. Luckily when my interest was beginning to peak, and I was listening more and more, he released a new album around the end of 2007 - Sloe Gin - which I duly bought. Then I was hooked. So you can imagine my wonderment when I heard he was coming to Newcastle!

After waiting a while once more near the front of the familiar-becoming Academy stage, on came Joe Bonamassa with his band. Looking around me, I could see he had great support. Fans of all ages had come to see him do his thing. I was happy to see him open with Bridge To Better Days, a great song. He continued to play some great new stuff from Sloe Gin, including Another Kind of Love, Dirt In My Pocket, and the emotional title song. The weird thing is, the new album seems to be a slower pace from his older albums. But holy mother of God, he plays the guitar FAST. My eyes were rooted to the man's fingers, and I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one stunned at how amazing Joe was. There's a mix of genres in his music, with a heavy blues influence, with a little light folk and rock stuff too. Songs such as One Of These Days and Woke Up Dreaming just left me stood there wondering if this guy was the guitar messiah. It's great seeing bands with fantastic guitarists - there are tons out there - but when you come to see one man, he has to do something special to persuade you of his greatness. Joe did it in style, playing Just Got Paid...with an additional solo from none other than Zep's Dazed and Confused. I roared with joy. He went off stage briefly, coming back on with an England football t-shirt on to perform footstompin' Highwater Everywhere. The best was for me a tie between A New Day Yesterday and Woke Up Dreaming, for sheer playing skill. I must say, I was flinching often during those ones, he was playing that damn fast. Some mention must go to his band, who are suitably great musicians to complement Joe.

GIG: Megadeth/Job For A Cowboy/Evile

2008-02-21T00:08:00.018Z

As soon as I realised Megadeth were coming to Newcastle, I went bonkers. Without a doubt I knew it would be one hell of a night. And it was! Two months after buying tickets, I and a few mates headed to town with metal in mind. This was touted as Dave Mustaine's UK "Gigantour" - however the lineup supporting Megadeth paled in comparison to America's version. It's easy to see why, as many venues are smaller over here. When we got there, the queue to get in was huge, so we decided to leave it for a while. With Job For A Cowboy and Evile for support, we weren't too bothered about getting in early. After a short wander, we went in anyway in the middle of Evile's set. These guys didn't sound too bad, and they had a pretty good rapport. Unfortunately I had to endure Job For A Cowboy after that, a band I really wasn't liking. Too much growl and spit, with no class. Tension grew in the place as everyone waited for Dave Mustaine and his metal maestros to come onstage. Adrenaline flowed as Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song played over the speakers. Prelude to madness, methinks.

The lights go down. Sleepwalker. The crowd goes mental. The familiar figure of Dave Mustaine filled centre stage. We were at the mercy of Megadeth, an audience of quite literally all ages. Rockers and metalheads young and old. They breezed through Take No Prisoners and Skin O' My Teeth, before Mustaine mocked the balcony-seated-fans for being too scared to enter the floor, where all hell was breaking loose around me. A fair share of more new stuff was played off the excellent United Abominations album, including Washington Is Next!, Gears of War, the new version of A Tout Le Monde, and Never Walk Alone...A Call To Arms. There was no time to admire shiny guitars as In My Darkest Hour (highlight of the night for me) rattled out. Credit to Dave, he put emotion into his performance. This is a man who knows how to express himself. Nearly all of the classic and legendary Deth songs were played in fantastic fashion, including Wake Up Dead, the deja-vu inducing Trust, the intensely satisfying Symphony of Destruction, and of course Rust In Peace...Polaris and Tornado of Souls from the awesome Rust In Peace album - considered one of thrash's best.

By this time, being at the front of the crowd was a fight to stay alive. The heat, sweat and dehydration of attempting to keep on your feet was memorable, to say the least. This was, in my eyes, metal at its greatest. Towards the end I was mostly in front of new guitarist Chris Broderick (see top), and I was really impressed. He didn't seem phased at all, and didn't miss a thing. Megadeth went off stage, but the night wasn't over yet. To massive cheers, Mustaine, Broderick, James LoMenzo (bass) and Shawn Drover (drums) came back on stage. They had saved the best 'til last, powering out Peace Sells. I have a vivid memory of standing next to this fifty-plus year old guy with long gray hair and wearing leather, giving me a mad look and us all singing "Whaddya mean I don't believe in God...talk to him every day...". Frickin' brilliant. After this, the last tune was Holy Wars...The Punishment Due. The best word for that I think is intense.

By the time it was all over, I was exhausted, dehydrated, sweaty, and half deaf. I knew it was one of the best gigs I'd ever see.

GIG: Alter Bridge/Enjoy Destroy

2008-01-20T23:53:00.021Z

So, I'd only vaguely listened to Alter Bridge before I knew they were coming to Newcastle. However I liked a lot of similar bands - Shinedown, Black Stone Cherry, etc, so I decided I would buy their recently released album Blackbird, and then decide if I would go to the gig. I found myself in awe of how good they were. Stereotypical American rock band? No sir. Blackbird is a surprisingly heavy mix of slow and intense tracks, with meaningful and inspiring lyrics. I listened to their original album One Day Remains, which is fantastic as well.The evening came and I became increasingly excited - I hadn't seen a gig since The Answer, ten months ago. This was my first time at the Carling Academy too. I was impressed right away with the venue and the amount of people there, but support band Enjoy Destroy failed to grab me. Apart from MacTier, most of their tunes are a little too indie-rock (yeurgh!) for me I think, and they didn't suit Alter Bridge at all. You could tell the audience were here for one band alone. Enter Alter Bridge. Wow. The emotion of Blackbird and the guitar sound of Mark Tremonti in White Knuckles just blew me away. There was a hell of a lot of crowd action for that one. Two mosh pits gave me a passage to the front of the crowd during the heavy stuff. Do they know how to get the audience going! As for the voice of Alter Bridge, Myles Kennedy (right) has to be one of the best voices of rock out there. I along with several hundred people sang along to Open Your Eyes, and Rise Today lifted my and a few other souls to new heights. Personally my favourite however was Brand New Start. One of the surprise tunes they finished with was AC/DC's Whole Lotta Rosie, which brought the house down. I had wanted rock, and I got more than I came for.

Creative Misadventure?

2008-01-01T16:02:00.001Z

I've had two journals. I've wrote countless silly half finished (but fun) stories. I've half clicked create blog before, but never got round to it. Blog? What for? Why? Well, I know there's a chance nobody will ever read this, these mindless ramblings. But I guess I need an outlet for what's in the mind, and there's nothing better than writing for me.

The only thing worth writing about at the minute is music. There's a few gigs coming up I want to write about, and the last one I've seen is The Answer and Winnebago Deal in March 2007. I'm a little starved of live-ness, to say the least!